Block wargame
Encyclopedia
A block wargame is a board
wargame
that represents military units using wooden blocks instead of cardboard counters
or metal/plastic miniatures. These blocks are typically square, have a labeled and an unlabeled side, and are generally thick enough that they can be placed on their side with the labeled side facing the owning player. Details about the unit (for instance, its identity as well as its attack, defense and movement scores) can then be seen easily by the owning player, while the opposing player will be left unsure of the exact nature of piece; while he can see where his rival's forces are, fog of war
is emulated by preserving the secrecy of the type and quality of the troops.
Often, block pieces display the main information in the center with a series of numbers (or pips
) around the edge, so that the current strength of the unit can be shown in a step-reduction system. When the unit is wounded (representing a single person) or diminished in number (representing more than one person), the player turns it counterclockwise, with the number of pips at the top of block indicating its current strength. While the example block has four steps (strengths of 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively), blocks can have fewer steps.
Alternatively, some block wargames require the player to remove the block representing the wounded unit from the board and replace it with a block with a lower strength.
. Early Stratego pieces were cardboard but were replaced by wood after World War II. These wooden pieces may have been the direct inspiration for block wargames. (Today Stratego pieces are plastic.)
Gamma Two Games was an early popularizer of block wargames; their first such game was Quebec 1759, depicting the campaign surrounding the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
. The company later produced War of 1812, covering the war of that name, and Napoleon
, covering the Waterloo campaign, before changing its name to Columbia Games
.
Through the 1980s and 1990s Columbia Games was pratically the sole publisher of block wargames. Their releases during this time include Rommel in the Desert, covering World War II's North Africa campaign; EastFront and its sequels, covering the European theater of World War II at the corps level; and Bobby Lee and Sam Grant, covering the Virginia and Western theaters of the American Civil War.
by designer Jerry Talylor has been well received, although his subsequent title, Crusader Rex, a bit less so. Jerry Taylor recently released another block game based on the War of the Roses. GMT Games entered the block wargame market in 2003 with the release of Europe Engulfed
, a simulation of the entire ETO. A sister game, Asia Engulfed, was released in 2007, using blocks to represent fleets as well as ground forces.
GMT also released a block wargame series called Commands and Colors: Ancients which met with wide approval. Note that this series of games does not fall under the tradition definition of "block wargame" as the units have identifying marks on both sides of the blocks, eliminating the Fog of War aspect of most Block Wargames. Simmons Games has published the innovative Bonaparte at Marengo, which was nominated for a 2005 award for Best Historical Simulation by Games Magazinehttp://www.simmonsgames.com/; the game features unique long blocks, reminiscent of the symbols used on battle maps.
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
wargame
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
that represents military units using wooden blocks instead of cardboard counters
Counter (board wargames)
Boardgame counters are usually small cardboard squares moved around on the map of a wargame to represent armies, military units or individual military personnel. The first modern mass-market wargame, based on cardboard counters and hex-board maps, was Tactics, invented by Charles S. Roberts in 1952...
or metal/plastic miniatures. These blocks are typically square, have a labeled and an unlabeled side, and are generally thick enough that they can be placed on their side with the labeled side facing the owning player. Details about the unit (for instance, its identity as well as its attack, defense and movement scores) can then be seen easily by the owning player, while the opposing player will be left unsure of the exact nature of piece; while he can see where his rival's forces are, fog of war
Fog of war
The fog of war is a term used to describe the uncertainty in situation awareness experienced by participants in military operations. The term seeks to capture the uncertainty regarding own capability, adversary capability, and adversary intent during an engagement, operation, or campaign...
is emulated by preserving the secrecy of the type and quality of the troops.
Often, block pieces display the main information in the center with a series of numbers (or pips
Pips
Pips are small but easily countable items. The term is used to describe the dots on dominoes, dice, denote suits, and is the name for the small seeds of some fruits. It could be used as a synonym for dot in most situations, for example morse code....
) around the edge, so that the current strength of the unit can be shown in a step-reduction system. When the unit is wounded (representing a single person) or diminished in number (representing more than one person), the player turns it counterclockwise, with the number of pips at the top of block indicating its current strength. While the example block has four steps (strengths of 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively), blocks can have fewer steps.
Alternatively, some block wargames require the player to remove the block representing the wounded unit from the board and replace it with a block with a lower strength.
History
The initial idea of pieces that are visible to only one of two players traces back to the 1908 introduction of the game L'attaque, the first version of StrategoStratego
Stratego is a board game featuring a 10×10 square board and two players with 40 pieces each. Pieces represent individual officers and soldiers in an army. The objective of the game is to either find and capture the opponent's Flag or to capture so many of the opponent's pieces that he/she cannot...
. Early Stratego pieces were cardboard but were replaced by wood after World War II. These wooden pieces may have been the direct inspiration for block wargames. (Today Stratego pieces are plastic.)
Gamma Two Games was an early popularizer of block wargames; their first such game was Quebec 1759, depicting the campaign surrounding the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
. The company later produced War of 1812, covering the war of that name, and Napoleon
Napoleon (game)
Napoleon is a strategic-level board wargame covering the Waterloo Campaign of the Hundred Days after Napoleon's return from Elba starting with the French invasion of Belgium on June 15, 1815...
, covering the Waterloo campaign, before changing its name to Columbia Games
Columbia Games
Columbia Games is a maker of board and role-playing games including Hârn and a variety of games, mostly wargames using blocks instead of the more conventional chits...
.
Through the 1980s and 1990s Columbia Games was pratically the sole publisher of block wargames. Their releases during this time include Rommel in the Desert, covering World War II's North Africa campaign; EastFront and its sequels, covering the European theater of World War II at the corps level; and Bobby Lee and Sam Grant, covering the Virginia and Western theaters of the American Civil War.
Today
Block wargames are enjoying a minor resurgence. Columbia Games' Hammer of the ScotsHammer of the Scots
Hammer of the Scots may refer to:* Edward I of England who had Hammer of the Scots engraved on his tombstone.* Hammer of the Scots is a board game chronicling the Wars of Scottish Independence....
by designer Jerry Talylor has been well received, although his subsequent title, Crusader Rex, a bit less so. Jerry Taylor recently released another block game based on the War of the Roses. GMT Games entered the block wargame market in 2003 with the release of Europe Engulfed
Europe Engulfed
Europe Engulfed is a block wargame designed by Rick Young and Jesse Evans for GMT Games, first published in 2003, and it simulates the European theater of war during World War II featuring a streamlined play structure and multiple well-balanced strategies for both sides, giving players the chance...
, a simulation of the entire ETO. A sister game, Asia Engulfed, was released in 2007, using blocks to represent fleets as well as ground forces.
GMT also released a block wargame series called Commands and Colors: Ancients which met with wide approval. Note that this series of games does not fall under the tradition definition of "block wargame" as the units have identifying marks on both sides of the blocks, eliminating the Fog of War aspect of most Block Wargames. Simmons Games has published the innovative Bonaparte at Marengo, which was nominated for a 2005 award for Best Historical Simulation by Games Magazinehttp://www.simmonsgames.com/; the game features unique long blocks, reminiscent of the symbols used on battle maps.