Little Wars TV - Clubhouse Interview with IKS International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-10-03 | In July 2025, IKS travelled to Pennsylvania to challenge Little Wars TV for the Kriegsspiel Cup. Damon from the IKS sat down with Miles & Greg from LWTV for an interview in their Bunker, discussing Talavera, Leipzig 1813, and how Kriegsspiel can improve tabletop miniature wargaming.Website for the International Kriegssspiel Society:kriegsspiel.orgIKS Discord:discord.com/invite/international-kriegsspiel-society-769572185005883393Check out our collaboration with Little Wars TV and watch the IKS compete against LWTV for the Kriegsspiel Cup!youtu.be/hQuiv1Ln7-4?si=H6bz5gSNjrQZY08e
Umpire Talk w/ Pete the Elder Skirmish Games and Monetization International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-09-15 | A discussion with Pete the Elder about Skirmish games, and monetization of hobby wargaming. If you think what Pete is doing is amazing (like we do) you can support him on a couple of different platforms and his great new website: kriegsspielstudio.compatreon.com/cw/PetetheElderKriegsspielhttps://startplaying.games/gm/petetheelderlinkedin.com/in/peter-fryer-669a1a10
Shiloh 1862: Designing a wargaming experience International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-09-10 | Paul, James, and Sean discuss adapting the American Civil War battle of Shiloh into a live Kriegsspiel experience, and more generally, about game design and what makes a good live experience. Shiloh takes place in April of 1862, and despite the mythology of total surprise that later makes it infamous, the battle begins with the union forces discovering an impending attack by the confederates near Pittsburg Landing, TN.
Battle of Shiloh - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-08-29 | Major General Ulysses S. Grant’s successful winter campaign along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers shattered the Confederate defensive line in Kentucky and middle Tennessee. Seeking to capitalize on these victories, Grant moved his Army of the Tennessee upriver to Pittsburg Landing, a vital staging ground just over twenty miles north of the crucial Confederate railroad junction at Corinth, Mississippi. Grant was ordered to wait at the landing for Major General Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio to arrive from Nashville before launching a combined offensive against Corinth.Believing the retreating and disorganized Confederate forces under General Albert Sidney Johnston were incapable of launching an attack, the Union troops failed to entrench their camps around Shiloh Church and spent their days conducting routine drilling and reconnoitering, completely unaware that Johnston had quietly marched his entire army out of Corinth to strike first. On the morning of April 6, 1862, the Union army's complacency was shattered when a pre-dawn patrol clashed with advancing Confederates, unleashing a massive, unexpected assault that caught the forward divisions under Benjamin Prentiss and William T. Sherman completely off-guard. In this Kriegsspiel game, the Union players are caught off guard as well as they weren't told this was Shiloh Day 1. Let's see how they do.
ACW Battle of Stones River - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-08-08 | Dec 31, 1862After the loss at Perryville, Kentucky and low on supplies, Bragg retreated back into Tennessee where he joined with Smith’s Army of Kentucky. He took up a defensive position northwest of Murfreesboro along the Stones River. Frustrated with General Buell's passivity, President Lincoln replaced him with General Rosecrans. Rosecrans was warned that he too would be replaced if he did not move aggressively against Bragg and occupy eastern Tennessee. He marched his Army of the Cumberland from Nashville, TN to challenge General Bragg’s Army of the Tennessee at Murfreesboro.By the time Rosecrans arrived, Bragg had already been there for a month. His men had marched through freezing, bone-chilling winter rain and are tired but there's no time to lose. Bragg has a small window to attack the Union before they fully arrive.
Do Professionals Study Logistics? With the Womens Wargaming Network International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-08-03 | This interview features Dr. Yuna Wong, and Eleanor Ross from the Women's Wargaming Network, as they talk about the partnership between the IKS and WWN, before diving into the topic of Logistics Wargaming. If you would like to join the Women's Wargaming Network, their website is a great place to start!womenswargamingnetwork.org And as always, please join us on discord to take part in our broad selection of both traditional kriegsspiel, and more modern forms of wargaming!
Napoleonic Wizard Wars - Battle of Austerlitz International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-08-01 | What if Napoleon could cast shoot lightning from his fingers? What if Kutuzov could freeze French feet to the ground? Kriegsspiellers play out the Battle of Austerlitz while the commanders can use magic.
