The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998

Available for Pre-Order. ETA Q1 2025

The Troubles is a one-to-six player, card-driven simulation depicting the Paramilitary and Security Force conflict that gripped Northern Ireland for almost 4 decades between 1964 and 1998. Equally foregrounded are the national and international political affairs that saw the British Army undertake its longest deployment in its military history – on its own streets.

Each player takes the role of a Faction seeking to guide Northern Irish affairs, whether it is political, paramilitarily or through martial law: the British Forces (including the UDR), the Royal Ulster Constabulary (the RUC was the Government security force), the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Loyalist Paramilitaries (LOY), and the Nationalist (NAT) or Unionist (UNI) politicians.

It encompasses the USA’s involvement in the international aid and arms deals that supported the IRA; facilitates the exportation of terror to the streets of Great Britain and Europe; depicts the complex relationship that existed between the Republic of Ireland, Britain and its northern neighbor. And it provides Developments, a feature that mirrors the increasing technological and intelligence-led advancements on both sides.

Each Faction may use Primary and Secondary Actions analogous to its real world counterparts, or may choose from the 259 rich Narrative Cards, divided into eight key epochs in Northern Ireland’s recent history:

• 1964 1970 Struggle & Reform
• 1970 1974f The Bloody Years
• 1974F 1974O Sunningdale
• 1974O 1979 Talks & H-Blocks
• 1979 1983 The Thatcher Years #1: Iron and Hunger
• 1983 1987 The Thatcher Years #2: Target Mainland
• 1987 1992 The Thatcher Years #3: Anglo-Irish
• 1992 1997 The Road to Peace

Faction Features

Political Factions (Nationalist and Unionist MPs)

• Contest Actual Westminster Seats / Accurate Electoral Data
• Support/Oppose Mechanism Supports Inter- and Intra-Party Divisions: Two-Front Battles
• Suborn & Fund – Collude with Active Terrorist Cells
• Politicisation – Recruit Forces and Improve Peaceful Progress
• Fine-Grained Co-Operation – Work Locally to Build Support for Peace
• Zone and Electorate Control
• Debate Mechanism Facilitates Political Hustings
• Power Sharing Option – Shared VCs

Security Forces Factions (RUC, B-Specials, British Forces, UDR)

• Civil Disorder Prioritisation Constraint
• Civilian & Urban – Restraining Factors on BF/RUC/UDR – Arrest/Intern/Engage
• Deploy Variable Rail/Road Military Checkpoints
• Supergrass/Stakeknife – Collusion & Intel Mechanics
• Special Forces – Included BOT with ROI (Garda)
• Episodic Forces – Thematic & VC-related
• ‘B’ Specials/UDR/BF ‘Ulsterisation’

Paramilitary Forces Factions (IRA, LOY)

• Security Forces Targets
• Economic Targets – Road/Rail/Towns/Checkpoints/Border Crossings
• Collusion with Security Forces
• Links to Political Factions – Fund / Radicalise
• Recruitment Calculation Includes International Arms Deal mechanic,
• International Travel & Activity

Product Information:

Complexity: Moderate (8 out of 10)
Solitaire suitability: Medium (5 out of 10)
Time Scale: Day/Week/Month per turn
Map Scale: 12, 17 and 18 playable County Seats; Republic of Ireland, Britain, Europe and U.S.A.
Unit Scale: IRA/LOY Active Service Units (ASUs = 300 persons); BF/UDR/RUC Company
Players: 1 to 6
Playing Time: 4 to 6 hours per game

Components:

• 22” x 34” mounted map
• 8.5 x 11″ secondary map (Belfast)
• 5 counter sheets (markers)
• deck of 260 cards featuring 8 Narrative Epochs
• 50 blue cubes (RUC troops); 15 blue cylinders (RUC Bases)
• 1 blue octagon (one side embossed) RUC Special Branch
• 35 tan cubes (British Forces); 15 tan bases (British Forces Bases)
• 1 tan octagon (one side embossed) SAS
• 20 light blue cubes (Ulster Defence Regiment)
• 35 black octagons (one side embossed) IRA Active Service Units; 10 black cylinders (IRA Bases)
• 35 red octagons (one side embossed) Loyalist Active Service Units; 10 red cylinders (LOY Bases)
• 90 green counters (Nationalist Political Influence); 18 green cylinders (Nationalist Bases)
• 90 orange counters (Unionist Political Influence); 18 orange cylinders (Unionist Bases)
• 1 green octagon (one side embossed) The Republic of Ireland’s Garda (An Garda Síochána), Special
• 12 embossed cylinders
• 1 Year marker
• 12 Context Status Trackers (IRA Support, LOY Support, NAT Support, UNI Support, UK Terror Threat, Anglo-Irish Relations, British Prestige, Dublin/Dublin Hard, Collusion, Stormont/Direct Rule, No Power-Sharing/Power-Sharing, Year)
• 6 purple and 6 grey pawns
• 1 Red and 1 Black Pawn
• Sequence of Play card
• 6 Faction player aid foldouts
• Six 6-sided dice—1 tan, 1 black, 1 red, 1 blue, 1 orange,& 1 green.
• Historical Playbook
• Rules booklet

Game Credits:

• Designer: Hugh O’Donnell
• Graphic Designer: Dohmnall Hegarty