A Distant Plain

Afghanistan - scene for tribal, ethnic, colonial, and Cold War conflicts throughout history.

A multinational coalition emerged after 9/11 that aimed to eradicate al-Qaeda and replace the hardline Islamist Taliban regime that harbored it. A swift invasion and regime change was a quiet rebuilding and good governance, but that is not how it went down.

Along the Pakistan border, the Taliban rebuilt itself in an insurgency that would ensnare the coalition in a web of Afghan rivalries, shifting loyalties, and warlordism, which the West could initially only remove.

This game in Volko Ruhnke's COIN series takes 1 to 4 players into the Afghan conflict in today's headlines, this time in a unique collaboration between two top designers of board games about modern irregular warfare.

For the first time in the series, two insurgent (COIN) factions must unite competing visions for Afghanistan to coordinate a campaign against a dangerous double insurgency.

As a coalition, how will you secure popular support for an Afghan government that cares more about corrupt protection and control than legitimacy? How can you, as the government, lead the country when your foreign partners constantly redirect your war efforts?

How to play A Distant Plain:

Start by choosing a scenario you want to play, assign factions to the players, prepare the cards, and set up the game board.

The game begins with a player drawing a card from the top of the deck; there are the following types of cards in the game:

• Event cards, up to 2 factions will conduct Operations or the event. The other factions may pass or gather resources.
• Propaganda cards, start a propaganda round.

A faction conducting an Operation chooses 1 out of 4 Operations listed on their Faction aid sheet. It could be, for example, Extort, Cultivate, or Surge.

Each faction has unique victory conditions, which are also listed on their faction aid sheet.

A Distant Plain includes:

• 1 Game Board
  
• 177 Pieces
• 78 Cards
• 1 countersheet
• 1 Rulebook
• 1 Play booklet
• 8 Player Aid Cards
• 3 D6's