Facing Up To Wargaming The Troubles
August 22, 2022 by warzan
23rd May 1993. I was out with two best friends just roaming around town. Something not unusual for someone aged seventeen. It wasn't unheard of for us to nip into the local bar for a pint but it was a Sunday and we were broke so that wasn’t on the cards. So, we "headed off" for a "dander" out of town. About one hour later, Magherafelt town centre was devastated by a 500lb bomb planted by the IRA.
Aftermath Of The Magherafelt Bombing
Our family home was not that far away and the rest of my family was at home having a takeaway when the house rocked back and forth the blast really was that violent. Apparently, my wee mum screamed my name - something we joke about with her to this day, that she actually loves me after all!
This was a time before mobile phones and all that connects us today so I remember running home as fast as I could, praying my Dad hadn’t been caught up in it. I have absolutely no recollection of the events after that. It could be a little bit of trauma, a fading of the memory or maybe it was just another moment in the long line of events we had seen happen during our young lives (many not really ideal for sharing here) that numbed so many of us to the realities of what we were living in.
Violence, suspicion, killings, bombings, alerts on the telly asking for key holders to return, checkpoints, army patrols, checking under the wheel arches of your cars before climbing in, being warned from a young age to never pick up something suspicious, steering clear of the neighbourhoods where the other sort live, showing no fear to any of your friends as we all had to be "hard men" - yeah looking back at it now it seems like such a strange existence, but believe me when I tell you it can and does feel entirely normal at the time.
After twenty years of relative peace in Northern Ireland sometimes it’s easy to forget just how deeply it has affected everyone that lives here (and they often don’t realise it). So, I guess with this I’m trying to paint a bit of a background to the experience of a young person growing up in Northern Ireland at that time. I certainly can't and won't speak for everyone but that's my best stab at it in a couple of paragraphs!
As "wars" go it's worth remembering the unique framework this one falls into. This is taking place within communities of neighbours. On the surface, they will "pass each other" and heck even be "friends" but, if we are being truly honest, behind closed doors there was no shortage of support for "your side". This was a conflict that was complicated through ignorance and it was a quagmire of 16th-Century history, empires, politics, equality and a healthy dollop of religion thrown into the mix. Here we had two sides that to someone from the outside have so few differences between them you wouldn't believe they had anything to fight about!
Also, make no mistake, it's still here in this little country to this very day. Whether it's slowly disappearing or just festering under the surface however is open for debate. It's very telling that even after twenty years the ugly side of things rears its head far too often.
Fast forward to a 2010 drink in England's Oldest Pub Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem with a bunch of wonderful industry folk and the topic came around to historical miniatures. I asked about the creation of miniatures based on the troubles. The responses from those around the table were varied, considered and very thought-provoking and the sentiments have stayed with me since then.
Ye Old Trip To Jerusalem
I have endeavoured to maintain a very open mind in my time in this industry and I am a big believer in supporting the creative freedom of artists to create things. I’m very happy for folk to vote with their wallet when it comes to what does and doesn't appeal to them. I believe we can deal with issues in a sensible and sensitive way through dialogue and I’m not into seeing things 'cancelled' without some sincere and extensive thought and dialogue.
I think to truly engage in the fullness of this hobby you need to develop an open mind and an understanding that not everything is going to be "your cup of tea" and ultimately, it’s not all about you! We have to discern what we choose to enjoy from this banquet that sits before us. As someone who took this industry on as an occupation, I try to hold myself rigidly to those principles far more than I would expect of anyone else.
So when my time came to face a topic that is deeply personal to me and many of the people I know, I decided to take a deep breath and put my money where my mouth is.
Tiny Terrain Models' New Miniatures
Recently, Tiny Terrain Models posted some work-in-progress shots of a set of models they are working on covering RUC and IRA Volunteers. So started a process of looking at these models from both a personal and a professional perspective.
The first thing that struck me was I was looking at miniatures I could put names to. Not names of those you would see or hear on the news, but names of people from within my community (both sides). Anonymous people in the grand scheme of things, but real people that I know or knew.
That was an interesting situation and one I can imagine is something many of our community who serve/served in recent conflicts perhaps feel with many of the Moderns ranges that exist today.
Is There A Wargame In This?
Next up I thought where is the game in this? This is a very technical exercise and is not a rhetorical question. I am genuinely looking to see where the wargame exists and what can be simulated or played out using these miniatures either for fun or learning or often (and more preferably in my tastes) both.
