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91-499: These rules simulate actions in the second world war on the Western or Eastern fronts during the final two years of the war for forces up to Corps or Army Levels. The basic units in the game are tank and mechanised infantry platoons, infantry companies, and artillery batteries. Aircraft may be in flights or squadrons. Logistics and engineers are fully covered. Bruce Rea Taylor and Andy Ashton originally intended that Korps Commander would be

182-413: A 1 Company = 1-2 Base(s) scale. In 1986/1988 this was unusual. Examples of other similar scaled rules are, Great Battles of WWII Vol. 1 (1995), Panzer Korps (2004). and Lightning War - Red Storm (2001-2008). The most common scale in the late 80's was 1 Vehicle = 1 Base, later rules used scales of 1 Platoon = 1 Base. The primary issue with the increase of the scale was related to the combat specifications of

273-608: A 2' x 2' table. Thus allowing several campaign battles to take place in one evening. Bruce Rea Taylor and Andy Ashton originally intended that Corps Commander would be the start of a family of rules, each covering a period and location, as can be seen by the quote from the Rules. Rules covering sea and airborne assaults, together with details of the Northern and Southern Fronts and the Middle East will follow shortly. Operational Manoeuvre Group

364-477: A Company, the Company is split into two bases, each of which are similar in strength. This system allows a base to also represent a platoon, such as a support platoon attached to a Headquarters company.) Base Size (1/300 scale) - A Base which has 1 to 5 strength points has a size of 20mm by 30mm. A Base with more than 5 strength points has a size of 30mm by 30mm. For comparison purposes the earlier Corps Commander used

455-461: A Ground Scale of 1 cm = 50m (1:5000) for 1/300 scale. The primary significance of these rules is the use of a 1 Company = 1-2 Base(s) scale. In 1986/1988 this was unusual. Examples of other similar scaled rules are, Great Battles of WWII Vol. 1 (1995), Panzer Korps (2004). and Lightning War - Red Storm (2001-2008). The most common scale in the late 80's was 1 Vehicle = 1 Base, later rules used scales of 1 Platoon = 1 Base. The primary issue with

546-399: A Ground scale of 10 cm = 1 km (1:10000) and a Daylight Game Turn = 1 hour. Lightning War - Red Storm uses a base size of 30 cm x 30 cm, a ground scale of 1 cm = 100, (1:10000), a Daylight Game Turn = 2 hours. Panzer Korps, while designed for 15mm/20mm, uses a Ground Scale of 1 cm = 50m (1:5000) for 1/300 scale. The primary significance of these rules is the use of

637-444: A Pz I, but would differ in combat capabilities. Players may be required to keep track of the combat capabilities of individual bases by the use of separate written records, or a value printed on the base. In this case the use of a Board-Game system may be preferable. Corps/Korps Commander resolved this issue by giving each a Base a value, representing the number of common vehicles or guns. When there were different vehicles or guns in

728-444: A Pz I, but would differ in combat capabilities. Players may be required to keep track of the combat capabilities of individual bases by the use of separate written records, or a value printed on the base. In this case the use of a Board-Game system may be preferable. Corps/Korps Commander resolved this issue by giving each a Base a value, representing the number of common vehicles or guns. When there were different vehicles or guns in

819-432: A base to be stable and have naturally rectangular shapes; in such cases, the distances between units may be measured from the edge of the model itself. Some miniature wargames use the dimensions of the model to determine whether a target behind cover is within line-of-fire of an attacker. Most miniature wargames are turn-based. Players take turns to move their model warriors across the model battlefield and declare attacks on

910-404: A base. When a base represents a common vehicle or gun, its speed and combat capabilities are based on the figure itself. When a base represents a mix of vehicles or guns, its speed and combat capabilities may differ from the figure on the base. Example : A Base which contains 5 x Pz I and 2 x Pz II compared with another base which contains 5 x Pz I and 2 x Pz III. Both would be represented by

1001-469: A community that kept growing. Around the same time in the United Kingdom, Donald Featherstone began writing an influential series of books on wargaming, which represented the first mainstream published contribution to wargaming since Little Wars . Titles included : War Games (1962), Advanced Wargames , Solo Wargaming , Wargame Campaigns , Battles with Model Tanks , Skirmish Wargaming . Such

