Appendix F: Glossary
Definitions of wargame-specific terms used throughout this book. Intended for readers coming from board gaming, digital gaming, or no wargaming background at all. Entries are kept to one or two sentences; the chapter where each concept is explained in full is noted where applicable.
AAC (Advance After Combat) — Movement into a hex vacated by a retreating or eliminated defender. Most games require at least one attacking infantry unit to advance; artillery and support units may be restricted.
Activation — Selecting a unit or formation to take actions (move, attack, rally) during a turn. Systems vary: some use sequential player turns, others use chit-pull or card-driven activation to randomize who acts when. (Ch. 10)
Area Control — A map system using irregular regions instead of hexes, where units occupy and contest named areas connected by movement paths. Used in games like Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage and the COIN series. (Ch. 5, Ch. 21)
Armor / Armour — Units representing tanks or armored vehicles. Typically faster than infantry, with higher attack values, and eligible for exploitation movement after successful combat.
Artillery — Units representing guns or batteries that fire at range during a bombardment phase. Capabilities and restrictions vary by era and system. (Ch. 6, Ch. 9)
Attrition — Losses suffered by units unable to trace supply or as a result of prolonged operations. Some games use attrition tables; others apply automatic step losses to unsupplied units.
Automatic Victory — A condition that ends the game immediately when triggered, such as capturing a key objective before a certain turn. Distinguished from sudden death, which ends the game when one player’s position becomes irretrievable. (Ch. 12)
Battle Formation — A unit state with reduced movement but full combat capability. The opposite of March Formation. Units entering an enemy Zone of Influence flip from March to Battle Formation. (Ch. 8)
Blind Playtest — A playtest where participants play using only the written rules with no guidance from the designer. The definitive test of rules clarity. (Ch. 16)
Bombardment — Ranged artillery fire against enemy hexes during a dedicated phase, separate from regular combat. Results range from disruption to step losses. Can “soak off” an adjacent enemy hex, relieving the obligation to attack it in the combat phase.
C2 (Command and Control) — The system by which leaders direct subordinate units. In game terms, C2 models whether units can act freely (in command) or face restrictions (out of command). Implemented through command points, command range, activation rolls, or leader counters. (Ch. 11)
Card-Driven Game (CDG) — A game format where players use strategy cards, each playable as either a historical event or for operations points, to drive movement and combat. Invented by Mark Herman with We the People (1993). (Ch. 14)
Cavalry — Mounted units with higher movement allowance than infantry. Capabilities vary by era: charging, screening, and reconnaissance in horse-era games; typically absent or replaced by mechanized units in modern settings.
Cavalry Charge — A special attack where cavalry units attempt to overrun enemy positions. Implementation varies, but most systems resolve charges on a separate table with high-risk, high-reward outcomes. (Ch. 8)
Chit-Pull — A randomization mechanic where counters are drawn from an opaque cup to determine activation order. Simulates the uncertainty of who moves when. Originated by Eric Smith in Panzer Command (1984) and adopted in over 700 published games. (Ch. 10)
COIN (COunterINsurgency) — A game system created by Volko Ruhnke using a shared event card display and four asymmetric factions with different capabilities, victory conditions, and strategies. Has become a genre, with volumes designed by multiple designers. (Ch. 14)
Column Shift — Moving left or right on a Combat Results Table to reflect advantageous or disadvantageous conditions (terrain, combined arms, surprise). A shift left favors the defender; a shift right favors the attacker. (Ch. 9)
Combat Differential — A combat resolution method where the numerical difference between attacker and defender strength determines the outcome, rather than an odds ratio. (Ch. 9)
Combat Phase — The phase of a turn where attacks between adjacent opposing forces are resolved. Games vary on whether combat is mandatory for all adjacent units or voluntary. (Ch. 10)
Combat Results Table (CRT) — A table cross-referencing combat odds or strength with a die roll to produce results: retreats, step losses, exchanges, eliminations, or no effect. The mechanical heart of most hex-and-counter wargames. (Ch. 9)
Combat Strength (CS) — The numerical value representing a unit’s fighting power. May be a single number (for both attack and defense) or split into separate attack and defense values.