The Troubles is quite unique in this area as it does not follow any of the usual conventions that typically would be found in a wargame. Straight-up engagements between factions almost never occurred, I can think of perhaps half a dozen in total, but even those were ambush-style affairs where one side was oblivious to what they were getting into. In our gaming language that would be asymmetric to the point of being almost meaningless to try and play out.
The majority of this particular "war" was played out in the shadows. In back streets where both sides were equally responsible for planting explosive devices and murdering civilians. Other than that, what did we have - checkpoints operated by both sides, patrols coming under attack from snipers, racketeering and punishment shootings?
There are some possibilities such as the attack on Derryard Checkpoint which might lend itself to a more traditional tabletop wargame experience. But, the list is pretty short for anyone looking to play out any meaningful recreations.
In that case, we don’t really have a great framework for an engaging tabletop miniatures game unless you go down the route of introducing some imaginary engagements. This is a perfectly acceptable route to take but lacks the often highly rewarding component of gaining a deeper understanding of a conflict and its history. You could play various scenarios of a more traditional engagement - but ultimately it won't be Northern Ireland.
Can Something Meaningful Be Done To Simulate The Period In A Game?
Yes, I think it can. However, at the point of writing this, I don't think this could be an exclusively miniatures-based game. The ‘Troubles’ requires a much broader view in my opinion to more accurately represent it.
A game framework more akin to Ananda Gupta's extraordinary Twilight Struggle comes to mind, where the other significant areas of the conflict such as Espionage & Intelligence, Backroom Political Talks, Swings in Public Opinion, and Key defining moments (Hunger Strikes, Protests, High profile killings) all come to bear to move the pendulum back and forth between both sides as they struggle for enough ground to make a negotiated settlement possible. It's worth noting this was a war that could never really be won in conventional terms; the only outcome ever possible was to build enough clout to make negotiations worth entering into.
That may well be a game worth making and if any of you do - please consider giving a copy for free to every single school in our country. Maybe it would help them understand what was truly taking place over here.
I’m looking forward to seeing what parts of our community do with the new models coming from Tiny Terrain Models. There is a lot of ingenuity within this industry and it will be interesting to see what plays out. Who knows, perhaps at a future Salute or Historicon we may well see some tabletop action set on the streets of Belfast or a remote Fermanagh Village or Back road. I for sure will take a seat and have a good chin wag with whoever makes it to get their thoughts and share some stories. And yes, I will even roll some dice and see what happens.
Over to you folks in our fine community. Feel free to drop your questions and or comments below.
"So when my time came to face a topic that is deeply personal to me and many people I know, I decided to take a deep breath and put my money where my mouth is..."
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OK then. Well here is a subject and half My first instinct is that I couldn’t play that it’s far too close to the bone but that is also somewhat hypocritical of me as I’ve played other modern urban games set in other countries and I haven’t given an thought to the innocents who lost their lives in those parts of the world. For what ever your views on the subject I do find it hard to work out where the game is as it was/is never a conflict in the traditional sense Do we set up an urban terrain… Read more »
My dad served in Northern Ireland in 1969 (Royal Marines), the locals liked them a lot more than they did the outgoing Paras apparently! I also did my time filling sandbags and putting blast tape on windows whilst working in the Civil Service (MOD) in the 1990’s with the resurgence of the Real IRA. At that time my wargaming buddies and I looked at the troubles as a potential ‘ new/alternative period’ the game being in the ‘riots’ rather than the asymmetric warfare aspect. We looked at the Riot! Rules from Irregular Miniatures which can still be purchased today and… Read more »
I think I will be using the figures for a modern version of a Very British Civil War or Winter of 79. As a period I think it is difficult for some to understand while others just see it as another period. What I mean is if you take away The Troubles then there can be very useful for a number of modern settings. Personally I would never actually play the Troubles as I have seen both sides, the effects it has on very young soldiers, the shit that even now if still there, and I am stopping there. But… Read more »
great looking figures of a terrible chaotic time.
I don’t think I’d enjoy gaming the Troubles. I’m English but have a few connections to it. A lad from my school was killed serving over there, knowing Irish folk who have lived through it (including one lass who’s lived over here maybe 25 years but hated living near a hospital as the sound of helicopters brought back such unpleasant memories).
Let’s not lose sight that all warfare is horrific but I think when I know people my age who’ve been affected, that’s a step too far for me.
