Defiance: 2nd Russo-Ukrainian War 2022-? Volume 1 – Miracle on the Dnipro 2022

Defiance: 2nd Russo-Ukrainian War 2022-? Volume 1: Miracle on the Dnipro 2022 (“Defiance”) covers the initial 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine with the Kyiv and Chernihiv campaigns from February 24, 2022 to roughly April 1, 2022.

Defiance builds upon Victory Games’ (Mark Herman’s) Flashpoint Golan (1991), adds a strategic political component (David Dockter's) Triumph of Chaos (2019), and updates the system for modern multi-domain warfare/the expanded revolution in military affairs (eRMA). As a first draft of history, Defiance strives to simulate an ongoing conflict; a significant design challenge, but one worth tackling.

At its core, Defiance is a simulation where players purchase formation chits with logistics points, pull chits from a cup of chaos, and play by activating a formation to conduct movement & combat, while avoiding enemy detection & response. HQs figure prominently in the game by providing operational points to their units, summoning assets (air, missiles, drones, helicopters) and utilizing capabilities to compliment formation performance.

In Defiance, there are no victory conditions per se. The object of the simulation is for the Russian side to displace the Ukrainian government from Kyiv (“Displacement”), while the Ukrainian side strives to prevent.

Scenarios:

• The game includes multiple two-player scenarios, including several shorter scenarios plus a campaign game.
• A bot for Russia allows solitaire play of the Ukrainian side in each scenario.

Scale:

• Operational/Strategic
• Time: 3-4 days
• Formations: Brigade/Armies
• Units: Battalions and companies