Evan D'Alessandro
@evandalessandro.bsky.social
Wargamer + wargame designer. PhD student at KCL War Studies studying Immersion in Wargaming. Interested in the future of conflict, China, USN, and undersea cables. Wargame Portfolio: evandalessandro.com
Playtest standee updates for First, Seek the Help of the Gods. I'm hoping that this will be finished up and put out soon (only a few more books left to read)!
December 13, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Playtest standee updates for First, Seek the Help of the Gods. I'm hoping that this will be finished up and put out soon (only a few more books left to read)!
Samurai skirmishing today. The most bloody run of these rules I've ever seen, with an almost complete inability of our opponents to roll poorly (and my inability roll above a 5) made this a brutal slog. Our clan is badly short of key members and retainers after this.
December 7, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Samurai skirmishing today. The most bloody run of these rules I've ever seen, with an almost complete inability of our opponents to roll poorly (and my inability roll above a 5) made this a brutal slog. Our clan is badly short of key members and retainers after this.
There is very much academic backing to such an argument (jstor.org/stable/43940834?seq=3)!
December 7, 2025 at 12:00 AM
There is very much academic backing to such an argument (jstor.org/stable/43940834?seq=3)!
NATO WIN was interesting this year. Got to get Brigade Commander out, see some really cool games (Black Sky makes me want to get back to finalize my own space wargame), hear some new stuff about wargaming in different nations (interesting to compare), and see a bit of Italy for the first time.
November 27, 2025 at 8:54 PM
NATO WIN was interesting this year. Got to get Brigade Commander out, see some really cool games (Black Sky makes me want to get back to finalize my own space wargame), hear some new stuff about wargaming in different nations (interesting to compare), and see a bit of Italy for the first time.
As Kendrick Lamar once said,
November 25, 2025 at 3:07 PM
As Kendrick Lamar once said,
One of my favorite sections from Barley's work on Greek generalship is him saying that people talking about the "scrum" don't understand how a scrum works (cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronf... pg. 235-239).
November 16, 2025 at 1:18 AM
One of my favorite sections from Barley's work on Greek generalship is him saying that people talking about the "scrum" don't understand how a scrum works (cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronf... pg. 235-239).
I'll be presenting at 8:00 am (UK Time) at Connections Oz tomorrow on modular approaches to wargaming Taiwan using Jaws of the Dragon as an example. If 8 is too early in the morning, they usually record them and post them later...
November 11, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I'll be presenting at 8:00 am (UK Time) at Connections Oz tomorrow on modular approaches to wargaming Taiwan using Jaws of the Dragon as an example. If 8 is too early in the morning, they usually record them and post them later...
Working on mapping a (mostly real) Suwalki gap. Last thing to add is rail lines and national boundaries and then to play with colors/textures/shadows/glow/outlines to provide a bit more separation between terrain types.
November 8, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Working on mapping a (mostly real) Suwalki gap. Last thing to add is rail lines and national boundaries and then to play with colors/textures/shadows/glow/outlines to provide a bit more separation between terrain types.
Very good session today, had a few great chats with people and hopefully a few interesting games coming in the future!
October 25, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Very good session today, had a few great chats with people and hopefully a few interesting games coming in the future!
I'll be helping @sophiedebolle.bsky.social run this Microgame session for the Women's Wargaming Network tomorrow. You can still sign up if you are interested!
October 24, 2025 at 11:37 AM
I'll be helping @sophiedebolle.bsky.social run this Microgame session for the Women's Wargaming Network tomorrow. You can still sign up if you are interested!
We are so back! (it was never even over to begin with)
October 23, 2025 at 9:22 PM
We are so back! (it was never even over to begin with)
Quick shot from the Intro to Wargaming Event I ran again for the KCL Crisis Sim. The game works and I should finish the megagame when I have time. With 50+ people showing up though the Crisis Sim is beginning to suffer from success though and I had to make up 7 roles on the spot.
October 12, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Quick shot from the Intro to Wargaming Event I ran again for the KCL Crisis Sim. The game works and I should finish the megagame when I have time. With 50+ people showing up though the Crisis Sim is beginning to suffer from success though and I had to make up 7 roles on the spot.
