iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Antoine Bourguilleau @abrgll.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

My students got talent. Battle for Moscow was a blast. They chose NOT to explain the Rasputitsa rule so the players were not biased.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

More playtesting of Brigade Commander. It is getting there slowly, the main body is done but it still has lots of tweaking and clarification to be done, and the real world is always constantly moving forward creating problems to be fixed.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I don't have anything to say in relation to the discussion of AI in this piece as it's not my area and I will never say no to more research, but but do think the idea of "scientific" wargaming laid out here is clearly wrong. warontherocks.com/where-does-a...

warontherocks.com

Where Does AI Escalation Come From? We Don’t Know. We Should Find Out.

We played a wargame using AI players. Two nuclear-armed nations — Red and Blue — with a long-standing, fierce border dispute were placed into a

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Pijus Krūminas @pijusk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

For most of the last year, I have been writing the Lithuanian wargaming handbook. So, I'm very happy to see its public release by the Warfare Institute of the Training and Doctrine Command of the Lithuanian AF. Thanks to Anatolijus Malyškinas for the idea, initiative, support, and trust.

Cover of a Lithuanian publication "Introduction to Wargaming". It shows a setup of a block wargame with some red and blue blocks on a topographic map. There are also two dice on the board.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Played through Storm Over Arnhem. Very easy to get the hang of and a few interesting ideas, but a couple clearly exploitable rules and the best moves are pretty obvious after the first hour or two of play. My opponent never felt a reason to hand over tactical advantage either.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This explains the "scheduled maintenance" page I've been getting. DTIC has been insanely important for me in designing wargames and doing analysis. Taking away access from non CAC holders is bad for defence analysis in addition to military historians.

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Sebastian Bae @sebastianbae.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I did not have the PLA Navy playing my "Littoral Commander Indo-Pacific" #wargame on one of their ships on my bingo card for 2026. Absolutely wild. 🎲 #wargaming

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James Buckley @jsbuckley.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Battlegroup Clash Baltics now has a Vassal mod. Download it here 👇 Battlegroup Clash: Baltics - Module Library - Vassal share.google/kEUr2btd4M7M...

share.google

Battlegroup Clash: Baltics - Module Library - Vassal

Vassal is an open-source game engine for building and playing online adaptations of board games and card games.

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"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Light infantry: remarkably useful, it turns out. Remember to bring some.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Working on Russian-specific capability cards for Brigade Commander. I think the nukes are going to be scenario specific for the time being.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Interesting wargaming find of the day, a PLARF Lt. Gen. writing that "A 'time battlefield' wargaming system should be developed to simulate new combat scenarios such as time and frequency suppression" archive.is/9DNXo#select...

archive.is

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The Dietz Foundation @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

We will have a new professional wargame available to pre-reserve copies of on the Foundation website starting next Monday!! It's not just expending ammo...how are you going to get fuel/men halfway across the world in time to make a difference?

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anton chekhov’s gun (they/them) @annapagnacco.com · 26/07/2026

some color scheme studies for @evandalessandro.bsky.social‘s little guys

five miniatures of medieval soldiers with a colour overlay in very warm tones

five miniatures of medieval soldiers with a colour overlay in an orange and lilac color scheme

five miniatures of medieval soldiers with a colour overlay in an orange and lilac color scheme, but a bit more muted

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Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

you may not like it but this is what peak covert performance looks like

Neil Burnside chewing scenery in a double breasted trenchcoat

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James Buckley @jsbuckley.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

I suppose I should be flattered that Battlegroup Clash has now been pirated by a Chinese publisher? I wasn't going to license it in China but now I think I should just to counter this. Anyone experienced something similar?

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John F Sullivan @johnfsullivan.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Between 2015 and 2020, the PLA's National Defense University published three separate versions of its flagship strategic text, The Science of Military Strategy 《战略学》Since neither of the later versions explain the reasons for the updates, here is what I noticed is new ...

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Travis Reese (Against war with NATO) @ctreese2.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

All wargamers! Official graduate courses are starting this Fall at the Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs. This is designed as one year of graduate courses geared toward professionals. Hybrid structure with on-line format to start. I may know some of the instructors. Also<

Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs course SPIA 5304 Introduction to Game Theory and Wargaming. QR code to scan if intereseted. Starting this Fall 2026 with the first two courses.

Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs course SPIA 5314 Analytical Foundations for Wargaming. QR code to scan if intereseted. Starting this Fall 2026 with the first two courses.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Very excited to have to edit all of my briefings for Jaws of the Dragon yet again, right after I just finished editing them.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

I love making maps (but only after I'm done making them). So many little tree icons placed by hand to get this done. Almost done with the map now and a few more bits of Brigade Commander to do before the Alpha playset version is done.

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Mark @smarkg52.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

My CGSC students raised the same concerns playing @sebastianbae.bsky.social Littoral Commander & @thekrulakcenter.bsky.social OWS. OWS simplifies more conventionally. LC has more nuanced options to model cyber. Nothing is perfect but LC is closer to the authors vision. www.usni.org/magazines/pr...

usni.org

Sprinkle Some Cyber on It

Naval Postgraduate School Essay Contest—First Prize. Today’s joint exercises teach commanders the wrong things about cyber.

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BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Interesting to think of this in a Chinese context, where we know a lot about institutionalized corruption in the PLA (relatively speaking) but not a lot about whether it impacts individual soldiers, especially at the lowest levels.

