Kriegspiel

Since 2014 KG Franzky has held an annual Kriegspiel or war gaming session during the Fort Indiantown Gap, Battle of the Bulge event.  The system simulates the fog of war and challenges of communication with incomplete information that unit commanders must face.


Kriegspiel was invented in Prussia during the early 1800s as a means for training officer candidates in the elements of strategy, communication, and staff work.  Its system was copied by many other countries and by WW2 most militaries engaged in some sort of war gaming.  The game was originally cumbersome with rules, but Free Kriegspiel offers a modified version of the game with an umpire and a stripped down ruleset.


For the KG Frankzy Kriegspiel we have decided to replay historical scenarios from the American Civil War and other modern wars that precede WW2.  These are scenarios that German officer candidates could have gamed.  We play a version of Free Kriegspiel that Thomas Knust (who runs our games) first encountered while attending class at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA.  Our series of scenarios has included the Battles of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Chickamauga from the Civil War as well as Tolvajärvi (Winter War) and an Invasion of France what-if scenario.  It is some of the most fun that we have had while in the barracks at FIG. 


All are welcome to come join us as we continue to play and develop our skills of communication, maneuvering and battlefield problem solving.