Fulda Gap: The First Battle of the Next War (1977)

"Fulda Gap: The First Battle of the Next War", is a regimental/brigade level wargame simulation of a possible Warsaw Pact assault into West Germany through the area of relatively open terrain centered around the town of Fulda sometime in the near future. Success would allow the Pact armies to drive a wedge between the NATO forces deployed to the north and south, seize several important logistic centers, and perhaps establish a bridgehead across the Rhine River.

Of all the scenarios for a coming world war, none has received more attention than the possibility of a future NATO-Warsaw Pact confrontation. For 25 years, the armies of East and West have faced one another across a divided Germany, each knowing that it is in this region that the course of any war will be decided.

There are two types of games: the Standard Game and the Advanced Game. Preferably, the Players should become familiar with the Standard Garne first and then increase the level of complexity until they find a rules mix with which they are most comfortable.

The key to the game lies in the combination of a unique combat system and a new untried unit procedure. Basically, each ground combat unit consists of three "steps" and an untried status. As a unit enters combat, its actual strength— which may be greater or less than its normal face-value — must be determined. Combat results are expressed in terms of "retreat points" which must be expended either by retreating and/or by taking step losses. Since the owning player controls the path and method of retreat, there is a wide range of possible outcomes from each combat situation.

Fulda Gap Shows the likely impact of a great number of factors on modern warfare. Supply and movement systems stress the importance of roads and autobahns; rules are provided to reflect the importance of divisional integrity, artillery, helicopters, airmobile units, replacements, Soviet doctrine, field fortifications, and disengagement. And players wishing to increase the complexity of the game may use an innovative air system. Extensive rules also cover chemical and nuclear warfare.

Game Scale:
Game Turn: 1 day
Hex: 3.88 miles / 6.25 kilometers
Units: Regiment & Brigade

Game Inventory:
One 22 x 34" full color map
One dual-side printed countersheet (400 1/2" counters)
One 16-page Fulda Gap rulebook
One dual-side printed Turn Record/Reinforcement Track
Two dual-side printed Charts & Tables folder (4 pages, Combat, Terrain tables, etc)

Solitaire Playability: High
Complexity Level: Medium
Players: 2 or more
Playing Time: 4-15 hours