How to Decide What Kreigsspiel System to Use? International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-07-26 | You've decided to run your own Kriegsspiel game. But what system should you use? This video breaks down the difference between strict and free Kriegsspiel systems, so you know which one is best for you.
Coffee, Kegs, and Kriegsspiel - How to Think in Kriegsspiel International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-06-21 | In this video, Marshall shares how to think through a Kriegsspiel to improve your play.
Battle of Pavia - Live Game - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-06-13 | In the autumn of 1524 King Francis I of France personally led an imposing army of over 30,000 men across the Alps into Lombardy to break growing Habsburg encirclement and contest control over northern Italy. The numerically inferior Imperial forces retreated, allowing Francis to easily capture the plague-ridden city of Milan; however, rather than pursuing the fleeing enemy, the French king opted to besiege the strategic, Imperial-held fortress city of Pavia starting in late October 1524. Pavia’s garrison, fiercely commanded by Antonio de Leyva, successfully withstood initial French artillery bombardments and assaults, forcing Francis to settle into a grueling, months-long winter siege aimed at starving out the defenders. By January 1525, an Imperial relief army assembled at Lodi under Charles de Lannoy arrived and entrenched themselves just east of the French lines, effectively besieging the besiegers while both sides suffered heavy attrition from disease and desertion. Facing a desperate lack of funds to pay their German Landsknecht and Spanish mercenaries, the Imperial commanders knew their army would soon mutiny or disintegrate, compelling them to launch a high-stakes, surprise night assault on February 24 to break the deadlock.
Coffee, Kegs, and Kriegsspiel - A.I. in Wargaming and Kriegsspiel, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-06-07 | In this video we discuss the use of A.I. in wargaming and Kriegsspiel. What it does well, what it does poorly, and what it should not be asked to do in it its current state.
Battle of Corunna - IKS Live Game - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-05-30 | The Battle of Corunna is the climax of a desperate winter campaign during the early stages of the Peninsular War. Following a successful British intervention in Portugal, General Sir John Moore led a British army of around 30,000 men into northern Spain in late 1808 to support Spanish forces against the French occupation. However, after Napoleon Bonaparte personally entered Spain with a massive army of over 200,000 veterans and captured Madrid, Moore found his small, poorly supplied force dangerously isolated and outnumbered. Recognizing the threat of total annihilation, Moore ordered a grueling, 250-mile strategic retreat through the frozen, rugged mountains of Galicia toward the northwestern port city of Corunna. The brutal winter conditions and relentless French pursuit shattered British discipline, resulting in widespread looting, exhaustion, and the loss of nearly 5,000 lives along the way. When the tattered British army finally reached Corunna on January 11, 1809, they were horrified to find the harbor empty because the Royal Navy evacuation fleet had been delayed by bad weather. By the time the ships arrived a few days later, a French vanguard led by Marshal Nicolas Soult had caught up to them, forcing the British to turn and fight a defensive rearguard action to secure their escape.
IKS Live Game - Battle of Guilford Courthouse - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-05-22 | This battle is the culmination of a grueling, months-long chase across the Carolinas now known as the "Race to the Dan." Following the crushing British defeat at the Battle of Cowpens in January 1781, American Major General Nathanael Greene intentionally led British Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis on a rapid northern pursuit toward Virginia. Greene's strategy was to exhaust the British supply lines while preserving his own forces and gathering reinforcements. Cornwallis, obsessed with destroying Greene’s army, ordered his troops to burn their own heavy baggage trains to move faster, sacrificing vital supplies for speed. After successfully crossing the swollen Dan River into Virginia to rest and reinforce his army with fresh militia, Greene turned back into North Carolina, feeling strong enough to finally make a stand at Guilford Courthouse.
IKS Live Game - Star Wars: Battle of Scarif - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-05-16 | Rogue One has infiltrated the Scarif surface, and the rebel fleet needs to disable the planetary shield gate to allow them to transmit the Death Star plans back to Admiral Raddus aboard the Profundity. In this game the rebels arrive from hyperspace into orbit around the planet and battle the two Imperial Star Destroyers and their accompanying tie fighter fleets located there.
Gettysburg Day 3 - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-04-25 | The IKS visits a rarely played game scenario, the Battle of Gettysburg starting on Day 3. Can Lee do better than he did historically? This recording starts 25 minutes after the game started as James arrived late. Apologies for the lack of sound until the very end.
