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Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency
2022
Rules assistance for Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 60–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.4/5
Rules assistant for Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency is a board game released in 2022 for 2 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Tim Densham and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Action / Event.
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About the game
A remote district in turmoil, a few hours south of Kabul, bordered to the east by the sheer mountains where the Americans almost captured Osama Bin Laden in 2001. Zurmat is a mostly Pashtun district that the government of Afghanistan has only the thinnest veneer of control over. Taliban forces move freely across the dusty roads at night, spreading terror with their night letters, threatening anyone who cooperates with Kabul. Just now an American infantry company sets up a Forward Operating Base (FOB) just outside the district center. The Afghan Army is starting to patrol, drones are heard above, and the occasional jet swoops low, explosions following in its wake. Meanwhile, in the mountains of Pakistan, bearded men in secure caves are determined to stand up to this increased Coalition presence. By mules, motorcycles and camels, weapons and ammunition make their way into Zurmat. This will not be a quiet year… Zurmat is a two-player (Coalition versus the Taliban) game played across month-long turns with players trying to achieve their commander’s objectives while always trying to gain control of the peoples' hearts and minds. Each month/turn begins with a random event, then the Coalition player takes their turn, followed by the Taliban player. Each turn you will take an action and play cards. The game ends when winter arrives. Since winter cards are part of the deck of random events, the exact ending of the game may not be known until perhaps even the last turn of the game. —description from the publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Catastrophe Games
Questions and answers
Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency is 60–90 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 Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency for ages 14 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.
Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency has a complexity rating of 2.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency belongs to these categories: Wargame, Modern Warfare, and Civil War. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Action / Event. 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 Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency are: Tim Densham. 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 Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency 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.