100 Wargaming Tips

The year is 2006 and the place is the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. A young man tentatively speaks these first, tentative words:

“Today is Thursday August 17, 2006. This is the first podcast of the CWF Game Discussions blog….now we’re gonna cue our intro music.”

More than six years and tens of thousands of hours later the CWF Game Discussions blog podcast morphed into Wargaming Recon.

The 100th episode is our chance to say thank you to everyone for all of the support. Without the encouragement, feedback, and kindness from each of you through the years we know that Wargaming Recon could not exist.

We hope you will enjoy this list of 100 wargaming tips. It was generated by gamers like Y-O-U with a some tips by your host Jonathan J. Reinhart.

Thank you to Christopher Tarwater for redesigning the blog, Jeremy Kostiew for creating the 100th episode logo (and the show’s logo that appears everywhere), every person who submitted a tip, to every listener, to every guest, and everyone that has been supportive over the years. A huge thank you to our sponsor 12-7-Games.com.

The 100th episode features special recurring guest Aaron Bostian. Aaron previously appeared on Episode 91: Aaron Bostian and How Wargamers Can Give Back

This episode discussed:

Read the rules and review them frequently – Adam C. from Fencing Frog

Plan to attend Huzzah! each year for three days of terrific historical wargaming in New England – Dean Emmerson from HuzzahCon.com

Don’t take war games too seriously. When you’re done, shake hands with your opponents, tell them “good game”, whether you won or lost, and leave as friends – Phil Hatfield

Don’t take unnecessary risks – Casey Harmon

Always organize your projects from the heart, not the head, wargaming is all about enjoying yourself – Jon Sutherland from WargameHolidays.com

Sharing the hobby can be its own reward – Mike Paine

Playtest any game you are presenting as much as you can and try to playtest it with some people who don’t already know the rules you are using – Adam C. from Fencing Frog

Pay equal attention and time to your tabletop and terrain as you do to your soldiers – Jon Sutherland from WargameHolidays.com

Advantages are built slowly – Casey Harmon

The game should come to a logical or agreed on end – Scott Monteith

Have fun, don’t be the reason someone gave up the hobby – Mike Paine

Gaming is a social thing, please don’t forget proper hygiene – Gordon Adler from AdlerHobby.com

Get someone else to paint your stuff if you don’t like how you paint – Steve Riley

If you have to choose between offense and defensive resources, then all other things being equal, offense is better because dead things cannot hurt you – Steve G

For historical and especially Napoleonic era wargames ClashofArms.com is the best in the business; the owner Ed Wimble is a true storehouse of Napoleonic knowledge – Adrian Benson from New England Grognard

Instead of throwing out those caps on your soda bottles, save them and mount your figs on them for painting – Cort N.

Static grass is the best base flocking material – Bill Greenwald

Understand the victory conditions – Peter Lowitt

Build your terrain pieces to fit the boxes you have available – Richard Crowley from The Land of Counterpane

Use JuniorGeneral.org to print out top down images for rules testing – Pat G.

Use a clear vinyl shower curtain over a brown surface to create rippling water – Aaron Bostian from Fancy Wars

Use 1 mini dice besides each unit to track units on a table – Tidal Timmerman

Certain types of packing peanuts can be repurposed as sandbags – Adam C. from Fencing Frog

Never underestimate the charm and appropriateness of your own painting, do not get overwhelmed by the efforts of so-calle[...]