1985: Deadly Northern Lights

“The waters of the Barents Sea are constantly violated by nuclear armed US submarines and carriers.
Nordic Countries must realize that their tacit consent plunges them into the strategic balance between United States and the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics.”

Public Declaration of State Committee on the State of Emergency in the U.S.S.R.
Moscow July 24, 1985

1985: Deadly Northern Lights covers the Warsaw Pact offensive against the Nordic countries during the dramatic events of World War Three. Norway, Sweden, Finland and insular Denmark are in the cross-hair, facing the full might of Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet and two Soviet Military Districts.

Both sides have only a fraction of the ground forces available in the Central European Front and must overcome the problems dictated by scarce lines of communication and by the harsh environment.

Every aspect of a modern aero-naval campaign is covered: naval and air combat, electronic warfare, nuclear and chemical weapons, special forces, standoff strikes, supply convoys, coastal defenses, mine warfare, amphibious invasions, and more.

Game Components

  • 3 98x65cm maps and 2 smaller maps, depicting Scandinavia and surrounding areas.
  • 1600 counters, representing NATO, Warsaw Pact and Sweden ground, air and naval forces
  • 44 pages Rules booklet
  • 40 pages Scenarios / Designer’s Notes booklet
  • 2 Tables booklets
  • 10 Player’s Aid Charts
  • 2 Dice
Map Overview
Narvik Area
Stockholm Area
NATO Counters
Warsaw Pact Counters

Game Highlights

  • Playable stand-alone or in combination with 1985:Under an Iron Sky
  • Order of Battle and TO&E are not “generic”, but set exactly in July, 1985
  • 14km per hex, 48 hours per game turn
  • Division / Brigade / Battalion sized ground combat units
  • Special Forces, Airmobile, Paratroops, Electronic Warfare, Artillery, SSM, SAM and Air Defense Artillery units
  • Squadron sized Air and Helicopter units
  • Extensive air war rules covering Escort, Intercept, SEAD, Wild Weasel, Ground Strike and more
  • Surface Ships and Submarines, from single flag ships to groups of fast patrol missile boats
  • Realistic but flowing naval rules. Everyone here remembers the horror of TNW’s 12-turns naval phase
  • Specific operational tactics like Active Defense and Single-Echelon Assaults
  • Variable reinforcements, depending by Players’ decisions and external events
  • Six different scenarios of increasing complexity:
    • The Gates of Fire: The initial Soviet offensive in Northern Norway
    • The Baltic Will Tell: Warsaw Pact’s surprise assault against Stockholm
    • Against a Sea of Troubles: Soviet amphibious invasion of Denmark
    • Black Become the Sun’s Beams: Warsaw Pact’s aeronaval assault on Norway
    • Nordic Balance: The full World War Three Arctic campaign
    • To Shatter the Old World: 1985: Under an Iron Sky + 1985: Deadly Northern Lights combined campaign. Nothing can be worse.
  • Rated 9.0 on BoardGameGeek!
  • 2020 Charles S. Roberts Awards Nominee, Best Post-WW2, Cold War, & Hypothetical Era Board Wargame!

Price & Availability

163 Euros worldwide, but we’re out of stock!

Additional Downloadable Content