Heating up the Cold War Fighting the Twilight Struggle by Steve Carey

The post-WWII "Cold War" between the draws Romanian Abdication, he would West and the East was not characterized probably not want to place Influence into by major military campaigns, but instead that country since the event would grant reflected intrigue and influence being him full control. exerted throughout the world. Appropriately, GMT's latest card driven STRUGGLE Don't overlook the possibility of your game (CDG), Twilight Struggle (TS), THE COLD WAR, 1945-1989 opponent popping out the Europe Scoring •01,_ covers this noteworthy period in history card during the first Headline if he has the without showcasing massive armies or setup advantage, so you probably want to surging fleets on the map. While this is the ensure at-start parity in the region with first published effort from co-designers your discretionary influence. Jason Matthews and Ananda Gupta, they have obviously learned their lessons quite "There was little choice... but well because TS is a smooth, highly for the United States to assume global interactive, incredibly tense, quick playing, responsibilities... planning a postwar and very enjoyable game. By taking a world in which democracy and macro, geopolitical view of the long capitalism would be secure." `struggle', TS takes a complex conflict and makes it playable with ease. Headline Phase Part of the fun of the game is springing Indeed, Twilight Struggle is the easiest Hungary has a central position a nice card on your opponent during the to learn CDG published to date, but let's as it connects to four other countries. Headline Phase. No player is going to want face it — it is not easy managing a super- Yugoslavia offers access to Italy, while have 'Red Scare/Purge' (to reduce all your power through one crisis after another. also buffering Greece and protecting cards by one Ops) headlined on them for So let's take a look at some basic aspects Hungary. Czechoslovakia can be important the whole turn. Indeed, there are a lot of of play, while also providing some strategy because it is adjacent to two battleground great plays that can be made as a headline, tips, to assist all you would-be Presidents countries, namely East Germany and but that thought brings to the forefront or Premiers out there. Poland (it also can protect Hungary). one of the key principles of TS: Don't overlook split Austria which "Know where you are in danger". "The disproportionate burden the Red connects to three battleground nations. Army had borne in defeating Hitler gave the Also, Finland can be a contested nation To avoid danger, players must make USSR a moral claim to substantial, perhaps because like Austria it is both West & East, constant situational assessments through- even preponderant, influence in shaping the but often player priorities lie elsewhere. out the game. This is especially crucial postwar settlement. It was at least as easy to during the Headline Phase, and is even believe, in 1945, that authoritarian The US would also have three more acute for the US player because communism was the wave of the future remaining points, which can be divided the Soviets get to play first during the as that democratic capitalism was." between France (but watch out for De subsequent action rounds. For example, Gaulle!) and Italy (two Influence needed making a play such as 'CIA' (to reveal the Setup for control). If you feel that you can Soviet hand) is usually a sound headline In most cases, the USSR will want to spare a point, Turkey is an attractive strategy for the US. Not only is viewing spend three starting Influence to control alternate site as it threatens Romania but the Soviet hand at the start of the turn Poland while the US will want to control more importantly connects to the Middle obviously beneficial, with that one Ops the West Germany with four of their starting East (Syria), which may be crucial if the US can perform a Coup on a battleground Influence. After that, how to spend your US gets booted out of that region. If country somewhere and thus degrade remaining points is not as obvious. you want to be conservative, put three DEFCON a level. This could prevent Influence in Italy to better secure the USSR from attempting a Coup or For the remaining three Soviet that key battleground nation. Realignment in an important area of Influence, generally one point can be the map. dispersed to each of three different Remember rule 3.1 that allows both Eastern European locales. players to examine their initial card hands What if it is Mid War and your before allocating their Free Influence, opponent dominates the Middle East? which may steer players in a certain You both know the Scoring card for that (NOTE — all quotes are from John Lewis direction. For example, if the USSR player Gaddis' excellent book, The Cold War: Region is due to come up again (and you A New History (Penguin Press, 2005) don't hold it). A fine headline play would Strategy Tips for Twilight Struggle be The Voice of America' which allows advantage as the USSR can get the jump There can be a certain bluff element to the US to remove four Soviet influence on the US. For example, since DEFCON TS, but both sides have so many pressures from non-European countries. Such an automatically increases one level at the and objectives — and a constant lack of event/action during the Headline Phase start of each new turn, this could give the resourcestoaccomplishthemall— thatitis could thus restore the balance of power USSR opportunity for a Coup in a somewhat unusual for a player to have in the region before its scoring card gets battleground country located in a region spare resources to conduct