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1092-414: A company, part of a company or a platoon. A Base can have a maximum of 9 Strength points. (If there are more than 9 vehicles or Gun's in a Company, the Company is split into two bases, each of which are similar in strength. This system allows a base to also represent a platoon, such as a support platoon attached to a Headquarters company.) Base Size (1/300 scale) - A Base which has 1 to 5 strength points has

1183-636: A company, the company would be represented by more than 1 base. Each Base would contain the same vehicle/guns and its value would be the number of vehicle/gun in each base. Corps Commander Corps Commander , or "Corps Commander: Operational Manoeuvre Group" is a set of micro-armour Miniature wargaming rules designed by Bruce Rea Taylor and Andy Ashton and published in the UK by Tabletop games copyrighted by B. A. Rea Taylor, A. Ashton & Tabletop Games July 1986. These rules simulates modern warfare between forces of up to Corps or Army Level in any future war on

1274-430: A company, the company would be represented by more than 1 base. Each Base would contain the same vehicle/guns and its value would be the number of vehicle/gun in each base. Miniature wargaming Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. Miniature wargames are played using model soldiers , vehicles, and artillery on

1365-399: A fair chance of winning. Miniature wargames are rarely set in urban environments. The first reason is that it is harder to reach models when there are many buildings in the way. Another reason is that the buildings may highlight the abstract scale at which the wargame operates. For instance, in the 28 mm wargame Bolt Action , a rifle's range is 24 inches, which is barely the length of

1456-408: A few houses at 28 mm scale. If placed in an urban environment, a rifleman would not be able to hit a target at the far end of a small street, which shatters the illusion of realism. The scale of a model vehicle can be expressed as a scale ratio. A scale ratio of 1:100 means that 1 cm represents 100 cm; at this scale, if a model car is 4.5 cm long, then it represents a real car that

1547-406: A fictional setting and may thus feature fictional or anachronistic armaments, but the setting should be similar enough to some real historical era of warfare so as to preserve a reasonable degree of realism. For instance, Warhammer Age of Sigmar is mostly based on medieval warfare, but includes supernatural elements such as wizards and dragons. The most popular historical settings are World War 2,

1638-574: A force of 25 companies per side. A game of this size which consisted of 24 game-turns, or one game day duration, could be completed within a 4-8 hour period. Bruce Rea Taylor and Andy Ashton published Corps Commander in July 1986. This used the same game system as Korps Commander and can be considered the first of the Corps/Korps Commander system publications. In October 1986 "Digest #3, Engineering Equipment Data, Engineering Lists, Engineering Scenarios"

1729-745: A game determines the type of units used, with popular historical themes including WWII, the Napoleonic Wars, and the American Civil War, while Warhammer 40,000 is the leading fantasy setting. Models, historically made from lead or tin, are now typically made of plastic or resin, with larger companies favoring plastic for its mass-production advantages. While some companies sell pre-painted models, most require assembly and customization by players. In historical miniature wargames, generic models are used, but fantasy wargames, like Warhammer, feature proprietary models, making them more expensive. The community

1820-668: A hat). Furthermore, the advertised scale of a model may not reflect its actual scale. In order to make their products stand out against their competitors, some manufacturers make their models a little oversized, e.g. a model from a certain manufacturer that is advertised as suitable for 28 mm wargames could actually be 30 mm tall in practice. This makes the model look more imposing, and allows for more detail. Manufacturers of generic wargaming models are generally obliged to build their models to some standard scale so as to ensure compatibility with third-party wargames. Manufacturers who make proprietary models designed exclusively for use in

1911-539: A large number of additional rules, as well as some minor changes to the base rules. The publishing of Korps Commander, in August 1988, contained a large number of changes to the rules. A number of these were as a result of the period, such as the game scale, however a number represents corrections to the original Corps Commander rules. A number of unusual tactics were available to players of the original Corps Commander rules, which Korps Commander eliminated. In additional to this

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2002-442: A little undersized compared the scale so as to make more room on the table for the warriors. Like wise model figures will often be oversize for the scale, for example many games use 25 mm figures appropriate to a 1:60 scale when the game is played at a larger scale such as 1:360. Most miniature wargames do not have a fixed time scale (i.e. how many seconds a turn represents). Most wargame rulebooks instead prefer to define how far

