Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific (2023)

About this game

Littoral Commander (formerly Fleet Marine Force) is a 2-6 player boardgame about potential military conflict in the Indo-Pacific region, a hybrid of standard hex and counter wargames and card-driven games. Players spend Action Points (AP) during their turn to activate cards or move units on the game board. The game was originally designed for professional military education, but has been adapted for commercial release. The units in the game represent current and future project capabilities for the US Marine Corps / US Navy and the Chinese Navy and Marine Corps (PLAN/PLANMC). The gameplay emphasizes coordination within teams to successfully find and engage the enemy through both kinetic (like missiles) and non-kinetic (like cyber) means. Over 200+ Joint Capability Cards (JCCs) represent a wide range of joint and adversary capabilities. This includes cyber-attacks, influence operations, bomber strikes, submarines, key enablers, and more. The system highlights the importance of reconnaissance, long-range strike, logistics, and cyber capabilities in modern combat. It is designed as an accessible and modular system for both experienced and new players. The game features a scenario system, where players can play on four different maps: Luzon, Taiwan, Straits of Malacca, and Okinawa. Players can play one of the baseline scenarios provided, but are also encouraged to adapt and create their own scenarios for the game. —description from the designer

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 6.
• Rules load. At 3.0/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 14 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.