Twilight Struggle (Cold War 2)

Stephen Crane and I switch sides (I am the USSR and he is the USA) for our second try.

Turn 1

Initial Influence Placement:
USSR: Poland (3), Austria (1), Romania (1), Czechoslovakia (1)
USA: W.Germany (4), France (2), Italy (1),

Headline - USSR: Socialist Governments. Remove USA Influence fro W.Germany (3), Italy (0), UK (4), USA: Containment.

Card 1 - USSR: Europe Scoring. USSR has presence, USA has no presence. USSR has 2 Battleground countries (E.Germany, Poland), USA has 0. Net 5 point shift for USSR. USA: Comecon for Influence: W.Germany (4), France (3), Italy (2). USSR Places Influence: Czechoslovakia (2), Finland (2), Yogoslavia (2),

Card 2 - USSR: NATO for Influence: Lebanon (1), Iraq (3) USA: Nuclear Test Ban for Influence: Israel (2), Iran (2).

Card 3 - USSR: De-Stalinazation for a Coup in Italy. Remove 2 USA Influence (0). USA: Decolonization on the Space Race but the launch fails.

Card 4 - USSR: Truman Doctrine for realignment. The USA removes 1 USSR Influence from Finland (0). The USSR attempts to realign Iran, but fails. USA: Indo-Pakistani War for Influence: Israel (4), Jordan (1).

Card 5 - USSR: DeGaulle Leads France for a Coup in Iran. Failing with the gentle touch, the USSR succeeds by force. 2 USA Influence removed (0) and 1 USSR Influence added (1). USA: US/Japan Mutual Defense Pact as event. USA has 4 Influence in Japan.

Card 6 - USSR: Suez Crisis for Influence: Iran (2), Iraly (2). USA: Middle East Scoring. USSR has presence, USA has presence. USSR has 2 Battleground countries (Iran, Iraq), USA has 2 (Israel, Egypt). Net 0 point shift.

USA loses 3 VP for Military Operations.

At Turn's Start:
VP: -8 USSR
Space Race: USSR:0 USA:0
DEFCON: 4
China Card: USSR


Turn 2

Headline - USSR: Nasser. USA: Defectors.

Card 1 - USSR: Arab-Israeli War as Event, but the Arab coalition is driven back. USA: Vietnam Revolts on the Space Race, but the US rocket blows up on the launch pad.

Card 2 - USSR: Five Year Plan and UN Intervention for Influence: Pakistan (2), Spain (1), USA: East European Unrest as Event, removing USSR Influence from Poland (2), E. Germany (2), Czechoslovakia (2).

Card 3 - USSR: Warsaw Pact Formed as Event to place Influence in Poland (3), E.Germany (4), Finland (1), Yugoslavia (3) USA: Independent Reds as Event to place USA Influence in Yugoslavia (3).

Card 4 - USSR: Korean War for Influence: India (1), Italy (3). USA: Olympic Games for Influence: S.Korea (3).

Card 5 - USSR: Fidel for a Coup in Phillipines, which succeeds. 1 USA Influence removed (0), 2 USSR Influence added (2). USA: Asia Scoring. USSR has presence, USA has presence. USSR has 2 Battleground countries (N.Korea, Pakistan), USA has 2 (Japan,S. Korea). Net 0 point shift.


Card 6 - USSR: Romanian Abdication as Event, 3 USSR Influence now in Romania. USA: Formosan Resolution for a Coup in Syria, 1 USSR Influence removed (0), 1 USA Influence added (1).

Card 7 - USSR: USA:

USA loses 2 VP for Military Operations.

At Turn's Start:
VP: -10 USSR
Space Race: USSR:1 USA:0
DEFCON: 5
China Card: USSR

Turn 3

Headline - USSR: Suez Crisis, remove USA Influence from France (1), Israel (2), USA: Red Scare/Purge. Luckily I have a few cards that allow Influence placement as their event.

Card 1 - USSR: Duck and Cover on the Space Race. The USSR finally puts a satellite into orbit. USA: Nuclear Test Ban for Influence: France (3), UK (5), Israel (3).

Card 2 - USSR: Vietnam Revolts as Event, 2 USSR Influence in Vietnam. USA: Captured Nazi Scientist as Event, and the USA has its own Satellite.

Card 3 - USSR: Decolonization as Event. Place Influence in Thailand (1), Laos (1), Zaire (1), Saharan States (1). USA: Europe Scoring. USSR has domination, USA has presence. USSR has 3 Battleground countries (Italy, E.Germany, Poland), USA has 2 (France, W.Germany). Net 5 point shift for USSR.

Card 4 - USSR: Korean War for Influence: Spain (2). The main point is that I am going to dump Marshall Plan this turn, when the number of places he can place Influence is limited since I have lots of European control. USA: Olympic Games for Influence: Israel (3), Jordan (2).

