Somali Pirates, designed by Joseph Miranda, is a wargame set in a
hypothetical Coalition campaign to destroy the power of pirates based in
Somalia, as well as to otherwise gain control of that country. The assumption
of the game is that the pirates, in league with local warlords and Al Qaeda,
have become strong enough to be an even bigger threat to the region than they
are now. In response, various powers launch military action against them.
There are two players in
Somali Pirates: The Coalition, who wants to destroy the pirates, and the
Pirates, who want to survive, as well as to maximize their own power and
wealth. Central to play of the game is the Netwar Index. Each player has a
Netwar Index that indicates how successful he is in achieving his
goals...effectively, representing the amount of public support that each side
is getting. The Netwar Index affects various aspects of the game, such as
mobilization of reinforcements, and is also part of gaining victory.
Both players have a set of
counters that represent their naval, land, air and special operations forces
(SOF). Players move their pieces across the spaces on the map and engage in
various kinds of conflict in order to destroy enemy forces, seize critical
geographical regions, and change the Netwar Index (hopefully in their favor).
Both sides can mobilize new units by paying for them with Netwar Points. Given
the asymmetry of the situation, each side in the game will have several unique
rules..
The game includes one map of
East Africa and environs, from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, and one
counter-sheet (228 counters) representing various pirate and Al Qaeda forces,
local militias and warlords, plus the principle Coalition forces (primarily
NATO and the United States, and even a potential inclusion of a Chinese
expeditionary force).
The
game includes one map (22x34”) and 228 counters.
Players: 2
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