Hi Alan, Hind & Seek will be a simple but detailed ruleset focusing on the asymmetrical nature of the war in Afghanistan. Infantry are the main focus, with Mujahideen able to disappear into the terrain, appear from ambush positions, as well as fire from hidden positions without revealing where exactly they are (to allow "Where is that fire coming from!?"-type situations). Units can of course spend time to try to work out where the enemy is…
The ruleset is broaching new territory for me, while I have written a modern ruleset (T-90), and I have written an asymmetrical ruleset (the New Zealand Wars), I have never written an asymmetrical modern ruleset in a mountainous region like Afghanistan.
This system will treat vehicles as simply as possible, with the focus being on infantry and weapon teams, and a more in-depth morale and suppression system.
Apart from the main dynamics of moving, firing, spotting for artillery, calling in helicopter support, infantry dispersing and re-appearing, there is also an asset and reputation system which are again new elements for me, and will require some playtesting to get right.
The asset system allows you to swap potential forces on the tabletop for things like air strikes, escape routes, pre-prepared firing positions, airborne insertions, AP mines, IEDs, villages to fire from, and other such assets that will help your forces on the table.
The aim of this system is to allow a very small force to still hold its own against a much larger one. So a Small Mujahideen force could have excellent overhead cover, be using friendly markings to prevent Soviet air strikes, have pre-prepared weapons caches, and escape routes, to allow them to hit and run without taking any casualties and make a significant dent on a larger force.
Each asset is represented by a playing card randomly drawn before the game, and they have a dual purpose in that they can counter enemy assets instead of being played for your own forces. So if the Mujahideen deploy a village they can fire from by the side of the road, the Soviets can bulldoze it as a reaction.
The reputation system lends itself to campaign play – so each battle influences the next – in that things like bulldozing villages or destroying roadside vegetation will turn the local population away from the Soviets, and will be more likely to lend more support to the Mujahideen. There are ways to gain more support, or just hope that the enemy does something horrible. With enough support, a faction will gain a minor increase in assets and/or units on the table the next game.
Should be a fun system, and I'm looking forward to play-testing it.
I'm also running a thread here if anyone is interested in helping out playtesting:
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