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by emsenn Wargame a planned course of action against time, uncertainty, and a reactive adversary to find decision points and failure modes.

Wargame a Course of Action

Wargaming is a disciplined way to test whether a plan survives friction. It produces decision points, information requirements, and synchronization needs.

Steps

  1. Define the frame. Time window, map/space, and what counts as success and failure.

  2. List assumptions. Especially assumptions about the adversary and about timing.

  3. Run a move–countermove loop. For each phase:

    • friendly action,
    • adversary reaction,
    • friendly adjustment.

  4. Extract decision points. Identify where a different choice may be required, and what information triggers it.

  5. Extract friction points. Logistics bottlenecks, communications dependencies, coordination hazards.

  6. Update the order. Add coordinating instructions that reduce friction (timings, constraints, priorities).

Output

  • A list of 5–10 decision points with information triggers.
  • A list of 5–10 friction points with mitigation.
  • 3–5 changes to an order or synchronization plan.

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Cite

@misc{emsenn2026-howto-wargame-a-course-of-action,
  author    = {emsenn},
  title     = {},
  year      = {2026},
  note      = {Wargame a planned course of action against time, uncertainty, and a reactive adversary to find decision points and failure modes.},
  url       = {https://emsenn.net/library/militarism/domains/military-command/texts/howto-wargame-a-course-of-action/},
  publisher = {emsenn.net},
  license   = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}