Dan Stueber is a long time Next War Series fan as well as a playtester. He has previously authored an article on a modifed Tactical Surprise scenario for Next War: Korea as well as After Action Reports for both the Tactical Surprise and Extended Buildup scenarios (links are to the first session reports). Here he has provided players with an overview of the strategic considerations for the Allied player in order to defend the ROK. Enjoy!
Next War: Korea postulates an invasion of South Korea by North Korea sometime during our current time frame. It is a great modern war game to play due to the numerous options in the game and the way it portrays modern combat. This article will discuss what I feel are good strategies to defend the South from the North’s aggression. General strategies will be discussed as opposed to discussing specific strategies of individual scenarios. Three points will be covered: the terrain, the air units, and the land units. All images were taken from the Next War: Korea Vassal module.
Terrain Analysis
Invasion Route 1 is basically everything west of the line Yongyang to Yangp’yong. In this area South Korea has three infantry corps along the DMZ with two additional corps in the Seoul area. Plus the CDC Corps forms in Seoul. Five of the divisions in this area have ER ratings of 6 or better and thus can be moved in the Elite Reaction Step to try to plug holes or backstop a defensive line. The South Koreans have an enormous amount of firepower on this side of the peninsula to slow down and bleed white the attacking North Koreans. There are 19 VP’s north of the river line and outside of Seoul so the loss of this area, while not great, is not going to single handedly lose the game for the south. The defenses east of Uijeongbu will probably hold out longer than the area to the north and west. The river line that runs from Munsan to Uijeongbu will hold up a determined attack for a few turns for the South Koreans to prepare the Seoul defenses. A few item about this area regarding the defense:
The area surrounding Yongyang is the most obvious way to break through the DMZ defensive line. The main reason is it is only two hexes deep and is crossed by a primary road that can supply DPRK units well into South Korea and even south of Seoul. Expect the loss of the entire ROK V Corps. They will normally face two to three DPRK Corps backed up by an Artillery
Corps and light infantry. If they make it out of the DMZ they will face a running battle back to the Namynangju area. One item to keep in mind is the area in yellow. When DPRK mobile units make it into these hexes they can outflank the defenses in Invasion Zone 2. Some ROK units will be needed to occupy these hexes until reserves can form south and east of Seoul.
Uijeongbu and the hexes to the northwest should be held as long as possible. Why? First, they are protected by the river line along the north and second, the marsh and light wood hexes to the east and west are perfect areas to create air power kill boxes. Punish any units that get into those hexes with everything you can throw at them.
Namynangju and the two or three highland hexes to the east/southeast are important to the defense of Seoul because they protect the river line from being crossed north of Yangp’yong. Projecting a ZOC into hex 3520 will slow up any DPRK advance across the Puk’an River until reserves can man the river line. Also, the highland hexes protect the cities of Guri and Hanam. Hold the hexes east of those cities. Finally, a ROK reserve division is formed in Namynangju. You will need it so do your best to hold the city until you receive it.
Hold Seoul!! Every urban hex should have some type of unit occupying it. There is nothing subtle about this.
The eastern side of the Korean peninsula is divided into two invasion routes. Invasion Route 2 covers everything west of the mountain areas along the east coast and Invasion Route 3 is basically the east coast road. The main problem with these areas is the defending divisions are all out of support range of their headquarters. The opening turns of the conflict will see the divisions defending alone and almost all of them can be infiltrated by DPRK light infantry. The ROK 2nd Corps is better off as the terrain
north of Yang-gu is difficult for the DPRK to move through and supply once they are through. However, once through the DMZ the ROK 2nd Corps should retreat south of the river line and not try to defend Yang-gu or Inje. Along the east coast road the ROK 3rd Corps will probably be infiltrated, cut off, and destroyed in the first turn or two of the conflict. The 8th Corps will be defending with whatever survives the first turn. Pray for a reserve unit or two to show up in this area as soon as possible. A couple points to remember:
Chuncheon and hex 4318 must be held. Put HQ’s or cooks or rear area troops in those hexes as
they cannot be attacked from across the reservoir hex sides. You don’t want to see your line
flanked because you decided not to man the two hexes that cannot be attacked across but can be
driven across.
