I’d like to add just a bit here to the background. But first, I’ll have Doug introduce himself:

I have been a gamer since the mid-1980s, when I started with Squad Leader, which of course led to a long obsession with Advanced Squad Leader.  In college I was also a Harpoon fanatic, including gaming basically every naval combat from the Tom Clancy book Red Storm Rising.  However, my true gaming passion has always been modern ground combat games such as the GDW Assault and Third World War series, and detailed modern air simulations like GMT’s Downtown and Elusive Victory.  As a former US Army armor officer, I love games that model operational level maneuver and logistics.  Development of Next War: India-Pakistan is my first time doing the research and design work for a full game.  I live in Arlington, Virginia and work as a weapon program analyst for Congress.

Doug’s obvious passion for this particular patch of mud is obvious in the hard work he’s put into this project. He’s going to explain a little bit about how this project started, and, below, when says “run with the project”,  he really means “Doug did most of the work.” He has tirelessly labored to ensure that the map and Orders of Battle are as accurate as they can be, and, while we have certainly collaborated in order to ensure that any new rules or systems such as High Mountains, Mountain Units, and Nuclear Weapons work seamlessly within the overall framework of the series, this game is as much Doug’s as it is mine. I’m very pleased with the outcome, excited about getting this one to print, and I hope you enjoy Part 1 of this Series Replay covering the first game turn of the introductory scenario. – Mitch

Game Background –

Next War: India Pakistan (NWIP) is the next game in development for the Next War series, following Next War: Korea (NWK) and Next War: Taiwan (NWT). In late 2013 I contacted Mitchell about the potential for a game in the series featuring a new India-Pakistan conflict. After looking at possible one-map configurations, we settled on a game that focuses on the “traditional” area of India-Pakistan conflict: the Indian states of Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. We assume potential intervention by China (allied with Pakistan), the United States (allied with India), and Russia (allied with India). We thought it was a good fit for the Next War series since both sides have very large, mechanized ground forces and modern air forces. And, in our view, a potential conflict between India and Pakistan is one of the more likely large-scale conventional conflicts in the future. Since Mitchell was focused on finishing NWT, he told me to run with the project to get things going. In a year’s time we have a near final map and counters, along with a solid draft of the Game Specific Rules (GSR). NWIP features six scenarios (three using the standard rules and three for the advanced rules). For this “series replay” we decided to test drive the introductory standard rules scenario: “Kashmir”. I will play the “non-Allied” attacking side with Pakistan and China while Mitch takes the defending “Allied” side with the Indian forces.

Scenario Introduction –

“Kashmir” features a little bit of all the major features of the system, and is designed to help players get the feel for the Next War series in this theater. A glance at the map shows just how difficult the terrain is in this part of the world. The Kashmir valley is tucked in between towering mountain ranges to the north and south. These mountains are so high we added a new terrain type called “High Mountains” to the series (the white mountain hexes). Movement into those hexes, which represent ranges at/above 15,000 feet in most cases, is significantly restricted. Helicopters also can’t operate in those hexes. Then, inside the valley the terrain is still a challenge. There is a minor river, a large lake, and even some rice paddy hexes showing areas of intense agriculture. Basically, whatever one thinks “tank country” might be, this isn’t it.

The scenario depicts a Pakistani offensive into the Kashmir Valley, with significant Chinese support in the air and on the ground.   Players earn VP for enemy casualties during the game and at game end for possession of five victory hexes: (4409 (Baramula), 4610 (Bandipora), 4412 (Srinagar), 4214 (Anantnag), and the 4511 mountain hex). Here, Mitch and I agree to play without the optional supply rules for the standard game. A close-up of the terrain shows just how difficult it is (I added the red stars just to show the VP hexes, everything else is playtest map art):

Pakistan/Chinese Player Initial Thoughts –

The Pakistan player has five possible routes into the valley where the VP hexes are located. The two main routes are the secondary roads that cross the mountains and lead to the city of Baramula (4409) and the town of Bandipora (4610). There is a third secondary road that runs toward Srinagar from the town of Kargil (4913). There are two other mountain passes, in 4407 and from 4808 to 4608, which offer alternative routes, albeit without roads. Finally, the two Chinese parachute divisions give the Pakistan player lots of other options using airborne drops or airmobile movement.

I decide to send the Pakistan X Corps through the “Baramula gap” while the Pakistan FCNA Corps will try to push through the high mountain hex into Bandipora. I will use the Chinese airborne divisions (which start at the airbase outside Islamabad) to both help the main X Corps attack at Baramula while also trying to get into the Indian backfield in/around the town of Anantnag (4214) that has the advantage of being a VP hex and a perfect place to delay the two Indian divisions that arrive as reinforcements. The following shows the scenario setup and my general plan of attack:

The Pakistan side has the initiative for the first two turns, which will give me 6 combat phases to work with. I am hoping that is enough to let me bash through the mountain terrain and border fortifications and secure both Baramula and Bandipora by the end of GT2. I am also hoping the Chinese paratroopers can bottle up the Indian reinforcements at the southern end of the valley while maybe also threatening the city of Srinagar. Then, in GT3 and GT4 I hope to grab at least one more VP hex.

