Introduction
Twilight Struggle is my favorite game. I have previously reviewed the 2nd edition, the Chinese Civil War variant from C3i #21, and the Late War Scenario from C3i #19. Between face to face play, wargameroom.com, and ACTS, I've played over 100 games in 2009.
This review is about the recently released Deluxe Edition from GMT Games. The game was designed by <PERSON> and <PERSON>, and the original version was released in 2005.
It is a 2 player game, and typically takes 2-3 hours to play a full game.
Theme
TS is a game about the Cold War between the USA and USSR covering the period from 1945-1989. While it's true the two superpowers never directly fired a shot at one another in that time, there were plenty of proxy wars where funding and weapons were supplied to the ideologically favored faction. This game simulates the ideological conflict on a global scale.
Components
The components for the new deluxe edition have been thoroughly revamped from the 2nd edition.
The game features a new, redesigned map with a gorgeous linen finish, mounted on a very sturdy board. Some nice new features have been added to the map, such as set up information being printed right on the board (see photo), and the space race track has been revamped slightly - now instead of "The Eagle/Bear" has landed being the end of the track, with the space shuttle and the international space station taking up the final two slots.
The map also has the Chinese Civil War variant box printed right on it (more on that below).
The counters are slightly larger and have nicely rounded corners. They're roughly half again as thick as the standard GMT counters, but very sturdy and will stand up to repeated play. They are not as thick as most Euro games, but since there will be times you'll need to stack these counters, it's my opinion that they're just right.
The cards are of the standard excellent quality we've come to expect and enjoy from GMT.
If I had to quibble about something, it would be the dice included in the deluxe set. They aren't as pretty as the ones that came in my 2nd edition/3rd printing set. They are, however, perfectly functional.
The rule book is clear and concise, and has been updated to include both the optional Chinese Civil War variant (form C3i #21) and the Late War Scenario (from C3i #19).
Finally, the deluxe box comes with an insert. I'm of mixed minds about it. On the one hand, if you're like me and put your components in bags, the insert works beautifully. 92
If you're going to be making tuck boxes for the cards and wanted to use a Plano box for your counters, or even a counter tray, you'll likely be ditching the insert - otherwise, it won't fit!
Rules and Game Play
If you're an experienced TS player, you can skip this part and head straight for the Variations on a Theme and New Cards sections. If not, read on!
Twilight Struggle is a card driven game played over a maximum of 10 turns. The game may end sooner (and frequently does).
Twilight Struggle is fundamentally a game about area control. There are six geopolitical regions on the map: Europe (split into Eastern and Western Europe subregions), Asia (including the Southeast Asia subregion), the Middle East, Africa, Central America, and South America. Within each region are countries that have a stability number, representing how stable the government tends to be.
Having control of countries helps determine whether you have presence, domination, or control of a region, which in turn helps you earn victory points.
Within each region, there are a number of battleground countries, which are considered key to the region. They are distinguished by having their name in white on a dark blue background and their stability number is red.
Victory Points and Winning
Twilight Struggle uses a push-pull scoring victory track, with the scoring marker starting on 0. Every time you score points, you move the scoring marker in your direction. Victory in Twilight Struggle can occur in one of the following ways:
1. if a player gets to 20+ VP at any time, they win
2. if the DEFCON goes to 1, then the non-phasing player wins (more on that below)
3. if a player controls Europe and Europe Scoring is played, they win automatically (more on that below)
4. if someone plays the <PERSON> card as an event and ends the game, whoever has the higher VP total wins (more on that below)
5. if none of the above happens, the winner is determined after final scoring at the end of turn 10. Whoever has the higher VP total wins.
A player earns victory points in the following ways:
1. 597