The red area south or Yang-gu, especially the highland woods hex 4019, should be tenaciously
defended. Once the DPRK can hold onto hex 4019 and the other two hexes they will probably
be able to outflank the defenses along the east coast by Ganghyeon. Utilize the two rough hexes
to create air power kill zones.
Keep a careful eye on the yellow highlighted area northwest of Chuncheon. Once the DPRK
gets to this area in force they can quickly move across the river in two places if the river
defense are not manned. If they cross at hex 3720 near Chuncheon the entire eastern defense
line may be in jeopardy. It is not the end of the world but Chuncheon will be difficult to defend.
The area highlighted in red along the east coast road should be defended until the Chuncheon
defenses fall. This area will stop an advance cold. Turn the marsh hexes into air power kill
zones and defend the airfield and mountain hex to the north west with everything you can put in
there. This is one of the few areas on the map where ROK and Allied air power can punish the
traffic jam of DPRK units. There are four hexes of marsh and light woods to cause the
destruction of any mechanized units foolish enough to try to force their way toward Busan.
An important note to remember about Invasion Zones 2 & 3 is this; they are not as important as
the Seoul zone. The ROK player can trade some space for time to conserve forces and prepare
for the strategic counterattack. Don’t lose your army trying to defend the river line in this area.
Know when to fall back.
In conclusion, when thinking of the terrain of Korea imagine an hour glass. The DPRK has to squeeze everything they can through the “waist” of Korea to try to get to the more open areas southeast of Seoul and south of Gangneung in the east. If significant mechanized forces make it into these areas they will be difficult to slow down. Look at the areas you are defending. One infantry division stacked with a USMC battalion supported by air power and attack helicopters can absolutely ruin the time table of the
DPRK player. Don’t put all of your forces in the front lines. Put reserve units a few hexes behind the lines in key areas to stop any breakthroughs. If possible keep your elite units out of the line so they can move in the Elite Reaction Phase. You are playing for the long game and have to hold on to every piece of defensive terrain until you must retreat. Then pull back to the next defensive line and start over again. Also, remember the ZOC rules!! You must have at least two stacking points to project a ZOC.
ROK and Allied Air Units
The “Ace in the Hole” for the ROK and Allied side is their air forces. Compared to the DPRK air units they are qualitatively, although not quantitatively, better in all respects. Most Allied air units have stand off air to air capabilities and the stealth units can engage DPRK air units up to three times per air combat. The main concern will be the slow build up of the air power and whether or not you are getting the US units. The first turn or two, depending on the scenario will be a test to see how long the DPRK airforce can stay in the battle. Chances are your air units will cause much more damage than they take, but there are a lot of DPRK air units. Also, if the PRC is in the game expect it to take at least five or six turns before you have contested air over the battlefield. The Chinese air units can really make the air game a grind for the ROK player. Be prepared for more turns where the air is contested over the battlefield. A few points about the air game.
As the Allied player always take the Stealth optional units. The victory point cost is worth everyone of the units, except for the two ROK F-35’s. They must base in Korea and will be destroyed by SCUD/Cruise missile strikes before you know it. If the DPRK player gets to pick the losses due to a Air* result the F-35’s, F-15K’s, and Wild Weasel units are the first to go.
For the first turn or two I usually send every air unit that has a stand off air-to-air capability to contest the air space. This leaves the A-10’s and whatever heavy bombers that are available. I normally leave two F-15K’s for a strike of opportunity if a priority target presents itself however that is a personal preference.
Expect to lose the vast majority of the ROK air force. They take tremendous losses from collatoral damage from the SCUD/Cruise missile strikes. Normally you will get to pick the units taking the loss and can mitigate this some but the North Korean player will try to cause as much damage as possible.
Do not enter North Korean air space until you have reduced either the detection or SAM tracks. If you can reduce both even better. Your air units will simply be aborted or blown out of the sky. You need to plan for the long game to conduct air strikes into enemy territory.
