Zone of control
A wargame mechanic limiting enemy movement near combat units.
In board wargames, a zone of control (ZOC) is the area directly adjacent to certain combat forces that restricts the movement and actions of enemy units. On hexagonal maps, this zone covers the six hexagons surrounding a unit’s position. The specific effects vary by game. A "rigid" zone of control forces moving units to stop upon entering it. A "semi-rigid" zone only prevents moving directly from one ZOC hex to another. "Fluid" or "elastic" zones increase movement cost rather than halting movement. "Locking" zones prohibit units from leaving. Some rules also require that enemy units within a ZOC be attacked.
Terrain features such as rivers, cities, mountains, or the presence of enemy units—or even enemy ZOCs themselves—can cancel a zone of control. A few wargames extend ZOCs to partially affect friendly units, simulating traffic congestion on nearby roads. Other games use ZOCs to block retreats from combat or interdict supply lines.
In theory, a ZOC represents the military necessity of slowing down near an enemy—moving off road, dismounting from transport, or advancing through cover. In practice, because board wargames use alternating turns, ZOCs limit what one player’s units can do while the opponent’s units are inactive. Without them, fast-moving units could bypass and surround inactive units without giving the opponent a chance to react. Zones of control also appear in some strategy computer games, such as the Civilization series.
- field
- Board wargame mechanics
- known_for
- Restricting enemy movement and actions in hexagonal tiled maps
Lore & Background
In board wargames, a zone of control is typically defined as the six hexagons adjacent to the hexagon occupied by a combat unit on hexagonal tiled maps. The effects of zones of control vary significantly between different wargame rules. The most common effect is a 'rigid' zone of control, where moving combat units must stop when entering an enemy unit's zone of control. If movement is not stopped but only prohibited when moving directly from one zone of control space to another, it is termed 'semi-rigid'. Rules that slow down movement instead of stopping it are called 'fluid' or 'elastic' zones of control, while rules that prohibit leaving are termed 'locking' zones of control. Some zone of control rules require enemy units to be attacked.
Reader's Guide
Zones of control are a key design element in board wargames, serving to limit what one player's units can do during their turn while the other player's units are inactive. Without zones of control, players could use fast-moving units to bypass and surround opponents without giving them a chance to react. In theory, zones of control represent the military necessity of slowing down in the presence of the enemy, such as moving off road, dismounting from transport, and moving through cover. In some games, zones of control may be cancelled by terrain features such as rivers, cities, mountains, the presence of enemy units, or even by enemy zones of control. A couple of wargames have zones of control partially affect friendly units, representing traffic congestion. Some games also have zones of control block retreats from combat or interdict supply lines. Zones of control are also present in some strategy computer games, such as the Civilization series.
Did You Know?
- A combat unit's zone of control on hexagonal maps is the six hexagons adjacent to the hexagon it occupies.
- The most common effect of a zone of control is that moving units must stop when entering an enemy's zone, termed 'rigid'.
- Some wargames have 'locking' zones of control that prohibit units from leaving.
- Zones of control can be cancelled by terrain features such as rivers, cities, or mountains.
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