On June 25th, sixty-one years ago, the Korean War began in a storm of violence along the 38th Parallel. The new nation of South Korea and her U.S. ally were caught by surprise and very nearly overrun by her Northern neighbor. After three years of fighting that see-sawed across the peninsula, pulling in the Chinese on behalf of the North Koreans, and a good chunk of the Free World on behalf of South Korea, an armistice was signed on June 27th, 1953. The border barely moved from the original 38th parallel line, and both Koreas consider themselves to technically still be at war with the other. The Korean DMZ is heavily fortified to this day.
The war left a mark on both nations that has yet to heal and made the emerging Cold War that much colder. At times, it seemed as if it would all end with the use of nuclear weapons. Happily, that was at least avoided, but the war killed 170,000+ UN troops and 685,500 North Korean and Chinese troops, with 2-3 million civilians on both sides.
Gaming the conflict is a bit difficult, as the “mobile” phase of the war only lasted until 1951. Afterwards, the war settled into something reminiscent of the First World War, with fights for lonely outposts and positions that would be familiar to veterans of the Somme and Verdun. To be honest, I’ve found more games about a potential Second Korean War than the actual war of 1950-53.
But, as much as it is called “the forgotten war,” there are games out there for it. I’ll be touching on a few of those games – some I’ve played, and some because they’re reasonably well-known.
Board Games
Done by one of my favorite designers, Joseph Blakowski, I wish I’d gotten a copy when I had the chance. I’d played it with some friends once, and it was a pretty good game overall. It covers the mobile first year of the conflict well and picks a good place to stop. It has rules for everything but does it quite simply and well. I certainly liked the way it handles the logistical demands of mechanized forces. It’s a shame we didn’t see this system in more games. I also like the way it places events in the game in a larger context of what was going on in the world at the time. Screw up too much, and you just started World War III!
The game itself, like most games from the 1980s, is out of print, and, sadly, getting a copy isn’t cheap. But it’s possible. The game also has a VASSAL module that looks as good as the original game (Hey, for 1986 printing standards, this game looks rather good if you ask me). As I was researching this article, I did find out that Compass Games (always to the rescue) has reprinted a new version of the game. It’s also a bit on the pricey side, but it improves on what was already a gem of game design.
This is the only board game on the Korean conflict I happen to own. Mea Culpa, folks. But it was a good choice, and I do like what Command Magazine put out back in the 1990s. The game itself has a lot of nice bells and whistles, like proficiency ratings (I rather like this mechanic in wargames) and the standard Victory Points for terrain victory conditions. I will admit, the first part of the game is rough for the North Korean player. He’s caught by surprise and in full retreat till he reaches the Han, where he might have a chance to counterattack and stop the UN advance. I’ve only played it once or twice solitare, and as games go, it’s a very solid game. I’d encourage you to pick this one up. It’s not that expensive to find. Sadly, there’s no VASSAL module, but perhaps this article might motivate someone to make one?
Having played some of MMP’s Operational Combat Series (OCS) a while back, I find it a version of SCS with some more rules to cover logistics and other aspects of mechanized warfare during and immediately after World War II. While a bit weightier than SCS, the series rules spend much of their time on the logistical nature of the battles being simulated, and I liked the way the system handled several aspects of mechanized warfare in this period. I have played other games in the series (specifically Enemy at the Gates), just not this one, and I don’t own any of the games in the series, but the game does come very highly recommended on Board Game Geek. It’s also not that expensive to procure as board wargames go. It’s a little more expensive brand new on the MMP site, but there are second-hand copies going for a bit less.
Unfortunately, the VASSAL module for the game is for the 1st edition (2003) and not the second edition (2014). I don’t know how playable the module is with the second edition.
I certainly might pick up this game if I dip my toe into the OCS arena again.
Conclusion
I do hope this small overview has interested you in gaming out “the Forgotten War” and perhaps making it a little less so. Considering 36,000+ Americans died in the conflict, as well as soldiers from most of the world, Korea deserves more recognition than it gets on the wargaming table. Perhaps that can change.
At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
–
(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)