Twilight Struggle 

The Art of Early War

 

 
 

Copyright © 2019, 2020 Leslie P. Polzer

<​polzer@fastmail.com​>   
 Table of Contents
Introduction 
Humble beginnings 
2018: The game-changer 
Do we really need another guide on this game? 
Okay… so you’re an internationally acclaimed 
expert, right? 
Can I just give this book to my friends? 
Some of the stuff in here is redundant! 
Alright, I’m ready now! 

The Early War 

Regions 
Europe 
As US: 
As USSR: 
Middle East 
Threats 
The China Card 
Hold cards 
Space cards 
“Play it!” opponent events 
Influence and tempo 
Regional access 
Card knowledge 
Your helpful guide: regions to be scored 
The cards in detail 
Asia Scoring, 
Europe Scoring, 
Middle East Scoring 
Duck and Cover 
Five-Year Plan 
The China Card 
Socialist Governments 
Fidel* 
Vietnam Revolts* 
Blockade* 
Korean War* 
Romanian Abdication* 
Arab-Israeli War 
COMECON* 
Nasser* 
Warsaw Pact Formed* 
De Gaulle Leads France* 
Captured Nazi Scientist* 
Truman Doctrine* 
Olympic Games 
NATO* 
Independent Reds* 
Marshall Plan* 
Indo-Pakistani War 
Containment* 
CIA Created* 
 US/Japan Mutual Defense Pact* 
Suez Crisis* 
East European Unrest 
Decolonization 
Red Scare/Purge 
UN Intervention 
De-Stalinization* 
Nuclear Test Ban 
Formosan Revolution* 
Defectors 
The Cambridge Five 
Special Relationship 
NORAD* 

Closing notes 

 
Introduction
Twilight Struggle is a great game. 

It has firmly occupied the top spot on 

BoardGameGeek for years. Yes, that’s right. It is 
ranked ​the​ number one board game, on the most 
popular English-language board game site. 

It has allowed countless people to gain a better 

understanding of the nature of modern geopolitics, 
and of our recent history. 

And yes, it’s great fun to play and, like chess and 
certain card games, has an extremely high replay 
value. 

Humble beginnings
I bought and then played the cardboard version for 
the first time around 7 years ago. 

Although I liked the game immensely, the complexity 

and playing time didn’t allow for a lot of games under 
my belt. Setup was complicated, the details of the 
rules were difficult to understand and new players 
had to be found, briefed and taught. Phew. 
2018: The game-changer
Everything changed in 2018, when Asmodee released 
an online version of the game, allowing players to 
compete worldwide over a timespan of up to 90 days 
per game, and letting the computer do the majority of 
the book-keeping. 

It was a god-send and finally made it possible for me 

to deepen my understanding of this game. 

What used to be a casual exploration of post-WW2 

history and politics in board game format became a 
tactical and strategic pursuit for me, much like chess. 
Patterns emerged, I met many players with different 
playing styles and my own proficiency sky-rocketed. 

Do we really need another guide on this

game?
But wait, you might say, don’t we have an excellent 
guide to the game like that already? Ah yes, good old 
Twilight Strategy,​ written by an esteemed player who 
goes by the nickname of ​theory​. 

It’s been around for a couple of years. 

It’s free. 
It’s pretty much the first thing you will find if you do 
a web search for “twilight struggle strategy”. 
And it contains a lot of good advice. 

However, in my personal experience it also contains 

outdated and incomplete advice, and it does not 
mention a lot of the tactical and strategic angles that 
I have collected here. 

In summary, I'd say: the more the merrier, and 

something for everyone! 

Okay… so you’re an internationally

acclaimed expert, right?
Haha, no. 

At the time of writing this, my rating is sitting around 

1,500 points. Not an absolute beginner anymore, and 
still far from being an expert, I am somewhere in the 
middle. 

I believe this is a great spot to be in to write a book 

like this. Its intended audience are beginners, and 
maybe it will help early intermediate players as well. 
Like me, they might learn a new trick or two. 

Overall, my intent lies in covering some common 

tactical patterns and avenues of strategic thinking 
that will help to accelerate the progress of someone 
who’s new to the game. 
Can I just give this book to my friends?
Yes. I am giving it away for free. 

Go ahead and share it in any way you like, please just 

don’t modify it in any way. 

And if you are looking for help with software 

engineering, please ​consider hiring me​, or 
recommending my services to friends and partners. 

Thank you! 

Some of the stuff in here is redundant!

By its very structure, this book contains a certain 
amount of repetition. This is by design. 

Choose the angles you are most comfortable with at 

any moment, and add to them gradually. 

Repetition helps with memorization. 

Alright, I’m ready now!

Let’s get started then. 

Oh and by the way, click the following link to get 

notified about book updates: 

https://tinyletter.com/tsbook   
The Early War
It is readily apparent that the Early War phase, 
consisting of Turns 1-3, is crucial to winning the 
game. 

A USSR player that can secure a solid VP and regional 

access advantage by the end of the Early War is way 
more likely to win the game. 

Conversely, US players that succeed in denying the 

USSR player a point gain will be in a much better 
position to get to a stage at which they have access to 
stronger cards. 

For both players, it’s also extremely important to 

acquire and retain access to Asia and the Middle East 
during the Early War. 

But how can we optimize our Early War game, 

grabbing that decisive but oftentimes elusive edge 
that makes all the difference? 

That’s what this little book is about. 

I propose a set of tactics and rules of thumb that will 

help you up your Early War game, followed by a 
closer look and in-depth discussion of Early War 
cards. 
Let’s take a look at the different regions first.   
Regions

Europe

One of the most contentious regions in later stages of 

the game, Europe is usually not a major war theatre 
in the Early War. 

Skirmishes in France are most common. Some USSR 

players also like to go for an AR1 Coup in Italy, which 
can help with gaining domination in Europe and fits 
in nicely with Defcon, but will cede an advantage in 
Iran/Western Asia to the US player. Apart from that, 
the occasional blockade and maybe some Truman 
Doctrine games are usually all that happens in 
Europe from my experience. 

Of course, there can also be a build-up of Influence in 

the non-Battlegrounds, some extra Influence via 
Marshall Plan​, ​COMECON​ and W ​ arsaw Pact,​ with the 
latter two often merely serving as a reservoir for 
De-stalinization.​  

As with the other two regions, the USSR needs to 

aggressively keep on the pressure, and fight for 
domination via France and/or Italy to gain and retain 
its VP advantage. Merely going for 0-1 VP is not going 
to cut it. Of course, you might have to settle for that 
if you’re in a pinch (for example because you received 
two or even three Scoring Cards in Turn 1 along with 
a low number of total Ops. 

