FITNA – Global War in the Middle East
“FITNA (Schism in Arabic), global war in the
Middle East“ is a two to six-player grand strategic level card driven wargame
depicting the military confrontations in the Middle East since 2012, up to the
near future. Among 10 historical and hypothetical scenarios, players can simulate
the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Kurdish
Rebellion, the Sunni versus Shia confrontation as well as Russian, Turkish,
Israeli and Western intervention in the region. ISIS troops are activated
through Event cards.
This wargame allows you to have a clearer view of the
local protagonists' goals
and a real understanding of what
is going on in this chaotic area. This is why it is used by experts and analysts to test prospective scenarios, as the iconic “Gulf Strike” used to
be by US experts to plan the Gulf War.
Each turn represents two months of real time and is
divided into several phases allowing players to play events, to take
reinforcements, to check supply, to spend operational points, to move units
(mostly brigades and divisions) and to launch offensives. Each player gets 4
cards in hand allowing him or her to use them carefully either for creating
events, spending operational points or supporting battles.

The A1 map represents the
Fertile Crescent (Kuwait, Iraq, Syria & Lebanon) and parts of Iran, Israel,
Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. It is a point to point map containing 113
boxes depicting clear, mountainous, swamp and urban terrains, as well as
oilfields and objectives.
The 3 countersheets include a complete OB for all the potential
belligerents, from tenacious Iranian “Al Qods” to the redoutable Israeli
Armored divisions, alongside Saudi, Turkish, Iraqi, Syrian, Lebanese, US,
French, British, Jordan and Gulf Monarchies units, including Kurdish and
jihadist troops as well as all local militias (Sunni, Shia, Al Shams,
Hezbollah…).

While using the same
basic game system as “Bloody Dawn: the Iran-Iraq War” designed by Pierre Razoux,
“Fitna, global war in the Middle
East” includes many new rules, assets and events characteristic of current
wars in this region. An International Tension track simulates the growing
tension leading to the arrival of extra reinforcements and the massive military
intervention of the United States of America.
Rules
allow the two to six players to tackle 11 variously sized scenarios, from 2 to
6 hours of play, focusing either on historical or hypothetical ones.
The
11 scenarios are:
·
“The civil war in
Syria: 2012-2013” (tutorial for 2 players / 6 turns) simulates the first challenging
phase of the Syrian Civil War, before any external actors have directly
intervened in the conflict. This is manly Bashar al-Assad’s finest hour for
survival on the one hand, and the Rebellion trying to overthrow him on the
other!
·
“The fight against
ISIS: 2014-2015” (2-4 players / 6 turns) covers the fight against ISIS at the maximum
extension of the self-proclaimed Caliphate from the summer of 2014 and its
establishment in Mosul and Raqqa, to the Summer of 2015 with the first setbacks
suffered by ISIS.
·
“Russian intervention
in Syria and the PKK rebellion in Turkey: 2015-2016” (2-4 players / 6
turns) portrays the
military intervention of Russia in Syria in September 2015 to save the Syrian
regime and stop ISIS progression toward Lebanon and the Mediterranean shore, as
well as the Kurdish PKK rebellion in Turkey. It shows the complex geopolitical
game between the regional actors, as well as the Iraqi efforts to regain lost
territories with Iranian and Western support.
·
“ISIS’ collapse:
2017-2018” (2-3 players / 9 turns) simulates the battles for the liberation of
Mosul, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor in Iraq and Syria, with the progressive collapse
of the jihadist organization. The regional actors can crush ISIS, but as
soon as this objective is reached, their divergent agendas clash and each of
them has to make crucial decisions.
·
“Iraq invades Kuwait
again” (2 players / 6 turns); following the fall of ISIS, the collapse of the
Kurds and the geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East, the Iraqi nationalist
leadership decides to invade Kuwait again to boost Iraqi cohesion. Once again, the US
backed by a coalition of the willing decides to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
·
“Turkish military intervention
in Iraq and Syria” (2-3 players / 9 turns); pretexting the geopolitical turmoil
in the Middle East, the Turkish nationalist leadership decides to push its
advantage and to reconquer former Ottoman territories in Syria and in Iraq,
provoking the military intervention of Russia and Iran.
