Ian TB
@iantb.bsky.social
Retired #Marine, scribbler, #wargame analyst, podcast co-host, geek. Author of “A New Conception of War” on #USMC reading list. All views my own.
Weekend #wargaming—more “Battle of Hoth,” trying to break through Rebel lines to get off the board.
November 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Weekend #wargaming—more “Battle of Hoth,” trying to break through Rebel lines to get off the board.
Need a maneuver warfare “starter pack?” Do the reading w/ “A New Conception of War” & “Snowmobiles & Grand Ideals” from MCUP (mcu_press@usmcu.edu).
Then play the concepts w/#ManeuverWarfare from the @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social:
dietzfoundation-org.square.site/product/mane...
Then play the concepts w/#ManeuverWarfare from the @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social:
dietzfoundation-org.square.site/product/mane...
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Need a maneuver warfare “starter pack?” Do the reading w/ “A New Conception of War” & “Snowmobiles & Grand Ideals” from MCUP (mcu_press@usmcu.edu).
Then play the concepts w/#ManeuverWarfare from the @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social:
dietzfoundation-org.square.site/product/mane...
Then play the concepts w/#ManeuverWarfare from the @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social:
dietzfoundation-org.square.site/product/mane...
Hard copies of “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” are in! This is THE definitive John Boyd text—almost 700 pages of Boyd in his own words on conflict and competition. Email Marine Corps University Press at mcu_press@usmcu.edu for your free copy today!
November 14, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Hard copies of “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” are in! This is THE definitive John Boyd text—almost 700 pages of Boyd in his own words on conflict and competition. Email Marine Corps University Press at mcu_press@usmcu.edu for your free copy today!
For me it’s never quite real until I hold it in my hand…& today’s that day! Print copies of “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” w/ Frans Osinga are in; email MCUP at mcu_press@usmcu.edu to request your copy!
& yes, it’s a chonky little fella; doubles as a SAPI plate if needed.
& yes, it’s a chonky little fella; doubles as a SAPI plate if needed.
November 13, 2025 at 11:38 PM
For me it’s never quite real until I hold it in my hand…& today’s that day! Print copies of “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” w/ Frans Osinga are in; email MCUP at mcu_press@usmcu.edu to request your copy!
& yes, it’s a chonky little fella; doubles as a SAPI plate if needed.
& yes, it’s a chonky little fella; doubles as a SAPI plate if needed.
To the brave keyboard hero whose response to this was that I was a “delusional militarist” who should kill himself—thanks for the input & upon reflection, if I did things over, I’d write the same thing but use smaller words so you could follow along better:
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
November 13, 2025 at 1:00 AM
To the brave keyboard hero whose response to this was that I was a “delusional militarist” who should kill himself—thanks for the input & upon reflection, if I did things over, I’d write the same thing but use smaller words so you could follow along better:
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
No matter the clime or place, the danger or boredom, 2 years or 20—if you’re a veteran, you did something few undertake. And you didn’t ask for gold or glory, just the chance to be with your other brothers and sisters on the wall and tell evil: “not on my watch.”
#VeteransDay
#VeteransDay
November 11, 2025 at 12:00 PM
No matter the clime or place, the danger or boredom, 2 years or 20—if you’re a veteran, you did something few undertake. And you didn’t ask for gold or glory, just the chance to be with your other brothers and sisters on the wall and tell evil: “not on my watch.”
#VeteransDay
#VeteransDay
Get your #wargaming week going with my AAR of the “Wargaming as an Analytical and Training Tool in Military and Civilian Environment” conference at AWL a few weeks back. It was a deeply illuminating experience:
people…
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
people…
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
November 10, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Get your #wargaming week going with my AAR of the “Wargaming as an Analytical and Training Tool in Military and Civilian Environment” conference at AWL a few weeks back. It was a deeply illuminating experience:
people…
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
people…
armchairdragoons.com/serious-peop...
#Wargaming ICYMI #3–my #ManeuverWarfare #cardgame has a page on @boardgamegeek.com; check it out for the rules PDF, and by all means, if you have questions about how something works in the game, PLEASE ask them!
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
November 5, 2025 at 1:11 AM
#Wargaming ICYMI #3–my #ManeuverWarfare #cardgame has a page on @boardgamegeek.com; check it out for the rules PDF, and by all means, if you have questions about how something works in the game, PLEASE ask them!
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/45...