It goes practically without saying that should you not 

be able to achieve domination, you should put effort 
into preventing your opponent from doing so. 

As US: 

1. Headline ​Duck and Cover​ in HL1 to keep Italy 

safe with only 2 Influence assigned to it in the 
Setup phase. 

2. Beware of ​Socialist Governments,​ which can be 

played at any time in the headline phase by 
the USSR (unless you drew it or saw it already, 
of course). This allows the USSR player to take 
over France or Italy, if they have access. 

3. Save ​Truman Doctrine​ for later unless you get 

a great opportunity to use it. Such a situation 
usually involves the removal of 3+ USSR 
influence in a country followed by immediate 
take-over, and is much more effective in a 
Battleground of course. But actually, as an 
absolute beginner, just remember to not play 
it for its event, and the perceived threat of the 
card will do the rest. 

4. If you draw ​Marshall Plan​ in Turn 1, you can 

consider to headline it in HL1, which will allow 
 you to start with 3 Influence in West Germany 
and 2 in Italy, boosting your presence in 
France, Iran or both. Note that the USSR 
player will recognize this tactic and will know 
that you are very likely to not play any other 
card like ​Defectors.​  

5. Headlining ​Eastern European Unrest​ is usually 

a weak move. You will get a chance to boot the 
USSR out of the South, but that’s just an okay 
effect and nothing more. Prefer using it for 
Ops. 

6. Play ​Suez Crisis​ while you still have no 

Influence in France to get rid of it in a 
controlled fashion. 

As USSR: 

1. Combo a HL1 ​Socialist Governments​ to remove 

2 influence in Italy, followed by a play of ​Duck 
and Cover ​which allows you to take over 
control of Italy with 2-3 Influence there, and 
lowering Defcon to 4 to prevent a subsequent 
US Coup there. 
Make sure to resolve the event before your 
action to retain 1 VP. 
Obviously this won’t work in case the US 
player overprotected Italy with 4 Influence. 
2. Romanian Abdication​ is usually useless as an 
event and even dangerous if ​Independent Reds 
hasn’t been seen yet, which allows the US 
player to nullify its effect and gain a next door 
foothold in Eastern Europe. 

3. Never play ​COMECON or Warsaw Pact​ for the 

event, unless you are very desperate for an 
Influence boost in European 
non-Battlegrounds to gain/retain domination. 
Warsaw Pact​ provides a deterrent much like 
Truman Doctrine​. 

4. If you draw ​Truman Doctrine​, be very grateful 

and play it, while the maximum damage the US 
player can do with it is restricted to the 
removal of 1 Influence or less. But be cautious 
not to lose access by having Yugoslavia or 
Austria vacated, or even a crucial country in 
Western Europe like France or Spain. 

5. Save ​De Gaulle Leads France​ for as long as 

possible, as its another card where the threat 
value is usually much more valuable than its 
immediate effect. Attempt to gain access to 
France and establish control over it, by placing 
one Influence in West Germany or Italy. This 
has the added effect of pressuring the US 
player into regaining control of it in its next 
AR. ​De-stalinization​ might also be a suitable 
 way. Also note that ​De Gaulle Leads France​ is 
usually very weak unless you play it in the 
Headline phase. 

6. Save ​Blockade​ for later, unless you are trying 

to make the US drop ​De-stalinization​ before 
the reshuffle. 

Middle East

This is where it gets more exciting. 

As discussed later in more detail, Iran controls access 

to Western Asia for the US. It is a narrow passage 
that is only connected to Iraq, making Realignment 
attempts very difficult from that direction. 

With a successful coup in Iran and a war victory (or 

successful Realignment) in Israel, the USSR can 
vacate the whole Middle East from any US presence, 
squeezing it for juicy points via ​Middle East Scoring 
and ​OPEC t​ hroughout the rest of the game, unless 
the US gets really lucky with devices like ​Brush War 
or ​ABM Treaty​. 

Lebanon is cheap to control and safe from​ Muslim 

Revolution​, but only has a stability of 1, and unless 
overprotected can be flipped with 3+ Ops. 

Jordan has an important role since it is adjacent to 

Lebanon and 3 Battlegrounds. 
Egypt, heavily contested itself through ​Nasser ​and 
Sadat Expels Soviets,​ is a gateway to Libya and Sudan. 
See the card details section on ​Nasser ​for some more 
thoughts on Egypt. 

Libya is another cheap battleground and hard to get 

back once taken since it’s only adjacent to two 
countries. It can serve as a gateway to Algeria as well 
when in a pinch. 

Israel is expensive to control, since it has 4 stability 

and the US also needs to control adjacent countries 
to lessen the probability of an ​Arab-Israeli War 
victory. Sometimes it’s the only country preventing 
the USSR from assuming Control over the Middle 
East region. 

Iraq, due to the threat of Muslim Revolution and 

being expensive to control, is usually not a good 
country for the US except as a stepping stone to 
other Middle East countries. 

Threats
Yes, isn’t it tempting to get your guns out and have 
your opponent taste some lead?  

But wait. 
Isn’t that ​Korean War​ a lot better for the USSR if it’s 
still lurking somewhere out there? Your US opponent 
will hesitate to take over South Korea, control of 
which is especially valuable to them in Late War 
thanks to ​Soviets Shoot Down KAL-007.​ At the very 
least they will want to take Japan to tilt the odds in 
their favor before making a move in South Korea. 

The same goes for other cards. 

The strongest threats in Early War: 

● Korean War.​ A big risk until played, or until at 

least Japan is secured (which is very costly if 
you don’t get ​US/Japan Mutual Defense Pact 
dealt in time. 

● Indo-Pakistani War​. Especially in a High 

Defcon Early War scenario. 

● Nasser. ​Makes the US player hesitate to spend 

any influence on Egypt. 

● Truman Doctrine. ​Keeps the USSR from 

engaging in “influence races” in Europe. 

● De Gaulles Leads France. ​Much like a US 

version of ​Nasser,​ for France. 

● Defectors. ​Cancel any USSR headline card. 

Wow! 
The China Card
There are playing styles (apparently especially 
popular among Asian players) that attempt to hold off 
on playing the ​China Card​ for as long as possible. This 
is useful because you are preventing your opponent 
from using it (making the game a bit more 
predictable), and to have it as insurance against 
DEFCON suicide. The way this insurance works is 
that you can play the China Card and hold one more 
card that you would be forced to play otherwise. 