Greyhound Live Game - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-04-11 | Woefully understrength destroyer escorts are tasked with escorting a convoy of cargo ships carrying badly needed supplies to Europe. As they cross the Atlantic they enter the "Black Pit" where air support isn't in range. This is the hunting ground of the Wolfpack, German U-boat squadrons. Can Captain Krause protect his convoy as he did in the movie?
Wizards at the Battle of Austerlitz - Open Saturday Game International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-04-04 | In the Austerlitz valley, the morning fog wasn't just weather; it was a shroud of concealment woven by Napoleon’s elite French wizards, designed to conceal his army. Napoleon, Emperor and Arch-mage, stood alone atop the Pratzen Heights holding a staff of blackened oak. As the Allied columns moved along the roads beneath him, he tapped the earth, sending a seismic pulse that caused thorns to emerge from the ground beneath the Russian boots, stalling their advance.When the Allied lines finally advanced, they didn't just fire lead. Each volley of musketry was supported by fireballs cast by the the Tsar’s court sorcerers, arcing high over the lines. They burst in the midst of the allied lines with a fiery eruption. The French commanders countered by raising shields—shimmering walls of force that vibrated violently as they deflected the magical projectiles.
Pirates of the Caribbean - Live Game Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-04-04 | The pirate captains are holding a Brethren Court on Shipwreck island when an alarm is sounded. A lookout has spotted a British fleet on the horizon. They've discovered their secret hideout! The captains and crews scramble, rushing back to their ships. Can they escape before the elite British ships surround and capture them? Will the dangerous rocks around the cove sink the any of the ships?
2025 IKS Awards International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-02-15 | James hosts the 2025 IKS Awards where players, umpires, and games are nominate for a variety of categories.
Battle of Wagram - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-02-14 | July 1809 - The French military presence in the Confederation of the Rhine was diminished as Napoleon transferred a number of soldiers to fight in the Peninsular War. As a result, the Austrian Empire saw its chance to recover some of its former sphere of influence and invaded the Kingdom of Bavaria, a French ally. Recovering from his initial surprise, Napoleon beat the Austrian forces and occupied Vienna at the beginning of May 1809. Despite the string of sharp defeats and the loss of the empire's capital, Archduke Charles salvaged an army, with which he retreated north of the Danube. This allowed the Austrians to continue the war. Towards the end of May, Napoleon resumed the offensive, suffering a surprise defeat at the Battle of Aspern-Essling.It took Napoleon six weeks to prepare his next offensive, for which he amassed a 172,000-man French, German and Italian army in the vicinity of Vienna. Napoleon crossed the Danube with the bulk of these forces during the night of 4 July and attacked the 136,000-man strong Austrian army.
Nach Stalingrad: The Bridgehead - Umpire perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-01-31 | James' live game group tries out the free scenario and rules provided by Little Wars TV. They played Scenario 3 in their Winter Storm Campaign. The rules were a simplified version of Fistful of T34s. Can the Germans maintain control of Saliyevsky and take Woidansky while on their push for Stalingrad or will the Russian push them out?
Armchair Dragoons Convention - Kriegsspiel Game International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-01-17 | The IKS hosts a staff command Kriegsspiel game in this year's Armchair Dragoons Convention on the Meckel map.
Sekigahara revisited - Umpire perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-01-16 | In 1598 the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whose only heir, Hideyori, was just five years old. To manage the realm until the boy came of age, Hideyoshi established a Council of Five Elders, but the council quickly fractured as the most powerful member, Tokugawa Ieyasu, began consolidating personal power through forbidden political marriages and the occupation of key strongholds like Osaka Castle. This ambition drew fierce opposition from Ishida Mitsunari, a staunch Toyotomi loyalist who organized a coalition of Western lords to check Ieyasu's rise. Tensions have escalated into open warfare in 1600 when Ieyasu led a punitive expedition against the Uesugi clan in the north, providing Mitsunari the opportunity to mobilize his "Western Army" and seize strategic positions in central Japan, eventually forcing a decisive field confrontation at the crossroads of Sekigahara. In this kriegsspiel game, each player commands an independent army and assigned personal objectives. The "pre-game" will feature Tokugawa and Ishida working to recruit players to their side using resources provided to them. Will they recruit enough? Will there be traitors?
Battle of Little Bighorn - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-01-09 | It's 1876. Custer and the 7th US Cavalry are trying to surround and capture a rebel Indian village in Montana. Little do they know that they're badly outnumbered. Can kriegsspiel players do better than Custer historically did in the same situation?
