Unlike a series of unrelated battles a campaign in wargames is usually much more fulfilling. They do, however, require much more time and organisation to be run effectively. It is this fact that stops many wargamers from even considering playing a campaign. In this article I will attempt to cover some ways in which a campaign set up can be made easier and some pointers as to which campaigns to run.

Importantly there are many decisions and steps to take before you start....

Decide on the number of players.

Decide the scope of the campaign.

Is it a historical re-enactment or replay of an actual campaign? (See the 1809 Campaign article for an example)

Decide on the points system to be used for troops and reinforcements in the game

Decide which rules are being used for the tabletop battles.

Agree the maps together. Use a randomiser to decide who gets which area, that way any arguments about who gets the most defensible area can be avoided. Another good idea is to keep the terrain fairly similar or even, but don't make it symmetrical.

Set the victory conditions at the start. Also agree what will constitute a draw or partial victory.

Decide how sieges will be handled. If you want to fight them out on the table then that is up to you. Far simpler is to devise a table that will give you the outcome at the roll of a dice. The table should tell you casualties and how long it took to win / lose. Remember sieges were not always a success.

Handling conflict and arguements : If you have an impartial umpire then his decision is final. If not group consensus after a brief debate should be enough. If all else fails flip a coin or roll a dice.

Decide if there will be secret movement in the campaign or are the generals all knowing? If you have a willing umpire movement is much more interesting.

Decide the ground rules in advance. Don't have players assassinating each other's generals in an attempt to gain an advantage. It is supposed to be fun and about military matters.

As you can see a good set up will help with the running of the game. It will also prevent arguments along the way. An impartial umpire is a priceless asset - don' t abuse him if you don't like his decisions. Remember the key thing is not to win but to enjoy the game. It is about learning to plan and execute strategies like real commanders not to use the rules to get an unlikely outcome at the expense of the game.

1st Campaigns.

Economic and political factors should largely be ignored on the first go. If you have an umpire, he can advise players who are acting in an unrealistic manner. An example of this might be, ignoring enemies rampaging in your unprotected homeland as you advance willy nilly into enemy territory. Something would need to be done to counteract the problem.

Supply of armies. Fascinating. For your own sanity avoid getting involved until much, much later. (If you are a Quartermaster then you have my blessing to go ahead.) It will cost a huge chunk of time that could be spent actually wargaming.

Secrets and their impact.

Reconnaissance was the vital eyes of the army and fed commanders with the information to make their decisions. A great example is Napoleon at Ulm. A grand sweep behind a cavalry screen with an enemy unsure, his foot nailed to the floor. Result - a victory by manoeuvre not the bayonet.