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Inside me are two wolves (the wargaming one is winning)

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Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy magazine @wssmagazine.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

The Great Wargaming Survey 2025 reveals why some gamers face opponent deserts. Is it about location, group size, or hidden barriers? A deep dive into the data offers surprising insights. #greatwargamingsurvey tny.app/q0z90ai7 #wargaming #wargaming

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Sophie @sophiedebolle.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

I've found the reason I am still on social media

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Norsehound @norsehound.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Need to review the rules and then Loft is ready to go.

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Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

The biggest issue I see with the cottage industry is a mismatch between scale and desired insights, combined with a lack of good abstraction Everyone wants to do a game with pew pewing missiles they can also derive grand strategic masterstrokes from, and that's not how it works

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Hammer's Slammers remains undefeated!

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Nick Bradbeer @nickbradbeer.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

The warfare domain knowledge is one part of the skillset, but the people wrangling and assembling a narrative out of disparate player actions is also really important and, quite independent of the ruleset, is what GMing will teach you to do.

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Nick Bradbeer @nickbradbeer.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I maintain that if you want to run wargames professionally there is, quite seriously, no better preparation than running D&D* recreationally for several years. Hits all the key skills you need. (*Other RPGs are available, try Traveller.)

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James Buckley @jsbuckley.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

A couple of last minute tickets have become for PunchedCON in Coventry, UK, this weekend. PM me if you are free this weekend and can make it along. It's an epic wargaming experience. punchedcon.com

punchedcon.com

PunchedCON – The UK's war and strategy board gaming convention

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Wargaming Weekly @wargamingweekly.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

WARGAMING JOB ALERT 🔔 "Available opportunities span a range of mission-critical and technical functions, including modeling, simulation and wargaming." www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article...

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Armchair Dragoons @armchairdragoons.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Mentioned In Dispatches S16 E11 – The Politics of Play We are joined by Dr Aggie Hirst of Kings College London to discuss her research that resulted in the book "Politics of Play" & her other explorations of professional wargaming armchairdragoons.com... Link to book www.amazon.com/Polit...

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Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

So this is also the sort of thing that drives my desire to use wargames in PME- the role of contingency can have insane downstream effects and learning to think with that uncertainty (or its potential) is so critical. Sadly it’s just really hard to get in the reps needed to build the lessons.

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Armchair Dragoons @armchairdragoons.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Connections Online 2026 - Registration is Open Registration is now open for Connections Online, the professional wargaming conference, co-sponsored by The Armchair Dragoons, will be held from 20-25 April 2026 This year's theme is Wargaming Soft Factors tinyurl.com/cnxonl26

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Evan Torner @guyintheblackhat.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

I love y'all, but if I have to read another "I am inventing game-based learning and/or larping from first principles" essay that refuses to acknowledge the last 25 years of research, I'm going to have to give its author an academic time-out (and a reading list).

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Picking away at cards and playtesting updates for Brigade Commander. This is really going on the backburner as I have much larger fish to fry right now, but hopefully it'll get there in the next few months.

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Pijus Krūminas @pijusk.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

First student prototypes of the year! From civilian resilience to evacuation to Klaipėda Revolt of 1923. A great start, looking forward to see how they develop in the coming months.

Four images depicting board game prototypes. Two show hex boards, one a map with roads, and one a spiral tracking war stage.

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Nicola S @6xwa.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

To punch or not to punch? That is the question… Whether ‘tis nobler in mind to suffer the eardogs and misregistering of old counters, or to contemplate the box on the shelf of shame and thus not playing them. To wait, to contemplate - no more, for it is ACW and solitaire.

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BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

had an insane idea for a Chinese officialdom simulation tabletop game: every time you make a decision that further ties you into relationship networks, you have to take a drink. Every time there's a potential crisis that might expose those networks, you have to do a simple if sober task.

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anton chekhov’s gun (they/them) @annapagnacco.com · 24/03/2026

jaws all grown up :’)

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Jaws of the Dragon was run last weekend in Denmark, for the first time without me running it. By all accounts went extremely well! Big thank you to my friends Thomas Danger and Natan Pawlowski for facilitating the game, and hopefully it's opened some students eyes to the value of wargaming!

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Mark @smarkg52.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

👀 new arrival at CGSC!!! BattleGroup Clash from @sapperstudio.bsky.social

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Connections Online @cnx-onl.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Connections Online is coming soon! We're the focused online conference for wargame practitioners, dedicated to advancing and preserving the art, science, & application of wargaming Conference will be held 20-25 April Registration coming in early March www.tinyurl.com/cnxo...

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

For reference I was thinking about a Long Range Desert Group Call of Cthulhu campaign (which would work extremely well), but reading this back a Toyota War Delta Green game would be equally cool...

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Photos from the KCL Crisis Sim. With a Chinese blockade in place, President Trump started the war with a massive strike on Chinese SCS bases. A good Joint Firepower Strike plus shocking effective cyber on INDOPACOM's logistics system put the air war solidly in favor the Chinese.

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Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

The 20K is in Navy hulls (the 075/076 LHDs and 071 LPDs, also all the LSTs/etc), civ shipping probably plausibly bumps that upwards of ~75K total, but the civ shipping is gnarly because even the RoRos designed for at sea ops don't support disembarkation of AAVs as quickly as grey hulls w/a well deck

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Evan D'Alessandro @evandalessandro.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Almost finished up with prep for tomorrow's game. Printer has now run out of yellow ink and won't print, but the last few things to be printed were non-essentials anyway.

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