When picking targets for air strikes try to target several units from one corps. If you can cause several strike results against units from one corps they can become ripe for destruction in a follow up land attack. Remember, a unit with a strike 2 result has it’s efficiency rating reduced by 2. Use this to your advantage.
You have two strike phases (ground based air in the 2nd Strike Phase only) so use that second phase to continue or complete the destruction you started in the first phase. Do not be stingy with air strikes; punish mechanized units in open terrain and if you have a HQ detected and targeted send in the “gorilla” to destroy it.
In my opinion the priority enemy targets are: artillery brigades, armor divisions, armor/mechanized brigades, and headquarters. Whenever you can target one of these types of units do your best to destroy them.
Once you have gained air superiority pull all the stealth air units out and make them your deep strike aircraft. If the strike is made up of all stealth units they get a +5 on the Detection roll. Depending on the enemy detection rating this is usually enough to get those units to the target hex to cause some damage. Remember that if the detection rating is high enough your stealth units can be detected and can even be hit by SAM fire.
Attack helicopters are great units that can be used twice a turn. Enemy AAA is a real pain, expect a decent percentage to be aborted. Also, never base attack helicopters at airbases. They are too valuable and will be destroyed by the collateral damage rolls from SCUD attacks.
The Allied player needs to understand that it is not if but when they will gain Air Supremacy over Korea. The Allied air forces completely outclass the North Korean air units, even when backed up by the Chinese air force. The proper use of your air units will win the game for the Allied player, the question is can the land forces hold on long enough to give the fly boys the chance to turn the tide.
The Land Units
Finally we come to the land units. First we will talk about the units that the Allied player starts with and then we will discuss the ROK reserve formations. We will also touch on the US Army and Marine Corps units that are received as they are the primary counterattack force for the ROK/Allied side. The Republic of Korea starts out with most of eight corps on the board made up of the following units:
Twelve Headquarters
Eighteen Infantry Divisions; all 6-8-4 ER 5 stacking 2
Three Infantry Brigades; all 2-2-4 ER 5 stacking 1
Four Mechanized Divisions; two are 10-11-8 ER 6 stacking 3 and two are 9-11-8 ER 6 Stacking2
Four Armor Brigades; all 4-4-8 ER 5 (the 3/1A has an ER of 4) stacking 1
Two Marine Divisions; both 7-8-4 ER 7 stacking 3
US 2ID HQ and 2/1 Brigade; 5-5-8 ER 7 stacking 2
Depending on the scenario you may receive additional US units at the start of the game. Obviously the main units for the ROK player are the infantry divisions. With solid attack and defense values and the ability to project ZOC’s even when reduced they are the best bang for the buck. Plus they are the cheapest units, other than the infantry brigades, to rebuild or reconstitute. In fact if you consider that it takes 2 replacement points to rebuild an infantry brigade with values of 2-2-4 and a reduced infantry
division has values of 3-4-4 the infantry divisions should be the only units you rebuild. The four big mechanized divisions are great units but normally die trying to defend the outskirts of Seoul. Plus the cost to completely rebuild these units, 7 replacement points, is almost prohibitive to spend on one unit. You will probably never have seven points saved up anyway. The armor brigades, while fairly good, will usually die due to being used as the lead unit in an attack. They are too expensive to rebuild.
The ROK receives twenty-nine units as reserves, but they are a mixed bag. The following units are the reserve forces of the Republic of Korea:
3 additional headquarters
13 mechanized divisions; all are 4-5-6 ER 4, stacking 3
13 infantry divisions; all are 3-3-4 ER 4, stacking 2
These forces really cannot stand up to the main DPRK troops. The Efficiency Ratings are too low and they will simply be destroyed. However, by the time most of these units are on the map the DPRK will, hopefully, have taken a decent amount of damage and the reserve forces can be used in quieter sectors of the map. There are two main problems with the ROK reserve forces:
First, the mechanized divisions are 3 stacking points and there are very few ROK 1 stacking point units to stack with.
