Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
This near-future what-if is set at 20 miles per hex, with divisions and brigades as the units of maneuver. It covers the first month of the war that could result if Putin decides to abandon the "opaque war" (a.k.a.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Combat Results Table
Compare opposing strength as a ratio, then consult a table to resolve combat.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Zone of Control
Restrict or influence movement through areas controlled by nearby pieces.
Read the full game description
This near-future what-if is set at 20 miles per hex, with divisions and brigades as the units of maneuver. It covers the first month of the war that could result if Putin decides to abandon the "opaque war" (a.k.a. "gray war") approach and go for it big time. The idea being to take advantage of the West's (particularly the "old NATO" countries') distraction with the jihad to try to win back all or some of the "Near Abroad" on Russia's European flank. Before you ask: the difference between this game and "Putin's War," which will be appearing in an upcoming issue of Modern War, is that "Putin's War" is a strategic (army-corps at 55 miles (90km) per hex) treatment with operational undertones, whereas the present game "Putin Strikes" is an operational-level treatment with strategic overtones. The system will be a further-evolved version of the one I used in NNN2, but better adapted to modern real-world military circumstances. In particular, I'm crafting the combat sub-system to emphasize the growing debate on the appropriateness of the "brigading of everything." The growing complaints are that brigades, BCTs, etc., are too small and weak to last long in an eyeball-to-eyeball First World conventional war, while also being too big to be nimble enough to properly prosecute an urban counterinsurgency war.