2093-559: A method to play test his rules system. We would like to acknowledge the help of the Wallasey War-games Club in the preparation and play testing of these rules, and also those in Nottingham (Rob at Heroes is the one to contact). Please send a Stamped Addressed Envelope if you have any queries. The primary significance of these rules was it was one of the first game systems which used a scale of 1-2 base(s) per company. The reason why

2184-498: A model battlefield, with the primary appeal being recreational rather than functional. Miniature wargames are played on custom-made battlefields, often with modular terrain, and abstract scaling is used to adapt real-world ranges to the limitations of table space. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use abstract pieces such as counters or blocks, or computer wargames which use virtual models. The primary benefit of using models

2275-496: A number of other changes were implemented which improved the accuracy of the rules. These included; It is likely that these changes were intended to be added to corps commander in a possible future publication, however this never occurred. Ground Scale (1/300 scale) : Each centimetre represents 100 metres (1:10000) Game-Turn Scale : Each daylight Turn represents 1 hour of actual time. Each night Turn represents 2 hour of actual time. Base/Stand Scale - Each base represents

2366-495: A premium on sociability. (This has changed somewhat with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wargamers (miniature and board) have become quite creative in devising ways to play games while maintaining social distancing.) Consequently, conventions and clubs are important to the wargaming community. Some conventions have become very large affairs, such as Gen-Con, Origins and Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 's Historicon , called

2457-424: A professional painter. Historical miniature wargames are typically designed to use generic models. It is generally not possible to copyright the look of a historical soldier. Anyone, for instance, may freely produce miniature models of Napoleonic infantrymen. A player of a Napoleonic-era wargame could thus obtain their models from any manufacturer who produces Napoleonic models at the requisite scale. Consequently, it

2548-420: A scale of 1 base per company was not used was to allow for small formations, such as 1-2 SP-AA weapons allocated to a HQ and to ensure the record keeping for the standard company sized formations was not too difficult. However, apart from this, the rules attempted to use a 1 Base = 1 company scale, which allowed players to command one, or more, divisions. Compared with the most common rules used in this period, this

2639-425: A set of rules for individual characters under Chainmail , and entitled it Dungeons & Dragons . Further developments ensued, and the role-playing game hobby quickly became distinct from the wargaming hobby which preceded it. Although generally less popular than wargames set on land, naval wargaming nevertheless enjoys a degree of support around the world. Model ships have long been used for wargaming, but it

2730-432: A size of 20mm by 30mm. A Base with more than 5 strength points has a size of 30mm by 30mm. For comparison purposes the later Korps Commander used a Ground scale of 5 cm = 1 km (1:5000) and a Daylight Game Turn = 1/2 hour. Lightning War - Red Storm uses a base size of 30 cm x 30 cm, a ground scale of 1 cm = 100, (1:10000), a Daylight Game Turn = 2 hours. Panzer Korps, while designed for 15mm/20mm, uses

2821-488: A specific historical period or fictional genre. Rules also vary in the model scale they use: one infantry figure may represent one man, one squad, or much larger numbers of actual troops. Wargaming in general owes its origins to military simulations , most famously to the Prussian staff training system Kriegsspiel . Consequently, rules designers struggle with the perceived obligation to actually 'simulate' something, and with

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2912-527: A specific wargame do not have this concern. For instance, Warhammer 40,000 officially does not have a scale. It doesn't need to conform to a standard scale, because Games Workshop is the exclusive manufacturer of official Warhammer 40,000 models, said models are intended exclusively for use in Warhammer 40,000 , and Games Workshop doesn't want players using foreign models from other manufacturers. Most miniature wargames do not have an absolute scale, i.e. where

3003-678: A training tool in 1824. After Prussia defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, wargaming spread around the world and was played enthusiastically by both officers and civilians. In 1881, the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson became the first documented person to use toy soldiers in a wargame, and thus he might be the inventor of miniature wargaming, although he never published his rules. According to an account by his stepson, they were very sophisticated and realistic, on par with German military wargames. Stevenson played his wargame on

3094-407: A two-foot long piece of string. Wells was also the first wargamer to use models of buildings, trees, and other terrain features to create a three-dimensional battlefield. Wells' rulebook was for a long time regarded as the standard system by which other miniature wargames were judged. However, the nascent miniature wargaming community would remain very small for a long time to come. A possible reason

