Wargames have been around for as long as humans have been around. The very best in this genre simulate combat in straightforward or novel ways, and are centered on the elements of strategy, tactics, and chance.
If you love exercising your inner general without the need to place yourself in immediate danger–except for the occasional flipped table–then you will definitely want to check out these board and tabletop wargames!
15. Axis & Allies
First up is Axis & Allies and as the name suggests this game is based upon World War II.
Spanning land, air, and sea, players can deploy: infantry, tanks, artillery, bombers, destroyers, battleships, and more. Effective resource management is important in determining which side will be victorious.
Axis & Allies gives players advanced mechanisms to consider as they wage total war And this depth makes the game feel more rewarding.
14. D-Day at Omaha Beach
Continuing with the WWII theme, D-Day at Omaha Beach can be played either solo (recommended) or cooperative.
Where Axis & Allies is grand in scale, D-Day at Omaha Beach zooms in on one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
As the Americans, one or two players launch the famed amphibious assault against Fortress Europe.
The pieces use military symbols rather than miniature models, so it feels like you are actually in the boots of Supreme Commander Eisenhower standing over his sand table as the American forces fight against the German army.
13. MechWarrior: Dark Age (Miniatures)
Released in 2002, MechWarrior was the follow up to WizKids’s exceptionally successful Mage Knight miniatures wargaming series.
Similar to its older sibling, in MechWarrior players combat one another using pre-painted models of infantry, armored vehicles, and piloted robots called BattleMechs. The battlefields are completely customizable with gamers using 2D print outs or 3D structures to build up the playing arena.
Rich fictional narratives accompany the gameplay. The original factions of MechWarrior include clans such as Wolf and Nova Cat, the Federated Suns, Highlanders, Capellan Confederation, and more. Each of these have their own history and political objectives, which helps immerse players into the game's universe while the battle unfolds before them.
If you are a fan of the Mobile Suit Gundam television series, then you will want to add MechWarrior to your gaming collection.
12. Memoir 44
A close relative to D-Day at Omaha Beach and Axis & Allies, next up is Memoir 44.
Based in WWII, two to eight players reenact famous battles from the war.
The game takes place in Normandy, and comes with over a dozen scenarios including Arnhem Bridge, Pointe du Hoc, and St. Vith. The booklet includes historical context for each battle, which WWII enthusiasts will appreciate.
Players use Command cards to move troops and engage in combat. Upon eliminating an enemy unit, they earn a medal. Standard units include infantry, tanks, and artillery; while special units include special forces, the French Resistance, and elite tanks.
Depending on the scenario being played, once a player earns four, five, or six medals he or she wins the game.
The replayability of Memoir 44 is impressive. It has had many expansion packs since it’s release in 2004, some of which were created by the fan community itself.
11. Risk
Perhaps one of the first games that comes to mind when you hear the words “war board game,” Risk has been one of the most popular in the genre for over six decades.
The objective is straightforward: build up your armies to conquer your opponent’s territories. Last player with an army still standing wins.
Crafty diplomacy and military might quickly become necessary for world domination, so you can bet that whenever Risk is played, friendships are put to the test.
10. Stratego
What would Chess look like if it were a game of incomplete information? Stratego sure seems to fit the bill.
Two armies go head to head; however, unit identities remain hidden until engaged in combat. Players do not know where the strength of their opponent’s force is gathered or the location of their opponent’s flag, until the game is well under way.
Protect your flag while you attempt to capture your enemy’s, but proceed carefully. Bomb traps have been planted throughout his or her camp. Are you sure you want to attack that piece?
The suspense element of Stratego makes it a particularly fun choice for gamers of all ages.
9. Battleship
Similar to Stratego, Battleship may conjure fond childhood memories. Another game of incomplete information, players–ahem admirals–command their very own naval fleet.