Combined Arms — A combat bonus granted when an attack includes multiple unit types (infantry, armor, and artillery together). Represents the historical advantage of coordinating different arms.
Command Point (CP) — A value on commander counters representing how many subordinate units or formations can be placed in command during a command phase. (Ch. 11)
Command Range (CR) — The maximum distance in hexes over which a leader can exercise command over subordinate units. Enemy units and their ZOCs may block or extend the path. (Ch. 11)
Counter — A cardboard playing piece representing a military unit, leader, or game marker. Standard size is 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch square. (Ch. 6)
Counter Manifest — The complete list of every counter in a game and what is printed on each one. An essential production document. (Ch. 6)
CRT — See Combat Results Table.
Demoralization (DM) — A negative status from combat losses or failed morale checks. Demoralized units typically fight at half strength, lose their ZOC, and cannot attack. Requires spending time or resources to rally. (Ch. 11)
Depleted — A unit state representing reduced effectiveness after absorbing losses, but not yet reduced to its back side. Used in some systems as an intermediate state between full strength and step loss.
Depot — A supply unit that extends supply range from a source to combat units. Can be captured or destroyed by enemy forces. (Ch. 11)
Die Roll Modifier (DRM) — A positive or negative number added to a die roll result. The most common type of modifier in wargame combat systems. (Ch. 9)
Disrupted (DR) — A temporary negative status from bombardment or other effects. Typically halves combat strength and removes ZOC projection. Recovers during the Rally Phase.
Division (XX) — A military formation indicated by the NATO symbol “XX” on a counter. The standard operational unit in many games, containing brigades and regiments.
DRM — See Die Roll Modifier.
Eliminated — A unit removed from play by combat results or attrition. May be permanent (removed from the game) or temporary (placed in a recovery box with a chance to return).
Engagement — Combat between adjacent opposing units. In some systems, units that begin a phase in an enemy ZOC are “engaged” and cannot move except by retreat or special disengagement rules.
Entry Hex — The specific hex where reinforcements enter the map. If blocked by enemy units, reinforcements may be delayed or rerouted.
Exchange (EX) — A combat result where the defender is eliminated and the attacker must also eliminate units equal to a portion (usually half) of the defender’s lost strength.
Exclusive Rules — Game-specific rules that supplement and may override a series’ core rules. Cover setup, terrain, special mechanics, and victory conditions unique to each title. The term originates with Dean Essig’s series system at The Gamers. (Ch. 17)
Exploitation — Additional movement granted to attacking units (usually armor or mechanized) after winning combat. Represents the historical advantage of mobile forces pressing a breakthrough. (Ch. 7)
EZOC (Enemy Zone of Control) — The ZOC projected by enemy units. Entering an EZOC typically stops movement, may require combat, and can block supply lines. (Ch. 7)
Facing — The direction a unit points toward, determining its front, flank, and rear hexes. Attacks from flank or rear provide combat bonuses. Used in tactical and grand-tactical games. (Ch. 8)
Flanking — Attacking from multiple directions, typically requiring units on opposite sides of a defender or in non-adjacent hexes around the combat hex. Provides significant combat bonuses. (Ch. 8)
Fog of War — The principle that players cannot inspect enemy units beyond what their forces can observe. Implemented through hidden movement, dummy units, or concealed unit strengths. (Ch. 11)
Forced March — Spending additional movement points beyond a unit’s normal allowance, risking straggler losses. A die roll determines whether the unit suffers attrition for the extra movement.
Formation — (1) A military organizational grouping (corps, division, brigade). (2) A unit’s physical posture (March Formation vs. Battle Formation). Context determines which meaning applies. (Ch. 8)
Fortress — A defensive position that multiplies the combat value of occupying units and requires siege operations to capture. (Ch. 11)
Grand Tactical — A scale covering a single battle at brigade or regiment level, with hexes of 500 meters to 1 kilometer and turns of roughly 1 hour. (Ch. 4)
Grognard — A veteran wargamer. From the French word for “grumbler,” originally applied to Napoleon’s Old Guard. Attributed to John Young at SPI, who compared the grumbling of SPI’s customers to Napoleon’s soldiers. The term entered Strategy & Tactics from Young’s usage around the office.