3185-445: A unit can move in a turn, and this movement range is proportioned to the size of a typical game table. For example, Bolt Action sets a movement range of six inches in a turn for most units. There are many miniature wargaming rules, not all of which are currently in print, including some which are available free on the internet; many gamers also write their own, creating so-called "house rules" or "club sets". Most rules are intended for

3276-409: Is 4.5 m long. When it comes to figurines of humans, the preferred method of expressing scale is the height of a figurine in millimeters. There is no standardized system of measuring figurine size in the wargaming hobby. Some manufacturers measure the height of a figurine up to the crown of the head, whereas others may measure it up to the eyes (the latter is more sensible if the figurine is wearing

3367-512: Is a smaller niche within the larger hobby of miniatures wargaming. Aerial combat has developed over a relatively short time compared with naval or land warfare. As such, air wargaming tends to break down into three broad periods: In addition there are science fiction and "alternative history" games such as Aeronefs and those in the Crimson Skies universe. Wargaming was invented in Prussia near

3458-631: Is an adaptation of The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game rules for naval conflicts. The game's mechanics centered around boarding parties, with options for ramming actions and siege engines . As such, the ship's scale ratio corresponds to the 25 mm scale miniatures used by The Lord of the Rings . Model ships are built by hobbyists, just as normal miniature terrain, such as " great ships " of Pelargir , cogs of Dol Amroth and Corsair galleys . Air wargaming, like naval wargaming,

3549-407: Is difficult if not impossible for a historical wargame designer to oblige players to buy models from a certain manufacturer. By contrast, fantasy wargames feature fictional warriors, and fictional characters can be copyrighted. By incorporating original characters into their wargame, a wargame designer can oblige the player to purchase their models from a specific manufacturer who is licensed to produce

3640-579: Is immersion, though in certain wargames the size and shape of the models can have practical consequences on how the match plays out. Models' dimensions and positioning are crucial for measuring distances during gameplay. Issues concerning scale and accuracy compromise realism too much for most serious military applications. Miniature Wargames can be skirmish-level, where individual warriors are controlled, or tactical-level, where groups are commanded. Most wargames are turn-based, involving movement and combat resolved through arithmetic and dice rolls. The setting of

3731-647: Is naval wargaming before the advent of computers. Historically, these models were commonly made of tin or lead, but nowadays they are usually made of polystyrene or resin. Plastic models are cheaper to mass-produce but require a larger investment because they require expensive steel molds. Lead and tin models, by contrast, can be cast in cheap rubber molds. Larger firms such as Games Workshop prefer to produce plastic models, whereas smaller firms with less money prefer metal models. Wargaming figurines often come with unrealistic body proportions. Their hands may be oversized, or their rifles excessively thick. One reason for this

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3822-462: Is primarily an aesthetic one. Models offer a visually-pleasing way of identifying the units on the battlefield. In most miniature wargame systems, the model itself may be irrelevant as far as the rules are concerned; what really matters is the dimensions of the base that the model is mounted on. Distances between infantry units are measured from the base of the model. The exception to this trend may be models of vehicles such as tanks, which do not require

3913-406: Is relatively rare. Players more often prefer to design their own scenarios. The first advantage is that they can design a scenario that fits the resources they have at hand, whereas reconstructing a historical battle may require them to purchase additional models and rulebooks, and perhaps a larger game table. The second advantage is that a fictional scenario can be designed such that either player has

4004-415: Is social, with conventions and clubs playing a significant role. Painting and assembling models are integral aspects of the hobby. The hobby primarily attracts older enthusiasts due to the time, skill, and financial investment required. A miniature wargame is played with miniature models of soldiers, artillery, and vehicles on a model of a battlefield. The benefit of using models as opposed to abstract pieces

4095-483: Is strong evidence Bruce Rea Taylor built on his earlier rules, Challenger and Firefly, when developing the Corp/Korps Commander Rules. This is especially evident in the equipment specification. Players in the last 20 years have used these earlier rules to expand Corps/Korps Commander, such as can be seen in the "nikita - Corps Commander: OMG and Korps Kommander" site referenced earlier, and attempts to rewrite

4186-446: Is to make the models more robust: thicker parts are less likely to bend or break. Another reason is that manufacturing methods often stipulate a minimum thickness for casting because molten plastic has difficulty flowing through thin channels in the mold. Finally, odd proportions may actually make the model look better for its size by accentuating certain features that the human eye focuses on. Wargaming models are often sold in parts. In

