
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,546
- BGG rating
- 7.2
A Victory Denied: Crisis at Smolensk, July-September, 1941
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 2009

2018
Rules assistance for Korea: Fire and Ice
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Korea: Fire and Ice is a board game released in 2018 for 1–4 players, 180–600 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Adam Starkweather and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
Korea: Fire and Ice is the first game in a new system called Operational Scale System. This system will cover large scale combat from World War Two into the modern era. The scale for the system will be 10 miles a hex and weekly turns, with Divisions as the primary maneuver unit. Using at its heart a system that is from an older but wonderfully conceived game called “Road to the Rhine”, players will be able to move all their units once but can, if they can afford the supply cost, move the still unmoved units impulse after impulse. The opposing player will have to maintain adequate reserves to counter this. The grand campaign game covers the first year of the war. Using a moderately complex rule set, players will be able to concentrate on the play and not the rules. Keeping your units well supplied will be the key to victory – but as you advance, you’ll see your supply situation deteriorate. Detection will also be a key to victory as finding your enemy is vital to defeating him. Also covered are the epic F-86 versus MiG-15 battles, political limitations of surrogate wars, possible Soviet intervention, possible nuclear weapons, and of course, the United States Navy – for both support and invasions. There will be scenarios covering various sized battles and campaigns (with a play time of 2 to 20 hours), as well as a grand campaign game for players that want it all. Complexity: 6 out of 10 Solitaire Suitability: 8 out of 10 Time Scale: 1 week per turn Map Scale: 7 miles a hex Players: 1-4 Playing Time: 2-60 hours Designer: Adam Starkweather Artist: Ilya Kudryashov Components: One 48 page rulebook One 24 page scenario book Three 22” by 34” maps Five Displays and Charts Two 9/16ths Countersheets 4 Dice Game Box
Korea: Fire and Ice supports 1–4 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 Korea: Fire and Ice is 180–600 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 Korea: Fire and Ice 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.
Korea: Fire and Ice has a complexity rating of 3.0 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.
Korea: Fire and Ice belongs to these categories: Wargame, Modern Warfare, and Korean War. 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 Korea: Fire and Ice are: Adam Starkweather. 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 Korea: Fire and Ice 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.