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Saigon 75 is a strategic game that lets you experience the intense conflict between North and South Vietnam from 1973 to 1975. The game board represents a map of the southern part of Vietnam, divided into 20 provinces, with additional territories of Cambodia, Laos, and North Vietnam usable only by the North Vietnamese forces. One player controls the “communist” forces of the North, including the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Viet Cong (VC), while the other takes charge of the “liberal” forces of the South, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).
👥 1-2 players, ages 14+
⌛ Playing time: 60 minutes
📝 Designers: Jean-Philippe Barcus & Pascal Toupy
🎨 Artwork: Tania Sanchez-Fortun, Christophe Sancy
🏢 Publisher: Nuts! Publishing
https://www.nutspublishing.com/
The gameplay is divided into turns, each representing a three-month season. A maximum of eight turns can be played. Each turn consists of two phases, one for the North Vietnamese (NV) player and one for the South Vietnamese (SV) player, with each phase divided into sub-phases. To start, players determine unit availability by rolling dice and referring to the Unit Activation Table on the game board. This table indicates the maximum number of units that can be activated for the current phase. After activation, the units can be used to perform actions like move and attack.
🃏 Event cards also play a significant role in the gameplay. There are 20 event cards that can either advantage the SV player, the NV player, or be neutral. The active player must play a card from their hand, and the associated event impacts the phase. Once the event has been fulfilled, the card is discarded, and the active player then draws a new card to maintain a hand of three cards.
🚶♂️ Movement in the game is strategic, with each unit having one movement point, except the Mechanized SV units, which have 2. Units move into an adjacent province or through special movements for specific units like Marines, Rangers, and paratroops. However, the movement must adhere to stacking rules, limiting the number of units a province can contain.
⚔️ Another essential aspect of Saigon 75 is combat. Any unit in the same province as an enemy unit may engage in combat. The combat results depend on the dice roll, with different symbols on the dice leading to various outcomes. After the battle, a check is made for province control, determining which player controls the province based on unit presence and Quyết Thầng militia markers.
🏳️ Finally, the game incorporates a Desertion mechanic for the SV player, simulating the real-world issues the South Vietnamese Army faced during the war. After each turn, the SV player calculates desertions based on the number of provinces controlled by the NV, potentially reducing the SV player’s forces.
🎯 The end of Saigon 75 hinges on key strategic conditions. If the North Vietnamese player controls the Saigon province, or if the South Vietnamese player has no remaining units on the board at the end of any turn, the game concludes with a victory for the North. However, if the North Vietnamese player has not taken control of Saigon province by the end of the eighth turn, the South Vietnamese player claims victory.
Saigon 75, from Nuts! Publishing’s UP! Series, delivers a strategic journey into the Vietnam conflict, allowing players to immerse themselves into the intense encounter between North and South Vietnam from 1973 to 1975. In line with the concept of the UP! Series, the game is designed to create a sense of being ‘under pressure,’ particularly for one side, thus creating an intriguing asymmetric experience.
👥 Crafted by Jean-Philippe Barcus and Pascal Toupy, this game provides an engaging challenge for two players. It’s a light wargame that’s simple to pick up, yet filled with strategic depth. The game excellently illustrates the contrast between the North Vietnamese divisions and the South Vietnamese’s diverse units – such as the Marines, Rangers, and Paratroopers -. Each side has unique win conditions, leading to varied gameplay experiences, and presenting a formidable challenge for the South Vietnamese player.
⏳ With a few pages of rules and an hour of strategy, Saigon 75 never fails to keep you on edge. Every turn brings a new challenge, and the game maintains a high level of tension throughout. The event cards and dice-based combat bring unpredictability to the game, ensuring that each playthrough feels different, boosting replayability, and making the game exciting and engaging.
🎖 As newcomers embark on their Saigon 75 journey, the initial gameplay is eased into by starting with three Event Cards per player, replenishing one after each is played per turn. This method introduces the strategic nuances of Event Cards in a gradual, manageable way. As players familiarize themselves with the game and hone their strategies, a seemingly minor but profound rule alteration comes into play. Instead of a three-card per turn approach, eight Event Cards are dealt to each player at the game’s onset. This adjustment considerably deepens the game’s complexity and strategic depth. With all cards in hand right from the start, players gain an overview of potential scenarios, enabling strategic planning around future rounds’ opportunities and challenges. It compels players to think more critically about the timing of their card play for maximum advantage.
🪖 Saigon 75 is a successful attempt at encapsulating the intricacies of the Vietnam conflict in a concise yet fascinating board game. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in exploring this historical event in an interactive way.
📝 We would like to extend our thanks to Nuts! Publishing for providing us with a review copy of this game.