bluffing played by the Soviet player, saving you that would then be closed (due to maneuvers. Plus it's often better to look precious VPs. DEFCON dropping a level) to the US ahead and use spare Ops in regions where right after the Soviet play. you know Scoring cards are forthcoming It rarely makes any sense to play an (e.g., early Influence plays in Africa before opponent's event during your Headline Let's say a turn ends at DEFCON 2, the Mid War shuffle). Phase because you would sacrifice the Ops but increases to DEFCON 3 at the start of from the card. It's a very risky call for any the new turn. By going first, the Soviets Placing Influence will be the most Soviet player to headline a US event while could use the first action to conduct a common action in the game. It is impor- expecting his opponent to headline Coup against a US controlled Iran (Middle tant to gain control of countries as it forces `Defectors'. When you have a handful of East battleground). DEFCON would your opponent to pay double (2 Ops) to enemy events, play them during the Action lower to 2 after the attempt. Since Level 2 force their way in. If your opponent has his Phase and use the resulting Ops to improve also prevents Coups (and Realignments) in sights on your territory, add extra your board position. the Middle East, the US player could not Influence and he will have to pay 2 Ops follow suit with his own Coup or Realign- per Influence until your control is finally Be very cautious in playing Scoring ment in a Soviet controlled battleground broken. Countries that become controlled Cards as headline events since they go in that region (or a battleground country tend to stay controlled in TS, Coups and second and an enemy headline can literally anywhere else on the board for that matter, Realignments not withstanding. If you change the balance of power in an entire since doing so would lower DEFCON to can't outright control a nation, placing just region. I was involved in one game where one and cause the game to go BOOM!). one Influence in a country allows you to the US had domination in a lightly place points into adjoining nations starting contested Africa and so played its Scoring Another key principle of TS is: next turn, thus expanding your reach. card in the Headline Phase. But the USSR "Every action by your opponent must be player headlined 'Portuguese Empire weighed for its potential threat level". Coups are the dagger strike for any Crumbles', which caused domination to If the USSR player creates 'South African would-be world dominator. They can change hands in region. So in a snap, Unrest', and follows that event with quickly turnaround control of a region, can things went from a +4 US VP advantage `Decolonization' (and so spreads even affect the DEFCON track (when at- to a -4 VP Soviet advantage... more Soviet influence into Africa), be tempted in battleground countries), and an 8 VP turnaround! wary of the imminent arrival of the Africa also provide you with much-needed Scoring card. Likewise, if your USSR Military Ops (even when the Coup fails). Make sure by being clever during the opponent bypasses events such as 'Warsaw If both you and your enemy have Influence Headline Phase that you are not exposing Pact Formed' or 'Comecon', it may very in a country, an unsuccessful Coup will yourself to harm elsewhere, and that you well indicate that he does not have the not cause you to lose any points there, so don't leave a better headline card sitting in Europe Scoring card and is focusing his don't hesitate to give it a try. your hand. I've also seen occasions where attention elsewhere. a player was dealt a great hand, but because What's that — you have no Influence in of a poor headline choice they ended up a certain region that you'd like to get into? having to play their cards defensively, or Try a Coup! If you succeed in knocking even lost the contest to an opponent's auto out enemy Influence and placing any of victory because they were in danger and your own, on the next turn you can start did not immediately address the situation. to spread the tentacles of your empire via Influence placed in adjoining countries. "Victory in World War II brought no If you manage to roll well, you may even sense of security, therefore, to the victors. gain control of the target country. Neither the United States, nor Great Britain, nor the Soviet Union at the end of 1950 Coup attempts are an essential weapon could regard the lives and treasure they had in your arsenal, especially against those expended in defeating Germany and Japan lower (1 or 2) Stability-rated countries. as having made them safer: the members of the Grand Alliance were now Cold War Realignments probably won't be used adversaries." that often, but when the circumstances are right they can be very decisive. Consider Action Rounds when Fidel gains control of Cuba — the US As mentioned, the Soviets go first in player should not panic, he should Realign! each action round. This is a significant By virtue of the adjacent United States of Heating up the Cold War - Fighting the Twilight Struggle