While I can understand the benefits of this, I have 

seen too many situations where playing it in EW will 
give you a huge advantage. 

Examples: 

● Flip control of Thailand or Pakistan, if your 

opponent neglected to overprotect these 
countries. 

● Take control of multiple countries at once, 

denying regional access or securing 
Domination. 

● Perform a Coup if you’re under ​Red 

Scare/Purge​ or don’t have a 4 ops card in 
hand. 
Hold cards
As the US, hold these USSR cards until the Turn 3 
Reshuffle: 

● De-Stalinization​. Hold until reshuffle. Make 

sacrifices for that if needed. 

● Decolonization.​ Same as ​De-Stalinization,​ but 

it’s a tiny bit more acceptable to just space it 
before the reshuffle. 

Space cards
Certain cards in the EW should be either sent to 
space, or if possible kept until the reshuffle: 

● Nasser. ​As the US, space with Containment, or 

hold until later. 

● Fidel.​ Spacing him is already great, but hold 

him until reshuffle if you can. 

● Marshall Plan.​ Sending this to space as the 

USSR is usually enough, as it’s a lot less 
powerful in the MW and onwards. If you have 
already taken control of some European 
countries and are in a pinch, you might (ever 
so carefully) consider using it. 
 ● NORAD.​ Space it if you receive it as USSR. 

“Play it!” opponent events

There are also one-time opponent events which you 
can try to get out of the way early on. 

● Formosan Resolution.​ worthless in Early War, 

play this as soon as possible if you have it. The 
next play of the ​China Card​ by the US will 
eliminate its effects. 

● Suez Crisis.​ make sure you have influence in 

Egypt/Jordan (remember ​Nasser ​though!) and 
no influence in France. 

● NATO.​ great if you have it as USSR and 

Marshall Plan​ is not in effect. Play it ASAP. 

● Containment.​ as USSR, play it in AR8 for 

minimum effect. 

● Blockade​. if you receive it as the US and can 

spare the ops, just get rid of it in a controlled 
fashion. 

Influence and tempo

The earlier in the game we are, the more value is 
provided by every influence point put on the board. 
Along with this, every action is more valuable the 
sooner ​it is performed. 

This is one reason why ​Marshall Plan​ is so powerful 

during the EW: it gives the US player 7 influence, all 
in one go. 

Regional access
This is such an important factor. If you take away 
only one thing from this section, let this be it. 

At all times during the Early War, try to recognize 

threats and opportunities in the area of regional 
access. This means being wary of being locked out of 
a region, but also being able to recognize 
opportunities to lock out your opponent. 

The most contentious regions are: 

1. Iran.​ aside from ​Indo-Pakistani War​ and a 

Coup (both of which are uncertain and often 
plainly impossible), this is the US player’s only 
access to Western Asia. Don’t let the USSR 
 take it away from you. This can usually be 
achieved by having at least 3 influence points 
in Iran. 

2. East ME.​ Even if you have secured Iran as the 

US, the USSR might still try to lock you out of 
the rest of the Middle East with Realignments 
and ​Arab-Israeli War.​ Secure a foothold there 
(and insure Israel) by taking control of Jordan, 
or at least Lebanon if you’re in a pinch. 

3. Thailand. ​Oftentimes the lynchpin for Asia 

domination (and worth a bonus 2 VP in ​SE Asia 
Scoring​), taking control of Thailand can be 
especially hairy if DEFCON keeps steady at 
4-5. Add in cards like ​De-Stalinization,​  
Decolonization a ​ nd ​Vietnam Revolts​, plus the 
easy access to it for the US via Malaysia, and 
you have an explosive mixture.  
And even if you have secured Thailand, you 
still need to watch out for a ​China Card​ flip (by 
keeping it at 3+ influence), and also make sure 
you will not be strong-armed into giving it up 
while you’re under ​Red Scare/Purge​. Whew. 
And you also need to prepare for a play of 
Brush War​ after EW, by taking control of the 
adjacent countries 

4. Afghanistan.​ a US player that manages to gain 

control of both Iran and Afghanistan has a 
 high chance of keeping the USSR out of 
Western Asia. Along with early control of 
Thailand, this will virtually guarantee US 
Domination of Asia, and often pave the way for 
Control (or a Control threat) later. But note 
that taking control of Afghanistan during the 
Early War is usually a waste of Ops. 

Card knowledge
To be honest, I’m not a fan of memorizing and card 
counting. But this is crucial. 

Either memorize the set of EW cards in one go, or 

spend a lot of time playing games to get familiar with 
them. Knowing which goodies and nasties are still to 
be played gives you a considerable edge. 

Cards to start with: 

1. Regional scoring cards.​ it’s simple, as there 

are only 3 regions to be scored in Early War: 
Europe, Asia, MIddle East. In addition to that, 
playing the computer game will let you know 
which scoring cards have already been played. 
If you play the board game, you will have to 
remember or make notes. Usually, during EW 
(and to a certain degree in later phases), you 
should not invest any ops in a region that has 
already been scored. Start with this rule of 
 thumb and then add exceptions. One example 
is when your opponent is trying to deny you 
access to a region that has already been 
scored. Another is when it’s very close to 
Mid-War, every region has already been 
scored and you have ops/cards to spare. 

2. Defectors​. Some people think this card is 

harmless, but I disagree. If Indo-Pakistani war 
gives you a very good chance to get 2 VP, deny 
your opponent access to Western Asia and 
take over a country, why risk it in the headline 
phase if Defectors is still in the deck? Don’t. 

3. Korean War, Indo-Pakistani War.​ cards with 

a high threat value.  
While Korean War is still out there, the US 
player needs to tread carefully around South 
Korea. Control of Japan alleviates this threat a 
bit, but you don’t always have that luxury (and 
even then there’s still a chance that the USSR 
will just take over your precious influence in 
SK). 

4. Nasser.​ if he’s still in the game, as the US you 

should use Egypt as a stepping stone to Libya 
and nothing more. Conversely, you might 
want to hold off investing into Egypt as USSR 
unless forced to do so, because your opponent 
 might just be forced to play Nasser and give it 
to you for free. 

5. Truman Doctrine.​ As USSR. If it’s still out 

there, don’t let your US opponent goad you 
into participating in an “influence race”, as he 
might just be trying to waste your ops. 

