- a simulated military operation, carried out to test the validity of a war plan or operational concept: in its simplest form, two opposing teams of officers take part, and when necessary, military units of the required strength are employed.
- a notional tactical exercise for training military commanders, in which no military units are actually deployed
- a game in which model soldiers are used to create battles, esp past battles, in order to study tactics
- to prepare for battle by considering possible tactics and enemy responses
