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Desert Sword: Arabian Nightmare
- 2 players
- 240 min
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Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War
1990
Rules assistance for Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–3 players
- 360 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War is a board game released in 1990 for 2–3 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jim Dunnigan, Austin Bay, and A. Davis and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
Expansions
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About the game
Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War, was designed and published while the late 1990 events in Kuwait were still unfolding, so in effect it was a near-future game which became an historical game within a few months. The game has one map and 300 counters. The map covers the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, the eastern part of Iraq and its border with Iran. Turn/Time Scale is 1-3 days per Military Action Segment and 4-6 days per Political Action Segment (a full turn is 2 MAS and 1 PAS, so 6-12 days total). The game may be played using only the Military rules, the Political rules or both sets. There is an Introductory Game as well. There are 7 scenarios including the full campaign. This is a medium-high complexity game with many creative mechanisms and special rules. For the experienced wargamer. This game was published in Strategy & Tactics magazine #139. Game Scale: Turn: 1-3 days for Military Action Segments (combat units), 3-6 days for Political Action Segments Hex: 30 km Unit: Battalion to Corps, Naval Squadrons, Air Wings Game Inventory: One 22" X 34" mapsheet Two countersheet (300 1/2" counters) One 28 page Military Game Rules booklet One 12 page Political Game Rules booklet (2nd Folio Edition only) One 8 page introductory Game Rules booklet (2nd Folio Edition only) One 12 page Summary Sheet Rules booklet
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- 3W (World Wide Wargames)
Questions and answers
Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War supports 2–3 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 Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War is 360 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.
The catalogue lists Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War has a complexity rating of 3.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War belongs to these categories: Wargame and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War are: Jim Dunnigan, Austin Bay, and A. Davis. 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 Arabian Nightmare: The Kuwait War 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.