Card 5 - USSR: Marshall Plan for realignment. Yugoslavia's "independent reds" give up on the USA (0). W.Germany remains loyal (4). S. Korea also gives up on the USA (0). USA places Influence in: UK (6), France (4), W.Germany (5), Benelux (1), Denmark (1), Sweeden (1), Norway (1). USA: East European Unrest for Influence: Syria (2), Libya (2).

Card 6 - USSR: CIA Created for Influence. It's reduced to 0 Ops, but it's also removed in exchange for showing my last card (Formosan Resolution) which is being held. USA: MidEast Scoring. USSR has presence, USA has domination. USSR has 2 Battleground countries (Iraq, Iran), USA has 3 (Israel, Libya, Egypt). Net 3 point shift for USA.

USA and USSR lose 5 VP for Military Operations.

At Turn's Start:
VP: -13 USSR
Space Race: USSR:1 USA:1
DEFCON: 5
China Card: USSR

Turn 3

Headline - USSR: Fidel. USSR has 3 Influence in Cuba. USA: Independent Reds, USA has 3 Influence in Romania.

Card 1 - USSR: Formosan Resolution for Influence: Thailand (3). USA: Europe Scoring. USSR has presence, USA has presence. USSR has 3 Battleground countries (Italy, E.Germany, Poland), USA has 0. Net 3 point shift for USSR. Only my lack of a non-BG country kept that from being a total disaster for the USA. His Independent Reds play followed by Europe Scoring was very nicely done!

Card 2 - USSR: Asia Scoring. USSR has domination, USA has presence. USSR has 2 Battleground countries (N.Korea, Thailand), USA has 1 (Japan). Net 5 point shift for USSR. USA: Olympic Games for realignment. Iraq loses USSR Influence (0) but Cuba remains unmoved (3).

Card 3 - USSR: Captured Nazi Scientist as Event to put an animal in space. USA: Middle East Scoring. USSR has presence, USA has domination. USSR has 0 Battleground countries, USA has 1 (Iran). Net 3 point shift for USA.

Card 4 - USSR: Duck and Cover for Influence: W.Germany (3) USA: De-Stalinazation with UN Intervention for Influence: W.Germany (3), France (3).

Card 5 - USSR: Marshall Plan on the Space Race and the USSR successfully launches a lunar probe. USA: Five Year Plan for Influence: France (5).

Card 6 - USSR: Containment for Influence: Egypt (2), Libya (1), Nicaragua (1). USA: Indo-Pakistani War for Influence: Saudi Arabia (3).

USA and USSR lose 2 VP for Military Operations.

At Turn's Start:
VP: -7 USSR
Space Race: USSR:3 USA:2
DEFCON:3
China Card: USSR

Turn 5

Headline - USSR: Nasser. USSR has 2 Influence in Egypt USA has 1. USA: Five Year Plan. USSR Discards De-Stalinization.

Card 1 - USSR: The China Card for Influence: India (3), S.Korea (3). USA: Fidel on the Space Race and the USA puts a Monkey into space.

Card 2 - USSR: Formosan Resolution on the Space Race, and the USSR loses a dog in space. USA: The Voice of America as Event, removing Influence in Egypt (0), Iraq (1).

Card 3 - USSR: Muslim Revolution as Event, removing Influence from Jordan (0) and Libya (0). Apparently the Voice of America broadcasts touched off some Muslim Nationalism! USA: Junta for Influence: S. Africa (3).

Card 4 - USSR: We Will Bury You for Influence: Saudi Arabia (2), Libya (2). USA: One Small Step for Influence: Egypt (2), Sudan (1).

Card 5 - USSR: Latin American Death Squads for Influence: Saudi Arabia (3), Thailand (2). USA: Shuttle Diplomacy for Influence: Angola (1), Botswana (2).

Card 6 - USSR: Flower Power for a Coup in Panama. Remove 1 USA Influence (0) and place 4 USSR Influence (4). USA: African Scoring. USSR has presence, USA has presence. USSR has 2 Battleground countries (Libya, Zaire), USA has 2 (S.Africa, Angola). Net 0 point shift.
Card 7 - USSR: Cultural Revolution as Event to retreive The China Card. USA: Blockade for a Coup in Zaire. 1 USSR Influence removed (0), 2 USA Influence placed (2). With no "3" card, however, all USA Influence is removed from W.Germany.

USA loses 2 VP for Military Operations.

At Turn's Start:
VP: -15 USSR
Space Race: USSR:1 USA:2
DEFCON: 4
China Card: USSR

Turn 6

I get a bunch of USA events, but the main card I care about is Asia Scoring. That should get me enough VPs, given my domination of the region, for a win. I consider playing it in the Headline Phase, but since it will be played after the USA's card, he might use his card to blunt its effects. So instead I play Kitchen Debates, a USA event, but one which has no effect and is removed.

Stephen plays Colonial Rearguards, which could have been used to blunt my scoring in Asia, though probably not quite enough in any case.

My first card play is Asia Scoring. USSR has domination, USA has presence. USSR has 4 Battleground countries (N.Korea, S. Korea, India, Pakistan) USA has 1 (Japan). Net 7 point shift for USSR and a victory for the Communists.