America, the US player can counter the +1 as many of the indicated countries as DRM for those 3 Soviet influence in Cuba. Sequence of Play possible. However, if he holds such a And if the US player can control Nicaragua A. Increase DEFCON Status card till later on, when such scoring and/or Haiti, each country would give him B. Deal Cards positions hopefully improve, he could be the advantage in a Realignment roll with losing out on some needed VPs now and their +1 DRMs. The more surround C. Headline Phase later may never come to pass. Generally support you have via controlled countries, D. Set Required MilitaryOperations speaking, it's not worth it to hold a good the better chance that your Realignments E. ActionRounds card for the perfect time when you can will succeed. make better use of the card now. Simply F. CheckMilitaryOperations Status stated, the on-board situation can change Recall that a successful Realignment G. Reveal Held Card (Tournament only) too rapidly, and benefits can then be does not allow a player to place his own H. Flip The China Card reduced or even lost. Influence, but may cause him to lose Influence (if any) when unsuccessful. I. Advance TurnMarker One of the intriguing aspects of TS is Thus, it's often not worth it to plant J. Final Scoring(after Turn10 only) the fact that enemy events still occur Influence into a target country prior to a during your Ops play of their cards, and Realignment just for the +1 drm — if you and Hungary." this is where the Space Race is prominent. roll bad and your opponent rolls well, you Besides gaining some VPs and special can lose big. Military Operations abilities, the Space Race is most note- worthy because it allows both sides to Note that while restricted by DEFCON dump enemy cards without triggering the This isonearea whereplayers can really (just as are Coups), Realignments attempts event. But those non-played enemy events shoot themselves in the foot (and arm, and themselves do not affect the DEFCON may eventually come back to haunt you torso, and head...well, you get the idea). track. later in the game, so it may be best to get By failing to perform necessary Military the removable enemy events out of the Operations (basically Coups and War So, Realignments are a flexible tool in deck now, as painful as that may be. your bag of tricks, and are best used where Events), players can easily sacrifice VPs to their opponents at the end of a turn. Over you have support (i.e., control adjacent And consider this — when you are dealt the long haul, it can be devastating (if not nations) and have no Influence present enemy event cards, you can often minimize lethal) to ignore Military Operations. With (i.e., nothing to lose) in the target country. their effect whereas if your opponent held so much going on around the map, it's not the same card, he would maximize the too difficult to overlook your Military Switching gears for a moment, be effect. Here's a simple illustration: the US Operations Track and get caught short. careful of playing cards just for their event player holds the 'CIA Created' card and If you don't conduct Military Ops, at least VPs. In some cases, the cards are removed plays it as his first action (or headline, as try to manipulate the DEFCON track to from the deck when the event occurs. In mentioned above) to reveal the Soviet hand reduce your liability — events such as other cases, the VPs depend on a die roll for the entire turn. But when the USSR `Cuban Missile Crisis' and the wonderful and you may play the card for nothing if player has the card, he plays it as his last `How I Learned to Stop Worrying' are you fail. If a 2 Ops card can be used to action of the turn to basically nullify its quite useful to this effect. break enemy domination of a region effect and also remove it from the game. when a Scoring card still remains to be And when you do play an enemy event, That takes us to another key Twilight played, many times it would be a better you decide if the event or your Ops use Struggle principle: "Neglecting your move to go for Ops rather than risking a occurs first — again, this is a matter of Military Operations is a sure-fire recipe die roll for 2VPs. for disaster". timing to your best benefit.

So remember another one of TS's keys: "Non-Alignment provided a way So instead of distressing about a bad "On-board need overrides VP greed." in which the leaders of the third world hand when too many enemy events are states could tilt without toppling: the idea dealt to you, instead think about what your Never assume that the enemy is was to commit to neither side in the Cold opponent could do if he held such hand! conducting an action or playing an event War, but to leave open the possibility of without due purpose. Constantly monitor- such commitment." Scoring Cards can be both a blessing ing the balance of power in scoring regions and a curse — they cannot be held, and — especially those with Scoring Cards still Holding Cards when played you lose an opportunity to unplayed — is absolutely vital. In TS, it Usually a player will want to hold an improve your board position that round. is very easy to get caught up in the - enemy card to prevent its event from Get too many Scoring cards over the excitement, so don't allow yourself benefiting his opponent, or to hold one of course of a few turns, and that could be a to get distracted. his own events until its effect can be fully serious problem. Otherwise, it is of course realized. In TS: "Timing is everything". nice to control the timing of a scoring card "The Anglo-French-Israeli invasion If we assume that the USSR player holds though this advantage is somewhat offset took place at the end of October, 1956, `OPEC', logic dictates that he maximize by the mandated play requirement. If it just at the height of the crisis over Poland the card's scoring potential by controlling looks like you're losing grasp of a region Strategy Tips for Twilight Struggle Balance whose Scoring Card you possess, consider- Like in games covering the Pacific War play his big early events (e.g., `NATO' ing playing it early in the turn to minimize in World War II, the US player will usually or 'Marshall Plan') as Ops at the onset the VP damage. This also opens up the be under the gun at the onset of a game of to strengthen his board position, and the rest of the turn to focus your resources Twilight Struggle but he should never give events can always kick in later. t ut don't elsewhere. up. Early War events do favor the Soviets, forget that South Korea is at risk from the and the US is in real jeopardy of losing the `Korean War', and any support (-1 drm) `Mao had launched the Cultural game before the halfway point (Turn 5). By that Japan or Taiwan can give can be Revolution, in the summer of 1966, as yet the end of Turn 3, if the US can be -7 VP or decisive. another of his periodic maneuvers to better, he has a very good chance of going the eliminate potential rivals. 