Next War - Poland (1st Edition)

Next War: Poland, the fourth volume in GMT's Next War Series. This game moves the action from Asia to Europe and allows players to fight a near future war in Poland as the Russians and their allies invade and NATO responds.

A large portion of Poland is represented by the Operational (hex) map, while the Baltics are represented by a Strategic Display (similar to Next War: Taiwan’s).

Note: the Next War series is not an Introductory wargame. That said, the Standard Game rules encompass a fairly straightforward ruleset that will, we think, be considered pretty "easy to learn" by experienced wargamers. So players who choose to play Standard Game scenarios can have a relatively quick game when that's what suits them. For players who want a "mini-monster game" experience, playing the Advanced Game Campaign Scenarios with some or all of the optional rules will definitely "deliver."

Ownership of any previous Next War Series game will NOT be required to play.

Units

Ground units in Next War: Poland represent primarily brigades, regiments, and battalions of the armies of the Russia, her allies, and NATO. All ground units are rated for their attack and defense strengths, movement capabilities, and unit efficiency.

Air units represent fighter, bomber, and attack squadrons of the major combatants and are rated for All-Weather Capabilities as well as their range, average pilot skill, and their abilities in Air-to-Air Combat, Close Air Support, and Strike missions.

Maps and Terrain

The game’s map represents the area in and around the eastern border of Poland at a scale of roughly 7.5 miles per hex. The map stretches from Kaliningrad Oblast in the north to Warsaw in the south, and from the Belorussian border west to Poznan.

The Baltics are represented by a Strategic Display incorporating Land Areas and At Sea Boxes.

Game System

A game turn is generally composed of:

Weather Determination. Bad weather can severely hamper air and naval operations activity and can significantly slow ground operations.

Initiative Determination and Air/Naval Phase, wherein Air Superiority levels and air availability are determined and Sea Control is established or modified.

Special Operations Phases in the Advanced Game allowing players to utilize their special operators in various recon and raid missions behind enemy lines.

Strike Phases in the Advanced Game allowing players to launch air strikes, cruise missiles, and artillery and SSM strikes.

One or more Movement and Combat Phases that allow both sides to move, react, and fight, with an advantage to the Initiative player on non-Contested turns

Arrival of Reinforcements and Replacements

Victory Determination

Combat resolution examines not only unit strengths but also unit efficiency (representing training, doctrine, and morale), as well as the terrain where the combat takes place. The CRT tends to be very bloody in nature, reflecting what we believe will be a degree of attritional warfare early due to the lethality of modern weapons. As in many games, casualties represent not only actual combat losses but also losses of unit cohesion brought about by the rapid pace with which modern armies are able to engage and exploit on the battlefield.

Scenarios

There are several Standard Game scenarios. Some are small and focus on limited objectives while others are variations of a campaign game encompassing the entire map. Similarly to previous games in the series, the Advanced Game scenarios will be divided into various starting points scenarios allowing reinforcements to arrive at differing times as well as providing additional logistical support.

Components

One 22x34" map

One 22x24" strategic display

Four 9/16" counter sheets

Two rulebooks (Series Rules and Game Specific Rules)

Six 8.5x11" Player Aids

Two 11x17" Player Aids

One 10-sided die