Hammer and Sickle

Revolution and war are two different things. For someone who is not only trying to defeat a military opponent but also radically change the society in which they live, there is no clear-cut front line visibly separating friend from enemy.
- Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Hammer and Sickle: Hunger and Utopia in the Russian Civil War, 1918-1921 is a fast-paced, four-player asymmetric game covering one of the most desperate and world-shaping conflicts of the 20th century, in which four competing ideologies battled for supremacy over the former Russian Empire.

With the Tsarist Empire collapsing under the dual crises of World War I and Revolution, two fragile alliances emerge to fill the power vacuum: a Revolutionary alliance of Anarchists and Bolsheviks and a Counter-Revolutionary alliance of New Nations and the White Army. Yet only one faction will ultimately achieve victory through a combination of strategic resource management, negotiation, and choosing the right moment to bid everything for glory.

Each season, players will alternate using Action and Commander cards to rally their forces, spread or clamp down on Agitation and Nationalism, and launch offensives into enemy territory. An event card played by each player at the start of the season will determine initiative order and have a unique effect on the game, while at the end of each season players must gather Food from the countryside (Sickles) to feed their factories (Hammers) and generate Firepower, or else risk rising Agitation and eventual Anarchist uprisings! After six seasons the player who has completed the most objectives and whose alliance is most successful will be victorious, determining the fate of Russia.

Highlights:

• Four asymmetric factions with unique tokens, powers, and paths to victory. Each faction has its own distinct set of cards, including Actions, Commanders, Events, and Objectives. The balance of power swings between the two alliances, but each faction approaches victory by achieving their individual objectives.
• A tight economy that demands all factions compete over two limited resources: Food and Firepower. Rural ‘Sickle’ territories produce Food, but only half as much in Winter seasons as in Summer seasons. Urbanized ‘Hammer’ territories produce Firepower, but only if the workers receive Food. If you cannot pay Food to your Hammers, they instead produce Agitation, strengthening the Anarchists.
• Combat is based not on random die rolls but on bidding, negotiation, and bluffing. Factions adjacent to Combat may choose to intervene if it suits them or demand compensation either for doing so or for sitting out. Players secretly commit a Commander (with a unique power) or a Bluff card, along with their troops. They also secretly bid Firepower, which removes enemy troops. The side with superior remaining force wins the Combat, while the losing side must retreat or be captured.
• Opportunities for short-term and long-term planning, through selection of Events, Objectives, Propaganda, and investment in permanent upgrades for the Bolsheviks, New Nations, and Whites.
• An accessible ruleset that encourages fast-paced, interactive play. Lower complexity than traditional COIN games or other popular asymmetric games like Root.

Factions

Anarchists

Alliance: Revolution; Base: Rural peasants (Sickle territories)

Representing Nestor Makhno’s Ukrainian “Black Army,” the rebellious Kronstadt sailors, and peasant uprisings, the Anarchist faction has the fewest troops and the least ability to produce Firepower. Instead of trying to win large battles, the Anarchists grow through guerrilla tactics, such as converting enemy soldiers or committing sabotage.

The Anarchists’ unique token is Agitation . Agitation gives the Anarchists presence in territories, allowing them to take actions even when they have no troops present. Furthermore, building up Agitation in enemy territories allows the Anarchists to potentially seize those territories through popular rebellion, without needing to conquer them in Combat.

Bolsheviks

Alliance: Revolution ; Base: Urban workers (Hammer territories)

Lenin’s nascent “workers’ state” can field more troops than its enemies, which surround it from all sides. The Red Army’s control of the urban Hammer territories means it could produce overwhelming Firepower, if only it had the Food necessary to power that production.

The Bolsheviks’ unique token is the Armored Train, a powerful weapon that unlike Firepower is not destroyed in Combat; it can instead be used again and again to overpower the Bolsheviks’ enemies. Furthermore, the Armored Train can be upgraded through long-term investment to become a super-weapon.

New Nations

Alliance: Counter-Revolution; Base: Urban capitalists (Hammer territories) 

Many New Nations declared independence out of the fall of the Russian Empire, ranging from Finland and the Baltic States, through Poland and Ukraine, and down to the Caucasus. Led by Polish commander Józef Piłsudski, their ability to defend themselves from more powerful enemies is aided by the support of the British Navy, which provides mobility for New Nations troops between all coastal territories. As a Counter-Revolutionary faction, the New Nations also receive Foreign Aid from the Western powers, which can be upgraded through long-term investment.

The New Nations’ unique token is Nationalism, which can be placed in New Nations territories or enemy territories, providing a +2 strength bonus in Combat. Furthermore, Nationalism improves New Nations recruiting actions, helping them match the threat of the massive Red Army.

White Army

Alliance: Counter-Revolution; Base: Rural landowners (Sickle territories)

The White Army aims to undo the Revolution and restore Russia to imperial glory, but it is territorially divided and at a disadvantage in both troops and Firepower compared to the Bolsheviks. Led by Alexander Kolchak, the Whites have the ablest Commanders and the backing of the Western powers. The Whites receive the most Foreign Aid, which can be upgraded through long-term investment.

The Whites’ unique token is Terror, which is a special currency gained through conquering territories. Terror can be used to improve White actions, remove Agitation or Nationalism, and upgrade Foreign Aid.

Hammer and Sickle allows players to experience the full sweep of the world-changing Russian Civil War in a single evening, while still allowing room for negotiation, scheming, and strategic experimentation. The players are grouped into two natural alliances of convenience, with the counter-revolutionary White Army and New Nations opposing the revolutionary Bolsheviks and Anarchists, but these alliances are unstable and will collapse as soon as one player comes close to winning. Simple and innovative production and combat systems provide plenty to think about while not impeding gameplay, and historical Event and Objective cards ensure that every game will play out differently. A dedicated non-player system also allows for any combination of factions to be automated, supporting one, two, or three player games.

Components:

• One 22” x 25 ½” Mounted Game Board
• 153 Regular-sized Playing Cards
• 160 Wooden Pieces
• One and a half Full-color Countersheets
• Four Player Screens
• Two Custom 6-sided Dice (for non-player system)
• One Non-player Faction Foldout
• One Rulebook
• One Non-player Rulebook
• One Playbook
• One 3” Box

Game Designer: Alex Knight
Game Developer: Joe Dewhurst