Battle of Eylau - IKS Open Saturday Game International Kriegsspiel Society 2026-01-04 | France and Russia square off as 24 kriegsspiel players see how they can handle the historical battle from the War of the 4th Coalition.
ACW Pea Ridge - Umpire perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-12-19 | As commander of the Trans-Mississippi District, Confederate General Van Dorn has a hodgepodge force which he intends to use to battle the smaller Union force under Samuel R. Curtis and reopen the gateway into Missouri. Historically the Confederate attack over a two day period near Leetown, Arkansas was a failure. Can these teams do better?
Battle of Fort Donelson - Umpire perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-12-12 | The IKS revisits the historic civil war battle of Fort Donelson. Can Grant achieve a historic victory or will the Confederates Generals give a better showing of themselves?
Kriegsspiel: Veterans vs Noobs - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-12-05 | Can veteran kriegsspiel commanders defeat a superior force commanded by newer players?
Escort Mission - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-11-21 | Using the ubiquitous map of Metz, James' live Thursday game features a fictional scenario where a blue division needs to escape south from Metz with priceless treasure. A larger red division needs to intercept them and capture the treasure.
Lord of the Rings: Siege of Eregion - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-11-14 | Sauron, adopting a fair disguise as "Annatar," the "Lord of Gifts," offered his counsel to the Elven-smiths of Eregion, led by Celebrimbor, around the year S.A. 1200. The Elves, eager for knowledge, accepted his help, and together they forged the Rings of Power, with Sauron secretly guiding the process with the intention of dominating them all with his own master ring. Around S.A. 1600, Sauron forged the One Ring in Mount Doom, and the moment he put it on, the Elves became aware of his treacherous plan and immediately took off their Rings. Enraged that his deception had failed and his plan was exposed, Sauron demanded all the Rings be surrendered to him. When the Elves refused, and Celebrimbor sent the three most powerful Rings (the Three Elven-Rings) away for safekeeping, Sauron launched a massive invasion of Eriador around S.A. 1695, making Eregion the primary target of his wrath and marking the start of the War of the Elves and Sauron.Watch as we visit this fantasy battle. Can Kriegsspielers do better than the characters in the Rings of Power? Absolutely.
Battle of Pharsalus - Umpire Perspective International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-11-07 | Political tensions between Caesar and Pompey have escalated into open civil war. Caesar's defiance of the Senate by crossing the Rubicon in 49 BCE, initiating the civil war, forced Pompey and his allies to flee Italy. Ultimately, the two armies clashed on the plains of Pharsalus, setting the stage for this pivotal confrontation. Watch as two teams revisit this historical battle in this live kriegsspiel game.
Battle of Auerstedt - Umpire View International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-10-31 | Prussia and France face off in this historical conflict. Can Davout's lone corps defeat the bulk of the Prussian army as they did historically?
Kafka Goes to Nam - IKS Halloween Kriegsspiel International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-10-25 | In our Kafka-inspired Halloween game, we explore the serious topic of absurdity and lack of clarity in conflict. In this game, set in Vietnam, we provide the players with vague orders and unclear objectives, and let them sort themselves out.See what lessons you can glean from the exercise!
Battle of Lützen (1813) - Live umpire view International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-10-25 | James' regular Thursday live game visits this historic Napoleonic battle using a beautiful map created by Umpire Sixty.
IKS Live Thursday - Meckel Map International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-10-17 | Red and Blue armies face off in a fictional scenario using this classic kriegsspiel map.
IKS Live Thursday - 3 Glorious Days - French Revolution International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-10-10 | July 1830. The people of France and Paris are unhappy with Charles X and his recent actions. Reluctant military commanders are now forced to defend the key palaces and places of government in the center of Paris from a large mob which vastly outnumbers them.
IKS Live Thursday - Game of Thrones Battle of Winterfell International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-10-03 | Are Kriegsspielers smarter than the GoT show writers? I sure hope so. The defensive plans made by the characters in the show ere laughably poor. Let's see what happens when you let Kriegsspielers organize the defense of Winterfell against the Undead Army of the Night King. Can they defeat the horde and kill the Night King? Or will Bran the Three Eyed Raven fall?
