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Best Tabletop Historical Wargames to Gift a Military History Fan
15
items Historical board games that replay real campaigns, sorted by how much time and rules the recipient will put up with. Start with quick scenario games like Memoir '44, step up to two-player classics like Twilight Struggle, or go big with Axis & All...
Sections
3
Quick start
Two-player
Weekend epic
Quick start
Out of the box and onto the table in under an hour, even with a nervous first-timer.
WWII scenario game: 17 historical battles set up from a book, with miniatures and command cards. 2–8 players, often under an hour. The usual first wargame for a family or a new player; expansions add more theatres.
Memoir '44, Days of Wonder
The streamlined entry point to Axis & Allies: same idea of commanding a nation's war economy, shorter rules and setup. Pick this over the 1942 edition for occasional players.
Axis & Allies 1941
Reiner Knizia's card game of ancient battle formations, built like poker hands across nine flags. Two players, about 30 minutes. Fits a coffee table or a travel bag; the history is flavor rather than simulation.
Battle Line, GMT Games
Kennedy against Khrushchev in October 1962, with event cards drawn from the real standoff. Two players, about 45 minutes. A good pick for the Cold War reader who prefers brinkmanship to battles; a bad draw can swing the game.
13 Days: Cuban Missile Crisis - Jolly Roger
British desert raiders against Italian defenders in North Africa, on the same deck-building system as Undaunted: Normandy. Two players, about an hour. Ideal for someone who already owns Normandy; a first-time buyer only needs one of the two.
Undaunted: North Africa, Osprey Games
Two-player
One opponent, one evening, and a front line drawn across the kitchen table.
US against German squads after D-Day, driven by deck-building: you draw cards to give orders. Plays in about an hour. Suits a couple or two friends who like card games more than rulebooks.
Undaunted: Normandy, Osprey Games
Napoleonic battles with wooden blocks, from the designer of Memoir '44, so the rules will feel familiar. A good next step for a Memoir player drawn to the 1800s. Units come as stickers to apply before the first game.
Commands & Colors: Napoleonics, GMT Games
US against USSR from 1945 to 1989, played with event cards drawn from real Cold War history. Two to three hours and a steeper learning curve. For the buff who reads about diplomacy as much as battles.
Twilight Struggle, GMT Games
American Revolution, card-driven with team play: up to four players split into two sides. Shorter than most wargames. Fits US history fans and mixed-experience groups.
1775: Rebellion, Academy Games
Hannibal, Scipio and the Punic Wars fought with wooden blocks, by the designer of Memoir '44. The best next step for a Rome reader who liked the Napoleonic version. Stickers go on before the first game.
Commands & Colors: Ancients, GMT Games
Weekend epic
Clear the dining table, order pizza and plan to finish sometime Sunday.
2–5 players command the major WWII powers from spring 1942, on a 40 by 26 inch board. Three to four hours. For a group that wants one big game night.
Axis & Allies 1942 Second Edition, Renegade
Seven great powers carve up Europe in 1901 with no dice, only negotiation and betrayal. Best with the full seven players and a whole afternoon. Friendships have been tested; warn the group first.
Diplomacy, Avalon Hill
The whole First World War on one map, driven by event cards from the real war. Two players and a long day for the full campaign. For the serious reader who wants the Western and Eastern fronts at once; the rulebook is dense.
Paths of Glory, GMT Games
The Vietnam War as a four-sided contest between US, South Vietnamese, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces. 1–4 players, several hours. Rewards a group that likes politics as much as combat; expect a steep first game.
Fire in the Lake, GMT Games
Buying for a WWII buff who isn't much of a gamer? My gift list covers books, model kits, display pieces and keepsakes they won't already own.
Gifts for WWII History Buffs: 15 Ideas They Won't Already Own