Thank you for writing this Warren. Having friends who have lost limbs in Afghanistan, or who are unable to function due to PTSD it’s close to me as well. Yet I’m close to a chap who lost his legs serving in the Falklands who is an avid wargamer and doesn’t shy away from that era. The guerrilla style combat may not suit a wargame, but perhaps as a role playing game? I think it depends what you want to get out of it. Certainly we (the population generally) would benefit from being taught about it dispassionately but, as you mention… Read more »
Interesting . In the UK and if you are of a certain age “The Troubles” are such an emotive subject that it feels wrong to play a game based on it. Then again we happily play Vietnam or Arab \ Israeli or even Afghanistan. I’ll hide behind the justification that , moral or not, there isn’t a miniatures game here.
Can I say *yikes* ? Talk about a completely different style of life … I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like to live there, never mind the fear you must have experienced. Maybe the fact that there was no internet back then made it difficult to hear anything about the events in the UK/Ireland at that time. I sort of remember that people had to check their cars for explosives and images of British soldiers on patrol, but that were news items that had zero impact on how we lived our lives. There’s also U2’s “Sunday bloody… Read more »
Sunday bloody Sunday is about the British army shooting at a civil rights protest. But yes it’s a shite song. That’s Boner for you
yeah he really is a pretentious prick (and what twat calls himself ‘the edge’ anyway?).
The Southpark episode that explains Boners’ origin as a huge turd is a documentary 😉
A thought-provoking post. In an industry which tolerates the production of models of the SS, it is hard to argue for anything else being too over the top in principle, however, I can easily imagine individuals finding them difficult to handle as they trigger bad memories – or even PTSD. However I imagine 28mm toy soldiers may be less troublesome in this regard than films or tv programmes, so I would say if the film industry is permitted to release “Belfast”, a few toy soldiers would likely be far less problematic. It’s all in the treatment of them of course.… Read more »
The issue for me is not the marketing. Warlord and others can sell SS for a simple reason. They fought in a war. You can find troop rosters and lists of actions they participated in.
The Troubles (two) was not the same. Simply your opponent deploys his forces and then you detonate your nombs that you deployed yesterday. There is no conflict in it. Its not even asymmetric, It just doesn’t exist.
Fantastic article and a fascinating read. I think you hit the nail on the head with it being a very hard thing to cover in a traditional wargame as it wasn’t one in the conventional means, or even the usual gorilla sense you might see in an asymmetric game such as Vietnam or other modern conflicts. The first thing that springs to mind that uses the miniatures is the likes of the zombie survival games where you see a few characters have to move around a table to accomplish a mission while others and the environment are out to get… Read more »
Really interesting post @warzan . I have very little personal connection to the Troubles – though I do remember the Good Friday Agreement. I have some distant family connections, but really all from people who died before I was born or before I was old enough to talk to them about it. In fact, probably my main connection comes from being a Beasts of War member. Just ‘knowing’ people there has made me pay more attention to news from Northern Ireland. The thing that struck me personally about your article was the similarities to how I feel about gaming the… Read more »
@warzan Thank you for posting this, and your thoughtful piece on “playing” theatres that are either too close (in time) or too personal to play. As the Owner of Tiny Terrain Models I have to say that I welcome such discussion, and in fact having previously released Modern Russians and Chechen’s for the Chechen Wars, and Modern US Border Patrol and Mexican Drug Cartel soldiers, we are always aware that it’s a fine line between giving some people what they ask for and running the risk of offending some of the war gaming community. In this case, I have to… Read more »
Interesting. In 2016 we did a wargame based on the Easter Rising to mark the 100 anniversary and it was a way to get my Irish wife into wargames who usually pays it no attention. My English friends felt a bit uncomfortable when she read out the proclamation before the game started but it turned out to be an educational experience. Thats something I try and take from historical gaming with folk who dont usually play wargames. I cant imagine how awkward people might feel recreating games in the troubles.
I suppose like a lot of folks my first reaction was a bit “yikes” but actually I’ve gamed more recent conflicts in Afghanistan with “Skirmish Sangin” rules so it comes down to a few of things for me; 1) Would it make an interesting game… and I think it would offer some very interesting challenges in a civilian urban environment. (see point 3) 2) Are there appropriate miniatures? Well the ones shown look excellent so that’s a big plus for me. 3) Environment… this would be the sticking point for me… creating the streets of Belfast (or wherever) would be… Read more »
I make a wargame called Threat Level: Emergency Response, but it’s more current. Personally, I wouldn’t touch the troubles as an Englishman. I love the article.