·
“The struggle for
Kurdish independence” (2-4 players / 9 turns); following the collapse of ISIS, the
various Kurdish factions reach an agreement to declare Kurdish independence, calling
for Western assistance and launching a general insurrection against the central
Iraqi, Syrian and Turkish governments.
·
“Limited war between Iran and Saudi Arabia” (2
players / 9 turns) simulates a direct military confrontation in Iraq between
Iran and Saudi Arabia after a Coup in Baghdad, involving most of their
respective allies.
·
“Israel attacks
Hezbollah: Regional war in Syria” (2-5 players / 6 turns); The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
attack Lebanon and Syria to eradicate Hezbollah and the various Islamic
militias, as well as reducing the influence of Iran in Lebanon and Syria,
provoking the direct military intervention of all regional actors.
·
“Fitna: global
war in the Middle East” (2-6 players / 12 turns) combines “Limited
war between Iran and Saudi Arabia” and “Regional war in Syria” in a long hypothetical
scenario campaign using all rules and counters.
· “Regional war in Syria involving Israel, Iran, Russia and turket after the US withdrawal” (5 players / 6 turns)
Optional
rules will allow players to explore many “what-if” possibilities and 2 players
to play multiplayer scenarios.
Fitna
has been designed to allow players to create their own scenarios to explore any
new conflictual situation in the Middle East.
![]() | ![]() | Download English rules [ 10/15/20 ] | [ PDF - 5.20 Mo ] |
![]() | Download Vassal module [ update 04/11/21 - Thanks Christian van den bosch ] | [ VMOD - 47.00 Mo ] | |
![]() | Download errata for 4 counters | [ ZIP - 0.95 Mo ] | |
![]() | Download FAQ [ 09/18/20 ] | [ PDF - 0.30 Mo ] | |
![]() | Download controls counters | [ ZIP - 1.60 Mo ] | |
![]() | Download Italian rules [ Thanks Nicola Tosi ] | [ PDF - 1.60 Mo ] | |
![]() | Download Italian scenarios [ Thanks Nicola Tosi ] | [ PDF - 1.75 Mo ] |
FITNA dans le journal Le Figaro [ French ]
► FITNA dans le journal Le Figaro
FITNA de Nuts publishing - Excellent jeu en vue [ French ]
► http://wingsofwar.forum2jeux.com/t2317-fitna-de-nuts-publishing-excellent-jeu-en-vue
FITNA, le conflit au Moyen-Orient sur nos tables de jeu [ French ]
► http://www.jeudeclick.com/fitna-le-conflit-au-moyen-orient-sur-nos-tables-de-jeu/
Belli Ludi, FITNA : décrire le conflit [ French ]
► https://www.trictrac.net/actus/belli-ludi-fitna-decrire-le-conflit
Belli Ludi, FITNA : vivre le conflit [ French ]
► https://www.trictrac.net/actus/belli-ludi-fitna-vivre-le-conflit
Battles Magazine #12 [ English ]
► https://nutspublishing.com/eshop/doc/fitna/B12_Fitna.pdf
Bir Hakeim [ French ]
► http://www.bir-hacheim.com/fitna-un-wargame-de-pierre-razoux-chez-nuts-publishing/
The player's aid [ English ]
► https://theplayersaid.com/2018/08/06/interview-with-pierre-razoux-designer-of-fitna-the-global-war-in-the-middle-east-2013-from-nuts-publishing/
Pierre RAZOUX dans la TTTV pour un Alinéa sur les conflits au Moyen-Orient de 1990 à nos jours [ French ]
► https://player.trictrac.net/embed/Alinea_Les_Conflits_Au_Moyen_Orient_De_1990_A_Nos_Jours
Pierre RAZOUX dans la TTTV pour un Alinéa sur son jeu sur la guerre Iran-Irak. Absolument passionnant ! [ French ]
► https://www.trictrac.net/actus/alinea-la-guerre-iran-irak-1980-1988
FITNA – Global War in the Middle East - ENGLISH VERSION
- Designer: Pierre Razoux
Graphics: Thomas Pouchin
• Boxed game
• 1 A1 single-sided map
• 288 counters
• 16 page Rulebook in English
• 24 page Campaign rules booklet in English
• 1 set of 95 asset & event cards
• 1 set of 5 special joker cards
• 1 set of 2 bonus cards
• 7 A4 double-sided play aids
• 1 die
• ziplocks