Second, when any of these units receive a hit they lose a stacking point, so those infantry divisions do not project a ZOC if they are reduced and stacked alone.
These two points will, in many ways dictate how you use these units. Those mechanized divisions can zip around the map to decent defensive terrain however they don’t have the efficiency to be used against the main DPRK spearheads. The infantry divisions should only be used in built up terrain backed up by regular ROK infantry divisions, USMC infantry battalions, or US Army BCT units. A few items to remember in your defense of the peninsula and subsequent counterattack:
The six elite ROK units are your main reaction forces early in the game. Just remember before you send them running halfway across the map their HQ units are not. Try to move them to areas where they can still be supported by their headquarters.
The US 2nd Infantry Division, plus whatever other US Army units that arrive early, will be your “fire brigade” for a few turns. Try to keep them out of the line and use them for quick attacks to destroy a key enemy unit. Initially they will probably be fighting the numerous DPRK light infantry units that will be all over South Korea.
Remember the US Army Brigade Combat Teams rule! Any US Army unit is considered subordinate to any US Army (but not USMC) HQ. This really makes the US Army units very powerful and able to react quickly no matter where they are on the map, as long as they are near a HQ.
The US Army and USMC units are your primary counterattack forces. Try to conserve their strength as much as possible. Pull the airborne and air assault units out of the line as soon as you can. This will cause the DPRK player to constantly look in his rear areas and be concerned about vertical envelopment.
One USMC battalion, with an Efficiency Rating of 7 or 8, can turn a ROK reserve corps into a force to be reckoned with. There are twenty-one USMC battalions that can be received depending on the scenario. Two regiments (six battalions) of US Marines spread amongst the ROK reserves still leaves you with a very powerful USMC force for beach invasions and
vertical envelopment. Try to support this force with the ROK 1/2A Marine Division. Semper Fi!
This isn’t a game on Desert Storm; your US units will take some serious losses. Be prepared for this and adjust your plans as needed. Remember which units can and cannot be rebuilt. Once the 101st Air Assault and Marines are gone, they are gone.
Once the DPRK has shot it’s bolt and you are ready to begin your attack this should be an all arms battle. Reduce the Detection/SAM tracks as soon as possible. Try to detect HQ’s and supply depots then start hitting them with air power. Cut off and isolate forward DPRK units with your powerful US Army forces then counterattack those cut off forces with reserve troops when their attack, defense, and Efficiency Ratings are reduced. Concentrate your attacks on just one or two enemy corps. The DPRK player will have to adjust his entire line as opposed to filling a couple small holes. Don’t be stingy with your Close Air Support, send in enough to really turn the battle your way. Finally, if the People’s Republic of China units are in the game try to conduct strikes on them before they get into the line. Once they are in the line turn those big armor and mechanized divisions into NATO air strike magnets. If those units can break into your rear areas south of Seoul you will probably be in trouble. Two final notes; use your Special Forces units on recon, targeting, detection track reduction, and SCUD hunting. They are too valuable for raids on hardened targets in North Korea and will simply be destroyed. Special Forces Targeting coupled with a good pilot rating can completely ruin an enemy armor divisions day. Use your cruise missiles to attack detected supply depots in conjunction with air strikes, and to attack enemy naval units. They will be wasted trying to hit the various hardened targets in North Korea.
Final Notes
Use your Special Forces units on recon, targeting, detection track reduction, and SCUD hunting. They are too valuable for raids on hardened targets in North Korea and will simply be destroyed. Special Forces Targeting coupled with a good pilot rating can completely ruin an enemy armored division’s day. Use your cruise missiles to attack detected supply depots in conjunction with air strikes as well as to attack enemy naval units. They will be wasted trying to hit the various hardened targets in North Korea.
In closing, Next War: Korea is, in my opinion, a fantastic game. It gives both sides the opportunity to attack and defend, has numerous options, contains plenty of high tech toys, and allows players to conduct large scale operations. Hopefully this article will assist you in the defense of South Korea.