IKS Live Thursday - Battle of Zama International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-09-26 | 202 BC. In modern day Tunisia Scipio Africanus leads Rome to face a Carthaginian army led by Hannibal. Can these Kriegsspiel players rewrite history?
IKS Live Thursday - Battle on the Shattered Plains (Stormlight Archive) International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-09-12 | Umpire James hosts a fantasy battle from the Stormlight Archive books written by Brandon Sanderson. Will the Alethi Highprinces capture a gemheart? Will the Parshendi Singers' ambush work? How do you fight an ancients battle with giant chasms and strange plateaus? Watch to find out.
My 100th Live Game! - Hundred Days Campaign International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-09-05 | James umpires his 100th live Kriegsspiel game. And what better game to do than the Hundred Days campaign of the War of the 7th Coalition? Can Napoleon defeat the allied powers of Europe again and do better than he did historically?
IKS Live Thursday - Wagers Action International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-29 | Spring 1708Charles Wager is leading an expedition in the Caribbean with a squadron of 4 ships. The War of the Spanish Succession is in full swing and Charles is ordered to hurt Spain by capturing their ships laden with gold from the New World. In April, the squadron took in supplies at the Rosario Islands, alerting the Spanish to their presence. He found the fleet attempted their escape to Spain on June 7th near the Isla de Barú. Can he sink or capture the Spanish gold?
Kriegsspiel Umpiring with Umpire DevastatorTT International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-25 | In this episode of the Umpire Chat Show, Paul LaFontaine (LaFondiose) sits down with DevastatorTT, an active member of the International Kriegsspiel Society. We explore his journey from miniature wargaming in Geneva, Switzerland—rooted in Warhammer Fantasy and 40K—to becoming an enthusiastic Kriegsspiel umpire within just 24 hours of joining the community.Devastator shares how he discovered Kriegsspiel through Little Wars TV, what drew him to umpiring over playing, and how he adapted his background as a game master in role-playing games to the unique demands of historical wargames. He discusses rule adaptations, mapmaking, and scenario design, including the creation of his Redania vs. Bludania campaign universe.The conversation covers the challenges of running live and play-by-post games, balancing player engagement, and the importance of fairness, flexibility, and creativity in umpiring. Devastator also explains his modifications to fatigue and cohesion rules, his approach to Napoleonic and ahistorical battles, and his future interest in expanding into medieval settings.If you’re interested in how new voices are shaping the art of Kriegsspiel umpiring, this is a thoughtful and inspiring discussion you won’t want to miss.
IKS Live Thursday - Battle of Beta-Garmon (Warhammer 30k) International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-22 | The Battle of Beta-Garmon is over. After intense, world-ending conflict, the forces of the Warmaster have cracked the Imperial defenses around Nyrcon City and Beta-Garmon III and taken this system for Horus. Hundreds of Titan-class war engines, thousands of Legionnares Astartes and tens of millions of mortal soldiers have fallen to delay the inevitable Siege of Terra for a few more months. The scale of devastation in and around Nyrcon City eclipses nearly all previous conflicts of the Heresy. Orbital strikes, virus weapons, and the pernicious entities of the warp unleashed upon the planet have rendered communication and coordination possible only with extreme effort.Loyalists and Traitors battle across the surface of Beta-Garmon II. Vox traffic is intermittent at best and, even then, limited only to short range communications. A single Comms Relay has been identified just E of Nyrcon City, miraculously still standing and powered by a pair of Power Generators.
Kriegsspiel Umpiring with Umpire Josephlittle International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-18 | Josephlittle joins LaFondiose for a wide-ranging conversation on wargaming, umpiring, and the art of running Kriegsspiel. From his early days with video and board games like Twilight Struggle to his discovery of the International Kriegsspiel Society, Joseph shares how he became an umpire and why he finds the role more rewarding than play.He discusses the balance between entertainment and realism, how curiosity drives player engagement, and the challenges of adapting board game systems to Kriegsspiel. Joseph also explains his approach to scenario design, the role of assistant umpires, and how to keep games moving while preserving historical authenticity.The conversation highlights his upcoming “masterpiece” campaign project, the workload of managing large-scale games with dozens of players, and the philosophy behind creating a rich experience for both veterans and newcomers.If you’re interested in Kriegsspiel, wargaming design, or the craft of umpiring, this interview provides insight into the community, the challenges, and the excitement of building ambitious campaigns.
