Sitrep Podcast - Historical Wargaming

11/11/2025

09/11/2025

𝗧𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶 - 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮, 𝟭𝟴𝟬𝟱 - 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲
To cap off our series commemorating the 250th Birthday of the US Marine Corps, we’re featuring a wargame run by Pete Panzeri, recreating the Battle of Derna in April, 1805.

Derna stands on the coast of what is today Libya, then the Tripoli province of the Ottoman Empire, for centuries an open haven for high seas piracy. During the First Barbary War of 1801-1805, the US Marines mounted their first overseas expedition and at Derna, they’d raise the American flag over foreign soil for the first time.

The moment is commemorated in the Marines’ Hymn to this day, with the opening line, “𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘻𝘶𝘮𝘢, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪.”

To cap off our series commemorating the 250th Birthday of the US Marine Corps, we’re featuring a wargame run by Pete Panzeri, recreating the Battle of Derna ...

07/11/2025

Finished up some recently acquired BTR-70s. 15mm Battlefront.

26/10/2025

𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 - 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗵, 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗾 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟯 - 𝟭𝟱𝗺𝗺 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 (𝗣𝟮)
We’re back to finish up our 15mm wargame recreating some of the opening action in the Battle of Nasiriyah.

John's Marines are doing well leveraging their superior firepower, but he's running out of time to cross the table and reach his objective.
Mark's Iraqis are also cooking up some masty surprises with off-board artillery, and of course he still has his IEDs.
Yes, the Marines WILL win the battle ... but will they break through in time, without losing too many units?

We’re back to finish up our 15mm wargame recreating some of the opening action in the Battle of Nasiriyah.Link to Part One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e...

19/10/2025

𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 - 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗵, 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗾 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟯 - 𝟭𝟱𝗺𝗺 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 (𝗣𝟭)
Join Oriskany Jim and the South Florida Miniatures Game Club for a 15mm recreation of the Battle of Nasiriyah, one of the opening engagements of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March, 2003.

The system on the table is 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 by Great Escape Games, adapted to include A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, AH-1W Super Cobras, and Improvised Explosive Devices so infamous during the Iraq War.

The scenario features “Task Force Tarawa” - a Marine battlegroup heavily engaged in the early stages of this battle. Thus, this episode adds to our ongoing series commemorating the upcoming 250th Birthday of the US Marine Corps.

Join Oriskany Jim and the South Florida Miniatures Game Club for a 15mm recreation of the Battle of Nasiriyah, one of the opening engagements of Operation Ir...

05/10/2025

We had a great game of 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 yesterday at Das Krieg Haus, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Presented in 15mm, the scenario was designed to recreate part of the 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗵, an engagement during the opening days of 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗾𝗶 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 in March, 2003. In summary, an American Army unit (507th Maintenance Company) had strayed into the AO of the Iraqi 6th Armored Division, Third Corps, where they were pinned down with heavy casualties. Elements of Task Force “Tarawa,” 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, were tasked with breaking through Iraqi forces to relieve the 507th.

The game included new house rules for IEDs. American victory conditions were to get one third of their break points off the north edge of the table along the Nasiriyah Highway, while keeping at least a third on the table to hold open a path of reinforcement or possible fall back. This had to be accomplished by the end of Turn 5. Iraqis victory conditions were to prevent the Marine mission.

29/09/2025

Upcoming wargame I'll be putting on:
𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗵

On 23 March, 2003 - during the opening days of Operation *Iraqi Freedom*, the US Army's 507th Maintenance Company (Fort Bliss, Texas) made a wrong turn and wound up deep in terrain still held by strong Iraqi forces.

They were quickly ambushed, took heavy losses, and found themselves pinned down.

Nearby Marines of Task Force "Tarawa," 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, were tasked to drive into Iraqi positions (6th Armored Division, 3rd Corps) and rescue the 507th.

28/09/2025

𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿? 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮𝟬𝗺𝗺 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮

Oriskany Jim might be the slowest painter in the hobby today, given that it’s taken him since last Christmas to finally finish 66 20mm Middle East Militia figures from Caesar Miniatures.

Hey, if I didn’t make it part of the channel’s production, I’d have NEVER gotten these guys done.

What projects do you have hung up in painting limbo?

Oriskany Jim might be the slowest painter in the hobby today, given that it’s taken him since last Christmas to finally finish sixty-six 20mm Middle East Mil...

24/09/2025

𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮)

Oriskany Jim and Mark Ritchie finish up their discussion on wargame design and the "Tactical Combat" system designed by Mark Ritchie (featured many times on the Sitrep Podcast).

We also review our ongoing 2025 project / series commemorating the upcoming 250th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps - what games we've run so far, and what we have in the pipeline for the rest of the year.

Link to Part One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfuG0LAmK0AOriskany Jim and Mark Ritchie finish up their discussion on wargame design and the "Tactical Co...

21/09/2025

𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭)
We have some updates to share with the community about the Sitrep Podcast channel and also a great interview with Mark Ritchie – designer of the “Tactical Combat” 15mm wargame system we’ve featured on the channel many times.

Mark’s been neck-deep in our hobby since 1971, a true veteran of the gaming table, the hobby bench, and the convention circuit. He and I have a great conversation about wargame design and how different systems choose to approach certain battlefield situations.

We have some updates to share with the community about the Sitrep Podcast channel and also a great interview with Mark Ritchie – designer of the “Tactical Co...

31/08/2025

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 - 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 (𝗣𝟮)

We’re back to finish up our speculative wargame, taking some guesses at how British armored forces might perform in a potential future conflict in Estonia.

In Part 1, we saw the British seize key terrain early on, forcing the Russians to assault entrenched defensive positions. But rather than attack the British head-on, the Russians flanked them to the north -- and when the British responded, the Russians also struck in the south and center, forcing the British into some very tough decisions.

Can the British hold against the onslaught? Or will Russian numbers pry them off their objectives?

We’re back to finish up our speculative wargame, taking some guesses at how British armored forces might perform in a potential future conflict in Estonia. ...

24/08/2025

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 - 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 (𝗣𝟭)
Once again we take our wargames into the near future, with a look at what Britain’s armored forces could possibly look like on tomorrow’s battlefield.

The scenario is Estonia in 2028-2030. Having closed the Ukraine War and taken a pause to recover, the Russians now push into the Baltic States. Here, Britain’s “Operation Cabrit” force finds itself amidst an Article V NATO response, deployed to check one of the spearheads of the 1st Guards Tank Army.

Using unclassified technical data, I’ve put together a “guestimated” Panzer Leader force including Britain’s upcoming armored vehicle programs like the Ares, Ajax, Boxer, and Challenger 3. Heavily outnumbered by older Russian equipment, will the Kings Royal Hussars and Yorkshire Regiment hold out against the 27th Motor Rifle Brigade?

Once again we take our wargames into the near future, with a look at what Britain’s armored forces could possibly look like on tomorrow’s battlefield. The s...