The first part of the 1985: Sacred Oil Designers’ Notes is now declassified, in exclusive on BigBoardGaming!
It’s going to be a hard campaign, get ready or get dead.
https://bigboardgaming.com/1985-sacred-oil-designers-notes-by-fabrizio-vianello-part-1
Very enjoyable article. Looking forward to this. I notice you said this is the final game, is there no plans for a southern front game featuring WP forces versus Turkey and Greece?
I wonder, when combining all three (Truly the domain of the mad and the foolish), will certain cards have an impact of the other fronts? I noticed for instance E13, Moscow MD states that these units had otherwise been earmarked for the central front.
Yep, even when playing 1985:SO alone certain cards have an impact on the other fronts. The difference is that with 1985:SO the impact is in victory points, while when playing several modules the units are physically moved to a front or another.
I notice you say this is the final part of the 1985 trilogy. Did you ever consider a Southern Europe game of moves against Greece or Turkey, maybe even events including Yugoslavia, using other WP nations?
Yep we’ve considered that but discarded it quickly….
In the 1985 global strategic scenario, Warsaw Pact simply does not have enough forces for an offensive in Central Europe, Norway, Middle East AND Balkans at the same time.
Czechoslovakian and Hungarian armies are badly needed in Southern Germany, Bulgarian Army is a train wreck and Ceausescu’s Romania is completely unreliable. Moreover, the only real strategic objective (the Dardanelles Straits) is defended by the strongly motivated and well equipped Turkish Army.
Short of science fiction events like Yugoslavia joining the Pact or Albania having some secret superpower, any Soviet move in the Balkans is bound to fail very quickly.
I’ve already tried convincing Fabrizio, but alas, his analysis makes sense. Any assault against the Dardanelles and Istanbul would require enormous effort, comparable to an entire front of Europe.
I _could_ see an opportunistic China trying to grab some Indian territory but thats another ballgame.
Maybe a far east scenario with North Korea trying to take advantage of a distracted united states?
What about a NATO offensive/counterattack towards Crimea, as the pact is struggling/falling apart? I would find it interesting. 🤔
You would make a very creative theatre commander for sure 🙂
Yes! Possibly!? 🙄
Just make the game and I’ll try surprise at least a few enemy commanders?! 😂