6. De Gaulle Leads France​. While it’s better for 

the USSR to use another way to get control of 
France, it remains a headline threat to the US. 
Be careful about investing into France as US 
unless you’re prepared to lose 3 influence 
there. 

7. Socialist Governments. ​Similar to ​De Gaulle 

Leads France​, this card can considerably 
weaken your Europe position as the US. It can 
possibly allow for an easy coup in Italy, or take 
away control of France from you. 

This is a set of 7 cards to keep track of, which is a 

very reasonable goal with great benefits. 

In addition to that, it pays off really well to keep track 

of the EW 4 Ops cards. They allow for instant control 
of multiple countries, they can flip a 1 Stability 
country like Lebanon (and prevent a counter-flip), 
and they are Coup powerhouses. 

Aside from the ​China Card,​ there are 5 in total. 

 ● US:​ ​Marshall Plan, NATO, US/Japan Mutual 
Defense Pact 

● Neutral:​ ​Nuclear Test Ban, Red Scare/Purge 

Of these, ​Marshall Plan​ often gets sent to space if 

drawn by the USSR. ​NATO ​acts as a neutral card 
unless ​Marshall Plan​ has been played, and ​Red 
Scare/Purge​ is played more often for its effect than 
for Ops. 

Your helpful guide: regions to be scored

Don’t know where to apply pressure next? 

Repair efforts required on all fronts, with more than 

you can chew? 

Take a look at which regions have already been 

scored. 

Yes, securing access and other things are also 

important. But oftentimes we can use the 
information on which scoring cards are still “in the 
game” to determine which regions to focus on. 

For example, if Europe has already been scored, it 

might be a good idea to concentrate your efforts on 
Asia or the Middle East. You can often combine this 
information with your opponents actions. Where did 
they put their focus, Asia or the Middle East? 
The cards in detail
The following pages describe the tactical and 
strategic aspects of every Early War card in detail.   
Asia Scoring,
Europe Scoring,
Middle East Scoring
We have already discussed each region in detail 
earlier, so there’s no need to repeat all that here. 

But let’s use the opportunity to talk about the nature 

of Scoring Cards in general. 

Drawing one or more SC is both good and bad. 

It’s good in that it will remove uncertainty about your 

opponent holding these SCs. It will also allow you to 
influence the timing, giving you a little room to 
prepare for scoring, and oftentimes also help you to 
prevent further damage by settling on a draw or 
near-draw. 

But the drawback is that for each SC you have to play, 

you will lose one AR. This will not give your opponent 
the full advantage of two back-to-back actions, but 
it’s still zero ops. As such, they act a bit like an event 
for your side. Make it count as that. 

Oftentimes, when you get 2 or more scoring cards, it 

pays to evaluate how many regions you will be able to 
score in your favor. Maybe you will only have the 
means to secure one region. In that case, the other 
regions should be scored as soon as possible, ideally 
settling for a neutral scoring. 
 Duck and Cover

Usually a lot more useful for the USSR, especially 

while Defcon is still high. It can be a good source of 
VP for the US later on as well, though. 

As USSR, it allows you to place influence in a country 

and lower Defcon at the same time. Note that the VP 
bonus increases with lower Defcon, so it’s best to 
play it while Defcon is still high. I love grabbing 
Pakistan or Thailand with this, leaving my US 
opponent in the rain. 

For the US it can be a decent Turn 1 HL card to keep 

Italy at 2 influence during setup, and earn 1 VP as a 
bonus. But be aware that you are sacrificing a higher 
VP bonus, or 3 ops, so make it count. 

The VP bonus is usually best after the Early War as in 

most games you need the 3 Ops.   
 Five-Year Plan

As US, you’re probably going to use this for the Ops. 

Making your opponent lose a card is usually not very 
useful in the Early War, though you might headline it 
if no other good option presents itself. Of course, in 
Turn 2 before the reshuffle you should, theoretically 
at least, know most of the cards your opponent holds, 
so that might help you make the decision. 

In any case, beware of drawing ​Duck and Cover​ when 

Defcon is 2. 
 As USSR, this card has a couple of uses but needs to 
be handled carefully. 

Some USSR players like keeping this card around in 

case they are able to discard an unfavorable Scoring 
Card. It’s a neat trick with high returns, but I find that 
it can be hard to make it happen. You need to get 
dealt ​Five Year Plan​, keep it in your hand until you 
encounter a problematic Scoring Card, and then play 
all the other cards before you can use it to your 
advantage. That’s a lot of conditions, so usually I don’t 
bother. 

Another similar use is to leverage the 3 Ops for 

repairing a low Ops card’s damage. Think ​Panama 
Canal​, ​The Voice of America​ or the dreaded ​OAS 
Founded​ event. Just resolve ​Five Year Plan​ first when 
the only other card you have left is OAS Founded, and 
let your opponent make his choice. Now you’re in a 
much better position to repair the damage done. 

The biggest caveat about this card is that it will make 

it harder to keep around a Defcon suicide card. This 
includes cards like ​Duck and Cover​, ​CIA Founded​ or 
Grain Sales to Soviets​ which are all unplayable at 
Defcon 2. So unless you get the opportunity to keep 
two cards that turn, for example by playing ​The China 
Card​, you need to space ​Five Year Plan​.   
 The China Card

Please see the earlier chapter on ​The China Card​.   

 Socialist Governments

An overall great headline event for the USSR. 

Headlining it in Turn 1 makes it easier to stage a 

successful coup in Italy. Of course, Defcon might stay 
high enough to perform this maneuver in later turns 
of the Early War. 

As US, this is a good candidate to space, as playing it 

will make you lose an action round.   
 Fidel*

As USSR, use it for the Ops if you’re in a pinch. 

Otherwise, take advantage of its event to get a head 
start in Central America. 

As US, it’s usually best to space it. If you can afford it, 
carry it through to after the reshuffle and then space 
it afterwards. 

But just like the USSR, you might also want to use it 
for its Ops, if you’re in a pinch.   
 Vietnam Revolts*

This card is complicated. 

Thailand is one of the sweetest and most contested 

countries, both in the Early War and also afterwards. 

The US player makes a move for it by putting an 

influence down in Malaysia. 

For the USSR player, there is ​Vietnam Revolts​ and 

Destalinization​. 

Both players need to be wary if Defcon is still at 4 or 

5, as they expose themselves to the risk of a 
 successful coup, and possibly a subsequent 
coup-recoup war where chance plays a big role. 

