Basics of Wargaming

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Juris Doctor

This course provides a basic introduction to the field of wargaming, emphasizing its use in military strategy and defense policy. The course will examine the fundamental principles of wargaming and game design. Students will be exposed to a range of design philosophies, varying in purpose, style, and format. The course centers on student teams researching, designing, developing, and play-testing an original educational wargame on a topic related to military strategy. Course instruction will be a combination of lecture, gameplay, and discussion – drawing upon both professional and commercial wargames. Assignments will guide the development and refinement of the students’ original wargames. The goal is to create an educational wargame that teaches and informs your fellow students on a topic of military strategy. Students will be graded for completeness of their wargames, their creativity, the rigor of their research, and the playability of their wargame. At the end of the semester, students will demonstrate and run their wargames for an audience of defense and military professionals. Circumstances permitting, the course will provide external wargaming opportunities – such as securing funding for student wargames, attending wargames, and demonstrating student wargames for military personnel. Overall, the course considers a wide range of questions in order to provide students with a deeper understanding of wargaming and its uses. Among the questions it examines are: What makes a good or bad wargame? What design philosophies, techniques, and tools can be used to craft wargames? How can wargaming be leveraged as an educational tool? What are the strengths and weaknesses of wargaming as a methodology and discipline? How can wargaming improve decision-making?