Hex — A hexagonal space on the game map, the basic unit of position and distance in hex-and-counter wargames. (Ch. 5)
Hexside — The border between two hexes. Rivers, ridges, slopes, and other linear terrain features are placed on hexsides rather than in hexes. (Ch. 5)
Hexspine — The vertex where three hexes meet. Some games use hexspine facing instead of hexside facing. (Ch. 8)
Hidden Movement — A rule where unit identities are concealed from the opposing player using markers, dummy counters, or separate tracking sheets. Revealed when units enter enemy line of sight. (Ch. 11)
Horse Artillery — Mobile artillery with a higher movement allowance than foot artillery. Historically, guns pulled by horse teams for rapid repositioning alongside cavalry.
HQ (Headquarters) — A counter representing a command focus point. Determines command range, where recovered units return, and may provide combat bonuses to nearby units.
I-Go-You-Go (IGOUGO) — A turn structure where one player completes all movement and combat before the other player acts. The traditional sequence; alternatives include chit-pull and card-driven activation. (Ch. 10)
In Command (IC) — A unit within its parent leader’s command range that has received orders. IC units have full freedom of action, in contrast to Out of Command units. (Ch. 11)
Infantry — The basic ground combat unit representing foot soldiers. The most numerous unit type in most games, with moderate movement and combat values. (Ch. 6)
Initiative — The right to act first during a turn. Determined by a preset schedule, die roll, card play, or other mechanic depending on the system. (Ch. 10)
Initiative Rating (IR) — A value on unit or officer counters representing ability to act independently when out of command. Used for activation checks.
Interdiction — An action that disrupts enemy movement or supply lines. In modern-era games, often carried out by air units; in other settings, may be achieved by cavalry or partisan forces.
Line of Communication (LOC) — A path of hexes from a unit to a supply source, free of enemy units and enemy ZOCs (unless occupied by friendly units). Required for units to fight at full effectiveness. Also called Line of Supply (LS) in some systems. (Ch. 11)
Line of Sight (LOS) — A clear path between an artillery unit and its target, unblocked by terrain or intervening units. Required for bombardment. Range and blocking criteria vary by game.
Loss Points (LP) — Strength points or resources lost in combat. Must be absorbed through step reductions, retreats, eliminations, or other means.
Magazine Game — A wargame published as part of a periodical (Strategy & Tactics, Command, CounterFact). Format established by Dunnigan at SPI. Typically a single map, one to two countersheets, and a rulebook included with the magazine.
March Formation — A unit state with higher movement allowance but vulnerability to combat. Must flip to Battle Formation when entering an enemy ZOC or ZOI. (Ch. 8)
Meeting Engagement (ME) — Combat initiated during movement when a unit enters a hex adjacent to or occupied by the enemy. Typically resolved with penalties for the attacker compared to a prepared assault.
Monster Game — A wargame of exceptional physical size, typically with multiple maps and thousands of counters. Drang Nach Osten! (GDW, 1973) is considered the first commercial monster game.
Morale Check (MC) — A die roll to determine if a unit maintains cohesion after taking casualties or facing other stresses. Failure results in disruption, rout, or elimination.
Morale Rating (MR) — A value on unit counters representing cohesion and discipline. Higher values pass morale checks more often.
Movement Allowance (MA) — The total number of movement points a unit can spend per activation or turn. Printed on the counter. (Ch. 7)
Movement Points (MP) — The currency spent to move from hex to hex. Each terrain type has a cost in MP. A unit stops when it has spent its MA or enters an EZOC. (Ch. 7)
NATO Symbol — Standardized military map symbols used on counters to indicate unit type: rectangle (infantry), diagonal line (cavalry), dot (artillery), oval (mechanized), among others. (Ch. 6)
No Effect (NE) — A combat result where nothing happens. Neither side takes losses or retreats.