As the US, it’s best to space​ Vietnam Revolts​ unless 

the USSR already has a strong foothold in Southeast 
Asia, in which case you might opt on playing it late 
during the turn, to make use of its Ops and get rid of 
it. Usually this card is also the reason why the US 
player shouldn’t put any influence into Vietnam. 

As USSR, play it preferably when Defcon is below 4. 

But play it too late and the US player will start his 
grab for Thailand in Malaysia. 

As for the influence bonus, make use of it when you 

can. Oftentimes you need to focus on other areas. 
But also keep in mind that it will serve as a +1 to all 
your coups in Southeast Asia, so you’re at an 
advantage when it comes to a Coup war.   
 Blockade*

Ah, the great dream of taking over West Germany (or, 

historically, West Berlin). 

But wait, let’s step back a bit here. 

For the USSR player, this card can do two separate 

things. 

The first and most obvious application, of course, is 

to vacate West Germany of all US influence. Usually 
this goal can be achieved with greater certainty by 
combining it with ​Red/Scare Purge​, and waiting until 
 the end of the turn. These conditions will also limit 
the US player’s options in repairing the damage 
done.. 

The second application is to make the US player drop 

a 3+ Ops card. In the Early War, the grand prize is 
De-Stalinization.​ A decent US player, when dealt this 
card, will try to hold on to this very powerful card 
until after the Turn 3 reshuffle, after which it is 
spaced, or discarded in some other manner, making 
this move a distant Late War dream, where it is 
mostly useless. A well-timed play of Blockade can 
force the US player to drop it earlier.  

When you haven’t seen ​De-Stalinization​ by Turn 2 

before the reshuffle, your best bet is to play Blockade 
at the end of that turn. 

As US, it’s best to get rid of this card early in the 

game, to prevent the USSR player from playing it 
later. One of the best cards to discard with it is 
Socialist Governments​.   
 Korean War*

One of my favorite threat cards. 

The US has a headstart in South Korea, and taking 

control of it as the USSR means putting down at least 
4 influence. This endeavour is not only costly, but 
also risky, because you chance running an influence 
war with your opponent, who might have more Ops 
to spare than you do (or hold the China Card). 

So this card brings in some balance, in that it will 

make the US player hesitate to put influence into 
South Korea, unless they have at least secured 
control of Japan to tilt the victory odds in their favor. 
I like not playing this for the event and keeping the 
US player in the card, but much depends on 
US/Japan Mutual Defense Pact​ as well. If you are 
lucky enough to have seen that card already, I would 
suggest taking the lead in South Korea, or possibly 
even taking control, and leaving this card in the game 
to serve as a threat. 

As US, you are just a little bit lucky if you get dealt 
Korean War.​  

I say “a little bit”, because knowing that your 

opponent will not be able to play it during Early War 
gives you a bit of an edge. But you’re still faced with 
some tough choices. 

The only way to get the card out of the game, short of 
the US player always being able to control it until the 
end of the game, is by it being played by either side. 
And then you want to at least control Japan, which is 
costly either way. 

Either you will have to play ​US/Japan Mutual Defense 

Pact​ for its event or put down 3 Ops to take control 
of Japan. 

I have no definite advice for you here, but these 

considerations should help you make an informed 
decision on what to do.   
 Romanian Abdication*

This event is usually not really a game changer. 

As USSR, playing this gives you an instant 

battleground but also invites US play of ​Independent 
Reds,​ dissolving that battleground control instantly, 
and giving the US a stab at taking control of a country 
adjacent to the USSR (giving them an extra 1 VP in 
Europe Scoring​). 

I almost always play this for the Ops unless I’m in a 

pinch and the ​Independent Reds​ have already had 
their field day. 
As US, pretty much the same considerations hold. It’s 
a bit annoying to have to hand the USSR a 
battleground, but you get 1 Ops in return, plus a 
chance to do some mischief yourself by playing 
Independent Reds​ later on, possibly combined with 
Truman Doctrine​.   
 Arab-Israeli War

Like all the war cards, this card tends to get weaker 
as the game progresses. This tendency is exacerbated 
by the characteristics of the neighboring countries. 

Lebanon is cheap to control and not affected by 

Muslim Revolution.​ Just beware of a 3/4 Ops flip 
followed by ​Arab-Israeli War.​  

Jordan is an important gateway between the Western 

and Eastern half of the Middle East and also a lot 
cheaper than, say, Japan. 
Only Egypt has a different outlook. While extremely 
valuable as a Battleground, and also for access to 
Libya and Sudan, there is the Early War threat of 
Nasser. 

So a lot of this card’s usefulness depends on timing. 

For the USSR, this is a great opportunity to score VPs 

early on, collect Military Ops in a pinch and maybe 
even wipe the US out of the Western half of the 
Middle East region. 

For the US, given the right setup, this can be a fairly 
safe way to spend 2 Ops.   
 COMECON*

One of the weaker cards of the game, in many cases, 

this is a fairly cheap 3 Ops for the US. The card effect 
gives the USSR one more influence (unless 
Containment​ is in effect), but with a highly limited 
scope. 

In many cases, the Influence put down by ​COMECON 

is just a source for a subsequent play of 
De-Stalinization​. 
That application aside, as USSR, you want to bolster 
Poland and East Germany and get help in securing 
European non-Battlegrounds.   
 Nasser*

Egypt is an important country in the Middle East. Its 

benefits include: 

1. It is valuable as a Battleground. One more VP 

for you, plus possibly another one, as detailed 
in the next item: 
2. It provides access to Libya, which is another 
cheap Battleground in the Middle East. And 
there’s only one other way to gain access to it, 
which is by putting down influence in Algeria 
and then Tunisia. 
 3. It provides access to Sudan. This is a great 
thing if you need to quickly grab another 
cheap country in Africa to secure presence or 
deny your opponent Domination/Control. 
4. It acts as a modifier for ​Arab-Israeli War​. 

In summary, it is equally important for both sides to 

take control of Egypt. But the country is affected by 
three events, one of which is part of the Early War: 
Nasser.​  

As US, try to make your way to Libya as soon as 

possible, usually by putting down 1 Influence in 
Egypt, and take control of it. 

Grab Egypt as well if you have seen ​Nasser​ already. 

Make sure to over-protect it to guard against coups 
by staying with 3 Influence in the lead. I don’t 
recommend putting down more than that, because 
later on ​Muslim Revolution​ and ​Sadat​ will enter the 
game. 