After god knows how many attempts at a modern brigade game, I think I may have finally hit upon a model I like enough to make it work and keep the game fast. This is a full brigade in card form, plus the (tbd) capability cards. Hopefully I'll be able to start playtesting soon to see if it works!
October 6, 2025 at 4:23 PM
After god knows how many attempts at a modern brigade game, I think I may have finally hit upon a model I like enough to make it work and keep the game fast. This is a full brigade in card form, plus the (tbd) capability cards. Hopefully I'll be able to start playtesting soon to see if it works!
I'm like 75% sure on these production figures. Some production might have been delayed (and the production deadlines extended past 2025), and the new purchase of HF-2E exceeds the known production rate. Something I need to go back and look at at some point.
September 1, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I'm like 75% sure on these production figures. Some production might have been delayed (and the production deadlines extended past 2025), and the new purchase of HF-2E exceeds the known production rate. Something I need to go back and look at at some point.
Working on some more cards for Jaws of the Dragon. Did some tweaks, and added two new ones: Intel agency deep-strike operations against enemy high value aircraft, and cards to represent the effect of the Chinese gaining the ability to have loitering UAV's over Taiwan.
August 30, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Working on some more cards for Jaws of the Dragon. Did some tweaks, and added two new ones: Intel agency deep-strike operations against enemy high value aircraft, and cards to represent the effect of the Chinese gaining the ability to have loitering UAV's over Taiwan.
Playing around with various different studies quantifications of tanks combat power, which is generating some amusing results when one attempts to normalize the various datasets against each other.
July 24, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Playing around with various different studies quantifications of tanks combat power, which is generating some amusing results when one attempts to normalize the various datasets against each other.
Also a photo of Strike from Space squeezed onto a table yesterday (other than the few cards I forgot to bring).
July 9, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Also a photo of Strike from Space squeezed onto a table yesterday (other than the few cards I forgot to bring).
Day 2 of DSET. Full Spectrum Commander on the table and looking like it should work (mostly). I did realize while setting it up what the pesky extra random numbers I had deleted from the command sheet were for and why I really shouldn't have deleted them though.
July 9, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Day 2 of DSET. Full Spectrum Commander on the table and looking like it should work (mostly). I did realize while setting it up what the pesky extra random numbers I had deleted from the command sheet were for and why I really shouldn't have deleted them though.
DSET day 1 completed. I forgot to take a picture of Strike from Space set up for demoing, but I'll try to remember to take a photo tomorrow.
July 8, 2025 at 9:10 PM
DSET day 1 completed. I forgot to take a picture of Strike from Space set up for demoing, but I'll try to remember to take a photo tomorrow.
Units finalized (Red and Blue brigade with some extras for fun). Time to print, laminate, and sticker the blocks, and then convert an old map to use for this.
July 6, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Units finalized (Red and Blue brigade with some extras for fun). Time to print, laminate, and sticker the blocks, and then convert an old map to use for this.
Slowly doing some more stuff, these are divisional support cards that the Brigade commander can request. Divided between doing abstract stuff like this or picking specific capabilities for capability cards.
July 3, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Slowly doing some more stuff, these are divisional support cards that the Brigade commander can request. Divided between doing abstract stuff like this or picking specific capabilities for capability cards.
I always find this sexism interesting because 1 year later, in a different RPG the first book of Classic Traveller, GDW explicitly sets out that the PC's can be either men or women with no effect (pg 8). This shows up in later Classic Traveller work too Book 1, 1981, pg. 25, in the example of play.
June 26, 2025 at 9:44 AM
I always find this sexism interesting because 1 year later, in a different RPG the first book of Classic Traveller, GDW explicitly sets out that the PC's can be either men or women with no effect (pg 8). This shows up in later Classic Traveller work too Book 1, 1981, pg. 25, in the example of play.
Playing around with unit graphics. I think I've settled on the background circle in a color to indicate sides, but I might try some variations of shape/texturing on that too.
June 24, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Playing around with unit graphics. I think I've settled on the background circle in a color to indicate sides, but I might try some variations of shape/texturing on that too.