The Art of Wargaming

When conducting an invasion, it is important to consider the risks involved with such operations. There are many factors including the sum of physical and mental powers and the cause of increase, or decrease, of power for the advancing army. These factors are usually not static, so it is of utmost significance to pay attention to the changing situation. There is also the issue of our follow throug...

In the time in which Clausewitz wrote "On War", going on the offensive involved no small amount of risk. Between the rise of dominance in the field of artillery and new and brutal ways of preparing a killing field, going on the attack meant being vulnerable to all matter of calamity. As a result, his analysis of offensive variations stresses the need for boldness and prudence in equal measure. The...

Leadership is difficult. There are many demands on a leader's time, and one of the most important is the retention of quality individuals. Within an organization not bound by employment or contract, there are certain techniques for keeping good people in the right places. Whether you are a unit or club leader overseeing the development of your group or an event coordinator managing an ever changin...

Morale is vital to any conflict, but it also plays a part heavily in our own lives. Whether making our way through our workday, tending to our personal relationships, or playing our favorite wargame, pursuing higher morale can contribute to our happiness and abilities. In this episode, Malark dives deep into the concept of morale. Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artof...

Many elements go into an offensive strategy. There are the issues of lengthening our supply lines, the capitalization of momentum while maintaining economy of force, and the precision and timing that allow us to prevail over our defensive opponent. Time is not a friend to the attacker, so our actions need to be swift and decisive. When seeking our military aims, we will often come up against an en...

Clausewitz begins our study of offensive warfare by establishing a framework. In this we can see how the lessons we learned in previous episodes on defense can also apply to our study going forward. As always, Clausewitz provides us with concise lists of considerations, including how to preserve our force while we achieve our objectives. Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email...

For the last many episodes we have been making our way through Clausewitz's lessons concerning defense. It has been a comprehensive study, looking at all levels of action when it comes to defensive warfare, from such diverse topics as favorable terrain to understanding the momentum and rhythm of battle. In this episode, we bring all of these concepts together and look at the big picture, on how th...

It isn't glamorous to consider, but sometimes in war a tactical withdrawal is called for. These must be planned and orderly, guarding against our enemy who will surely try to take advantage. There are several reasons this might be a reasonable move. If we can get a better advantage over our opponent on different ground, if our supply lines are threatened, if we need to regroup and wait for reinfor...

The wars during the time of Clausewitz were set by conventions that sometimes seem strange to us in modern wargaming. One of the general prohibitions during that era, if I may include a spoiler, was that flanking was not a useful tactic. This is obviously not the case in modern war and wargaming, but the advice he does include is cautiously insightful. Malark delves into the deeps of this maneuver...

In a perfect homage to our ongoing study of Clausewitz, Malark hosted a panel at MisCon 38 in 2024 on the "Principles of War and their Applications towards Game Theory". This is the raw recording largely without edits. Enjoy Malark live and unfiltered at MisCon 38 and his exploration of the Principles of War(gaming)! Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artofwargamingpodca...

Of the many concepts that we have covered over the course of this show, few are as ephemeral as the idea of coup d'œil. The ability to see at a glance what opportunities are afforded by our situation is a great boon, whether it is a talent we come by naturally or have had to train in ourselves. A bit more accessible concept would be that of zone defense, a strategy that many who watch or play spor...

The fighting fields of Europe offer a plethora of situations and biomes to analyze. It is from this analysis that we are able to make our theories concerning war. While Clausewitz was able to draw upon this rich information for his own theories, the lack of certain conditions in Europe caused gaps in tactical knowledge. As he himself explains, one is hard pressed to find large theaters of European...

Rivers present a unique challenge when it comes to the prosecutions of a campaign. Much like mountains, they have their own rules and ways of navigating them. This is a very exact science because choosing the right method of defense can be quite hazardous and requires a practiced mind. In this episode, Malark plunges deep into the unexpectedly complex concept in the Defense of Rivers. Support our...

Our "short" break from Clausewitz to study Napoleon is now over! We return to our deep dive into Clausewitz's great work: On War. In this episode, Malark does a quick recap of the information we were discussing before our Napoleonic tangent. Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artofwargamingpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: @theartofwargamingpodcast Instagram: @artofwargamingpo...

Over the course of this study, we have sought the heart of strategy that lies in the works of one of history's most prolific figures: the commander and statesman Napoleon. His wisdom reaches from across the centuries, the boldness and decisiveness of which are as useful today as they were when first penned to the page. This is not to say that all of his tactical advice is still entirely sound, as...

There are many realities about war that are understandably upsetting. This episode contains several such realities, such as the long term consequences of landmines and the brutal practice of taking hostages. And while concepts like this may not have direct application to many forms of wargaming, it is still important to understand them within the context of actual war. Napoleon discusses these con...

How do we best use our troops? How do we prioritize our actions based on our capabilities? These have been questions on the minds of commanders throughout history. Napoleon, as always, has some good advice for us on the matter. Malark explores these questions and more as we break back into Napoleon and have a game with one of our favorites opponents: Todo Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/thear...

When we look at leadership, it is easy to see that there are many functions that require their own sort of leader. A general of engineering is expected to have vastly different qualities than a general of the cavalry. Often when we study military science we do so from the perspective of the General of the Army, but this same general trusts in the competence of the officers who are placed in these...

Malark and Todo sit down to a game of 10th edition Warhammer 40k Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artofwargamingpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: @theartofwargamingpodcast Instagram: @artofwargamingpodcast Check out more of The Art of Wargaming at www.taowargaming.com Check out more earVVyrm podcasts at www.earvvyrm.com

These maxims reveal an unexpected treasure trove of military wisdom. The vast genius of Napoleon is reflected in his mind, not just in tactical mastery but also a mastery of command and control. Malark continues our study Napoleon and his maxims. Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artofwargamingpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: @theartofwargamingpodcast Instagram: @artofwargam...

Napoleon's direct approach to war also features in his maxims, where he often trades detail for brevity. One of the topics he writes most on is that of qualities necessary for command. In this episode, Malark walks alongside Napoleon as he describes the qualities of an ideal commander Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artofwargamingpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: @theartofw...

As we begin the homestretch of our study of Napoleon's Maxims, we begin to see more and more evidence of Napoleon's psyche expressed in his written ideas on military science. It becomes easy to see why he would call himself an emperor and have the bravado to engage the majority of Europe in open conflict. Malark continues our study of this fascinating mind. Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/the...

Even within seemingly simple maxims there can be a treasure trove of information and insight. Malark examines several short but valuable Maxims in this next installment of the Military Maxims of Napoleon Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artofwargamingpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: @theartofwargamingpodcast Instagram: @artofwargamingpodcast Check out more of The Art of War...

The task of the scholar is a complicated one. Not only must one read and understand what is being read, in addition it is vital to place the information in a cultural and historic context. Nothing is written in a vacuum, and as we know the historic setting is important to true understanding. With this in mind, we sit down with the next set of Maxims, and see what wisdom history can yield. Support...

Deviating from his characteristic brevity, Napoleon spends this next chunk of his Maxims discussing the theory and techniques behind siege warfare. Without the use of a handy whiteboard, Malark seeks to convey the details of this mathematic and intricate art of war. Support our Patreon! www.patreon.com/theartofwargaming Email: artofwargamingpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: @theartofwargamingpodcast Ins...