'I love great distance (10 turns). Mid War will stretch the Having said all the above, it's still upheavals', he chuckled at the time." resources of the USSR, and Late War will apparent from many reports that newbies find the Soviets desperate to maintain should play the Soviets first until they China necessary presence become more comfortable and confident 'China' is a unique card — by possessing in Europe. Indeed, if the US can survive with system and strategy. it, you deny it to your opponent. The the initial Soviet onslaught (be especially temptation is always there to play powerful mindful of a USSR control Europe Note that Automatic Victory can't 'China' when you get into a pinch (and strategy), he has the upper hand over the occur once the game is over and End Game believe me, there will be a plethora of long haul. When the Late War cards kick Scoring ensues. It doesn't matter what pinches in this game!), but it may be best in, they can give the US the outright order you score the regions in, or if one to play your regular hand and save 'China' advantage in controlling Europe (and thus side exceeds the +/- 20 VP level. Whoever for a true emergency. Consider when the winning the game outright). has the VP advantage after all regions are US player holds 'China' on the final tallied will be the winner, simple as that. Action Round of the turn, and DEFCON One imperative for the US is to keep the is at 4 while the US Military Operations USSR out of Central and South America as "The Cold War could have produced a Track is still at 0. Playing the 'China card long as possible. Cuba potentially is worth hot war that might have ended human lift on for a Coup can save you 4 VPs — and that's three VPs all by its lonesome anytime Central the planet. But because the fear of such a war something worthy of serious consideration. America is scored. So the US player should turned out to be greater than all of the think twice about playing 'Fidel' if he holds differences that separated the United States, 'China' also can be an insurance card the card— better tosendFidel intoSpace the Soviet Union, and their respective allies, for a USSR player who has a card (or two) (insert your own appropriate joke here). there was now reason for hope that it would taken from his hand (via events like 'Five Chances are that the USSR will eventually never take place." Year Plan' or `Grain Sales'). Instead of get into the area (a Soviet Coup in Panama being compelled to play a detrimental is a ripe early opportunity, or a Mid War Conclusions enemy event, 'China' can be substituted `Junta'), but the longer the Reds are kept Because of the great variety of card instead and the harmful card could still out, the better. And when the 'Fidel' event plays, and a conflict that spans the globe, be held. does occur, the best US response is usually Twilight Struggle possessesalmost infinite to attempt a quick Realignment to knock replayability. Thus, an article such as this But the Soviet player should not rely him down (or better yet, out). can only reveal the tip of a proverbial too heavily on fickle 'China' once the Mid iceberg in preparing players for the War deck kicks in. With cards like 'Nixon' The greatest early danger for the US, other marvelous gaming journey to come. and the 'Ussuri Incident', the US can than a quick-start Soviet all-out European This design remarkably captures the swipe the 'China' card right out from Blitz, will likely be in the Middle East. Israel is psychological nature of the struggle, and under the Soviet player's nose. Of course, very fragile, and it is certainly possible for the every contest will be a learning experience. a 'Cultural Revolution' can pluck the card US to have no Influence in the Middle East back from the US player just as easily. at all at some point. This can be disastrous if And what a fun experience it will be. And don't forget that the US loses the timing allows the Mid East Scoringcard toplay Though it was published at the tail end of `Formosan Resolution' event effect after under such circumstances. It could even end 2005, Twilight Struggle stands head-and- he plays 'China'. the game if it comes up soon again after the shoulders above a fine crop of games that first reshuffle and the situation isn't remedied. were released throughout the year. I am so Perhaps the best use of 'China' is Needless to say, it is very important for the impressed with it, that leads to my last playing the card for 5 Ops in the region US to at least maintain presence in the Middle comment regarding the game: just prior to Asia scoring. That's a East. powerful combination which can spell "Twlight Struggle would be my selection a significant difference in VPs. Indeed, being shut out in any region for 2005 Game-of-the-Year". during scoring is potentially devastating, "Stalin's goal, therefore, was not to and must be avoided whenever possible restore a balance of power in Europe, but The US player should be inclined to rather to dominate that continent as thoroughly as Hitler sought to do."