Wargaming – Take That Hill!
By Colonel Kyle Solomon and Major Ben Day - October 5th, 2023
Reading Time: 40 min
Professional wargaming comes in many shapes and sizes, and they can be useful for tactical, operational, or strategic professional development. Key to ensuring that the wargame tool is useful for the activity is to verify that the wargame design fits the professional development objectives; seminar games are useful to allow open-ended argument-based discussions between experts, matrix games stimulate free-thinking within a ruleset, and free Kriegsspiel offer an adjudicated competition between individuals or teams. Selecting the right wargame includes asking questions such as the purpose of the game, the level of the game, what concepts are being practiced, and how much time the game should take. A structured approach to conducting the wargame is essential to utilizing a professional wargame as a serious training and teaching tool. But don’t forget to have some fun with it!
Take That Hill! is a wargame designed by Professor Philip A.G. Sabin of King’s College London and developed by Fight Club International (not DWAN friendly) To teach British soldiers the basics of platoon‑level tactics during the assault. The wargame is simple, straightforward, and easy to play. The potential for gaining observations and insights are many, but may require some facilitation and an appreciation for doctrine and tactics.
This professional development toolset is designed to use Take That Hill! to generate an understanding of the doctrine and tactics of the infantry platoon assault. Use it to get some reps whether you’re in the garrison or the field!
Read the Wavell Room’s review of Take That Hill!
Review: Take That Hill » The Wavell Room provides additional information on the Instructor's Corner of the rules set.
PME Type: Self-paced or group discussions. Participants must download the rules and print the game from the UK Fight Club website (not DWAN friendly). Available in English only.
Right: Example set up for the base game. Blue sections do not need to be placed as shown and could all start in the same hex, if desired.
Intended outcome
Introductory Level: Participants execute a series of platoon assaults on a section-level position using the base-game (no advanced rules). When does the assault succeed and when does it fail?
Optional pre-reading: Review B-GL-309-003/FP-001 Infantry Section and Platoon in Operations (DWAN Only)
Intermediate Level: Participants incorporate advanced rules and try different approaches. Analyze what works well and what does not.
Optional pre-reading: Review B-GL-309-003/FP-001 Infantry Section and Platoon in Operations (DWAN Only)
Expert Level: Compare and contrast successes and failures with doctrine. What aspects of doctrine does the game support? What aspects of doctrine does it argue against? How is British Army doctrine differ from Canadian Army doctrine for a platoon attack?
Optional pre-reading: Review B-GL-309-003/FP-001 Infantry Section and Platoon in Operations (DWAN Only)
As the British Statastician, George Box stated “All models are wrong, some are useful.” This game will not teach you how to conduct a platoon attack. It does, however, provide the opportunity to conduct many iterations of a platoon attack quickly, easily, and safely and to analyze and discuss the outcomes. Link your decisions to tactical concepts and see what the outcome is.
Discussion Questions
- In the base game (no advanced rules), how do platoon battle drills impact the outcome? Describe the balance between momentum and organic platoon-level fire support (base game) for each assault?
- How does company level fire support impact the assault (Blue Fire Support, Rifle Platoon, GPMG, and 81 mm mortars rules)? Try them one at a time, then add them together.
- How do obstacles impact the assault? Does your decision-making change before the strength of obstacles is known?
- What factors change when there is the potential for enemy depth positions?
- How does enemy fire support (mortars) impact your assault and decision-making process?
- What does a win (score of 10 or less), draw (11-15) or loss (16 or more) represent in this game?
- How did the outcome of each turn influence your decision making? Did you stick to your original plan or did you modify it during the assault? Why?
Wargaming Facilitator Notes (PDF 3 pages)
Interested in more information? Check out the Wargaming Advisor course on the Defence Learning Network. Open to all ranks, it provides a foundation for understanding professional wargaming.
Did you find this wargame useful? Tell us what worked and what did not. Do you have a wargame design of your own? Would like to share your game with the wider CA PME community? Send us an email, CACSCPME@forces.gc.ca
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