Fight Club Monthly (July 2026 newsletter)

The latest updates from the leading global wargaming community

“The object of wargaming is to afford a practice field for the acquirement of skill and experience in the conduct and direction of war, and an experimental and trial ground for the testing of strategic and tactical plans” – William McCarty Little

Welcome to the July 2026 edition of Fight Club Monthly!

HERE’S THE QUICK SUMMARY

·         Everything you need to know about Steel Beasts (from Mark Gibson)

·         Fight Club Poland is co-organizing its second wargaming conference

·         USA Fight Club is exploring DFCs from the Infantry School Mailing List

·         Jim Storr webinar and two new episodes of Think.Fight.Learn.Repeat.

·         HexWar set to release the digital adaptation of Take That Hill! next week

…and now, here’s the full newsletter in detail!

SPOTLIGHT: STEEL BEASTS

By LTCOL Mark Gibson, RAAC, ADF *

* Disclaimer: Whilst a serving Officer, any views or opinions expressed below are my views only and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian Army, The Department of Defence, or The Commonwealth of Australia.

Description: Steel Beasts (previously known as “Steel Beasts Pro PE”) is the commercially available version of the otherwise professionally developed and maintained MBT and supporting AFV combat simulator, Steel Beasts Pro.

The product can be used as a crew procedural trainer as well as a Virtual, or Constructive simulation of combined arms effects. It supports a powerful set of AI features, scenario and map editor, multiplayer functionality, and triggering mechanisms to make it a perfect wargame for tactical training purposes, or after-hours entertainment value.

Steel Beasts provides the players with a manoeuvre box larger than most simulations of similar granularity (18km x 18km [or a variation up to 324km²], can be created within the commercial version, but it can load areas up to 80kmx 80km).

List of platforms provided:

Recent added features include: Infantry laying wire, 40mm grenades, claymores, defensive positions, vehicles developing fighting positions, Engineers breaching obstacles, smart munitions, UAS (drones) and loitering munitions. Dismounted combat continues to be developed, but it is not as detailed as say VBS/ARMA.

Approachability: Medium 5/10. “DCS for AFVs” reflects the granularity but excludes the non-vehicle related aspects. Walking through the tutorials for a specific MBT or AFV will get you quickly up to speed on how they operate.

Infantry, Indirect fire, Engineering and Combat Service Support is also included. Mastering the overall simulator, and its map functionalities in particular, will take a little more doing. Overall, this simulator is reasonably approachable considering its penchant for attention to detail. 

Tutorials & Resources: Check the official website https://www.steelbeasts.com/

Potential Activity Suggestions:

·         Crew Procedural Trainer

·         Demonstration of concepts (Obstacle effects, etc.)

·         Familiarisation with platforms not integral to a given unit (Tank, IFV/APC, Engineers, Artillery, HELO, UAS, etc.)

·         ROE Training

·         Ground appreciation

·         Virtual Tactical Exercises Without Troops (TEWTs)

·         COA Analysis

·         Well-developed Logistic tracking and resupply model (medical, repairs, ammunition and fuel consumption)

·         The AAR can be used as wargame record and to develop a Sync Matrix

·         A broad spectrum of Operations modelled (RASO, Stability Ops, as well as higher intensity OF Ops and DEF Ops)

·         Dynamic CPX tool (LOWCON and HIGHCON) without need for MEL/script (problem scripted to draw out required teaching points)

How we are using Steel Beasts in Fight Club:

On joining FCI in late 2024, I started asking about Steel Beasts coverage and of course I was then asked, “Hey, why don’t you do something?”

Accordingly, since November 2024, pretty much every Sunday at 1800 ZULU / GMT, I’ve been conducting Steel Beasts sessions (advertised in the “Events” area of the FCI Discord) that have progressively covered a range of topics.

Initially this consisted of:

·         Overview.

·         Inside the turret (shooting)

·         Introduction to plotting routes, etc.

·         Using it as a constructive sim plotting routes and then moving to individual vehicles as necessary).

Then once we had a pure Tank Troop or Platoon sorted out, we moved on to a progression based along the lines of:

·         now let’s add Mech Inf (including dismounts and crew served weapons)

·         now let’s add Indirect fire

·         now let’s add Engineers/Obstacles, (breaching, IEDs, VBIEDs, laying mines and wire, laying bridges)

·         now let’s add Logistics (repair, refuelling, casualties and re ammunitioning),

·         now let’s add helos,

·         now let’s add Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) [“drones”]

·         now let’s add "pattern of life" (civilians, etc.)

