Dan Stueber has been a long time proofreader, playtester, and supporter of the Next War series. He has completed and posted several solitaire game session reports on Boardgamegeek including one for the scenario he’s designed for Next War: Korea which is presented for your use below. Hope you enjoy! – Mitch

This scenario postulates a slow buildup of DPRK forces through the use of war games, training, and other deception means. Assume the North Koreans, with the PRC assisting, conduct massive training and war games over a six to eight week period. Each time the training is completed a few units don’t make it back to their home areas. A tank battalion or two has some “maintenance problems” and has to stay in their forward deployed areas. An infantry division disappears into some tunnel complexes. A forward deployed artillery unit does not fire off all of its live ammunition. A local emergency requires an infantry division (or three) to help out the population. Now, the Allies are not blind to what is going on, so over the eight weeks or so that this is occurring they constantly call up their troops and ready their aircraft and then nothing happens. This occurs so many times over the eight (or maybe longer) weeks that some politicians and military leaders begin to think the North Koreans are just blustering as usual. Soon some Allied units become complacent to what is happening across the border. When the balloon does finally go up the ROK troops are caught somewhat by surprise, thus they are slow off the mark in deploying. The good news is the ROK replacement system is up and running and their air force is ready to go. The bad news is any forward troops are going get hurt by the tunnels and infiltration, and they will probably be destroyed. The PRC is assumed to want to solve the South Korean problem before taking care of Taiwan. To do so they commit a large portion of their air force, with most of their new hi-tech units, in this battle. The forward PRC air units that were taking part in the “training exercises” are used to help maintain air superiority over Korea until additional air units can be shifted into the theater. The Chinese mobilize several Group Armies and all of their marine and airborne troops for commitment to the battlefield. At Daegu Airbase the Captain of the Watch is stunned when the airbase is hit by several SCUD missiles. He hits the warning klaxon just as the door is kicked open by a North Korean Special Operations commando…

SETUP

Use the setup for GSR 16.2.3 Tactical Surprise Scenario including Scenario Special Rules with the modifications below. The game lasts 16 turns with the Victory Levels as specified here.

The following optional rules are used in the scenario:
Air Cushioned Vehicles [NWK GSR 15.1]; PRC Full Intervention [NWK GSR 15.14](with a modified reinforcement schedule, see below); PRC Carrier units [NWT GSR17.12.1]; PRC Stealth units [NWT GSR 17.2.2]; F-22 Raptor Deployment [NWT GSR 17.1]; USMC & USN F-35’s [NWT GSR 17.4/17.5]; US Long Range Bombers [NWT GSR 17.3]; F-22 and F-35 Wild Weasels [NWT GSR 17.6.2]; ROK F-35’s and AH-64’s [NWT GSR 1.3]; Refugees [NWK GSR 15.11]; & Naval Bombardment [NWT GSR 17.18]. Based on these options the Allies start with 73 VP’s and the non-Allied starts with 42 VP’s.

SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES

1. DPRK Light Infantry units (and only DPRK Light Infantry units) can trace supply to an Air Cushioned Vehicle landing hex. However, if the hex is ever recaptured it can never be used for supply again. This trace supply can be no longer than four hexes and cannot be through enemy units, enemy Cities, Installations, or Urban hexes, or unoccupied EZOC’s. DPRK LI units cannot be isolated if they can trace a supply line to an ACV landing hex.
2. ROK/US units can only conduct pre-game movement if they pass an ER check. If they pass they can only use half their movement points. DPRK pre-game movement is still their full movement. ROK formations located in DMZ hexes – I, VI, V, II, III, and VIII Corps – roll ER checks for their units first, in the order listed, and move those units that pass their ER check first. After those corps moves, the DPRK forces conduct their pre-game movement followed by the rest of the ROK/US forces conducting ER checks and moving if able. Optional: the DPRK can pick three ROK units in DMZ hexes that receive a +1 to their ER checks prior to the ROK player rolling for pre-game movement.
3. ROK receives 1 replacement point starting with GT1.
4. The ROK air force is fully prepared at the beginning of the game. Ignore Tactical Surprise Scenario Special Rule 3.
5. DPRK naval units can start in the Inshore Box of either Sea Zone with their AMPH’s loaded with marine units. The US CVN and AMPH (which can be loaded) can start in the East Sea At Sea Box. The East Sea still starts controlled by the DPRK.
6. Air and helicopter replacements use the rules in Next War: Taiwan GSR 8.4.
7. During the reinforcement phase of GT1 the Allied player rolls one die. On a 0, 1, or 2 a US CVN arrives per GS 7.1.4. This is considered to be from reinforcement ID “S”.
8. Victory Conditions
   1. Overwhelming       141+
   2. Decisive                   121-140
   3. Substantive             91-120
   4. Marginal                 51-90
   5. Draw                        0-50