As USSR, try to kick the US out of the Western half of 

the Middle East as soon as possible, by playing 
Arab-Israeli War​ or resorting to Realignments. Failing 
that, make your way through Israel to Egypt and take 
control of it. 

Be mindful of the fact that the Defcon situation might 

be tricky for the US, and realize that you are holding 
the high ground if you get dealt ​Nasser​. 
It’s best to keep ​Nasser​ in the game for later if you 
can, and to take Egypt by ordinary means.   
 Warsaw Pact Formed*

This card is a mix of ​Truman Doctrine​ and ​Marshall 

Plan​. 

Its second mode of play (adding Influence) is also 

quite similar to COMECON, although there’s more 
flexibility here because you get to put down up to 2 
Influence per country instead of just 1. 

While it works well for the USSR as a massive 

Influence booster in Europe, it’s usually best to keep 
it in the game as a threat. The US player will think 
 twice about putting down Influence in Eastern 
Europe while ​Warsaw Pact​ is still in the game. 

Keeping it in the game will also prevent NATO from 

taking effect. 

As US, play it for the Ops unless giving the USSR the 
lead in Europe would contest your 
Domination/Control. If that’s the case, consider 
spacing it.   
 De Gaulle Leads France*

A good way to get into France for the USSR. 

Usually though, it’s better to go through West 

Germany. That latter alternative puts pressure on 
your opponent to repair the damage, as usually West 
Germany is still at 4 US Influence during the Early 
War. Plus it keeps ​De Gaulle Leads France​ in the game 
as a threat. 

Also in most cases this is much more effective as a 

headline. Only play this during an ordinary Action 
Round if you can either immediately take control of 
 France by playing the event, or if you have a solid 
plan to add more pressure later, e.g. because your 
opponent is purged and you have a couple of high 
Ops cards in your hand. 

As US, you have a bit more control if you get this card 
in your hand. You can opt to space it, or try to take 
France despite its effect. But keep in mind that it will 
give the USSR access to France and Algeria, which is a 
big advantage in itself.   
 Captured Nazi Scientist*

One of the best cards in the Early War, and possibly 

throughout the whole game (though Destalinization 
is certainly still sitting on its Iron Throne). 

This can be played at any time, by either side, and will 

move you ahead one box on the Space Race Track, 
guaranteed and instantly. There are lots of great 
effects on the track and VPs to be snagged, but 
depending on luck, it can be hard to make progress. 

It’s great for the very first step on the track, and gets 
better throughout the game. I don’t recommend 
 using this for the Ops, as chances are that your 
opponent will get it later. And make sure you pay 
attention to the probabilities, as the Space Track roll 
requirements alternate between 1-3 (50%) and 1-4 
(66.6%). So it’s better to play it in the first case.   
 Truman Doctrine*

This card can cause a lot of trouble for the USSR. 

But the worst trouble usually occurs only if you 

forget to check for it. If you’ve seen it already (i.e. it’s 
in your hand, the discard or the out-of-game pile) 
you are usually safe enough. If you haven’t seen it, be 
very wary about engaging in Influence races with the 
US in Europe, or when the US takes away control 
from you in Europe. Also make sure you don’t do stuff 
like bump up Finland to an uncontrolled 3 Ops, as 
that gives your US opponent a great way to take them 
away from you in one cheap go. 
 As US, keep this card in the game until a good 
opportunity presents itself to use it. 

Whenever the whereabouts of this card are unkonwn 

(i.e. it’s still in the draw pile), you can put pressure on 
the USSR by starting Influence races in Europe. 
France is usually a good target for this. Just make 
sure you have the Ops to sustain it, and you might get 
an overcontrolled France with a lot of wasted USSR 
Ops.   
 Olympic Games

A good source for 2 VPs, even in the Early War where 

Ops are usually more important. 

The other option makes it a bit tricky to play the card 

though, as your opponent gets control over whether 
to degrade Defcon after you’ve played it, possibly 
forcing you into Defcon suicide (losing the game). 
And usually Defcon is either at 2, or it’s at 3, but 
you’re playing as the USSR and you need to stage a 
Coup or repair some damage done by the US player 
in the previous Turn’s last Action Round. 
  

So most of the time you have no choice but to play 

this for the Ops. Headlining it is risky as well, unless 
you know that your opponent won’t be able to 
headline ​Duck and Cover​. In later stages of the game, 
it just gets more complicated because of other 
Defcon reducers. 

Luckily in Early War, high Defcon helps to play it 

outside of the Headline phase, so go grab these VPs 
unless the Ops promise a better use of the card.   
 NATO*

This card is mostly useless, especially in Early War 

where ​Brush War​ isn’t even in the game. 

There are only two ways that make this card shine 
during Early War. 

The first one is as a plain 4 Ops card. Especially great 

if you’re the USSR, and neither ​Marshall Plan​ nor 
Warsaw Pact​ have been played yet. 

The second, for the US, is its effect on ​Special 

Relationship,​ turning it from a below-average card to 
 a US powerhouse that will hand you 2 VPs and allow 
you to make a sudden 2 Influence impact anywhere in 
Western Europe, all at the same time. France is a 
prime target for this. 

Note that playing NATO before ​Marshall Plan​ or 

Warsaw Pact​ is in effect will keep it in the deck.   
 Independent Reds*

Usually not more than a minor annoyance, this card 

keeps the USSR from grabbing Eastern European 
countries too early. 

A popular move for the US is to play Romanian 

Abdication followed by this card, but even then I 
would suggest just making use of the Ops and 
keeping it in the game. 
 Marshall Plan*

The most powerful Influence dispenser in the game, 

letting the US add 7 Influence to Western European 
countries. Great to bolster France and West Germany 
and the UK, to activate ​NORAD​ via Canada, and to 
help in capturing France. It also enables play of NATO 
as a minor bonus. 

As US, you can also headline this in Turn 1 for great 

effect. Just keep West Germany at 3 and Italy at 2, 
and put the freed 2 Influence into France. Then 
Marshall Plan will allow you to take control of France, 
achieving Europe Domination. 

As USSR, be grateful if you get this card dealt. Then, 

space it or, even better, use ​UN Intervention​ to play it 
for that sweet 4 Ops goodness. The cases are very 
rare in which playing it is better than getting rid of it. 

Note that this card gets weaker as the game 

progresses because the USSR often starts controlling 
some countries in Western Europe.   
 Indo-Pakistani War

Ah, more mind games and threat play! 