4277-509: The Central Front in Europe. The basic elements (units) in the game are tank and mechanised infantry platoons, infantry companies, and artillery batteries. All aspects of modern warfare are covered including helicopters, air power, NBC, logistics and electronics. A Divisional Level assault can easily be played on a standard 8' x 6' table, whilst a heliborne assault on a vital bridge can be played on

4368-509: The Corp/Korps Commander Rules. This is especially evident in the equipment specification. Corps Commander was published in July 1986. Shortly after this an errata sheet was published which was printed on the inside cover of the rules. Digest #3, published in Oct 1986, and contained some additional supporting information, but no changes to the rules. The Air & Sea supplement, printed in June 1988, contained

4459-622: The Introduction of Korps Commander. For those who have played OMG the most significant difference is that the ground scale and time scales have been halved due to the shorter effective ranges of direct fire weapons, although the only noticeable difference is the range of artillery. Bruce Rea Taylor gives a special mention to the Wallasey Wargames Club in the Introduction of the Korps Commander Rules. We would like to acknowledge

4550-410: The Napoleonic Wars, and the American Civil War (in that order). The most popular fantasy setting is Warhammer 40,000 . Miniature wargames are played either at the skirmish level or the tactical level. At the skirmish level, the player controls the warriors individually, whereas in a tactical level game he or she controls groups of warriors—typically the model warriors are mounted in groups on

4641-455: The aesthetic and cause confusion. A miniature wargame is played on a model of a battlefield. The model battlefield is usually mounted on a table. As far as size goes, every part of the battlefield should be within arm's reach of the players; a width of four feet is recommended. Most miniature wargames are played on custom-made battlefields made using modular terrain models. Historical wargamers sometimes re-enact historical battles, but this

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4732-785: The aesthetic and cause confusion. In 1987, Games Workshop released a science-fiction spinoff of Warhammer called Warhammer 40,000 . Like Warhammer , Warhammer 40,000 obliged players to buy proprietary models from Games Workshop. Warhammer 40,000 became even more successful than Warhammer . The success of the Warhammer games promoted the sales of Games Workshop's line of gaming models. Other game companies sought to emulate Games Workshop's business model. Examples include Mantic Games , Fantasy Flight Games , Privateer Press , and Warlord Games , all of which have released their own miniature wargame systems that were designed to promote sales of their respective lines of proprietary gaming models. This business model has proven lucrative, and thanks to

4823-431: The battle, in which Stuart Asquith writes: When refighting a particular battle, it is important to adhere as closely as possible to the original historical engagement. The counter-argument is that the wargamer(s) know who is going to win. Fair comment, but knowing the outcome of any battle does not usually prevent one from reading about that action, so why should such knowledge debar a refight? He adds that unless at least

4914-423: The case of plastic models, they're often sold still affixed to their sprues . The player is expected to cut out the parts and glue them together. This is the norm because, depending on the design of the model, it may not be possible to mold it whole, and selling the parts un-assembled saves on labor costs. After assembling the model, the player should then paint it to make it more presentable and easier to identify on

5005-799: The center of production to this day, while other companies started in England and the United States. Rules can vary greatly between game systems; both in complexity and era. Historical rulesets range from the ancient and medieval ships to the fleets of the Age of Sail and the modern era . Often the hobbyists have to provide their own models of ships. The 1972 game, Don't Give Up The Ship! , called for pencil and paper, six-sided dice, rulers and protractors , and model ships, ideally of 1:1200 scale. The elaborate rules cover morale, sinking, fires, broken masts, and boarding . Dice determined wind speed and direction, and hence

5096-406: The combat rules were designed to model the capabilities of the warriors in very great detail. Strictly speaking, Dungeons & Dragons did not require miniature models to play, but many players found that using miniature models made the fights easier to arbitrate and more immersive. In 1983, a British company called Games Workshop released a fantasy miniature wargame called Warhammer , which

5187-584: The early 1970s. The first known occurrence, from 1970, is a set of rules by Len Patt published in The New England Wargames Association's bulletin, The Courier. In 1971 a set of medieval miniatures rules entitled Chainmail , published by a tiny company called Guidon Games , headquartered in Belfast, Maine included a fantasy supplement detailing rules for battle involving fantastic creatures. Later, in 1974, TSR designer E. Gary Gygax wrote

