Ultimatum: A Game of Nuclear Confrontation
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 | |
| Designers | Michael Hemphill |
|---|---|
| Illustrators | Stephen Peek |
| Publishers | Yaquinto Publications |
| Publication | 1979 |
| Genres | Cold War |
Ultimatum: A Game of Nuclear Confrontation is a board wargame published by Yaquinto Publications in 1979 that simulates a nuclear confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Gameplay
Ultimatum: A Game of Nuclear Confrontation is a game for 2 players, one of whom controls the nuclear arsenal of the Soviet Union, while the other controls the arsenal of the United States. The game map covers America and the Soviet Union along the Great Circle route, highlighting population density and strategic military assets. Russia's core population clusters around Ukraine, Moscow, and the Urals, whereas the U.S. has a concentrated population area from Boston to Texas and up to Los Angeles.
Players deploy bombers, missiles, submarines, and ABMs, engaging in nuclear exchanges through two attack methods: Simultaneous Launch (all-out strikes) or Phased Launch (allowing bombers to evade initial impacts). The game includes MIRVs, cruise missiles, and directed energy beam ABMs. Combat outcomes depend on missile accuracy, target defense ratings, and interception attempts. The game features Crisis Areas — global regions where superpowers can escalate tensions for control and victory points. Various scenarios simulate real-world conflicts, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and a hypothetical war in 2000.[1]
The Tournament Game adds economic strategy, allowing players to enhance military capabilities or influence crises.[1]
Victory conditions
The player who survives a nuclear exchange with more assets intact than their opponent is the winner. If the game results in total destruction, there is no winner.[1]