Totten's Strategos became the cornerstone text for the Twin Cities gamers. These included the role of the referee, and the principle of free kriegsspiel that players could attempt anything, although not always successfully, and that the referee should be able to make judgements to cover anything not ordinarily covered by the rules. An avid hobby wargamer and reader of wargaming literature, Wesely seized upon these rules and incorporated their principles into the miniature wargames played by the Midwest Military Simulation Association (MMSA). In 1967, Strategos was rediscovered by David Wesely at the University of Minnesota library. While Strategos was reiterating common practices and trends in 19th century wargaming, these systems largely fell into obscurity in the 20th century. However, in Totten's Strategos, the players roll the dice openly and consult the necessary table, such as Table T, for combat resolution. In more traditional kriegsspiel games, the referee would roll all the dice privately, and provide the relevant battlefield report. When there are conflicts in the game, the referee calculates probabilities, and then dice and tables are used to determine the outcomes. Blocks are used for troop formations, and are scaled to the size of those formations on the topographic maps. The referee map is the master copy with all information, whereas the player maps show only what is known to the respective side. Orders are provided in writing, and three topographic maps may be used: one for the referee, and one for each side. The Advanced Game relies on the referee to provide a scenario to the two sides, which are colored red and blue. The Battle Game owes more of its heritage to chess, and resembles the wargame of Johann Christian Ludwig Hellwig. Peterson identifies the free kriegsspiel movement with Klemens Wilhelm Jacob Meckel's work Studien über das Kriegsspiel, along with other Prussian authors of the 1870s and later. In Strategos, Totten leans toward the "free" kriegsspiel movement in allowing the referee discretion in matters not covered by the normal game rules. The Battle Game was played on a board, whereas the Advanced Game was played on maps and miniature terrain. Strategos consists of two different games. The War Department, by issuing the book to companies, inferentially approves it. Totten's has the advantage of priority of publication, and is claimed to be based on military principles and to be an assistant both to the young and old student, that by its means one can wheel a set of fours and manoeuvre a great army. We have offered to us two American games - those of Messrs. Livermore's publication of a more traditional The American Kriegsspiel (1882), as follows: An article in the Army and Navy Journal, from November 25, 1882, describes the role and function of the Strategos game in contrast to William R. This was contrasted with other forms of kriegsspiel which were cast as being primarily for those in elite military leadership. Strategos was meant to be a training tool at various levels, starting with introductory scenarios and working toward more complex and advanced ones. Jon Peterson identifies Strategos as being largely descended from the Prussian Kriegsspiel, and its translations, that had made their way into the hands of British military officers in the 1870s. Totten for the United States Army, and published in 1880. Strategos is a military wargame developed by Charles A. 1875 Strategos (1880), Table T, used for combat resolution Not to be confused with the modern strategy board game Stratego.
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