Combat Mission Cold War is set in the tipping-point years of a conflict that gripped the world for 45 years. Between 1979-1982, both the NATO and Soviet Warsaw Pact militaries began the shift away from industrialized warfare of the early 20th century and towards the modern digital battlefield of today. Combat Mission Cold War simulates several “what if” conflict scenarios between US and Soviet forces centered on the strategic Fulda Gap and environs in West Germany.
The game also simulates the early days of the US National Training Center (NTC) as US forces began to rapidly transform away from Vietnam era doctrine and towards the revolutionary AirLand Battle concepts that would define warfare in the modern era.
It truly was a transformational period in battlefield doctrine and revolutionary equipment for both the NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. Combat Mission Cold War is set in a period that features true peer versus peer forces facing off in what can be nail biting action.
Combat Mission Cold War is intended to be a sandbox for experimentation, for example how would a situation unfold when equipped with M-60A3s or M1s in 1982 facing off against T-80s? How about the same situation with M-60A1s or M-60A2s in 1979 against T-64s or T-62s? Combat Mission Cold War allows a player to do just that!
For the old-timers who served during the Cold War it would be gratifying to actually play out many of the scenarios that were conjectured and trained for during the late seventies to the early eighties, or to re-fight battles at the National Training Center (NTC). Combat Mission Cold War provides those old-timers, and any others that are interested, the opportunity to do just that.
Highlights: Combat Mission Cold War provides the player with the opportunity to take command of either US or Soviet tactical formations, centering on the Company Team or Battalion Task Force between 1979 to 1982. Tactical formations include highly detailed, historically accurate organizations, equipment and modeling of weapons effects that is second-to-none within the wargaming industry. Highlights include the full suite of era-accurate tanks and mechanized infantry fighting vehicles, including many not available in any other Combat Mission franchise: (M48, M60 series of tanks, M150 TOW, M1 (105), T64, and T80, etc.). In addition, it offers a full suite of aircraft effects modeled on legendary platforms such as the iconic US F-4 Phantom and A-7 Corsair. Coming back to Combat Mission are the first variants of the venerable A-10 Warthog and F-16 Fighting Falcon, as well as the Army variants of the AH-1 Cobra gunships. The Soviets bring with them their service workhorses, the infamous Mig-23/27, the Su-17, the rare but powerful Su-25 Frogfoot, and the well-known Mi-24 series gunship, including the first “Hind A” version and the famous “Hind D.”
Combat Mission Cold War comes with:
- 15 standalone scenarios set in the US V and VII Corp sectors of West Germany. Scenarios range from small platoon-based actions to large Battalion battles.
- 3 full length campaigns:
- The NTC Campaign. The National Training Center in the California Mojave Desert was established in 1982, right at the end of Combat Mission Cold War’s time frame. The NTC campaign puts you in command of a US Army Company Team as it begins its rotation and trial by simulated fire against the premier Soviet style formation in the world, the NTC OPFOR (Opposing Force).
- The US West German Campaign. Set in the southern Fulda Strategic Corridor between Fulda and Hanau, the US campaign unfolds across historically accurate maps as player take charge of the 2nd Bn TF of the 28th Infantry Regt in a race to stop the Soviet juggernaut. In keeping with the sandbox theme of Combat Mission Cold War, there are two versions of the US Campaign, 1982 and 1979 to allow players the opportunity to see and compare the differences in equipment between the two periods.
- The Soviet Campaign. Set north and east of Fulda, the Soviet Campaign follows the “Ride of the 120th Motor Rifle Regt” on the opening 48 hours of a fictional “what if” West German invasion. Players will fight on historical battlefields “that never were”, such as Eiterfield and Alsfeld as part of the first wave of Soviet troops racing towards their divisional objectives.
Special Features: Combat Mission Cold War is somewhat unique within the franchise in that it covers a broader time-period than many other Combat Mission base games with a view to eventually covering an even wider period. The aim is to provide the player with the broadest set of experiences and tools to build their own scenarios if they so wish.
Combat Mission Cold War also includes new and reoccurring battlefield innovations such as the introduction of Single and Dual-Purpose Improved Cluster Munitions delivered by both air and artillery support. The early days of electronic warfare is also modeled giving players a sense of the impact an encroaching digital age would have on warfare. Finally Combat Mission Cold War is more than a clash of equipment and weapons, it simulates a clash between command-and-control systems. The US, embracing maneuver warfare doctrine, while the Soviets favour mass, and centrally controlled command systems; Combat Mission Cold War allows the player to see in detail how the clash of these two doctrines would have played out.
Find out more on the official Combat Mission Cold War Steam page.
Matrix Games have announced that Combat Mission Cold War has been released.