The Dogs of War

"The goal is to collapse adversary’s system into confusion and disorder causing him to over and under react to activity that appears simultaneously menacing as well as ambiguous, chaotic, or misleading."

John R. Boyd, “Patterns of Conflict”

At 0400 Zulu Time, July 24 1985, Warsaw Pact forces cross the Inner German Border and assault NATO positions in West Germany. The main thrust, formed by 10 Soviet Category I Divisions, is in the BAOR sector and points directly to the Ruhr area.

Taking its roots from SPI’s Central Front and NATO: Division Commander, The Dogs of War is the second module of the C3 series, focused on Command, Control and Communication.

All the elements of modern mechanized warfare are covered: Chemical and Nuclear Weapons, Attack Helicopters, Engineers, Electronic Warfare, Counter-battery Fire, Ribbon Bridges, Army Doctrines, Reconnaissance units, Close Air Support coordination and more.

Several typical wargame mechanics have been reinterpreted, and both sides will fight three equally dangerous foes: the enemy, their own plan and time. Even a simple action can quickly turn into a disaster when facing an opponent using more efficiently the real key to victory: the OODA Loop theorized by John Boyd in the early ‘80s and used today as the basis for several military doctrines.

Military doctrine, tactics and peculiarities for each side are represented, allowing a skilled commander to use his own strength points and exploit the enemy’s weak ones. Some examples are:

West German Auftragstaktik (Mission-Type Orders), giving Bundeswehr a flexibility hardly obtained by other armies.
British Engineers, allowing extensive use of prepared defense positions.
BAOR logistic deficiencies and ammunition shortage.
Soviet Sappers, first-line assault units used to crack the toughest nuts.
Soviet Assault From March doctrine.
Warsaw Pact vulnerable supply network.


			
			
				Game Highlights
5 km per hex, 3 hours per game turn
Regiment / Battalion sized ground units
Detailed Order of Battle set in 1985
Close Air Support and Attack Helicopters
Command, Control & Communication related problems
Electronic and Intelligence Warfare
Artillery interdiction and Counter-Battery fire
Chemical and Nuclear warfare
Specific events for Warsaw Pact and NATO
Random events to further increase battlefield chaos
Two Campaign Games:
    "The River Weser Deep and Wide", Warsaw Pact offensive in BAOR sector.
    "One Minute to Midnight", all-out chemical and nuclear warfare after several weeks of tension and build-up 

Four Smaller Scenarios:
    "Welcome to Braunschweig", West German 2 Panzer Brigade defense of the city against Soviet 35th Motorized Rifle Division.
    "They Came Before Dawn", Soviet 76th Guards Airborne assault to key crossings on Weser and Leine rivers.
    "Give Me the Night", British 1st Armoured Division fight to slow down Soviet 3rd Shock Army assault.
    "Queen's Gambit", British 3rd Armoured Division counter-attack at D+4.



			
			
				Game Components
98×55 cm matte plasticized map, covering BAOR area of responsibility
1000+ 5/8″ matte plasticized counters
44 Action and Event Cards
30 pages Rules Booklet
30 pages Scenarios & Designer’s Notes Booklet
10 pages Examples of Play Booklet
2x Tables booklets
4x Players' Aid Charts
2x 10-sided dice
10x zipbags