Western Asia is often a most contentious place in the 

Early War. Iran is the bottleneck leading from the 
Middle East to Asia. At the same time, Pakistan 
guards access to India, which already gives you two 
Battlegrounds in Asia. It can also serve as a 
bridgehead (back) into the Eastern half of the Middle 
East. That’s two very important benefits, all for the 
price of 2-3 Influence. 

Aside from this card, the US has no other way really 

to get access to Pakistan except by way of Iran. It 
 starts off with at least 1 Influence in Iran, or more 
depending on the handicap given, but often loses it to 
a USSR AR1 Coup. That’s the reason why most games 
let the US have two extra Influence, which is usually 
put into Iran. 

The USSR can make its way to Pakistan also by 

putting down Influence in Afghanistan, but that takes 
more time, resulting in a total of 2 rounds to grab 
Pakistan. 

Then there’s high Defcon and, USSR Influence play of 

Duck and Cover​, ​Destalinization​, the ​China Card​ and, 
last but not least, ​Indo-Pakistani War​. 

These are a lot of factors to take into account. 

You are at a definite advantage if you hold this card in 

your hand during Turn 1. But if you don’t, you better 
secure Pakistan and India either before or while you 
take it. The more adjacent countries you control, the 
better. One is already a lot better than none, and two 
will make for pretty good odds. 

And if you already control India, Pakistan or both, or 

if the area is still vacant (but hopefully safe from your 
opponent!), this card can be an excellent source for 
both 2 Military Ops and 2 VP in one go. 

 
 Containment*

Great for either side, if they hold it. 

For the US, this provides an excellent Ops boost 

during Early War, when Ops are usually in short 
supply. 

Even later on it can be very useful for its effect, also 

because it can negate the effect of ​Red Scare/Purge 
and can let you space cards that ordinarily wouldn’t 
have enough Ops. 
For the USSR it’s great to hold it too, because you can 
play it in their last Action Round. This lets you make 
use of the 3 Ops, gets rid of the card forever (well, 
until the next game starts anyway) and gives your 
opponent only 1 extra Op (at best, since they might 
have planned to space their last card).   
 CIA Created*

For the US, this is another card you probably don’t 

want to play for its event until much later. It’s best to 
keep it in the game to get your opponent into a 
Defcon suicide situation, and the probability for that 
is much higher later in the game, thanks to other 
cards that lower Defcon. 

Yes, even in Early War there is ​Duck and Cover​, but 

high Defcon, being in the “lower half” of the Space 
Race Track and The China Card probably still being 
with the USSR makes it unlikely to be an issue. 
 As USSR, you can try getting rid of this card while 
Defcon is still above 2 or while you still don’t have 
Battlegrounds where your opponent could stage a 
Coup using this card’s event. 

However, remember that you will have to show your 

hand, which is usually very telling in Early War unless 
all regions have been scored already.   
 US/Japan Mutual Defense Pact*

This card has two major applications for the US. 

The first and foremost is that it will, in most cases, 

keep the USSR out of Japan, making it hard for the 
USSR to achieve Control of Asia. With a bit of luck, 
good timing and clever hand management however, 
the USSR will be able to take control of Japan without 
having to fear this card. 

The second application is to quickly gain control of 

Japan to soften the impact of ​Korean War​. Oftentimes 
this is better achieved by just using this card for the 3 
Ops needed and get one bonus OP left over, with the 
card remaining in the game as a threat. Of course, it 
also makes the game less predictable since you’re 
leaving a 4 Op card floating around. 

As USSR, mostly just read what I wrote above. Use the 

4 Ops to make a strong Coup, but try to get South 
Korea before you do, and make sure that the 
additional Battleground you’re giving the US doesn’t 
interfere with an upcoming Asia Scoring.   
 Suez Crisis*

This is an interesting card, as its impact and 

applications are highly situational. 

The USSR can use this event to take over France, 

usually by headlining it. 

Vacating the US from the Western half of the Middle 

East region by removing their Israeli foothold is also a 
possibility in the Early War. 

And it can also set the US back in the UK, hopefully 

letting you play ​Special Relationship​ with impunity 
 and putting a damper on US aspirations for Europe 
Domination or Control. 

As US, you are lucky if you get this card dealt, 

because it allows for much better damage control. 
Get it out of the game if you can, because it’s much 
more powerful in the hands of the USSR. 

If France and/or Israel are void of any of your 

influence, you can even squeeze 1 Op out of the card. 
Just make sure to play the event before you utilize 
the Ops.   
 East European Unrest

Fairly weak in the Early War, this card is a major 

reason for the USSR to overprotect Poland and East 
Germany during Setup. 

As USSR, you might actually benefit from this card in 

certain situations, because it allows you to 
re-distribute the Ops from your hopefully 
overprotected European countries to some place 
where they are needed more urgently. 

Spacing it can also be a good option if you are lucky 

enough to not have any worse cards that let you 
advance on the Space Track.   
 Decolonization

A powerful force to be reckoned with. 

When you get it as the US, be grateful and space it. 

As USSR, timing is of the essence. Both Defcon and 

Defectors​ are major factors that can interfere with 
proper use of this card. 

It’s usually not necessary, and often not wise, to 

headline this, unless you intend to use it for directly 
contesting a country that already has US influence in 
it. 
 Popular targets are 

1. Thailand.​ For the VP and Asia Domination. 

2. Algeria.​ Access to France, and a bridgehead 
into Africa. 
3. Indonesia.​ Usually a quick 1 VP later, or 
contest your opponent’s control there. 
4. Nigeria.​ The most isolated Battleground in 
Africa. 
5. South Africa, Angola, Zaire.​ Take them before 
the US does.   
  

Red Scare/Purge

A lot can be said about this impressive card. I’m going 

to try to address some of the highlights here. 

It’s been misunderstood, overrated and 

underestimated. It is powerful in many ways and not 
so powerful in yet others. 

Let’s look at it in detail. 

 Headlining it will seriously disadvantage your 
opponent, especially in the Early War, when 
Influence is very important, but also later on, when 
it’s vital to space higher-op cards. Their coups will be 
weaker as well. 

In the popular, if slightly outdated, ​Twilight Strategy 

guide, we are advised that when playing this card for 
its event, it is vital that we target at least one country 
that we plan to wrestle away from our opponent. 
While I agree that this can be a very effective use of 
the card, I must disagree with the statement that the 
card’s event is pretty much useless otherwise. 

