THIS GAMING LIFE WHAT MAKES A SKIRMISH WARGAME?

Skirmish wargaming is all the rage at the moment, whether it's inter-war pulp, vampire hunting Regency-style, or something firmly rooted in reality. You only have to venture onto the internet to get some idea of the amazing choice of skirmish games available these days. As wargamers and prospective customers, all these new and exciting opportunities can be overwhelming: rules that are temptingly described as ‘innovative’ and models that fair groan with ‘exquisite detail’. Who can keep up with it all? Prob ably nobody, but we all have our favourites and our enthusiasms.

By Rick Priestley

Skirmish wargaming is like riding a bicycle: doing it is simple enough but describing how to do it is another thing entirely. To start with, it is worth remembering that before skirmish wargaming was ever thought of there were such things as skirmishes – which is to say, real skirmishes between real combatants – since positively ages ago right up until the present day. So, rather than trying to work out what makes a skirmish wargame a skirmish wargame, how about first figuring out what makes a skirmish a skirmish? So what is a skirmish? You'd think that one would be easy, wouldn't you, but even the dictionaries seem a little uncertain. Chambers ventures, “A minor irregular fight between small or marginal parties – to fight slightly or irregularly.” One online…

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Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (Digital) - 1 Issue, WSS 123

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