Indian Player Initial Thoughts –

Since Doug has done the lion’s share of design work on this next installment of the Next War Series, designed this scenario, and has already played it several times, I will admit to approaching this playtest against him with a healthy amount of fear of getting trounced playing my own system! Since the Indians are on the defensive, I’ll be in reaction mode at the beginning. My initial forces aren’t bad, although the XIV Corps is out of position, around Kargil, to be able to effectively defend the VP hexes initially. The good news is that several of the Indian units have a 6 Efficiency Rating and will, therefore, be available for Elite Reaction Movement, so I’ll be able to stop some of the bleeding. I’m placing my two Combat Outposts just north and west of Baramula to see if I can slow down what will most likely be the main Pakistani advance and give me time to blow the bridges leading into the city. Another thing in this scenario which I’ll have to watch out for are those pesky Chinese Airborne divisions. He starts with one and gets another one as a reinforcement. With their ability to use Airmobile and Airborne Movement, my rear areas will be under constant threat, and that will drain my manpower covering those hexes. Hopefully, the rugged terrain will allow me to hold off Doug for the first two turns he has Initiative since there are only a few avenues of attack. Then, I can recover any lost ground in the final two turns (the 3rd turn is Contested, and the 4th will be my Initiative turn).

Game Turn 1

Pakistani Player

The start of GT1 goes as planned for the Pakistan side.   I manage to eliminate a combat outpost on the border along the road to Baramula, while also reducing the big Indian mountain division on the right flank. However, due to some mediocre dice I manage to reduce my one armored brigade in X Corps and two of the four attacking mountain brigades in FCNA corps. But, the Next War series has a highly attritional combat results table (CRT), so one has to plan for losses even on high odds attacks. The Chinese airborne division uses airmobile movement to land two brigades in the northern edge of the valley in good order. However, my airborne drop in the southern end falls prey to accurate Indian air defense fire and aborts back to Islamabad. That will be a continuing theme in this game as it turns out.

In his elite reaction movement, Mitch moves up an Indian mountain brigade into the high mountain hex in 4709. He moves another to help support his division in Baramula. During exploit combat I am able to finish off his big mountain division on the right flank (in 4809) and plow through the second combat outpost on the road to Baramula. However, since those are fortified hexes I won’t get use of the road until the Reorganization Phase at the end of the turn, slowing down my trailing units, which continue to slog through the mountains. In his reaction phase, Mitch pulls his infantry division out of Baramula to form a defense line behind the river, with the lake securing his right flank. That will turn out to be a shrewd move that ties up the attacking Pakistanis for quite a while. Situation at end of GT1 reaction movement/combat phase:

During basic movement/combat the Pakistanis consolidate their gains, moving into Baramula with a Pakistani division and one Chinese airborne brigade. The trailing units of X Corps are stuck for the most part until next turn. During the reorganization phase, I get a lucky clearing roll in Baramula and secure the hex. (Unlike most games, just entering a hex isn’t enough to “take” it. In the Next War series, some hexes such as cities, urban hexes, and major military installations have to be “cleared” by occupying troops before a player gets control of the hex.) Also worth noting are the “bridge destroyed” markers Mitch created as he pulled out of Baramula. That is another new feature in NWIP, where we have added bridge destruction/repair rules given the critical nature of bridging operations in this terrain and the relatively meager engineering assets on both sides. So, the end of GT1 situation looks like this:

Pakistan/China Player Thoughts –

While not an ideal GT1, I have secured two important objectives: the city of Baramula and the elimination of the Indian 28^th Mountain division, which is the main Indian force on the right flank of the valley. That should open the way to eventually securing the VP town of Bandipora later.   However, I took a lot of losses due to some bad dice rolls. I lost an armored brigade entirely, and struggled into Baramula with a reduced-strength infantry division. I also lost a brigade and had to reduce three others in my series of battles with the Indian 28^th Mountain division, although I use the 2 replacement points I receive in GT1 to get two of those brigades back to full strength. Mitch has also formed a tough defense line behind the river in the middle of the valley, but I am hoping to outflank that line in GT2 using the Chinese 44^th Airborne Division, which arrived as reinforcement at the end of GT1. With just one Indian mountain brigade holding the Bandipora VP hex, I am also confident I can secure that early in GT2.

India Player Thoughts –

That was a fairly good first turn, primarily due to some poor combat rolls on the Pakistani side. Doug controls the upper valley, but I’m relying on the lake to help protect the rest of it. Part of that informs my first major decision to not try and hold Baramula. The division there was able to destroy the bridge leading into the city, and the brigade which moved up to reinforce the river line managed to destroy the bridge leading out of the city making that defensive line fairly formidable. Unfortunately, the situation in Bandipora isn’t nearly as copacetic. I hated leaving that High Mountain hex (4709) as it’s much better defensive terrain, but I can’t leave any VP hex open due to the presence of the Chinese Airborne. Fortunately, the Indian SAM and AAA troops are, apparently, top-notch as they keep aborting the PRC troops when they try to drop. Also, I received the 6^th Mt. Division as a reinforcement at the end of the turn, and they are a most welcome addition to the defense as I’m starting to feel the pinch of having too much ground to cover and not enough units to do so.

Series Replay Part 2

Series Replay Part 3

Series Replay Part 4

Author: Doug Bush

I have been a gamer since the mid-1980s, when I started with Squad Leader, which of course led to a long obsession with Advanced Squad Leader. In college I was also a Harpoon fanatic, including gaming basically every naval combat from the Tom Clancy book Red Storm Rising. However, my true gaming passion has always been modern ground combat games such as the GDW Assault and Third World War series, and detailed modern air simulations like GMT's Downtown and Elusive Victory. As a former US Army armor officer, I love games that model operational level maneuver and logistics.