Fighting the Twilight Struggle by Steve Carey
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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.