Insurgent Tide: Counterinsurgency in Iraq, 2003-2008

Insurgent Tide: Counterinsurgency in Iraq, 2003-2008 is a 2-player operational/strategic level game covering the Coalition’s counterinsurgency effort in Iraq from 2003-2008. Each year is a turn, but is composed of alternating card plays between players. Units range in size from Multinational Divisions down to Insurgent cells. The Coalition’s objective is to exert control over Iraq’s provinces; the Insurgent player seeks to prevent that and/or do it himself, and to wage Jihad to inflict as many Coalition casualties as possible. The game lasts 5 full turns (2004-2008), with 2003 consisting of just a few cards to get things started. Each turn consists of a year, during which multiple card plays occur. These give the players movement, combat, and other actions. At the end of each year, players must make critical decisions on which cards to re-buy in an attempt to win the battle for control of Iraq. Insurgent Tide is based on the popular, action-packed Pacific Tide game system by Gregory M. Smith, with many combat and strategic decisions to challenge players in just a single evening’s game. The core of the game is the unique card re-buy system, in which players take their annual production and decide which cards they need for the upcoming year. Cards not only provide for reinforcements, but also allow for movement, combat, and other actions. Which cards to rebuy is, without question, one of the key decisions the player must make to prepare for next year’s operations. The Insurgent player’s build points are based on how many provinces he controls: to control them, he must activate his cells. When active, they contest control of a province but are also vulnerable to Coalition attack. The Coalition player needs to build control via the creation of Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army units, but has political concerns to deal with, from high levels of casualties to inflaming anger in the population due to excessive use of force. Besides the focus on card play, the game features a small footprint (one standard map) and is also designed to be played in just a single evening – estimated at 3 hours for experienced players to fight the entire war. While Insurgent Tide is designed as a 2-player gaming experience, an additional option for solitaire play is provided by the inclusion of a Solitaire Bot. This “bot” creates action priorities for the non-human player and has the advantage of being simple enough to implement without spending an inordinate amount of time as the non-player. Product Information: Complexity: 4/10 Playing time: 3-4 hours Solitaire Suitability: High (solitaire bot system) Players: 1 or 2 Map Scale: Abstract Time Scale: 1 year Turns; each composed of multiple card plays Unit Scale: Insurgent Cells up to Coalition Divisions -description from publisher's website