Play The Cossacks Are Coming! Double or Triple Blind

In the summer of 1914 both the Russian and German commanders in Prussia suffered from an incredible lack of knowledge of the enemy’s whereabouts; the Germans being troubled far less by this then the Russians, who were literally blind. The lack of knowledge of the enemy’s positions allowed events to unfold as they did. Players will find that with historical hindsight and almost perfect information of the enemy’s positions recreating the events that took place to be very difficult. What rational Russian player (not that gamers are rational) would place himself in a position to be destroyed in so complete a manner that only suicide can allow him to keep his honour?

To allow gamers to model the Tannenberg Campaign to its fullest, Oregon ConSim Games offers the Double (or Triple) blind package. The components of the package allow three maps to be set-up simultaneously. While playing “blind” only the umpire will have full knowledge of each player’s unit’s positions. Players will conduct operations with strictly limited knowledge creating uncertainty and real “hidden movement.”

At ConsimWorld 2004 Michael Resch acted as umpire for a triple blind game played by Mark Fisher (Russian First Army) and John Docwra (Second Army) vs. Ed Rains (German Eighth Army). The game ended in a Russian victory although the Second Army had been virtually destroyed. The most humorous event, from the umpire’s point of view, was the Second Army commander’s desperate attempts to find the Russian First Army, through aerial reconnaissance. “Never mind where the Germans are, I know they’re all around me. Where is Rennenkampf and his army!”

Game Components

The Double Blind package includes:

  • 2 map sheets
  • 1 full set of unit counters (two counter sheets)
  • 1 b/w marker counter sheet
  • 6 Player-Aid charts (2xFCRT, 2xBCRT, 2xTEC)

Purchasers of the Double Blind package must own the game The Cossacks are Coming! 2nd Edition to be able to play.

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Rules and After Action Reports