After placing their ships, which include an aircraft carrier, battleship, submarine, destroyer, and cruiser, each side takes turns firing shots using alphanumeric coordinates. The defender then announces whether a shot was a hit, a miss, or a sinking, and then the attacker records this information for future reference.
After one admiral eliminates the other admiral’s fleet, the game is over.
Simple in design, Battleship is an excellent exercise in strategy and critical thinking.
Pro tip: you can play this classic using pen and paper only. In fact, Battleship started out this way as far back as World War I by some estimates.
8. Hannibal and Hamilcar
Carthage versus Rome, one of the most famous imperial rivalries in ancient history.
How would you like to take on the roles of Hannibal or Hamilcar Barca, the Carthiginian generals whose family’s deep hatred of the Romans led them to wage all out war against the nascent Roman empire?
In Hannibal and Hamilcar, players must contend with regular as well as special combat units such as elephants, tribal factions who have shifting allegiances, diverse terrain, and generals’ special abilities.
Hannibal and Hamilcar are two different sets of scenarios that make up opposite sides of the same board. Hamilcar takes place during the First Punic War, focuses on naval combat, and is suggested for players who have experience with Hannibal, which takes place during the Second Punic War and focuses on its namesake’s invasion of Italy from the north.
7. Mage Knight (Miniatures)
First released in 2000, Mage Knight revolutionized miniature wargaming with the introduction of a rotating dial to reflect real time changes to unit statistics.
The factions that players can choose from include the Necropolis Sect, Atlantis Guild, Draconum, Black Powder Rebels, Orc Raiders, Knights Immortal, and Elemental League.
Interestingly, different factions can be used in the same army but they cannot group up in formations, which provide movement and attack bonuses.
Before beginning, players create a symmetrical or asymmetrical battlefield that can be filled with diverse terrain, obstacles, fortifications–imagination is truly the only limit here. They then agree to a total number of points with which to invest in their armies.
Once each army is built and placed, the battle commences.
Mage Knight does require a higher upfront investment cost than other games in this list. Although, a higher price tag is common for most tabletop wargames involving miniatures. See below.
6. Warhammer 40K (Miniatures)
Warhammer 40K is one of the most popular miniatures wargames in the world. It also has a high startup cost that can reach into the range of several hundreds of dollars. That being said, you will have a difficult time finding a more dedicated fanbase.
Unlike other series, the models in Warhammer 40K do not come ready to play. Gluing warriors and painting them is an important, creative component that takes place prior to actual gameplay. Because of this, Warhammer 40K is often considered more a hobby than a game alone.
Once their warriors are assembled and painted, players fight each other on custom battlefields as in other miniatures games. Unlike Mage Knight, it is advised that gamers stay true to the factional allegiances depicted in the rich fictional universe of Warhammer 40K.
That means that the Tyranids and the Chaos would no sooner stand shoulder to shoulder than tear each other to pieces. Same goes for the Imperium of Man, the Necrons, Aeldari, Orks, and T’au.
Win conditions can vary but typically involve: 1) eliminating an enemy’s force; 2) controlling an area; or 3) capturing an object. Or some combination of the three.
The craftsmanship that goes into constructing and painting the miniatures of Warhammer 40K is astounding.
5. Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right
Root took the board game community by storm when it first launched in 2018.
Choosing one of four factions, the Vagabond, the Eyrie birds of prey, the Woodland Alliance, or the Marquise de Cat, players vie for control of a lush forest kingdom.
Each faction in Root comes with rich lore and compelling objectives: the Cats harvest wood to build up their economy while enforcing imperial order; the Vagabond is both a friend to all and to none; the Eyrie rush to recapture lost ground; and the Alliance sows dissent until the time for revolution draws near.
You score victory points by accomplishing your faction’s unique goals, and by removing enemy tokens from the board.
Additional groups in Root have since been released, including the Lizard Cult, the Keepers in Iron, the Corvid Conspiracy, and more–adding further depth and drama to the embroiled woodland.