·         now let’s add weather / different (Rain, Snow, Winter, Desert, etc.)

·         now let’s automate it (Triggers, Events, Conditions)

·         now let’s look at the AAR features

·         now let’s look at the Report file

Then we moved onto its potential application via multi player sessions:

·         Course of Action Analysis. (To date, we have had two different tactical problems where different people have volunteered their plan, we have executed it, we have conducted an After Action Review (AAR) and incorporated those “fixes” into subsequent runs.)

·         Example of Tactics Techniques and Procedures (e.g. a scripted Breaching activity to demonstrate SOSRA),

We then added a second session related to Scenario creation. I’ve also established a resource repository in the Steel Beasts section of Discord which holds Primers, Guides, Written AARs, etc.

The format consists of shorter episodes rather than an hours-long monologue. There is now a core group who consistently attend, but it is not a closed shop and all are welcome, regardless of whether they own the product or not and we will normally pause the sim during execution to answer any “in stride” questions a person may have or to bring out a teaching point.

I guess the highlight has been watching the group learn a new sim and now apply that knowledge to successfully solve the tactical problems they are now encountering. If people wish to join in, they can indicate their interest via the Discord Events and then attend (I usually ask 24 hours prior for confirmation so I know who will likely be there when I get up at 0330 on Monday to run it). You do not need to purchase the product to attend, although this will limit you to watching the stream, rather than participating.

As a commercial simulator, Steel Beasts is perfect for after-hours Fight Club wargaming by active and retired military or modern warfare (say 1970+) wargaming hobbyists alike. The product supports both PvP and PvE and multiplayer events span the globe and it does not require a “state of the art” PC.

Purchasing options:

All of these can be accessed here (all in USD): https://www.esimgames.com/store/

1.    Permanent “Classic” license

Advantages:

Once purchased its yours. You do not need to upgrade, however all users in a multi-player session need to have the same version and of course you will not have access to newer features or scenarios created in newer versions.

The USB stick provides flexibility re license access.  You can install SB on a desktop (with the USB stick) and a laptop. Through the CodeMeter software you can: run SB on the desktop or run SB on the laptop when away (accessing the SB license from the desktop via Internet sharing).

The Classic license comes with three additional secondary licenses – that is it supports up to four concurrent players ($30 per person).  You can use these for multi-player or use them to introduce new players at no cost to them (again via CodeMeter license sharing).

The Classic license includes a one-month temporary license to cover the shipping time of the dongle (i.e. you can play instantly).

The Classic license lets you access “updates/patches” and “upgrades” (these are not the same thing) as required but you will need to pay a small fee (roughly USD $30) to upgrade.

The cycle tends to be:

·         Now: Purchase Classic license

·         Now +12 months: Access free (USD$0) update/patch as released,

·         Now +24 months: Access free (USD$0) update/patch as released,

·         Now +36 months: Purchase Upgrade (roughly USD $30), if you want to,

·         Now +XX months: Apply any hotfix from the paid Upgrade,

·         Cycle starts over.

Disadvantages:

Higher start-up cost compared to the one-month time-based option. This can be mitigated by purchasing a one-month license to see if you are really interested before you commit.

Potential risk of damage to the USB stick (mine is 20+ years old). This can be mitigated by plugging the USB stick into a safe location (e.g. the back of your PC) and leaving it there.

As above the CodeMeter software allows you to access the license remotely as long as both machines are powered on and both have access to the Internet.

Remaining “current” does involve some cost (refer above) whereas the time based license is always the newest.

2.    Time based licenses

Advantages:

·         Lower initial cost.

·         Always current. Whenever you buy ta license you obtain the latest version.

·         No USB stick to lose.

Disadvantages:

·         Only allows for 1 player.

·         Linked to the PC at time of purchase. Buy a new computer or have a substantial upgrade and the license will no longer work.

·         Unable to take advantage of remote access option.

·         Continually need to renew license to maintain access. Eventually buying a Classic license makes more sense financially.

WHAT HAS FIGHT CLUB BEEN UP TO THIS MONTH?