5278-498: The end of the 18th century. The earliest wargames were based on chess; the pieces represented real military units (artillery, cavalry, etc.) and squares on the board were color-coded to represent different terrain types. Later wargames used realistic maps over which troop pieces could move in a free-form manner, and instead of chess-like sculpted pieces they used little rectangular blocks because they were played at smaller scales (e.g. 1:8000). The Prussian army formally adopted wargaming as

5369-401: The extent that a chess player would recognize wargaming merely as a different scaled version of his or her own game. During the 1960s and 1970s, two new trends in wargaming emerged: First were small-unit rules sets which allowed individual players to portray small units down to even a single figure. These rules expanded the abilities of the smaller units accordingly, to magnify their effect on

5460-483: The figurines exhibited firearms). When two infantry units fought in close quarters, the units would suffer non-random losses determined by their relative sizes. Little Wars was designed for a large field of play, such as a lawn or the floor of a large room, because the toy soldiers available to Wells were too large for tabletop play. An infantryman could move up to one foot per turn, and a cavalryman could move up to two feet per turn. To measure these distances, players used

5551-442: The figurines, terrain, movement and firing ranges all conform to single scale ratio. This is largely because of the need to compress the battle into the confined space of a table surface. Instead, miniature wargames prefer to use abstract scaling . For example, a 28 mm model rifleman realistically ought to be able to hit a target from 20 feet away, but this is larger than most tables. A miniature wargame would not be much fun if

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5642-633: The floor, on a map drawn with chalk. The English writer H. G. Wells developed his own codified rules for playing with toy soldiers, which he published in a book titled Little Wars (1913). This is widely remembered as the first rulebook for miniature wargaming. Little Wars had very simple rules to make it fun and accessible to anyone. Little Wars did not use dice or computation to resolve fights. For artillery attacks, players used spring-loaded toy cannons which fired little wooden cylinders to physically knock over enemy models. As for infantry and cavalry, they could only engage in hand-to-hand combat (even if

5733-475: The game table. Understandably, the time and skill involved in assembling and painting models deters many people from miniature wargaming. Some firms have tried to address this by selling pre-assembled and pre-painted models, but these are rare because, with current technologies, it is hard to mass-produce ready-to-play miniatures that are both cheap and match the beauty of hand-painted models. The other options for players are to buy finished models second-hand or hire

5824-430: The help of the Wallasey Wargames Club in the preparation and playtesting of these rules. The primary significance of these rules was it was one of the first game systems which used a scale of 1-2 base(s) per company. The reason why a scale of 1 base per company was not used was to allow for small formations, such as 1-2 SP-AA weapons allocated to a HQ and to ensure the record keeping for the standard company sized formations

5915-423: The hobby in the late 1960s and into the 1970s. In 1956, Tony Bath published what was the first ruleset for a miniature wargame set in the medieval period. In 1971, Gary Gygax developed his own miniature wargame system for medieval warfare called Chainmail . Gygax later produced a supplement for Chainmail that added magic and fantasy creatures, making this the first fantasy miniature wargame. This supplement

6006-474: The increase of the scale was related to the combat specifications of a base. When a base represents a common vehicle or gun, its speed and combat capabilities are based on the figure itself. When a base represents a mix of vehicles or guns, its speed and combat capabilities may differ from the figure on the base. Example : A Base which contains 5 x Pz I and 2 x Pz II compared with another base which contains 5 x Pz I and 2 x Pz III. Both would be represented by

6097-405: The initial moves are recreated, "then an interesting medieval battle may well take place, but it will not be a re-creation of Crécy." Still, rules aimed at the non-professional hobby market therefore inevitably contain abstractions. It is generally in the area of the abstraction liberties taken by the designers that the differences between rules can be found. Most follow tried and true conventions to

6188-474: The marketing resources of these companies, sci-fi / fantasy wargames have displaced historical wargames in popularity. Players of miniature wargames tend to be more extroverted than players of board wargames and computer wargames. Players of miniature wargames are obliged to meet in person and play in the same room around a table, whereas board wargames can be played via correspondence and computer wargames can be played online; therefore miniature wargaming places