PRC REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE

The PRC will use the following reinforcement schedule. Except for the at start air units all additional PRC air units arrive in the PRC box and will have to be rebased into the DPRK unless they have the range to perform missions from the PRC box. The additional air and land units are from Next War: Taiwan. The PRC receives 2 replacements per turn starting on Game Turn 6:

Units available at start of game: 2x J-10, 2x JF-17, 2x Su30MKk2, 1x J-11B. Start in the DPRK.

GT2: 1x J-31, 2x J-20, 2x Su-27, 4x J-11, 5x H-6
GT3: 1x AMPH, 1x SAG, 1 Mar Brigade (6 units from NWT), 43rd ABD, 2x SOF, 3x JH-7, 2x J-16
GT4: 39GA, 1x Zhi-10 helo, 4x J-10, 3x Su30
GT5:1x AMPH, 1x CVBG, 164 Mar Brigade (6 units from NWT), 44th ABD, 2x J-15
GT7: 1AMID (4 units from NWT), 2x J-10, 2x Su30
GT8: 40GA, 1x Zhi-10
GT10: 38GA, 4x J-7, 4x J-8
GT12: 12GA, 1x Q-5
GT13: 1GA (10 Armored Division will be the units from NWT)
GT14: 45 ABD

Design Notes:
I am a big fan of Next War: Korea and the Next War series of games. I enjoy the plethora of options that the game offers. Because of this I continually try to come up with different scenarios for the game. When NW:T was published with all those Chinese high tech air units I immediately wondered what effect they would have if used in NW:K. I came up with this scenario as a way to incorporate the Chinese air units into the game in a way that seems logical. One of my only quibbles about NW:K is that the tunnel markers are really only good in the Strategic Surprise Scenario. In the other scenarios the ROK simply uses its pre-game movement to move back a hex and allow the covering forces to soak up the tunnels. The tunnel markers are an important part of the North Korean’s arsenal but are nullified in two of the advanced scenarios. I wanted to allow the possibility of their use. The ER rolls for those forward ROK divisions will be very important for both sides. If they don’t move they are victory points for the North Koreans, if they do move they will become the fly in the ointment for the attackers. All of the forward deployed ROK divisions and brigades are ER 5 which will give them a 60% chance of moving. However, if you roll like I do very few will actually get their marching orders. I’m allowing Light Infantry units to trace supply to an Air Cushioned Vehicle landing hex just so they can cause some problems without being put out of supply easily. I rarely used the ACV rules as it seemed too difficult for the DPRK to keep the units supplied. I feel four hexes from the ACV landing hex is not unreasonable considering the actual air cushion vehicle could drive down the road to deliver supplies if needed. This rule adjustment will allow some interesting uses of the LI units around Seoul and hopefully keep the Allied player guessing. The ROK air force is ready to go. They have kept an eye on the war games being conducted by the DPRK and PRC air forces and immediately notice the change in posture of the DPRK and PRC air units. They scramble immediately and are ready to take the fight into the air, assuming they are not hit by SCUD’s and Special Operations forces. Finally, all the call ups of reserve formations over the last few weeks have the ROK forces ready to start up the replacement system. I figure replacement points don’t actually represent a replacement system but the return of wounded soldiers, reorganization of destroyed units, and new recruits. With the DPRK and PRC having war games and exercises the ROK has ironed out the problems associated with rebuilding and reorganizing units. Consider the ROK phone tree is up and running which is why their replacements are starting out at the beginning. The possible arrival of another US CVN postulates the US Government being a bit concerned about the training exercises and having another carrier group sent to the area to monitor what is going on.

Author: Dan Stueber