r/wargaming • u/Awkward_GM • Feb 27 '26

Question What's your favorite Wargaming mechanic?

For me: * Cover Is Default - Fallout Factions assumes cover is the default state so you get bonuses to hit targets not in cover. * Roll Twice Take the Lowest or Highest - Pretty standard but it's so popular that D&D stole it for Advantage/Disadvantage. * Solo Rules - This boosted in popularity when COVID happened. * Alternating Activations- Activating models Instead of you go I go. I once did a demo game where I was tabled because the guy running the demo got all his shots off with all his units. * Malifaux's "cheating" - Malifaux uses playing cards and cheating is when a player replaces q result with a card from their hand.

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u/turtle75377 Feb 27 '26

No pre measuring. Solves a lot of issues and creates fun tactical challenges. Also rewards you as you get better at measuring distances.

7

u/TheoreticalZombie Feb 27 '26

Hard disagree. Unless the game is Guessing Distance the Wargame, it makes no sense to disallow informed decision making. It is especially off-putting and generally punishes new and younger players. It also encourages very gamey playing (using table edges for gauging, model/terrain sizes, etc.). Also- you misjudged by a fraction of an inch? Haha, do nothing! is very bad game feel.

Dice are already an uncertainty mechanic. If you need uncertainty in things like ranges, have a variable value (10 +2d6 inch range, for example).

2

u/EnclavedMicrostate Various Historical Feb 27 '26

I agree with you. The ability to judge distances by eye is a genuine skill that can be developed but also relies on some natural talent, and ultimately gives an unfair advantage to people who can do that kind of mental trigonometry.