ASYMM WARFAR
METRIC RE
INTRO
Asymmetric Warfare is a new way of looking at chess. It is a fresh look on this classic game and it updates the game to a modern context. With predecessors from the 6th century the game of chess hasn’t changed much. It is a representation of war, and it is based on war from that time. The idea with Asymmetric Warfare is to bring it closer to modern warfare. In the classic game of chess you look at a romanticized version of war. Where opponents of equal strength meet up on a battlefield with no territorial advantages or disadvantages. In chess war is idealized into a game of pure strategy, where luck or position is not a factor. In real life war is any but equal or fair, weaker nations are invaded by stronger nations. Either victory or defeat has devastating effect on the country that’s being invaded. Nations are driven to war over resources, territory, religion, politics or because of the self appointed moral leaders of the world seek to liberate the supposedly oppressed. Asymmetric Warfare is about redefining chess and bringing it closer to the asymmetric reality of modern warfare where the strength of conflicting sides varies. As resources and economy play a big role in modern warfare the game has economical point which can
give you extra move per turns and so on, rendering the asymmetry not only by size of an army but also by the economical strength which is a key for a strong arsenal. Instead of the classic chess set (pawn, rook, bishop, knight, king and queen) the pieces are based on modern weapons. The new pieces consist of an assault rifle, sniper-rifle, rocket launcher, tank, jeep, civilian and a news-reporter. There are four nation in the game which are drawn at the start of the game by each player. The nation you get will decide on what pieces and how many of them you start with. It will also determines your economical situation. The battlefield resembles a classic chessboard, but with different size, and a extra dimension which is the cyberspace. As the digital era has left it’s mark on modern warfare it is essential to include it in the game. The cyberspace exists as a deck of cards where you can send viruses, airstrikes or spy on your enemy. The goal of this new chess is to reflect and deal with warfare and how it has become. Provoke thoughts about the victims of war as to question the reasons and consequences of war.
RULES
Players take turns to move or attack with their pieces. The number of moves a player can do per turn is based on a player’s economical strength. Where one economy point means one move. You can make your moves on the chessboard or in the cyberspace. Playing a card from cyberspace is considered as a move. Players starts with 3 cards in their hand. Drawing a card to add to your hand cost one economy point. A card from cyberspace takes one turn to take effect unless that card is played subsequently by the player being attacked ( i.e. cards like “reveal airstrike location” take immediate effect). Your objectives are to eliminate the enemy, take out all pieces until your pieces are the last ones standing. When the games starts players draw a nation. After drawing a nation you set up your armies according to the instruction on the nation card.
NATIONS
Each player draws a nation, each nation has different qualities. The striped nation is an invading nation. It starts up with 4 economy points. The nation relies on distance when eliminating enemies and has a strong air-force. The dotted nation is the poorest but is mobile and can spread quickly. When playing against the striped nation this nation starts up with an extra economy point (making it three points). The Checkered nation is an invading nation. It has an economic strength and relies on it’s ground units. The Halved circle nation has large amount of civilian and can rely on them for radicalization. It has average economic strength. Mercenaries - With sufficient economy point you can hire mercenaries. If you have six or more economy points you can buy an assault rifle unit for two economy points.
Assault-rifle sniper Rocketlauncher Civilian Newsreporter Jeep Tank Drone Jet Bomberplane Economy points
10 4 2 0 0 2 3 0 3 1 4
Assault-rifle sniper Rocketlauncher Civilian Newsreporter Jeep Tank Drone Jet Bomberplane Economy points
9 4 4 6 0 2 1 0 2 0 3
The nations with the navy ships on their badge are invading nations. Those nations always start. If two invading nations are drawn at the beginning of the game, players must flip a coin to decides who starts. Same goes if two defending nations are drawn.
Assault-rifle sniper Rocketlauncher Civilian Newsreporter Jeep Tank Drone Jet Bomberplane Economy points
9 2 4 6 0 4 0 0 2 0 2
Assault-rifle sniper Rocketlauncher Civilian Newsreporter Jeep Tank Drone Jet Bomberplane Economy points
10 4 3 0 2 4 2 6 6 2 4
MOVEME The Assault Rifle
The Rocket Launcher
The Sniper
The Jeep
Movement
ENT The Tank
The Civilians
The NewsReporter
The gray squares indicate the movements possible if the unit were located at the center of the image.
OF UNITS
UNITS,
DETAIL The units, or the chess pieces shown on the previous page form your army. They can all attack except two pieces, the civilian and the news-reporter. Though they cannot attack they have a function in the game. With the right card from cyberspace civilians can attack and when positioned correctly they can function as an obstacle for your opponent. If a civilian dies in a three square range from the news reporter the opponent looses an economy for the next turn. If all civilians die the opponent looses the game. The third unit which does not follow the general behaviors of normal pieces is the tank. The tank can only be eliminated by a rocketlauncher, another tank, jeep or an airstrike.
LS
CYBER– SPACE
E Cyberspace is a deck of cards, which is played at the end of the turn, during the next turn the opponent has a chance to counter the card, if he/she fails to counter it, the card takes effect the following turn. Countering a card cancels the effect of it. When carrying out an attack you must first lay the card down and announce an attack towards your opponent. During your opponents turn he/she has a opportunity to play a card to counter the attack, ( i.e. if it is and airstrike he can play the “reveal airstrike location� card and gets his units to safety). Not all cards can be countered though.
Cards
Bomberplane
Show this card then wait for one turn to choose a location of an 4x4 square airstrike.
Drone
Show this card then wait for one turn to choose a location of an 1x1 square airstrike.
Jet
Cards
Show this card then wait for one turn to choose a location of an 2x2 square airstrike.
Reveal hidden units
Play this when opponent has played the supplytunnels card to reveal its location.
Look at opponents hand
Look at your opponents hand. This card can be counter by the same card.
Reveal airstrike location
With an incoming airstrike towards you. Use this card to reveal the intended location.
Capture drone
Play this when opponent plays a drone card. Now you can choose the drone‘s target.
Media blackout
Cancel all effects of the news-reporters.
Scramble Communications
Your scramble your opponents communications. your opponent looses 1 economy point.
Econimal collapse
Hack your opponents banking system. Your opponent looses 2 economy point.
Revolt !
Your propaganda causes the public revolts against your opponent. -2 economy points.
Powerplant meltdown
You hack your opponents powerplants. Causing a meltdown. -3 economy points.
Economical growth
Your Economy grows. +1 economy points.
Oil
You capture oil. Your Economy grows. +2 economy points.
Diamonds
Cards
You capture a diamond mine. Your Economy grows. +3 economy points.
Nuclear warfare
You use nuclear weapons on your opponent. Eliminate all on a 16x16 square area.
Chemical weapons
You use chemical weapons on your opponent. Eliminate all on a 2x2 square area.
Radicalize
Your public gets radicalized. For one turn your civilians can attack.
You get reinforcement. Gain 2 Reinforcement assault rifles. Place them at your starting point.
Supply tunnels
Choose a square on the board. Next turn place an assault-rifle there.
R
AS Y M AR M FA E R T
RE R IC
The intention of making this game is to reflect the situation of today’s warfare. To take in account that war is not only fought by soldiers on a battlefield but also by civilians in every situation. Represented in the game by the civilian unit and new reporters, as the media does play a role in war. Today’s war does not take place on one battle field but is located on multiple battlefields. That why you can fight on the board and in cyberspace, with either a invading nation or a defending one. It is about observing the asymmetry of warfare, which is the essence of the game. No sides are ever equal and war can never be justified.