6279-610: The miniature wargaming hobby was to network players across America and the UK. At the time, the miniature wargaming community was minuscule, and players struggled to find each other. In 1956, Scruby organized the first miniature wargaming convention in America, which was attended by just fourteen people. From 1957 to 1962, he self-published the world's first miniature wargaming magazine, titled The War Game Digest , through which wargamers could publish their rules and share game reports. It had less than two hundred subscribers, but it did establish

6370-548: The models could shoot each other from opposite ends of the table, and thus not have to maneuver around the battlefield. The 28 mm wargame Bolt Action solves this problem by compressing the range of a rifle to just 24 inches; likewise, a sub-machine gun's range is 12 inches and a pistol's range is 6 inches. These ranges may not be realistic, but at least their proportions do make intuitive sense, giving an illusion of realism. Abstract scaling may also be applied to figures and terrain features, e.g. model houses and trees may be

6461-525: The opponent. In most miniature wargames, the outcomes of fights between units are resolved through simple arithmetic, usually combined with dice rolls or playing cards. All historical wargames have a setting that is based on some historical era of warfare. The setting determines what kind of units the players can deploy in their match. For instance, a wargame set in the Napoleonic Wars should use models of Napoleonic-era soldiers, wielding muskets and cannons, and not spears or automatic rifles. A fantasy wargame has

6552-438: The overall battle. Second was an interest in fantasy miniatures wargaming. J.R.R. Tolkien 's novel The Hobbit and his epic cycle The Lord of the Rings were gaining strong interest in the United States, and as a result, rules were quickly developed to play medieval and Roman -era wargames, where these eras had previously been largely ignored in favor of Napoleonic and American Civil War gaming. The two converged in

6643-549: The requisite models. An example of this is Warhammer 40,000 which features many original characters who have a distinctive aesthetic, and Games Workshop and its subsidiaries reserve the exclusive right to manufacture models of these characters. Games Workshop models tend to be expensive because competing manufacturers are not allowed to offer cheaper copies of official Warhammer 40,000 models. While there's nothing to stop players using foreign wargaming models (generics or proprietary models from other wargames), doing so could spoil

6734-439: The rules as can be seen with Korps-Kommandeur. Ground Scale (1/300 scale) : Each centimetre represents 50 metres (1:5000) Game-Turn Scale : Each daylight Turn represents 1/2 hour of actual time. Each night Turn represents 1 hour of actual time. Base/Stand Scale - Each base represents a company, part of a company or a platoon. A Base can have a maximum of 9 Strength points. (If there are more than 9 vehicles or Gun's in

6825-453: The same base. Miniature wargames are not played at the strategic or operational level because at that scale the models would become imperceptibly tiny. Miniature wargames are generally played for recreation, as the physical limitations of the medium prevents it from representing modern warfare accurately enough for use in military instruction and research (see the section below on abstract scaling for one reason). A historical exception to this

6916-452: The same game system as Korps Commander and can be considered the first of the Corps/Korps Commander system publications. In October 1986 "Digest #3, Engineering Equipment Data, Engineering Lists, Engineering Scenarios" was published, this contained additional material for Corps Commander. In June 1988 "Corps Commander: By Air & Sea" was published, containing yet more supporting material for Corps Commander. The final publication in this family

7007-452: The seldom compatible necessity to make an enjoyable 'game'. Historical battles were seldom fair or even, and the potential detail that can be brought to bear to represent this in a set of rules always comes at the cost of pace of the game and enjoyment. In Osprey Publishing 's book about the Battle of Crécy , from its series on historical campaigns, there is included a detailed section on wargaming

7098-427: The setting with original characters with distinctive visual designs. Games Workshop's official line of models for Warhammer eventually took on such a distinctive look that rival manufacturers could not produce similar-looking models without risking a lawsuit over copyright infringement. Although there was nothing to stop players of Warhammer from using foreign models from third-party manufacturers, doing so could spoil

7189-403: The ship's speed and the use of its cannon by measuring angles with the protractor. In naval wargaming of the modern period, General Quarters , primarily (though not exclusively) using six-sided dice, has established itself as one of the leading sets of World War I and II era rules. Some land-based miniature wargames have also been adapted to naval wargaming. All at Sea , for example,

7280-493: The start of a family of rules, each covering a period and location, as can be seen by the quote from the Rules. Road to Berlin is a set of rules in the Korps Commander Series, which will eventually cover all periods of warfare at a level which will allow large battles and campaigns to be fought. The series aim is to utilise the techniques of boardgaming whilst retaining the flavour of miniature gaming. The Road to Berlin

