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Twilight Struggle: Turn Zero box art

Expansion for Twilight Struggle

Twilight Struggle: Turn Zero

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Published
2015
Reach
Widely known (via base game)
Players
2–2
Play time
180 min
Weight
Not enough ratings yet
Ratings
0

How it plays

You try to outmaneuver the opposing superpower by spreading influence, controlling regions, and earning victory points. Before the main game, secretly choose Statecraft cards and roll dice to resolve six crises that create an alternate starting setup; then play Twilight Struggle normally by using cards for events or operations. Victory follows the base game: reach 20 points, force an opponent loss, or lead after final scoring.

Main mechanics

  • Area control
  • Legacy & campaign
  • Direct conflict
  • Dice rolling
  • Hand management
  • Action programming
  • Area control: Presence on the map decides who scores.
  • Legacy & campaign: The game changes permanently between sessions.
  • Direct conflict: Players attack each other head-on.
  • Dice rolling: Dice create swing and force you to adapt.
Full publisher description

Twilight Struggle: Turn Zero is a new mini-expansion that lets players explore alternate starting situations for the two superpowers. What if Chiang's forces had held on in southern China? What if Churchill's Tories had won re-election in 1945? And what if the Western Allies had crossed the bridge too far, and reached Berlin first? These and other possibilities that alter the opening setup in Twilight Struggle are now open to players. Both seasoned veterans and new arrivals will enjoy the many new plays and dilemmas introduced here for the first time. This expansion includes the following: One (1) Turn Zero Rules sheet Taiwan [3] country counter Turn marker (backside is blue and states - US First) Defcon 1 Blocked counter Suez Crisis - No Effect (blue) counter Socialist Governments - No Effect Turns 1-2 (blue) counter -2 UK Influence (blue) counter Six (6) large Crisis cards, with new setup instructions per die roll: Yalta and Potsdam Chinese Civil War 1945 UK Election Israel VE Day VJ Day Ten (10) Statecraft Cards: Soviet cards: Andropov, Khrushchev, Molotov, Beria, KGB (Dummy Card) US cards: Kennan, Acheson, Marshall, Dulles, OSS (Dummy card) Two (2) Modified Event Cards Europe Scoring (Allied Berlin) - Early War Nationalist China 2 (US) Early War Two (2) Card Description sheets (with Optional Space Race Track instructions on reverse) (Note: The cards described are the cards included in the Promo Deck #1 and Promo Deck #2)

How this expansion changes the base game

ComplexityNo change
Much lighterNo changeMuch heavier
DepthNo change
Much shallowerNo changeMuch deeper
SkillNo change
Much more luckNo changeMuch more skill
InteractionNo change
Much lessNo changeMuch more
Table ExpNo change
Much worseNo changeMuch better
Integration / RefinementNot rated yet
Makes it worseNo changeEssential
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Base vs with this expansion

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  • Base game