Gavin and Bernard Lyall's Operation Warboard

Donald Featherstone said, ‘there have been few wargaming books written as well as Operation Warboard. Gavin Lyall applied his established writing talents to create a wargaming book that in places seemed more like a thriller than a book about a marvelous and engaging hobby.

The book was written for wargaming World War II battles in 20-25mm, with rules that were straightforward, fast and comprehensive. The rules included sections on command, communication, air power, airborne forces, invasion, desert and snow. Of particular note were the simple, but complete rules for the preparation of the battlefield by engineers. Nothing spoils an attacker’s day like being surprised by a dug in infantry company with mines and wires on a reverse slope.

The book also had the innovation of including extensive notes about the thinking behind the rules. The player’s notes discussed the abstractions and generalizations that informed the design decisions, most of which are still issues that rule-writers for the period still contend with.

This reprint of the 1976 classic includes a new foreword by Bernard Lyall and new optional rules.

The book is published by the History of Wargaming Project as part of a series to make key developments in wargaming available to the modern enthusiast.

The History of Wargaming Project is edited by John Curry. It aims to present the very best wargaming books and rules to a modern audience.