OOB (Order of Battle) — The organizational structure and composition of military forces in a game. Determines which units exist, their strengths, and which formations they belong to. Building the OOB is one of the core design tasks. (Ch. 6)
OOC (Out of Command) — A unit outside its parent leader’s command range. OOC units face restrictions: reduced movement, inability to attack, or requirement to pass initiative checks before acting. (Ch. 11)
Odds-Based CRT — A Combat Results Table organized by combat odds ratios (1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, etc.). The attacker divides total attacking strength by total defending strength to find the correct column. (Ch. 9)
Operational — A scale covering a campaign with division-sized units, hexes of 4 to 25 miles, and turns of days to weeks. (Ch. 4)
Out of Supply (OOS) — A unit that cannot trace a valid line of communication to a supply source. Suffers penalties: halved combat strength, inability to attack, risk of attrition or surrender. (Ch. 11)
Overrun — A combat result where the attacker moves into the defender’s hex, eliminating or displacing the defender. Sometimes a separate mechanic from regular combat, initiated during movement.
Permanent Elimination — Removal from the game with no possibility of recovery. Distinguished from temporary elimination, where units may return through reinforcement or recovery mechanics.
Phasing Player — The player whose turn is currently active, as opposed to the non-phasing player.
Player Aid Card (PAC) — A reference card included with a game containing the CRT, Terrain Effects Chart, Sequence of Play, and other frequently referenced information. Designed to minimize rulebook lookups during play. (Ch. 17)
Point-to-Point (PtP) — A map system using named locations connected by lines instead of a hex grid. Units move along connections. Used in CDGs and other systems where specific geographic points matter more than continuous terrain. (Ch. 5)
Prepared Assault (PA) — A deliberate attack by fresh units adjacent to the enemy, with full support from artillery and other arms. Contrasted with Meeting Engagement, which occurs during movement with less preparation.
Rainy Season / Weather — Environmental conditions affecting movement costs, combat, and air operations. May be determined historically (fixed by turn) or randomly (die roll each turn). (Ch. 11)
Rally — Recovering from negative status effects (demoralization, disruption, rout). Requires spending movement points, being in supply, or occupying specific terrain depending on the system.
Reaction — A non-phasing player’s attempt to respond to enemy movement by moving forces to counter a threat. Typically requires a die roll and makes the reacting units spent whether or not they succeed. (Ch. 10)
Reconnaissance — Scouting enemy positions to reveal hidden units or gain information before committing to an attack.
Recovery — Returning eliminated units to play, usually through a die roll during an administration phase. Failed recovery rolls may result in permanent elimination.
Reduced / Step Reduction — Flipping a unit from its full-strength front side to its weaker back side, representing significant casualties. Units already on their reduced side that suffer another step loss are eliminated. (Ch. 6)
Reinforcements — Units entering the map on specified turns at designated entry hexes. The reinforcement schedule is usually printed on the scenario setup card. (Ch. 10)
Replacement Points (RP) — Points used to restore strength points lost to combat or attrition. One RP typically equals one SP restored, up to the unit’s original printed value.
Retreat — Involuntary movement away from the enemy as a result of combat. Retreating units must move toward a supply source. Retreating into an EZOC typically eliminates the unit.
Road March — Moving along connected road hexes at reduced MP cost. Units in road march are spaced out (no stacking) and vulnerable to enemy contact.
Rout — A severe negative status where a unit has broken and flees the battlefield. Routed units move toward their friendly board edge, cannot attack, and may be permanently eliminated if they cannot rally.
Scale — The relationship between game elements and their real-world equivalents: hex size (meters or miles per hex), turn length (minutes, hours, or days), and unit size (company through army). Choosing scale is one of the first design decisions. (Ch. 4, Ch. 5)
Sequence of Play (SOP) — The ordered list of phases that make up each game turn, defining when movement, combat, supply, and other activities occur. The structural backbone of the game. (Ch. 10)
Series Rules — Core rules shared across multiple games in a series system. Individual games add Exclusive Rules for game-specific mechanics. Pioneered by Dean Essig at The Gamers. (Ch. 17)
Shock Combat — Close-quarters combat between units in the same hex or at adjacent range, resolved separately from regular ranged combat. Common in tactical and grand-tactical games.
Siege — The process of capturing a fortress or fortified position by maintaining forces in position over time. May involve cutting supply, bombardment, and assault.
Solitaire — Rules or modes designed for one player, using prioritized decision lists or automated systems for the non-player side. Some games are designed solitaire-first; others include solitaire variants.
