In a Dark Wood

“The goal is to collapse adversary’s system into confusion and disorder causing him to over and under react to activity that appears simultaneously menacing as well as ambiguous, chaotic, or misleading.”

John R. Boyd, “Patterns of Conflict”

At 0400 Zulu Time, July 24 1985, Warsaw Pact forces cross the Inner German Border and assault NATO positions in West Germany. The offensive against US VII Corps sector has a first echelon of eight Soviet and Czechoslovakian divisions, and three main objectives: Pin the NATO forces defending the area, inflict as much casualties as possible, and force CENTAG to commit some reserves to the defense of the sector.

Taking its roots from SPI’s “Central Front” and “NATO: Division Commander”, In a Dark Wood is the fourth module of the C3 series, focused on Command, Control and Communication and pioneered by Less Than 60 Miles – one of the five nominees for the 2019 Charles Roberts Awards as Best Post-WW2, Cold War, & Hypothetical Era Board Wargame.

All the elements of modern mechanized warfare are covered: Chemical and Nuclear Weapons, Attack Helicopters, Engineers, Electronic Warfare, Counter-Battery Fire, Ribbon Bridges, Reconnaissance, Intelligence, Close Air Support coordination, and more.

Some of the “In a Dark Wood” components – Click for full resolution

Several typical wargame mechanics have been reinterpreted, and both sides must fight three equally dangerous foes: the enemy, their own plan and time. Even a simple action can quickly turn into a disaster when facing an opponent using more efficiently the real key to victory: the OODA Loop theorized by John Boyd in the early ‘80s and used today as the basis for several military doctrines.

Military doctrine, tactics and peculiarities for each side are represented, allowing a skilled commander to use his own strength points and exploit the enemy’s weak ones. Some examples are:

  • US VII Corps command problems due to its multinational structure.
  • West German Auftragstaktik (Mission-Type Orders), giving Bundeswehr a flexibility hardly obtained by other armies.
  • French incomplete integration into the wartime NATO structure.
  • Soviet Sappers, first-line assault units used to crack the toughest nuts.
  • Soviet Assault From March.
  • The abundant but partially outdated Czechoslovakian artillery.
  • Warsaw Pact Axis of Advance.
  • Warsaw Pact vulnerable supply network.

Moreover, this is the fourth module of the C3 Series, covering the whole NATO – Warsaw Pact conflict in Central Europe. Each module can be combined with the adjoining ones, covering up to the whole Central Front in a gigantic, unmanageable, mind-blowing campaign.

Game Highlights

  • 5 km per hex, 3 hours per game turn
  • Regiment / Battalion sized ground units
  • Detailed Order of Battle set in July, 1985
  • Close Air Support and Attack Helicopters
  • Command, Control & Communication related problems
  • Electronic and Intelligence Warfare
  • Artillery interdiction and Counter-Battery fire
  • Chemical and Nuclear warfare
  • Specific events for Warsaw Pact and NATO
  • Random events to further increase battlefield chaos
  • Two Campaign games:
    The Main Problem, the Warsaw Pact offensive against US VII Corps.
    One Minute to Midnight, unrestricted nuclear warfare after days of build-up.
  • Four smaller scenarios:
    Just a Second Away, US 2ACR and 1/3I Brigade meet the Soviet 28th Tank Division.
    Shortcut to Schweinfurt, Soviet 28th Army turns south and clashes with West German 12. PanzerDivision.
    Where the Forest Whispers, US 3rd Infantry Division faces one Soviet and one Czechoslovakian Army.
    Operation Marsh Harrier, the NATO counterattack after the arrival of the French forces.
  • Playable alone or in combination with Less Than 60 Miles, The Dogs of War, and Die Festung Hamburg. Are you man enough for 700 km of World War Three front line?
  • Optional and unforgiving campaign victory conditions, completely ignoring unmanly arguments about “unbalanced play”. It’s all or nothing.

Game Components

  • 98×85 cm matte plasticized map, covering the US VII Corps Area of Responsibility
  • 7 countersheets, 1200+ 5/8″ matte plasticized counters
  • 39 Action and Event Cards
  • 24 pages Rules Booklet
  • 32 pages Scenarios and Designers’ Notes Booklet
  • 8 pages Field Manual with operational examples
  • 2x Tables Booklets
  • 5x Players’ Aid Charts
  • 2x 10-sided dice
  • 10x Zipbags

Price and Availability

Sold out! Ceasefire at 20250101 1104ZT.

Additional Contents