Kriegsspiel Umpiring with Umpire Dr. Delta V International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-11 | In this episode, Dr. Delta V joins the chat show to share his journey from seventh-grade rocket science nicknames to becoming an active umpire in the International Kriegsspiel Society. He talks about his roots in board wargaming, love for *Guns of Gettysburg*, and years of Dungeon Master experience that shaped his approach to running games. We cover his leap from playing in the Malta newcomer game to leading his own detailed American Civil War scenario at East Cavalry Field, complete with custom maps, researched orders of battle, and a refined combat system aimed at delivering fast, decisive engagements. Dr. Delta V discusses lessons learned from interpreting player orders, balancing historical accuracy with gameplay, and the art of crafting player updates. He also shares his future plans for live games, improved mapping, and new rulesets. A deep dive into the mindset and craft of a new but skilled Kriegsspiel umpire.
IKS Live Thursday - Battle of the Wilderness.... and zombies International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-08 | (Sorry for the audio issues)The year is 1867. It's been 3 years since the original Battle of the Wilderness when a meteor struck mid battle and dead soldiers became reanimated. The Union and the Confederacy set aside their differences and agreed to focus on their common enemy, the undead. In the first year, it seemed all was lost. The zombie horde could not be contained. They spread as far north as New York and as far south as Georgia. But the decaying bodies began to atrophy and slow. The zombies became slower moving and easier to kill.The next two years saw both sides turning the tide. North and South made a hard-fought effort to push the horde all the way back to where it all started, the dense woods of northern Virginia. Now victory and the end of this war is in sight. Confederate and Union armies are arriving at the Wilderness to eradicate the zombies for good.
Kriegsspiel Umpiring with Umpire LaFondiose International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-07 | In this special episode, the tables turn as Paul LaFondiose—typically the host—takes the guest seat to share his full story. Interviewed by James Horton, Paul walks us through his journey from a D&D dungeon master to a U.S. Army intelligence officer, to one of the most prolific umpires in the International Kriegsspiel Society. He discusses his love for operational planning, how he discovered the Moltke problems, his work transforming them into a modern resource, and his unique approach to scenario design, mapping, and AI integration. They dive into what it means to pursue mastery in Kriegsspiel, the challenge of scaling to 1,000 fans, and the future of live gaming and AI-enhanced campaigns.
Kriegsspiel Umpiring with Shamus McShamus International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-08-04 | In this episode, Seamus MacShamus joins LaFondiose for a deep dive into his experience as a new and ambitious umpire in the International Kriegsspiel Society. From first contact through Little Wars TV to planning an original Zulu War campaign, Seamus shares lessons learned, systems designed, and pitfalls avoided—or not. We explore his custom rules for asymmetric colonial warfare, the logistics challenges of ox-drawn supply trains, and how he models suppression, cohesion, and morale in tactical engagements. He walks us through his creative use of tools like Krita and TTS to deliver immersive screenshots with arrows and fog-of-war blurring. We also hear about his earlier struggles running a large sci-fi space game (Vacuum Wars), the importance of assistant umpires, and his plans for a future WWI air and artillery game. This is a detailed look at how thoughtful game design, careful historical research, and a few missteps can build a better umpire.
Kriegsspiel Umpiring with Umpire Glorious Ruse International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-07-28 | In this episode we talk to Glorious Ruse—historian, umpire, and one of the most thoughtful voices in the International Kriegsspiel Society. From his early days stumbling into a wargame seminar to his signature "From the Saddle" report style, Ruse shares his journey through Kriegsspiel and what he's learned about command, coordination, and the human element of war. We cover the value of detailed reports, how to reward thoughtful orders, the limits of modern simulation, and the challenges of operational play-by-post campaigns. We also explore his experiments with Napoleonic, Civil War, and even space-based physics-driven games, and why straggling and exhaustion should matter more in design. If you're an umpire—or aspire to be—this interview offers sharp insight and actionable philosophy from a seasoned game master.
100 Day of Glory Part 2 - Campaign Game *Live Game* International Kriegsspiel Society 2025-07-28 | A live game umpired by Master Umpire Blazertrail (and an assortment of assistant umpires) of their current popular '100 days of Glory' Campaign. This video will attempt to showcase the live game and offer commentary to those watching. Player Handbook - docs.google.com/document/d/1pKpYUFNTU1SwK0OOLaImvSBhD0Hn0_hbpib4q0pXOqU/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.6c9bg4v9ktcb
