Take That Hill! An Entry-Level Wargame

Take That Hill! is a simple, entry-level tabletop wargame in which players take command of a rifle platoon facing an entrenched enemy section occupying key terrain. Facing challenges of distance, time, and opposition, the blue player needs to achieve victory by capturing the hill, while the red player tries to stop them.

The game was originally produced for a British military context by Professor Phil Sabin of Kings College and was developed by Fight Club International. The Cove commends Take That Hill! for an Australian military audience as a great way to gain familiarity with manual wargaming and to learn and practise decision-making associated with infantry minor tactics.

For a quick introduction, see this video:

For a more in-depth guide to gameplay, watch these Australian soldiers running through several turns:

Fight Club International has further information and resources, including:

A video guide to the basic rules.
A video guide to advanced rules.
A free downloadable print and play version of the game.
Information for directing staff, to help use the game for PME.

You can also access an online version of the game using Tabletop Simulator here.

Game Giveaway!

Would you like to receive a tabletop version of the game? The Cove, in collaboration with Headquarters Land Simulation, is giving away copies of the game to those who are willing to share their experience with The Cove community. This might be in the form of a written or audio review, an account of how you’re using the game for PME, questions about gameplay, or ideas about how to improve tactical decision making. As these submissions come in, we’ll collate them below, so be sure to keep an eye on this page to see what others think. To request a copy, send us a message here.

Some lucky members of The Cove community were sent early versions of the game,you can read their review of 'Take That Hill!' here.

Copies of the game are limited, so don't wait!

Wargaming in Army

Army is currently reinvigorating the conduct of wargaming as part of the implementation of Army’s Professional Military Education strategy. This was outlined in COMD FORCOMD Directive 01/22 – Army Wargaming: 2021 – 2025 of 06 Feb 22. The purpose of this initiative is to contribute to the development of our people’s critical thinking and decision-making skills so they are prepared for the challenges of Accelerated Warfare.

The use of wargaming in military training and education is not new. Over the past two centuries, wargaming has enhanced the cognitive capacity of soldiers and officers throughout the world’s military forces. Since the Prussians adopted Kriegsspiel in the 1800s, through to the current day; wargaming supports capability development, planning, experimentation, analysis, and military training.

Military wargaming is about human decision-making and providing information to senior leaders to make better-informed decisions. It is a decision-making technique that provides structured but intellectually liberating safe-to-fail environments to help explore what works (winning/succeeding) and what does not (losing/failing), typically at low cost with minimal risk. Wargaming is a valuable tool for military leaders at all levels.

Take that Hill is just the entry point for manual wargaming. There are many other hobby and serious board wargames that can be used for PME.

To find out about more about the reinvigoration of wargaming across Army and why the use of wargaming for PME is an important part of Army’s pursuit of an intellectual edge, see the Land Simulation Army Wargaming page (DPN link only).

The Australian Defence College also has a Wargaming Community of Practice page, providing an opportunity to keep up with events and connect with others making use of wargaming for Joint PME.

If you are seeking further information, support or assistance with integrating Army wargaming into either formal or informal PME you can contact Headquarters Land Simulation here on the Defence Protected Network.