Solo Wargaming – A Practitioner`s Guide (book review)

Solo Wargaming – A Practitioner`s Guide

By David Heading

Pen and Sword Books

Hardback, 186 pages

ISBN 9781399055536

In this book the author tries to explain and to encourage the reader to look at; and explore wargaming as a solo hobby; whether as an extension to their current hobby or as something new to try. Now first off, I`ve been experimenting with rules and playing solo games since I was a teenager (over 40 years), so I`m not really the audience this book is aimed at. What I`ll try and do here is give my general impressions of the book without comparing it to my own experiences.

The book is divided into six chapters:

First gives a general overview of the author`s views on solo wargaming, what he gets out of it and what he believes are the pros and cons – all well thought out in a clear easy style, the author gives plenty of references for further reading.

In the second chapter, the author gives his views on types of wargame and battles which can be fought solo and how these can be set-up. This includes ideas on random deployment and terrain generation, plus remote generalship and command. Again, simply laid out in a clear concise style with references for books mentioned in the text.

The third chapter concentrates on campaigns a part of wargaming the author has already mentioned several times in passing in the earlier chapters and seem to be a major focus of his hobby. He goes on to spend nearly 40 pages explaining the various types of campaign from role-playing type skirmishes to large map-based nation building type games. This chapter has loads of ideas which I for one had not considered with my hobby, once again further reading references are provided.

The fourth chapter covers character creation (as used in role-playing games) and creating unit histories for imaginations. There are also sections on logistics, recruiting and finance, diplomacy and randomised weather. The section on chance cards is quite nice.

In chapter five the author discusses sieges, naval and air wargames. The author tries with sieges to come up with ideas which some may find interesting, how to recreate one onto a solo tabletop, there are so many variables in sieges and forces involved can be quite large, he ends up discussing map based campaign games. Both naval and air wargames are treated mostly in isolation from land-based warfare, again the author goes off at a tangent and starts talking campaigns, be they small scale – single plane or ship to large armada`s and air-groups! The author doesn`t seem like modern (C20th upwards) periods and he doesn`t seem to consider battlefield close air-support, except in terms of larger campaign style games.

In the final chapter the author discusses sources of ideas for games – films, books, etc. Realism in wargames, including civilians, diseases and desertion and their effects on wargames. The author finishes with ideas about fantasy and science fiction gaming, plus using computers and the internet.

The book is loaded with tables for random generation of various facets of wargaming, at the end you`ll find a couple of pages listing all the books already mentioned in the text.   

Like I said at the start, I`m not the audience this book is aimed at – I have a time-served system, designed and created over a number of years for the style and level of game I enjoy. Weather, forces and deployment are all written into the scenarios I design. I am also a committed twentieth century, historical gamer, so sections on C17th imaginations leaves me stone cold, but I`m sure there is something here for any gamer thinking of trying solo gaming or expanding on what they already do.

I was a little surprised that Stuart Asquith`s “Solo Wargaming” doesn`t get a mention and I do note also the info on the SOTCW (Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers) website – www.sotcw.co.uk is well out of date and this site is sadly long gone.