After Action Reports (AARs)

Introduction

As in life, we can learn just as much, if not more, from our losses in Warhammer. This idea is no new wisdom and the Army has conducted After Action Reports (AARs) for a long time. The fog of war very easily clouds our judgment and even our perception of reality. While tabletop gaming is nowhere near this grave, it is common to overlook valuable insights because we are not as intentional about reflecting upon the game. Sometimes it was a negative experience, we are rushed to get to our next game, and sometimes we are just lazy. Today we'll be looking at some techniques to get more out of your games by conducting AARs.

Negative Experiences

I cannot tell you how many times I have just turned my brain off in a game because I've gone full-on pouty mode. Dice rolls, my opponent's list/attitude, the overwhelming need to take a dump, any of these are reasons we have all likely encountered that have jarred our focus. We have a couple of options to remedy this: mediating how we respond to activating events or building in checkpoints or mechanisms to bring you back to a more stable state of mind. 

The best players do not give up when they've seemingly lost. It is common to become discouraged when a critical unit is destroyed or you fail a key charge. Remember, you win the game by scoring points, not by killing enemy units and keeping yours alive. Even if you are tabled, you'll score points for objectives you still control. Look at the scoreboard, see what you can still achieve, and limit your opponent. Often when there are fewer units for your opponent to interact with, scoring secondary points is more difficult.

Introspection

Reflecting on what went wrong can be challenging in Warhammer. It is easy to fall into the mind trap of "oh if my dice rolls were just a little better," but the hard pill to swallow sometimes is that things went poorly because we made a poor decision. But don't get down on yourself, being able to pick out a specific event like a bad decision means you can influence your play in the future. This is why I discourage players from getting in the habit of playing with "takebacks." Own the decision and see how detrimental that outcome will be if you make that mistake. That will better inform your calculus in the future.

We can also become better at reflecting on our games with a couple of tools. Smartphones are pretty ubiquitous at this point, so I think I can confidently recommend two practices with that tool for your success: taking pictures and an app or other method to capture the decisions you made throughout the game. Snapping a photo at the beginning and/or end of each turn can help you understand how you and the enemy maneuvered in time and space. This will help you understand if you overextended your forces or failed to screen out an avenue of approach for your enemy. 

The other factor is something to help keep track of what decisions you have made. A few apps exist out there to help you keep track of scoring and battle tactics, but it would also be helpful to jot down what your logic was. Sometimes nothing beats a journal. This can also help you capture nuances of the obscene amount of rules that are out there. Much like in life, it can be hard to be present and involved. Journaling or capturing your thoughts in some other medium will help you reflect more proficiently.

Lastly for this subject, I encourage you to reflect with your opponent. What went well? What did not go so well? Were there any plays that surprised either of you? A new rule interaction you weren't familiar with? We can gather these insights and add them to our toolbox. I also enjoy this because it helps us celebrate some of the cool, pivotal moments and congratulate one another for them. 

Building Efficiencies

A common AAR comment in the Army addresses how prepared or unprepared Soldiers were for a task. One of the primary methods Soldiers use to be ready when the time comes is Precombat Checks (PCCs) and Precombat Inspections (PCIs). Basically, these are steps leaders take to physically ensure that Soldiers have everything they need from ammunition, water, and knowledge, to accomplish the mission. Wargamers can take a page out of the book for their kit as well.

Here are some easy wins you can implement to gain some efficiency and ensure you are preparing yourself to be successful:

• Pack your army the same way each time. This helps you account for all of your units so you don't leave anything behind between games and also helps you deploy quickly and efficiently. When everything has a home, you won't need to waste time looking for it.
• Have a wargaming kit. I have a backpack designated for wargaming and each pocket has its purpose. Make a list to run through so you have all the necessary tools for war as well as spares. "Two is one, one is none," goes the saying in the Army. 
• Set your table up as consistently as you can. Have a designated spot for dice, tape measure, etc. It is also very helpful to stage out counted groups of dice, in sets of fives or tens for example, so you can quickly count and roll them. 
• Know your warscrolls or have the physical copies readily accessible and organized. If you are taking physical warscrolls, store the unused ones, or even better do not bring them so you do not have to shuffle through to find the unit you need. 
• Have a reference sheet if you need help with the sequence of phases or other game rules. This helps you and your opponent be on the same page for battle tactics, scoring mechanics, and relevant rules. Many of us have gotten to our movement phase and forgot that we did not select a battle tactic. A tool to help you and your opponent isn't just good sportsmanship, it helps both of you understand how the gamestate is changing.

These may seem trivial but that ounce or preparation will be worth a pound of worry. Any efficiency you can build will reduce your mental fatigue in later rounds. You don't have the brain bytes to worry about these things, so make them habits.

STX Lanes

STX (Situation Training) Lanes are an Army training method to put Soldiers in common and challenging scenarios they might encounter in combat. Some scenarios are not designed to be "winnable," but are rather intended to develop the resolve and leadership in Soldiers in dire circumstances such as an ambush. We can do this in wargaming as well during our practice sessions. Set up the table for a bad matchup or a battleplan you aren't confident on. Set up those nightmare scenarios so that you can at least give yourself a chance to find out what strategies you can employ to maximize your opportunities. You can also set up STX Lanes to practice deployments based on matchups and battleplans. Having a strategy in mind that you can fall back on is another great way to minimize that mental fatigue and it also helps you feel more prepared and confident in your decisions.

Conclusion

Taking a more introspective look at how your games will often make you a better player than consigning fault to the fate of the dice. There are situations when the game is decided by a collection or even a single dice roll. If you put yourself in a position where that is the case, you should be very pleased with yourself. It was out of your control, you did the best you could. But there is almost always something you could have done better in a game. Using some of these techniques will help you feel more prepared and open to receiving those insights so you can avoid repeating those mistakes.