Strategy & Tactics #319: Schlieffen’s War – Re-examining the War Plans of 1914 is a strategic-level two-player wargame simulating the first six weeks of combat on the Western Front during World War I. This tense and historically rich design captures the drama of the German Empire’s Schlieffen Plan—the audacious attempt to defeat France in a lightning campaign before turning east against Russia. The game provides a supreme commander’s perspective, combining strategic planning with a light operational layer to convey the challenges of early 20th-century warfare.

• Historical Background: In August 1914, the German army launched a massive offensive through Belgium, seeking to encircle and destroy the French forces and seize Paris within weeks. The plan relied on rapid manoeuvre, coordination, and bold execution — but was met with fierce resistance from the Belgian Army, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and the French Armies. The campaign culminated in the Battle of the Marne, where the Allies halted the German advance and the war settled into the trench stalemate that defined the next four years. Schlieffen’s War lets players test whether the German plan could have succeeded under different decisions or luck.
• Gameplay & Objectives: The German player must drive west with speed and precision, exploiting breakthroughs and coordinating corps-level offensives to envelop Allied armies. The Entente player commands the French, British, and Belgian forces, working to delay, counterattack, and protect vital strongpoints. Fortified cities and key rail networks become strategic assets as both sides manoeuvre to seize or hold ground while managing exhaustion, supply, and command coordination.
• Scale & System: Each hex represents approximately 16 miles (26 kilometres), and each turn covers four days of real time. Units represent corps-sized formations with individual army headquarters and static fortresses playing vital roles. This scale gives players the perspective of a theatre-level commander, balancing movement, reserves, and timing across a vast operational front from Belgium to Alsace-Lorraine.
• Command Perspective: The design gives players the “big picture” view of the 1914 campaign — simulating the limits of communication, the difficulty of coordinating multi-army offensives, and the strategic interplay between manoeuvre and attrition. Players must balance aggression with caution as each decision shapes the course of the war’s first and most mobile phase.

Game Components:

• 1 x 22” x 34” full-colour map depicting the 1914 Western Front
• 176 die-cut counters representing German and Entente corps, HQs, and fortresses
• Rules for movement, combat, logistics, and fortress sieges
• Low-to-intermediate complexity for smooth, historically grounded gameplay

Scale:
Players: 2
Level: Strategic
Hex: 16 Miles (26 km)
Turn: 4 Days

Gameplay Focus: Schlieffen’s War offers players a chance to re-examine the decisions, assumptions, and possibilities behind the infamous 1914 campaign. Can the German army achieve a decisive victory before the French regroup? Or will the Entente hold the line long enough to turn the tide? Every turn represents critical days in which history could have unfolded very differently.

Strategy & Tactics #319: Schlieffen’s War delivers a tense, historically immersive simulation of early World War I strategy — ideal for players fascinated by grand campaigns, operational challenges, and the fine balance between speed and endurance in modern warfare’s infancy.

Available now from Milsims Games — Australia’s trusted destination for historical wargames, strategy titles, and military simulations for over 50 years. Price-match guarantee and fast shipping from Mont Albert, VIC.

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