Modern War #9: War by Television – Kosovo 1999 is a two-player hypothetical wargame simulating a potential NATO ground invasion of Serbia during the Kosovo conflict in 1999. Designed as a what-if scenario, it imagines the course of events had the United States and NATO chosen to follow their air campaign with a full-scale invasion of rump Yugoslavia to bring a rapid end to the crisis.

• Scenario Background: In this alternate history, the Western alliance escalates from airstrikes to a direct ground assault into Serbia. The objective: destroy the Yugoslav Army, capture Belgrade, and enforce NATO’s terms of peace. The war would be fast, brutal, and politically volatile — lasting perhaps a month before logistics, casualties, and waning public support forced an end to operations. War by Television captures this delicate balance of military force and political endurance, portraying the immense logistical and moral challenges of late-20th-century warfare broadcast live to the world.
• Gameplay & Objectives:
  • NATO Player: commands a technologically superior but politically constrained force of divisions, corps, and multinational armies. The goal is to achieve a decisive victory before the international community demands a ceasefire.
  • Serbian Player: leads entrenched forces of brigades and divisions, using terrain, mobility, and local knowledge to inflict heavy losses and outlast NATO’s limited operational window.
  The challenge for both sides lies in balancing military strategy, attrition, and political will in a limited-duration campaign.
• Game System & Scale:
  • Each hex represents 7.5 miles (12 km).
  • Each turn represents two days of combat operations.
  • Serbian units are typically brigades or divisions (2,000–5,000 men).
  • NATO forces are larger divisions, corps, and army-level formations (9,000–25,000 men).
  • Air superiority is abstracted into the rules, reflecting NATO’s overwhelming air dominance without requiring aircraft counters.
  The game’s mechanics focus on combined-arms warfare, rapid manoeuvre, and supply management, presenting an accurate depiction of modern military operations under heavy political scrutiny.
• Strategic Features:
  • Simulates a NATO invasion of Serbia at the height of the Kosovo conflict.
  • Models modern command logistics, morale, and attrition in limited wars.
  • Incorporates political pressure and time constraints as core mechanics.
  • Balances overwhelming technology versus determined local resistance.
  • Ideal for players interested in modern-era, near-future, or hypothetical warfare.

Scale & Components:

• Players: 2
• Level: Brigade / Division
• Hex Scale: 7.5 Miles (12 km)
• Game Turn: 2 Days
• Map: 22” x 34” full-colour map representing Yugoslavia and surrounding regions
• Counters: Full counter sheet depicting NATO and Serbian formations

Gameplay Focus: War by Television brings the tension and unpredictability of modern limited war to the tabletop. It highlights the contrast between military dominance and political fragility, showing how public opinion and global media could shape battlefield outcomes in the late 20th century.

Modern War #9: War by Television – Kosovo 1999 is perfect for players who enjoy realistic modern warfare simulations, alternative history scenarios, and operational-level strategy games.

Available now from Milsims Games — Australia’s leading source for historical and modern conflict simulations. Includes price-match guarantee and fast domestic shipping from Mont Albert, VIC.

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