Next War: Taiwan

Over sixty years later, and the divisions still run deeper than the straits which separate the Republic of China from the People's Republic of China. Once again, a historically, ethnically, and culturally homogeneous people separated by politics and economics hurl men, weapons, and material into the maelstrom of modern combat in an attempt to settle their bitter division once and for all.

Next War: Taiwan, the next volume in GMT's series of Next War games and the follow-on to Next War: Korea, allows players to fight a near future war in and around the island of Taiwan. In this sequel, the communist state of China, the PRC, has decided that its time to end the rhetoric and posturing and bring the breakaway republic back into the Socialist Harmonious Society.

Due to the nature of the "terrain" surrounding Taiwan, the game features an expanded, yet still abstracted and playable, naval system including submarine threats, ASW, mine warfare, and anti-naval strikes. In addition, rules exist for combining Next War: Taiwan with Next War: Korea to simulate an expanded conflict.

Note: the Next War series is not an Introductory wargame. Rather, we have intended herein to create a system (and a series) that will allow detailed study of modern warfare in various venues as well as engaging gameplay. 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. The real flavor of a war in the theatre, though, comes through in the Advanced Game, where you get much more control over airpower and can more clearly see each side's strengths and weaknesses. 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 Next War: Korea will NOT be required to play.

Units

Ground units in Next War: Taiwan represent primarily brigades, regiments, and battalions of the armies of the two Chinas and the United States. 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.

Naval units and capabilities are abstracted somewhat in the Next War series. A "Sea Control" mechanism reflects the results of the surface and sub-surface battles, while the game's naval unit counters represent the major Aircraft Carrier Battle Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups of the US Navy. Additional amphibious capabilities are represented by the Special Forces capabilities of each side. Changes to the naval system include

• Naval Display Play Aid to allow for movement, air ranges, etc. in the seas surrounding Taiwan
• a Submarine Threat Level and ASW Level matrix for the PRC and Allies respectively to represent the subsurface conflict
• naval mine warfare allowing either side to attempt to deny usage of Beaches for Amphibious Assaults or Ports and Beachheads for Sea Transport
• anti-Naval Strikes (including Cruise Missiles) allowing each side to force enemy Naval units to withdraw or risk losses