#Wargaming ICYMI #1–check out my interview w/ @playersaidblog.bsky.social on the design philosophy, development, and gameplay of my #ManeuverWarfare #cardgame from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social:
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
November 5, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#Wargaming ICYMI #1–check out my interview w/ @playersaidblog.bsky.social on the design philosophy, development, and gameplay of my #ManeuverWarfare #cardgame from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social:
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
Michael Pigford
11/4/2024
Not forgotten. S/F.
11/4/2024
Not forgotten. S/F.
November 4, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Michael Pigford
11/4/2024
Not forgotten. S/F.
11/4/2024
Not forgotten. S/F.
Got my game designer’s box of #ManeuverWarfare today from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social! Can’t wait to find some worthy gaming tables for these. #wargaming
November 3, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Got my game designer’s box of #ManeuverWarfare today from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social! Can’t wait to find some worthy gaming tables for these. #wargaming
Weekend #wargaming with the youngest. Time to target the shield generators:
November 1, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Weekend #wargaming with the youngest. Time to target the shield generators:
It’s a little box, but it holds three years of my life. My thanks to @playersaidblog.bsky.social for the chance to tell the story of #ManeuverWarfare from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social from inception of publication. Keep #wargaming! #USMC #Marines
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
October 28, 2025 at 5:23 PM
It’s a little box, but it holds three years of my life. My thanks to @playersaidblog.bsky.social for the chance to tell the story of #ManeuverWarfare from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social from inception of publication. Keep #wargaming! #USMC #Marines
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
My thanks to @playersaidblog.bsky.social for their interview on my #ManeuverWarfare #wargame game from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social. This is perhaps the most exhaustive discussion of the game’s origins, development, and mechanics available to date:
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
October 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
My thanks to @playersaidblog.bsky.social for their interview on my #ManeuverWarfare #wargame game from @thedietzfoundation.bsky.social. This is perhaps the most exhaustive discussion of the game’s origins, development, and mechanics available to date:
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
theplayersaid.com/2025/10/27/i...
For Kyle.
10/26/2009
Not forgotten. S/F.
10/26/2009
Not forgotten. S/F.
October 26, 2025 at 11:44 PM
For Kyle.
10/26/2009
Not forgotten. S/F.
10/26/2009
Not forgotten. S/F.
The PDF rulebook for #ManeuverWarfare is now up on @boardgamegeek.com! URL for download is below:
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social #wargaming #USMC #Marines
boardgamegeek.com/filepage/309...
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social #wargaming #USMC #Marines
boardgamegeek.com/filepage/309...
October 26, 2025 at 3:25 PM
The PDF rulebook for #ManeuverWarfare is now up on @boardgamegeek.com! URL for download is below:
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social #wargaming #USMC #Marines
boardgamegeek.com/filepage/309...
@thedietzfoundation.bsky.social #wargaming #USMC #Marines
boardgamegeek.com/filepage/309...
Weekend #wargaming continues—new round of “2045” under way:
October 25, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Weekend #wargaming continues—new round of “2045” under way:
Weekend #wargaming—some players thought the standard “Wings of Glory” scenario I run should be, well, even harder, so I’m adding dynamic weather in the form of moving clouds to unpredictably obscure bombing targets. Didn’t hurt it gave me an excuse to acquire a new map as well.
October 25, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Weekend #wargaming—some players thought the standard “Wings of Glory” scenario I run should be, well, even harder, so I’m adding dynamic weather in the form of moving clouds to unpredictably obscure bombing targets. Didn’t hurt it gave me an excuse to acquire a new map as well.
It’s been almost axiomatic for a long time that John Boyd can’t be fully understood because he never wrote anything down. That argument no longer holds. “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” is the definite Boyd, in his own words, from start to finish:
www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/...
www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/...
October 25, 2025 at 2:45 PM
It’s been almost axiomatic for a long time that John Boyd can’t be fully understood because he never wrote anything down. That argument no longer holds. “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” is the definite Boyd, in his own words, from start to finish:
www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/...
www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/...
Me to basically everyone in charge right now:
October 24, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Me to basically everyone in charge right now:
Paul Van Riper back on his shit again. Chowder was never about getting back to “no old breed, new breed, just Marine breed,” or “rank doesn’t matter, only ideas matter.” If you’re not his generation, you’re soft and can never be a “real” Marine.
October 23, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Paul Van Riper back on his shit again. Chowder was never about getting back to “no old breed, new breed, just Marine breed,” or “rank doesn’t matter, only ideas matter.” If you’re not his generation, you’re soft and can never be a “real” Marine.