Strike Force One

Strike Force One, subtitled The Cold War Heats Up 1975, is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc, known as SPI, in 1975, designed by Jim Dunnigan and Redmond A. Simonsen as a deliberately simple introduction to wargaming. The game simulates a hypothetical Cold War clash in West Germany between invading Soviet forces and defending American forces, compressed onto a compact eight by nine hex grid map. Only ten counters are used in total, six Soviet and four American, and every unit shares identical movement and combat strength, which keeps the rules approachable for a first-time player. Turns alternate in a basic I Go You Go sequence; units may not move between hexes lying within an enemy zone of control but may leave such a hex without penalty, and combat between adjacent units is optional, resolving in either a retreat or an elimination. A full game takes only five to ten minutes to complete. The Soviet player wins by occupying two of the map's three towns within four turns, while the American player wins by preventing that outcome. SPI originally gave the game away free to new subscribers of its Strategy and Tactics magazine and at gaming conventions, and Victory Point Games later published a second edition in 2007.