
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,085
- BGG rating
- 9.0
The Dogs of War
- 2–4 players
- 180–600 min
- Complexity 4.1/5
- 2021

2020
Rules assistance for 1985: Deadly Northern Lights
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
1985: Deadly Northern Lights is a board game released in 2020 for 2–4 players and 180–5000 minutes per game. It was designed by Fabrizio Vianello and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement.
"The waters of the Barents Sea are constantly violated by nuclear armed US submarines and carriers. Nordic Countries must realize that their tacit consent plunges them into the strategic balance between United States and the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics." Public Declaration of State Committee on the State of Emergency in the U.S.S.R. Moscow July 24, 1985 1985: Deadly Northern Lights covers the Warsaw Pact offensive against the Nordic countries during the dramatic events of World War Three. Norway, Sweden, Finland and insular Denmark are in the cross-hair, facing the full might of Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet and two Soviet Military Districts. Both sides have only a fraction of the ground forces available in the Central European Front and must overcome the problems dictated by scarce lines of communication and by the harsh environment. Every aspect of a modern aero-naval campaign is covered: naval and air combat, electronic warfare, nuclear and chemical weapons, special forces, standoff strikes, supply convoys, coastal defenses, mine warfare, amphibious invasions, and more. Game Highlights Playable stand-alone or in combination with 1985:Under an Iron Sky Order of Battle and TO&E are not “generic”, but set exactly in July, 1985 14km per hex, 48 hours per game turn Division / Brigade / Battalion sized ground combat units Special Forces, Airmobile, Paratroops, Electronic Warfare, Artillery, SSM, SAM and Air Defense Artillery units Squadron sized Air and Helicopter units Extensive air war rules covering Escort, Intercept, SEAD, Wild Weasel, Ground Strike and more Surface Ships and Submarines, from single flag ships to groups of fast patrol missile boats Realistic but flowing naval rules. Everyone here remembers the horror of TNW’s 12-turns naval phase Specific operational tactics like Active Defense and Single-Echelon Assaults Variable reinforcements, depending by Players’ decisions and external events Five different scenarios of increasing complexity: The Gates of Fire: The initial Soviet offensive in Northern Norway The Baltic Will Tell: Warsaw Pact's surprise assault against Stockholm Against a Sea of Troubles: Soviet amphibious invasion of Denmark Black Become the Sun's Beams: Warsaw Pact's aeronaval assault on Norway Nordic Balance: The full World War Three Arctic Campaign Playable stand-alone or in combination with 1985:Under an Iron Sky and 1985:Sacred Oil Components: see editions descriptions (description from the publisher)
1985: Deadly Northern Lights supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for 1985: Deadly Northern Lights is 180–5000 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
1985: Deadly Northern Lights has a complexity rating of 4.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
1985: Deadly Northern Lights belongs to these categories: Wargame and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 1985: Deadly Northern Lights are: Fabrizio Vianello. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 1985: Deadly Northern Lights as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.