I wouldn’t be opposed to wargaming any era or setting, but as someone who wasn’t close to (and is largely ignorant of) the “Troubles” I would be doing a heck of a lot of homework before I did, so that I could explore it with the due level of respect and treating it as a learning experience. That said, a game is a huge motivator for me to read and to learn about the background (whether historical or fictional actually!) so it could serve as a powerful educational tool and therefore be really valuable. I personally find that exploring a… Read more »
This is pretty much why historicals can be such a great gateway drug into actual history.
I’ve learned more from the background material in games than I ever did from actual boring history lessons at school.
Same experience has been had by me. Pike and shotte has been my entry point into a history I now find fascinating.
I wonder if a game similar to “This war of mine” could work for this …
It’s about the fate of ordinary people in a warzone. Some of the texts in that game are from all sorts of conflicts (from WW2 to modern), so I wouldn’t be surprised if any of them were related to ‘the Troubles’ in some form.
Well it’s not the first time minis for the troubles have been released. The earlier period was commissioned by a US gamer (I think his user tag was “Irish Marine” or something like that, I’m probably wrong) and was for the era 1930s (approx), and had a range or IRA, Black and Tans, RIC etc. I think the range is available from Footsore these days (although the minis did help birth the whole British Civil War game as there were non others available at the time) Edit found them here https://footsoreminiatures.co.uk/collections/irish-war-of-independence But trying to game the more modern aspect of… Read more »
There definitely seems a part of me that deeply rejects the idea. It’s difficult to logically pin down what it is so it must be emotional ties. We all enjoy napoleonics and historical’s and there is no shortage of human tragedy there, but it’s long enough ago or far enough removed culturally to be enough in the abstract and low resolution to have the human tragedy removed from the equation. WW2 must have been too hard for some people to play when airfix brought out battle rules. My family have been trashed from psychological results of the troubles (father and… Read more »
On further thought it is the word ‘game’ and the word ‘play’ that may be misleading me.
If I was to say ‘in order for us to deepen our understanding of the dynamics of this situation let’s run a tabletop simulation akin to re-enactment or taking on a role to investigate this further.’
Suddenly all topics no matter how abhorrent are on the table due to the subject matter being given this seriousness. No Fun is being had, more like intellectual and moral satisfaction through deepening understanding. So when is it permissible to be ‘fun’ and when should it be ‘serious’?
My father, grandads and all my uncles served in the army. I grow up with the tales they told me. I loved to learn about history, the personal stories of the troops. How brave men were in the face of great odds. Reading the commando book as a kid and watching countless war films. It followed me into the hobby but in an abstract form. We setup the troops and play out the games but in my heart I know there is another side of war. See the tales I was told where not just the aspects of war one… Read more »
Two reasons why this is unlikely to be a gaming opportunity for me. 1. Was brought up on the peace line in West Belfast, so not something I would seek to play out on tbe tabletop. 2. As Warzan has said there were very few actual firefights during the Troubles, primarily bombings, assassinations, ambushes with minimal response from those ambushed. So not really many scenarios for gaming on tbe tabletop. I would not have a problem painting or collecting such figures but neither see the gaming opportunity nor have a desire to game what was really just a terrorist campaign.
Warzan mentioned Twilight Struggle in his post, it looks like Compass games will be releasing a board game which in concept is very similar in style to TS and covers the COIN struggle in Northern Ireland over 34 years. You can find more information and pictures on the link below. https://thetroublesuk.wordpress.com/ BOARDGAME NEWS The Troubles – Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998 Date: February 6, 2021 Author: The Boardgames Chronicle 11 Comments UPDATE: The game is now available for pre-order here: https://www.compassgames.com/product/the-troubles-shadow-war-in-northern-ireland-pay-later/. Enjoy! During one of my boardgames discussion on social medias I had a pleasure to meet Hugh O’Donnell… Read more »
The whole “too soon” thing is a source of amusement and bewilderment for me (as it to pertains people who were not DIRECTLY involved). In the 1970’s, when I started out, WW2 had been over for less time than the Troubles have (officially) now. Very few suggested that turning it into a “game” was in some way disrespectful or uncouth. Most veterans (not all, by any means) would have politely declined to participate. But some were the literal bedrock on which the hobby was formed…and THAT in the 1960’s when the war had been over for less than 20 years.… Read more »