Cold Confusion: The Soviet Raid on Iceland, 1985

“In combat, despite the most careful preparation, risks cannot be avoided. Attention must therefore be given, and the most detailed plans prepared, for every reasonable exigency of the overall operation.” –Excerpt from the syllabus for Soviet officer training at the Frunze Academy.

“There are no impossible tasks.” –Motto of the Soviet 106th Desant Division.

An attack on NATO’s air and naval installations near Reykjavik, Iceland was assumed should war between the alliance and the Soviet Union break out. The airfield at Keflavik played a crucial role in Operation Reforger which would rush vital resupplies and reinforcements from the US and Canada to Western Europe. The naval installation near there monitored the underwater SOSUS line that monitored Soviet submarines in the North Sea and North Atlantic. However, most US and other NATO military leaders assumed a Soviet attack would be in the form of air attacks by long range bombers with cruise missiles and conventional bombs. However, an airborne and amphibious assault could not be ruled out. This designer has made some assumptions in crafting this game:

 The Soviet High Command mobilized a reinforced regimental-sized (331st Regiment of the 106th Desant Division as well as Spetnatz commandoes) airborne and amphibious assault that would be launched at the very outbreak of the war.
 The Soviet assault seek to inflict as much damage as possible on the NATO military installations in and around Reykjavik and Keflavik, as well as gathering any intelligence materials discovered during the raid.
 Evacuation and even the survival of the raiders would be secondary to the successful elimination of the NATO installations.

The game lasts up to 12 turns. Each turn represents six hours of time. A hex is about 6 kilometers across. Combat units are companies.

—description from the publisher