SP (Strength Points) — The primary measure of a unit’s combat power. Used to calculate combat odds, determine casualties, and track unit status. One SP usually represents a set number of troops depending on game scale. (Ch. 6)
Spent — A unit that has activated and cannot act again until the next turn or reset phase. Indicated by rotating the counter sideways or flipping to its back side. (Ch. 10)
Stacking — Placing multiple units in the same hex. Stacking limits vary by game (typically one to five units) and may depend on unit type, nationality, or terrain. Exceeding the limit is usually prohibited or penalized. (Ch. 7)
Static — A unit that has been activated and flipped to its back side, indicating it cannot act again this turn. Equivalent to “Spent” in other systems.
Step — One side of a two-sided counter. A full-strength unit has two steps (front and back); losing a step flips the counter to its reduced side; losing both steps eliminates the unit. One-step units go straight from full strength to eliminated. (Ch. 6)
Step Loss — See Reduced / Step Reduction.
Strategic — A scale covering an entire theater or war with army or corps-sized units, hexes of 12 or more miles, and turns of weeks to months. (Ch. 4)
Strategic Movement (SM) — A movement mode that doubles a unit’s movement allowance but prohibits moving adjacent to enemy units. Represents organized rear-area movement using roads and rail. Subject to interdiction.
Supply — The logistical ability of a unit to receive ammunition, food, and reinforcements, traced via a Line of Communication to a supply source. Out-of-supply units fight poorly and may be eliminated. (Ch. 11)
Supply Source — The origin point for supply lines: a friendly map edge, a controlled city or port, or a special supply unit.
Sudden Death — A condition that ends the game when one player’s position becomes irretrievable, preventing the game from dragging on after the outcome is determined. Functions as a mercy rule rather than a victory condition. Distinguished from automatic victory, which ends the game when a strategic objective is achieved. (Ch. 12)
Tactical — A scale covering a single engagement at company or battalion level, with hexes of 100 to 500 meters and turns of 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Ch. 4)
TEC (Terrain Effects Chart) — A reference chart listing movement costs and combat modifiers for each terrain type in the game. One of the essential components of any wargame. (Ch. 5)
Turn — One complete cycle of the Sequence of Play. A game consists of a fixed number of turns, each representing a set amount of time (hours, days, weeks, or months depending on scale).
Unit Quality Rating (UQR) — A letter grade (A through D, or numerical equivalent) representing a unit’s training, morale, and equipment quality. Used to differentiate units beyond raw strength points. (Ch. 6)
Unit Size Symbol — Markings above the NATO symbol indicating organizational level: I (company/battery), II (battalion), III (regiment), X (brigade), XX (division), XXX (corps), XXXX (army). (Ch. 6)
VASSAL — A free, open-source game engine for building and playing online versions of board games and wargames. The standard platform for remote playtesting and online play. (Ch. 16, Ch. 18)
Victory Conditions — The criteria determining who wins the game. May be territorial (control specific hexes), point-based (accumulate VP), automatic (achieve a threshold condition), or scaled (tiered results from decisive victory to marginal defeat). Designing victory conditions that produce a competitive game while reflecting history is one of the hardest design problems. (Ch. 12)
Victory Points (VP) — A scoring mechanism tracking political, military, and strategic success. Games typically use a VP track; some have automatic victory conditions when VP reaches a threshold.
ZOC (Zone of Control) — The six hexes immediately adjacent to a combat unit. Entering an enemy ZOC typically stops movement, may require combat, and can block supply lines. Some units (demoralized, depleted, reduced) do not project ZOCs. The single most important spatial mechanic in hex-and-counter wargaming. (Ch. 7)
ZOC Bond — A mechanic created by Mark Simonitch where two friendly units two hexes apart project a bond along the connecting hex spines that enemy units cannot cross. Allows a defensive line with fewer units. Used in the Normandy ‘44 / France ‘40 series. (Ch. 7)
ZOI (Zone of Influence) — A broader area of control projected by certain units, extending beyond the standard one-hex ZOC. Typically 2-3 hexes, depending on unit strength. Forces enemy units in March Formation to stop and deploy. (Ch. 7)