Blog Note: Rising to the (6 AAR) Challenge

 

 

Long time readers may remember that A Fast Game began less as a general wargaming blog than as a way to keep account of my progress on a wargaming program I had set myself. I’d intended to play six different wargames six times each; thirty-six games in all, which seemed like a surmountable challenge. Alas, it wasn’t. well, it wasn’t for me anyway. I managed not quite half the number of games, completing six plays at just two of the titles I’d chosen.

The following year – 2024 – I was still keen to try a regulated programme of play, but I scaled it back to a three-by-five – five games, three times each. The three-play target grew out of my belief that nobody should review a game on a single outing. I still think you need to play a game at least three or four times to begin to get to know it well enough to have a considered opinion about it. Unfortunately, due to a cacophony of influences, the three-by-five model, too, proved to be unworkable.

Around this time last year, after declaring that I was going to beg off setting myself any tasks or targets for the year beyond a review a month (spoiler alert: I managed five), The gentlemen of The War Room announced their Ten Wargame Challenge; play and document plays of ten different games of your choice (declared in a list at the beginning, along with two substitute titles, so a selection of twelve in all) before the end of December to go into the draw for prizes. I wrote about my hypocrisy in a previous post, went ahead and signed up for the Challenge. Not only did I only manage to write up four of the games on my list – I’d played a fifth but hadn’t documented it – by the time The War Room ceased to be.

The sad evidence of my first wargame challenge. I have since played Brief Border Wars
and Great War Commander several times. Alas, 1960: Making of a President
is yet to make it to the table.

So, at the end of last year I was quite vocal about not setting any kind of goal beyond playing more games in 2026 than I had in 2025 (achievable, I think – ’25 wasn’t a stellar year for getting games to the table). I was resolute in this; nothing was going to shake my resolve.

Then, about a week ago. Cardboard Commander posted to Facebook about something he was proposing for 2026. Jerry James – the man behind Cardboard Commander – is in the running for the Busiest Man in Wargaming. He has a YouTube channel with a handful videos going up each week, including a weekly live show, Zones of Control. He also writes a blog (there’s a link in my blog roll just to the right of the subject index). And on top of all that, he’s a funny, thoughtful, and gracious guy who is doing his bit to help build the wargaming community.

Last week Jerry floated the idea of people signing up for a Six Game AAR Challenge, inviting people to register to complete six After-Action Reports of games that they’ve played, either on the Cardboard Commander Facebook group or directly with him (via the blog). I wrestled with whether to participate or not for a while, but I eventually came around and have now registered with CC for the tour. I wrote about sixteen AARs in 2025, so I think I’ve got this. But the truth is, I like to feel like I’m a part of something bigger, however tangentially.

So, I don’t possess the level of commitment to finish stated goals or – apparently – to stick to not setting myself explicit challenges (or participating in presented challenges) after stating just that. This is obviously something I need to work through. I’ll get right on that. After this year.

If you'd like to join in the fun, contact Jerry through the links provided above. You have until the end of February to register, and have to submit your sixth AAR by the end of November. The parameters for accepted AARs are as follows:

 - Complete a game;

 - Minimum three accompanying photos of play; start, middle, and end;

 - An After-Action Report of a minimum 200-words to accompany the photos;

 - Send the whole thing (or a link if it's published elsewhere) to Cardboard Commander, or post it to the FB group;

- Repeat previous steps five more times.

Before you say it, anyone can write 200 words. Two hundred words is a thank-you note, or a sternly-worded Letter to the Editor. To put it in context, this "Quick Take " I wrote about The Hunt (Salt & Pepper Games, 2023) – five short paragraphs – came to just over 600 words. 

Just try it – the more the merrier. You might have fun.