Kriegsspiel

Major Tom Mouat

Disclaimer

This presentation represents the personal view of the author

and is in no way representative of official UK MOD policy.

The UK MOD is small, but still bigger than one man can know.
He might have missed something.

The author is a full-time reservist serving beyond mandatory

retirement age and is therefore possibly embittered and cynical
after 39 years service… :-)

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Outline

▪ About me.
▪ About Experts.
▪ Kriegsspiel.
▪ Rules.
▪ Developments.

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 About me…

Cold War. Defence Procurement.

ATO. Iraq.
Training & Exercises. Simulation & Modelling.
Bosnia. Wargaming.
Masters Degree. FTRS.
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The "Expert" Problem…

▪ What is an Expert?
▪ Clear advice?
▪ Context and Culture.
▪ Exceptions.
▪ SQEP.

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 Aim and Purpose

▪ What are we trying to achieve?

Creating Entertainment or
Conveying Knowledge
Knowledge Team Building

Unstructured Role-Playing
Discovery Games Educational Games
Problem Games

Commercial
Structured Problem Analytical Games Training Games
Games

Sources: Compton and Bartels Defence Academy of the United Kingdom

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 Wargames cover a broad spectrum:

Red Team Free Kreigsspiel Rigid Kreigsspiel

Seminar Matrix Game COA Wargame Computer-Assisted

Wargame Analytical Wargame

Creativity and Original Thought

Rigor and analytical precision

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https://connectionswargaming.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/1245-1330-phil-pournelle-wargame-terminology.pptx
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 General Von Moltke

Process:

▪ Off-site.
▪ TEWT.
▪ Wargame.
▪ Validation.
▪ Records.

http://www.strategypage.com/articles/default.asp?target=WARGHIS2.htm Defence Academy of the United Kingdom

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Types of Wargame

▪ Open
• God-like overview.
• All forces in view.
• All rules and assumptions known to all.
▪ Closed
• Played "blind" (Fog of War).
• Limited information (enemy, own troops, etc).
• You may not know all the rules, or they might be different
for different sides.
▪ In reality most games are on a continuum between these
two characteristics.

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 Standard Closed Game Layout

Umpire
Reports

Red Team Master Map Blue Team

Player
Orders

Teams in separate rooms, or separated by dividers.

…or sometimes multiple teams on each side…

Paddy Griffith. Advanced Wargames. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/paddygriffith/other.htm

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Sandhurst Kriegsspiel

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Rules

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 Rules – Sandhurst Kriegsspiel

▪ Movement is by "bounds".
▪ Spotting is:
• Moving units are spotted
before stationary ones.
▪ Engagements:
• Similar sized units suppress only.
• Larger (double size or more) kill.
▪ Difference between General War and Peace Support

Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Sandhurst-Kriegsspiel-Wargaming-Infantry-Training/dp/132677249X

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Battlegroup Kriegsspiel

Shared OneDrive Link: https://1drv.ms/f/s!ArdcexVTLJ4PgeAZnXL3xsPvyXRxgQ

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British Army Kriegsspiel

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 Rules

Shared OneDrive Link:

https://1drv.ms/f/s!ArdcexVTLJ4PgeAZnXL3xsPvyXRxgQ

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 Alternatives:

▪ More detailed ruleset.

▪ Concentrating on
operational staff work.
▪ Includes tutorial videos

Shared OneDrive Link:

https://1drv.ms/f/s!ArdcexVTLJ4PgsdeOtFvRBE26tRrcw

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Adjudication

▪ Personal Experience.
▪ Senior Officer Present.
▪ Military Judgement Panel.
▪ Rigid Adjudication.
• Deterministic.
• Stochastic.
▪ Combat Results Tables.
▪ Consensual/Crowdsourcing.

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Combat Results Table (DSTL)

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Dice: Risk, Success and Probabilities

▪ Risk vs Gambling.
▪ The 70% chance of success.
▪ What does success look like?
• "Normal Success".
• "Culminating Success".
• "Unfortunate Success"
▪ What does failure look like?
• "Common Failure".
• "Straightforward failure".
• "Disaster".

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Example Engagement

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Developments

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Tools – Dice and Probability

▪ Dice (Percentage vs Six-Sided Dice)

• Linear distributions
• Other distributions
▪ Playing Cards
▪ Event Cards
▪ Result Cards
▪ Look-up Tables
▪ Computer
• Excel RAND function
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Examples:

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Tools –Counters

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Tools – Capability Cards

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Tools – Random Events and Dilemmas

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40 Commando Lessons

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40 Commando Lessons

▪ Freedom to use a real-world scenario.

▪ The peril of previous experience.
• The "performing seal moment".
▪ Camberley Kriegsspiel vs Battlegroup Kriegsspiel.
▪ Structure and Time intervals.

▪ What works for you:

• Organisation and Culture.

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Wargaming

Wargaming isn't about the "game".

▪ It is about practice.
▪ It is about an attitude of mind.
▪ It is about getting input from everyone.
▪ It is about exploring ways to make the other guy fail.
▪ An organisation that values innovation.
▪ A clear understanding of "what do we want to
achieve?".
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Major Tom Mouat MBE
MSc PGCE psc ato sim
SO2 DS Simulation and Modelling
Technology School
Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
Shrivenham, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN6 8LA
Tel: +44(0)1793 784136
Mil: 96161 4136
Email: tmouat.cmt@defenceacademy.mod.uk

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