Yes, you are spending 4 Ops that you might not be 
getting back in full. But reducing the Ops your 
opponent can put in at any one time is such a 
powerful effect that it needs to be accounted for. 

In my experience, it’s really hard to go wrong with 

headlining this card, unless you have to fear US play 
of ​Defectors,​ or you desperately need the 4 Ops for a 
Coup or to repair some lost Influence. 

After the Early War, it’s also a great card to resurrect 

using ​SALT Negotiations.​ Theoretically you could play 
it twice in a round to make sure your opponent has as 
little Ops as possible! 
And of course it combines exceptionally well with 
cards like ​Bear Trap​, ​Quagmire, ​and​ Blockade​.  

   
 UN Intervention

Useful and dangerous at the same time. 

On one hand, it lets you play an opponent’s card for 

Ops with impunity. 

On the other hand, it reduces your hand size, often 

forcing you to play another icky card before the turn 
is over. In the worst case, you are left with a Defcon 
suicide card. 
As USSR, be wary of playing this card if you have ​Five 
Year Plan​ in your hand, or ​Duck and Cover​, or, after 
the Early War, ​Grain Sales to Soviets.​  

As the US, the same holds for cards like ​We Will Bury 
You​ and ​Lone Gunman.​  

You get the idea.   

 De-Stalinization*

The USSR powerhouse. What a pity it can only be 

employed once! 

It can turn around a headlined scoring, get you 

access to pretty much anywhere on the map and be a 
2+2 Op in a pinch. 

Just beware of ​Defectors​, especially in the Early War, 

as your US opponent might headline it, putting a 
serious delay to your efforts to remove all traces of 
Stalin. 
 As the US, make it a priority to hold on to this card 
until the Turn 3 reshuffle before spacing it, playing it 
with ​UN Intervention​ or discarding it with ​Blockade​. 

This will help keep the USSR out of Africa and the 
Americas. 

   
 Nuclear Test Ban

In times of Early War, this is almost exclusively used 

for its Ops. 

As USSR, in rare cases you might want to headline it 

to get another stab at Europe or Asia. 

In that case, just be aware you are sacrificing 4 Ops 

and giving your US opponent further attempts at 
Coups as well.   
 Formosan Revolution*

While this card can be the Asia Domination lynchpin 

later on, it’s fairly useless during the Early War in 
99.9% of all cases. 

This is great to play early on as the USSR. It’s 2 Ops, 

very likely useless during Early War, and the next US 
play of The China Card will cancel the effect for good. 

As the US, just play it for the Ops and keep it around 
for later when you might actually need it.    
 Defectors

Another card where I have to disagree with the 

viewpoint put forth in the classic work ​Twilight 
Strategy​. 

There, this card is evaluated as “not as powerful as 

you might think”. 

I think it’s one of the most powerful US cards 

throughout the whole game. 

In Early War, it serves as a veritable threat against 

headlining powerful cards like ​Destalinization​ or 
 Decolonization.​ It will also cancel out equally 
powerful cards like ​Socialist Governments​, saving 
your butt in Europe. 

Later on, it becomes less of a threat (since there’s 

more cards to choose from) and more of a surprise, 
which is just as great. 

Yes, you’ll have to be a bit careful later that you won’t 

be cancelling out a high-scoring card that your USSR 
opponent headlines, but that’s fairly rare anyway. 

As a special trick, keep it in your hand before the 

Turn 3 reshuffle and headline it in Turn 4. 

As USSR, during Early War always check if this card 

has been seen or not. It’s great to have it in your hand 
or in the discard pile. If not, headline only cards that 
are either very essential to your strategy or where 
the effect of cancelling them does not have a major 
impact. You don’t want your ​Decolonization​ go to 
waste just because of ​Defectors​. 

As for doing away with it, you can play it if you need 
the Ops or space it if that is more conducive to the 
situation. Either way is going to be fine.   
 The Cambridge Five

A highly situational card. 

As the US, you can usually deal with this easily if it’s 
in your hand. Just play any Scoring Cards beforehand 
and take the almost free 2 Ops. The only thing your 
opponent will know in that case is that you don’t have 
any more scoring cards to play. 

As USSR, it’s best to headline this or play it early 

during Turn 3 just before the reshuffle, with one or 
more scoring cards still floating around. One free 
influence to be placed anywhere in a scoring region 
can make a big difference, especially if your US 
opponent decides to headline a Scoring Card.   
 Special Relationship

Fairly weak, though not entirely toothless, this card 

gets a lot stronger after play of NATO. 

And since NATO usually requires play of either 

Marshall Plan​ or ​Warsaw Pact Formed​, that means 
that most of the time you are left with the low-power 
version of ​Special Relationship​ during the Early War. 

Therefore, as the US, most of the time you would just 

play it for the 2 Ops. 
As the USSR, you should either space it or use the 
Ops in France to gain 2 Influence, while giving your 
opponent only 1 Influence to compensate.   
 NORAD*

One of the more difficult cards, because it’s another 

one that is highly situational. 

As USSR, in a lot of cases, you don’t want to play this 

during Early War. ​Quagmire​, which cancels NORAD, 
is still far away and the effects of the card range from 
annoying to devastating. 

After the effect is triggered during a Coup of yours, 

your US opponent might be able to break your 
control of, say, South Korea, and then take over using 
a 3 Ops card. 
A lot of the time it’s better to just space it if you get it. 

As US, you are faced with a difficult choice too if you 

get to play this card. You are sacrificing around 5 Ops 
(this varies because of events like ​Marshall Plan​ and 
Containment,​ but basically it’s 3 Ops for the card and 
2 Ops for Canada control) for an uncertain return on 
that investment during later rounds. 

There are no hard and fast rules I can give here, 

except to collect your own experiences with NORAD. 
 Colophon
I’ve had a lot of fun writing this little book, and I hope 
that to you it was and will be both a useful and 
entertaining read. 

I encourage you to distribute this book freely, and to 

sign up for my newsletter to get notified when there’s 
an update or new developments. I ask that you don’t 
modify the document in any way. 

✵ 
This book was written using Google Docs. 

Fonts used are Lora for paragraph text, Arvo for 

headings and Bree Serif for the subtitle on the cover 
page. 

Card images are copied directly from ​TwiStrug​, in the 

hope that they will be considered fair use. 

I’d like to thank Julian Thorpe, James You and Mike 

Patnik from the ​Twilight Struggle Online Competitors 
Facebook group for valuable feedback and 
discussions. 

Thank you for reading. 

Canada/Germany, December 2019.