What if Russia invades the Baltic? A tabletop game offers answers

As NATO prepares for a possible Russian invasion of the Baltic area, there are lots of questions. In an period of drones, hypersonic missiles and kill chains, how may fight go amid the fields, forests and islands of the realm?

Some solutions could also be present in a brand new tabletop wargame. “Littoral Commander: The Baltic” isn’t simply utilized by the navy as a coaching software. Civilians can even buy it on-line and play it on their kitchen desk.

The sport depicts a Russian invasion of the Baltic area round 2030. Along with the Baltic states, the 11 eventualities within the sport embody a Russian touchdown to grab the Swedish island of Gotland, an offensive launched from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and missile-equipped U.S. Marines trying to cease Russian warships from breaking out of the Baltic to hunt convoys within the Atlantic. There may be even a humanitarian state of affairs the place the U.S. has to evacuate civilians whereas Russia tries to disrupt the operation.

The American aspect options the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy, with some forces from the Military. They sq. off in opposition to Russian naval infantry, VDV airborne troops and the ships of the Baltic Fleet.

Platoons — represented by cardboard items on the map — are rated for firepower, vary and velocity. The American forces embody a plethora of sorts: Marine infantry, amphibious fight autos, Military HIMARS rockets, M1 Abrams tanks, Stryker armored reconnaissance autos, Typhon long-range missiles, air protection and logistics items, in addition to U.S. Navy destroyers and amphibious assault ships. Russian forces embody naval infantry, T-90 tanks, self-propelled howitzers, mortars and a number of rocket launchers, paratroopers and airborne artillery, air protection and logistics, plus cruisers, destroyers, frigates and amphibious ships.

Nevertheless, the center of the sport are the 277 “Joint Functionality” playing cards, an summary illustration of the myriad power multipliers obtainable to fashionable armies. By spending a restricted pool of “Command Factors” to purchase playing cards from both a U.S. or Russian card deck, all sides assembles a custom-made array of assist forces. Gamers can select from all kinds of capabilities, together with B-52 and Tu-22 bomber strikes, naval gunfire, particular forces raids, drone strikes, laser air defenses, cyber warfare, psyops and digital warfare (there’s even a “Public Affairs Officer” card).

“The playing cards function a variety of future, near-future and present-day capabilities to permit gamers to experiment and discover what capabilities can contribute to completely different eventualities,” Sebastian Bae, designer of “Littoral Commander,” advised Protection Information.

Throughout a flip, gamers alternate taking actions akin to motion, initiating fight and resupply. Their aim is to amass probably the most “Victory Factors,” gained by destroying enemy items or capturing territory.

Choose playing cards in “Littoral Commander: The Baltic.” (Sebastian Bae/”Littoral Commander: The Baltic”)

The important thing to profitable “Littoral Commander” might be summed as: “What might be seen might be destroyed, so don’t be seen.” The fog of battle at all times hovers over the sport, with fight items on the map flipped the other way up, so the enemy doesn’t know whether or not they’re an infantry unit, an artillery battery, a frigate — or only a decoy.

“Littoral Commander” resembles a sport of hide-and-seek. Either side use floor troops and reconnaissance belongings to detect and establish enemy forces, whereas attempting to display screen pleasant forces from enemy detection. As soon as an enemy unit is positioned, it may be focused by long-range fires akin to artillery, missiles, plane and drones. In the meantime, the goal makes an attempt to interrupt contact and turn out to be hid once more.

The sport illustrates a dilemma amply demonstrated within the Ukraine battle. To destroy the enemy with firepower means having to open hearth. However firing on the enemy means shedding concealment, which leaves the firing unit weak to a counterstrike.

Bae’s aim was for example the interlocking dynamics of the fashionable kill chain. For instance, the U.S. may need a activity power of face-down ship counters within the Baltic, precise sort unknown (are they frigates, destroyers or decoys?). Russia performs a drone or satellite tv for pc card to detect them, and rolls cube: If profitable, the ships are revealed and might be attacked by long-range missiles. However the U.S. can reply with a cyber warfare card to disrupt the assault.

“Gamers should play this cat and mouse sport the place all sides is searching for to determine all sensing and fires superiority,” defined Bae, a Marine veteran and Iraq Warfare veteran who now designs wargames for the Middle for Naval Analyses assume tank. “Exploring after they should combat, after they have to hide themselves and the way they deploy results in opposition to the enemy.”

Compounding the issue is that the U.S. and Russian forces have restricted stockpiles of guided munitions, akin to artillery shells, cruise missiles and — maybe most significantly — air and missile protection interceptors. This places a premium on considered goal choice.

And if battlefield issues aren’t sufficient, “Littoral Commander” gamers should additionally cope with public opinion. The sport contains an “Affect Meter” that awards gamers further assets for destroying enemy items and capturing key terrain — or rewards the enemy in case you bombard city areas (that is the place the PAO card is useful).

“Littoral Commander: The Baltic” is definitely the second sport within the collection, following “Littoral Commander: Indo Pacific,” which lined a U.S.-China battle over Taiwan and the Philippines. The video games have been utilized by U.S. navy employees faculties, U.S. Marine tactical items, the British and Australian armies, the Bundeswehr, the Philippines Marine Corps and others.

“Littoral Commander: Australia” is scheduled for publication this yr, and additional expansions to incorporate NATO and Japanese forces are deliberate.

Ultimately, the aim of “Littoral Commander” is to “assist civilians think about the challenges and necessities of a Baltic battle and what which means,” Bae mentioned. “And likewise to assist navy leaders to be higher ready to make onerous selections in unsure battlefields if the balloon ever goes up.”

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