7371-433: Was in August 1988 when "Korps Commander" was published. While Bruce Rea Taylor published a number of additional books after August 1988, they were all dated after his death on 3 March 1989. No additional Corp/Korps Commander books were published after August 1988. These post August 1988 publications are listed here: There is strong evidence Bruce Rea Taylor built on his earlier rules, Challenger and Firefly, when developing

7462-449: Was inspired by the growing popularity of The Lord of the Rings novels by J. R. R. Tolkien . Gygax later went on to develop the first tabletop role-playing game: Dungeons & Dragons . Dungeons & Dragons was a story-driven game, but adapted wargaming rules to model the fights players could get in. Battles in Dungeons and Dragons rarely featured more than a dozen combatants, so

7553-459: Was not too difficult. However, apart from this, the rules attempted to use a 1 Base = 1 company scale, which allowed players to command one, or more, divisions. Compared with the most common rules used in this period, this was unusual. In practice the detail and complexity of the rules precluded any possibility of playing a corps level game within a reasonable time frame. Most games would typically field 50 bases, or elements, per side. This represents

7644-561: Was published, this contained additional material for Corps Commander. In June 1988 "Corps Commander: By Air & Sea" was published, containing yet more supporting material for Corps Commander. The final publication in this family was in August 1988 when "Korps Commander" was published. While Bruce Rea Taylor published a number of additional books after August 1988, they were all dated after his death on 3 March 1989. No additional Corp/Korps Commander books were published after August 1988. These post August 1988 publications are listed here: There

7735-535: Was the first and last of the Korps Commander publications. Bruce Rea Taylor died shortly after the publication of these rules (1989), at the age of 40. I was unable to find any evidence Andy Ashton made any plans to continue this project. Korps Commander used the Corps Commander : OMG (Operational Manoeuvre Group) game system, which was published in 1986. The differences between these two rules are summarized in

7826-528: Was the first miniature wargame designed to use proprietary models. Games Workshop at the time made miniature models for use in Dungeons & Dragons . Warhammer was meant to encourage customers to buy more of these models. Whereas miniature models were optional in Dungeons & Dragons , Warhammer mandated their use and the battles tended to be larger. Initially, Warhammer had a threadbare fictional setting and used generic stock characters common to fantasy fiction, but as time went on, Games Workshop expanded

7917-464: Was the first of the Corps Commander / Korps Commander publications. Bruce Rea Taylor died three years after the publication of these rules (1989), at the age of 40. I was unable to find any evidence Andy Ashton made any plans to continue this project. Bruce Rea Taylor gives a special mention to the Wallasey Wargames Club in the Introduction of the Korps Commander Rules. he used wargaming clubs as

8008-550: Was the introduction of elaborate rules in the early 20th century that made the hobby more popular. Small miniature ships, often in 1:1200 scale and 1:1250 scale , were maneuvered on large playing surfaces to recreate historical battles. Prior to World War II, firms such as Bassett-Lowke in England and the German company Wiking marketed these to the public. After World War II, several manufacturers started business in Germany, which remains

8099-428: Was the popularity of such titles that other authors were able to have published wargaming titles. This output of published wargaming titles from British authors coupled with the emergence at the same time of several manufacturers providing suitable wargame miniatures (e.g. Miniature Figurines, Hinchliffe, Peter Laing, Garrison, Airfix , Skytrex, Davco, Heroic & Ros) was responsible for the huge upsurge of popularity of

8190-482: Was the two World Wars, which de-glamorized war and caused shortages of tin and lead that made model soldiers expensive. Another reason may have been the lack of magazines or clubs dedicated to miniature wargames. Miniature wargaming was seen as a niche within the larger hobby of making and collecting model soldiers. In 1955, an American named Jack Scruby began making inexpensive miniature models for miniature wargames out of type metal . Scruby's major contribution to

8281-479: Was unusual. In practice the detail and complexity of the rules precluded any possibility of playing a corps level game within a reasonable time frame. Most games would typically field 50 bases, or elements, per side. This represents a force of 25 companies per side. A game of this size which consisted of 12 game-turns, or one game day duration, could be completed within a 4-8 hour period. Bruce Rea Taylor and Andy Ashton published Corps Commander in July 1986. This used

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