Root is loads of fun. It is simply one of the best asymmetrical wargames available today.
4. War of the Ring
Are you a fan of wargames and Tolkien’s The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings? Then look no further than War of the Ring, where players battle for the fate of Middle-earth as the Free Peoples or the Shadow Armies.
The Free Peoples are made up of the Fellowship, Gondor, Rohan, the North, Dwarves, and Elves; while the Shadow Armies are made up of the Nazgul, Sauron, Isengard, Southrons and Easterlings, Saruman, and the Witch King.
While victory can be obtained through military might alone, the destruction of Sauron once and for all is more likely if the Free Peoples can hold Sauron’s armies at bay long enough for the Fellowship of the Ring to reach Mount Doom.
But this is no easy task. Not only do the Ringbearers risk being hunted down each turn, they are also vulnerable to corruption from the ring’s evil magic. Furthermore, the Free Peoples’ units face permanent death while the Shadow Armies’ units respawn in Mordor.
Have a few hours to spare? Forth Eorlingas! Lead your dwarves, elves, and men to victory over trolls, goblins, and orcs–or vice versa–and save or destroy Middle-earth. The choice is yours.
3. Backgammon
Backgammon is a world favorite for many reasons. Having been around in some form for several millennia, this game is definitely one of the oldest in this list.
The winning condition is simple: get your pieces off of the board before your opponent does. The catch to this race is that the two of you advance in opposite directions, and can capture enemy men who have been left exposed along the way. Doing so knocks them all the way back to the start. Ouch.
Because movement depends on dice rolls, chance is a core component of the game. That being said, which pieces a player decides to move each turn requires a high degree of strategic skill.
The movement of your pieces involves a tradeoff: sacrifice your position in order to advance into scoring position (“bearing off”), or consolidate your pieces at the risk of losing momentum to your opponent.
Although not required, the doubling cube also adds a fun element to the gameplay.
Both players agree to a wager before starting, and throughout the game either player can invoke the doubling cube. In order to continue, the other player must then accept the raise, or lose immediately. Wagers can be increased up to sixty four times the original amount!
2. Chess
Chess has origins back to the 7th century in India, and it is a classic.
Where Backgammon uses dice to determine movement, in Chess each side controls six different types of pieces–for a total of sixteen per player. Each piece is bound by preset movement rules.
Because Chess is a game of complete information, the winner of the game is determined by skill alone.
Move your pawns, bishops, knights, rooks, queen, and king into favorable positions across the 8x8 board then go on the offensive by capturing your opponent’s pieces. Win by checkmating the enemy king.
Did you miss an obvious tactic or make a critical mistake? That’s called a blunder. And a single blunder can turn a decisive victory into a stunning defeat.
While it does have somewhat of a learning curve compared to other games, Chess has exploded in popularity recently. Especially with the advent of the internet and mobile apps.
Once you get the hang of this game there is an entire world of strategy and tactics waiting for you to dive into: openings, gambits, sacrifices, pins, skewers, middle games, end games, and so much more.
1. Go
Go is one of the oldest board games to be continuously played in human history. Simple in design and elegant in gameplay, the strategies available to each player seem limitless in Go.
The objective of the game is straightforward: capture a greater area of the board and a higher number of your opponent’s stones to win.
Whenever you completely surround an opponent’s stone or group of stones, they are removed from the board and become your prisoners.
Unlike most games, passing one’s turn is allowed in Go. Although if both players pass their turns consecutively, then the game is over.
Scores can be determined in one of two ways: 1) the sum of a player’s stones on the board plus the empty intersections surrounded by those stones; or 2) the sum of empty intersections surrounded by a player’s stones plus the prisoners he or she captured throughout the game.
Like Chess, the stages of Go can be organized into opening, middle, and end games, with tactics including invasions, sacrifices, ladders, pincers, and many more.
Go is incredibly fun and the number of potential outcomes is astronomical, making for exciting matches that are often packed with surprises.
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