Take That Bridge! continues to evolve. The mission is still to command a company of troops and seize a defended bridge before the enemy can destroy it. The new 'PME' version has improved features including obstacle belts, mortars, stacking, two shot machine guns, red morale system and a revised VP score.

PS: You can also check out my recent review of Take That Bridge! here.

Fight Club Poland (the newest Fight Club country chapter) is co-organizing the second edition of the International Scientific Wargaming Conference AWL. The upcoming conference is intended to be the major catalyst for developing the chapter’s core wargaming competencies, expanding the base, and boosting overall engagement.

USA Fight Club is continuing to work with Bruce Gudmundsson and Kevin Johnston on presenting the weekly decision forcing cases (DFCs), currently focusing on the series published in the first issue of the Infantry School Mailing List. They are also working with several ROTC cadets to assist them in setting up gaming clubs in their ROTC programs to encourage more wargaming among national security professionals.

WHAT’S NEW TO WATCH, LISTEN & READ?

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless deluge of defense buzzwords? Between AI-enabled targeting, autonomous drone swarms, and multi-domain dominance, today’s defense professional is thoroughly boggled. But while the technology of warfare changes by the minute, the foundational nature of winning remains entirely unchanged.

In this exclusive Fight Club International webinar featuring Jim Storr (veteran infantry officer, doctrine writer, and author of A Theory of War) we strip away the high-tech hype and return to absolute first principles. Jim shares updated strategies, real-world examples, and clear, actionable steps you can use right away.

Think.Fight.Learn.Repeat. Episode 13: Sharpening the Sword - The Conception of Fight Club International with Arnel David. Colonel Arnel David, US Army Special Operations veteran, NATO strategist, and co-founder of Fight Club International (FCI), to trace his journey from Infantry Officer to Co-Founder.

Arnel opens up about the frustration that sparked Fight Club and a hunch that commercial-off-the-shelf games and simulations could do more. From there, we discuss what makes Fight Club fundamentally different from traditional wargaming organizations, how a rankless, volunteer-run community became a testing ground for AI, LLMs, and unconventional strategy, and why he believes the confidence to be disruptive is in short supply in the military and beyond.

Think.Fight.Learn.Repeat. Episode 14: Part 1 - The Taiwan Contingency with Dan Rice. In the first part of a two part episode, Lex sits down with Dan Rice, Deputy Director of the US Marine Corps War College's China Warfighting Initiative, to break down the doctrinal concepts underpinning how the PLA thinks about and plans for modern warfare, with a focus on the Taiwan Contingency.

From Mao-era strategic principles to cutting-edge systems destruction warfare, Dan pulls back the curtain on how China's military thinks about conflict not as a clash of platforms, but as a competition between opposing operational systems, and why that distinction matters for how the US and its allies prepare.

Do More with Less? Why It’s Time to Repurpose the British Army – a summary of this recent Fight Club International podcast, Think.Fight.Learn.Repeat. (Episode 12), where Lex Luciak sits down with Nick Moran to discuss a radical, uncomfortable reality: the British Army doesn't just need minor structural tweaks—it needs to be entirely repurposed.

WHAT CAN YOU LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH?

On top of the second part of the two-part Think.Fight.Learn.Repeat. episode with Dan Rice, we also have the following guests in the pipeline: 

·         Martin So (Co-founder at Panoptica Technologies, ex-Canadian Armed Forces)

·         Ben Hodges (former commander of US Army Europe)

·         Anthony King (Director of the University of Exeter’s Strategy and Security Institute)

·         Peter W. Singer (Co-founder at Useful Fiction, New York Times bestselling author)

We’re also hoping to get Antoine Bourgilleau from the wargaming division of France’s Future Combat Command to talk about Duel Tactique for our PME game design series.

Lastly, HexWar has a release date for the digital adaptation of Take That Hill!

Until next time, you can catch the latest updates from Fight Club International on X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, YouTube, and Discord. Also make sure to play one of our analogue games!

Remember to think, fight, learn, repeat!

Yours in hex,

Rwizi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rwizi Rweizooba Ainomugisha is a freelance wargame researcher, analyst and designer at Wargaming Weekly, one of the top publications in the world of professional wargaming. Rwizi is also a Guild Member at Mission Grey, a leading provider of external intelligence for corporate decision-making.