"What Historical Games Do Better Than Fantasy" Topic

What do historical games do better than fantasy?

Obvious candidates:

Command friction and control
Morale and cohesion over time
Asymmetry and scenario-driven play

Where do fantasy rules fall short when it comes to modelling how battles actually work?

I'm curious to hear from both sides.

TMP link

I think a connection to real events and what those involved might have gone through, so scenario driven.

I think you could sum it up as "nuance." A fantasy game doesn't have to worry about anything it doesn't want to. It certainly doesn't have to concern itself with whether William the Conqueror had late slingers or early crossbowmen at Hastings, or that a historical battle of this or that would be an "unfair" one. The historical rulesmith and scenarist have to work under serious restraints.

Mind you, they sometimes fail. But when they succeed, you can say, "Yes, if that different decision had been made, it might have changed subsequent history."

Historical does WW2 much better than fantasy. :)

So why are the WWII boards--and miniatures manufacturers--infested with walkers and zombies these days, Grattan? This is not to mention shapeshifters and such in the Old West and all manner of supernatural entities showing up in 28m Napoleonics.

Should Bill be changing the traps more often? Is there no effective biodegradable zombiecide?