I am a big fan of different types of games (some would say games in general) but there is always that special subject matter that fascinates me and that will make me seek out games that talk/deal with this subject. One such subject is asymmetrical warfare and more specifically COIN, or COunter INsurgence warfare. As such, these types of conflicts are usually represented by “hearts and minds” operation or having a group that is in power fighting against another, much smaller group who is trying to disrupt the status quo and this by much different means. Instead of being straight out fights, they attempt to simulate large armies trying to deal with much more nimble, smaller groups who’s primary aim is not to kill but rather to disrupt and win the sympathy of the local population.
One of the first game I’ve ever played on that subject is Ici, C’est la France (Legion Wargames) by Kim Kanger , which proved to be both fascinating and very fiddly. My love of the subject made me hunt down games by both Brian Train (Battle for China, Algeria, Shining Path and more) and Volko Ruhnke (Wilderness War, Labyrinth: War on Terror, Andean Abyss). Both have made games on COIN in the past and now they’ve collaborated in the GMT COIN Series on a new title: A Distant Plain. A match made in heaven surely, right?
I love asymmetrical gameplay and one series that has stood out for me recently is the recent one from