Australian Army Tactics Competition
The Army Tactics Competition (ATC) has been born from recommendations from the 2017 Wargaming Conference hosted by Forces Command, Australian Army. The ADFWGA is doing its part by offering and hosting a Combat Team level tactics competition to aid in providing a platform to help improve tactical acumen and provide Professional Development for Junior NCOs and Junior Officers.
The ATC is held in Brisbane in December each year with the inaugural event held in 2018. Units are invited and encouraged to submit a team of three commanders to participate in this yearly activity.
The platform used to simulate these CT level scenarios is a local tool designed to take advantage of the gamification of learning. This system has been created by current serving members from Australian gaming group - TAOR Australia.
Titled "Up the Guts!" (UTG) - a play on what not to do in an attack - UTG offers a simple set of rules that are targeted at the non-gamer, but rather the military member who can take advantage of being pitted against a real OPFOR opponent who actively tries to undermine BLUFOR efforts. All of this is done in a safe to learn and fail environment that fosters a competitive streak and will to win in participants.
Please see the Administrative Instruction for details by clicking on the button below.
“Wargaming is a human activity essential to mission success that encompasses the broad goals of stimulating ideas, highlighting critical tasks and providing insights otherwise difficult to achieve during planning”
Developing an environment for exploring distributed operations - A wargaming example, U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioural and Social Sciences (May 2005)
Up the Guts! (UTG), is a 6mm (1:285) scale modern rule set designed to represent battles and encounters between Australian Forces and their fictional opposing force. This rules set is a tool that can support existing Tactical Exercises without Troops in a military learning environment to enable the testing of student developed Courses of Action and is also a great tool to be used for on the spot Professional Military Education or Quick Decision Exercises.
The system is designed for Combat Team (Company/Squadron with attachments) size engagements or activities but can be expanded to Battle Group, or multiple Combat Teams within a Battle Group with some forward planning and imagination on behalf of a seasoned and competent Games Master.
Due to the simplicity of UTG it also lends very well to both seasoned and novice recreational tabletop gamers who have a passion for modern wargaming and a want to improve their own tactical acuman and cognitive ability in a fun and friendly environment.