Playing at war... at your kitchen table
Most collectors of militaria have a love of history, and it would be strange to think that someone would buy a collection of daggers, helmets or even small arms without having some interest in the history to go along with it. Though not every collector is what we’d call a “movie buff,” few would ip past their favorite war ick while channel surfing, and even if they already have seen it a hundred times and own the DVD/Blu-ray chances are they’d stop to check out at least a few minutes of HBO’s Band of Brothers when it is on TV.
Yet, when it comes to board games, it can be a different story entirely. While there are certainly a few collectors who might aptly be described as a “grognard” – the slang term for someone who likes playing wargames – there really isn’t all that much overlap among the two groups.
As someone who has played these games most of my life, it still seems surprising as both groups explore very detailed aspects of history, and the knowledge base is often similar.
Part of the reason could be the nature of many military-themed board games. Simply put, the games were almost inaccessible due to their complexity. Yet, despite that fact, military simulations in the guise of games go back centuries. Military thinkers have long played games such as “Chess and Go”, while in the 19th century the United States Naval War College even used wargames to plan U.S. defenses against a theorized British naval invasion of New York harbor.
THE MODERN WARGAME
It is worth noting that the introduction of modern wargames actually coincided with our modern era of military collecting. Prior to World War II, “collectors” tended to be upper-class types who amassed rooms of old armor and antique rearms. Few regular folks had the means to have a wall of old helmets, and the only collectibles were largely those items that passed down from generation to generation – and likely were tucked away in a trunk in the attic.
By the 1950s there was a new market of blue-collar and suburban collectors who found interest in uniforms, medals and other such historic items. And it was also in the 1950s that the RAND Corporation began to develop strategic simulations for the U.S. military, while one Charles Robert – who was awaiting his commission in the U.S. Army – created a game to hone his
tactical skills.
That rst title was called “Tactics”, and from its success, Roberts went on to found a board game company known as Avalon Hill (now owned by Hasbro), where he released a commercial version as “Tactics II” in 1958. Some readers may recognize the name Avalon Hill, which went on to publish such notable games as “Blitzkrieg” and “Squad Leader”. It was also just one of several companies that would eventually release the so-called “beer and pretzel” wargame. These were often buddy games that two people could play while perhaps discussing the history of the battle they were recreating.
It is still easy to see why there may not have been a lot of overlap in those early years. Apart from the colorful box art, the games lacked much that could really draw in collectors. The cardboard counters (pieces) often utilized NATO-style symbols that denoted the type of unit while the hex-based maps were directed more towards game mechanics than artistic or even historic considerations. The games certainly lacked the sound and animation found in today’s video games. Moreover, the early players often tended to be college students who didn’t have the disposable income to start collecting.
Neither collecting nor wargaming became “mainstream,” but the games had the edge thanks to massive conventions such as Gen Con, which has grown to become the largest tabletop game convention in North America, attracting nearly 70,000 attendees annually!
INTRODUCING ‘AXIS & ALLIES’
Things began to change was in the mid-1980s with the introduction of “Axis & Allies”. The game had actually been designed by Larry Harris, the son of a World War II veteran, in the 1970s under the name 1942. Like other games of the era, it initially featured cardboard pieces, yet it employed far simpler mechanics than the games that tried and true grognards might have played.
After the Milton Bradley Co. bought the rights, it was republished in 1984 as part of its “Gamemaster Series” of board games, and that is when its impact on the wargame genre was really felt. Instead of cardboard pieces, the newly renamed “Axis & Allies” utilized small plastic pieces – soldiers, tanks, ships and aircraft – that were meant to represent the various units. After toy giant Hasbro acquired Avalon Hill and Milton Bradley, numerous variations of “Axis & Allies” have been produced, including this author’s favorite: “Axis & Allies: 1914”, a World War I version (apparently Harris didn’t get the memo that there was no “Axis” in 1914).
Other companies have also adopted the use of gures, or colorful counters with detailed artwork in their own militarythemed board games. This provided a bit of a tactile experience to go along with the tactical. As a result, these include squadlevel simulations that take some aspects of miniature battles – a closely related cousin of the wargame genre – while making it far more accessible to the masses.
The next important change came thanks to the Internet. While strategy computer games remain a popular genre, most lack the social aspect provided by board game. However, our digital age has made it all the easier for almost anyone to more readily enjoy board games thanks to the countless YouTube channels that offer simple-to-follow tutorials. In other words, the worst part has been addressed: namely reading the rule book! Instead, the players can set up the board next to a laptop, click a few links and get an easy to walk-through.
SMALL OVERLAP
Even with all this, it is unlikely there will ever be much serious overlap between wargaming and militaria collecting. For most collectors, games will fail to have the draw of a few minutes of “Saving Private Ryan” or “A Bridge Too Far on TV; while for the true board gamers, history isn’t something you actually need to own or have in your house. Neither group will feel they’re missing out.
Still, for some, the interest in games can lead to collecting, while some collectors can be drawn to the wargames. Now pass those dice, it’s my turn to move.