A Domino to Prop Up or a People to Free? A Review of GMT’s Fire in the Lake

Game Name: Fire in the Lake

Publisher: GMT Games

Designer: Mark Herman and Volko Ruhnke

Artists: Rodger B. MacGowan, Chechu Nieto, and Mark Simonitch

Year: 2014

Genre: Card driven, area control wargame set during the Vietnam War

Players: One to four players

Ages: 14+

Playing Time: Three hours or more

MSRP: $85.00

I have to admit I’m a bit too young to remember many of the events of the Vietnam War as they happened; I was in 2^nd grade when Saigon fell so that’s a fuzzy memory but as I became interested in history, while I was in high school, I did quite a bit of reading about the war. To this day I still believe I have a pretty good handle on what took place, not only from the U.S. perspective but that of the communist foes as well. That’s why I’m usually disappointed with most wargames which tackle the Vietnam War as a whole, mostly because the designers focus solely on the military aspects of the conflict – mainly in a typical WWII style of two sides duking it out – while paying little attention to the actual guerilla style of combat or political realities of the time. And, don’t get me started on those titles which presented the U.S. player with the nuclear option either! Oh boy… I’ll admit the old Victory Games title Vietnam was pretty good but still played out too closely in the vein of traditional hex based games.

Until Fire in the Lake I thought it was probably near impossible to design a game which would capture not only the fluid, unstable, seesaw nature of the Vietnam War but also the political and logistical realities of the combatants. Add to this the fact the Vietnam War still resonates strongly with Americans and some folks feel making the war the subject of a game is inappropriate or down right disrespectful. My personal thoughts are if a designer is able to present the conflict in a realistic and thought provoking way not only can a game provide an evening of strategic challenges but become a learning experience as well.

Fire in the Lake (titled after Frances FitzGerald’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam) is the fourth release in GMT’s COIN series and is by far the densest and most complex to date. This isn’t a knock by any stretch but important to note for those who breeze along through Cuba Libre in a few hours. While experienced gamers will eventually get playtime down to around three to four hours for the medium length scenario, you’ll certainly want to set aside at least five hours or more the first time you get into a multiplayer game. Three scenarios are included with one covering 1965-67, another 1968-72, and the final full game running near the full gamut of the war from 1965 through 1972’s Paris peace talks.

Once again it goes without saying GMT has rolled out top notch components for this release, as we’ve come to expect. Included within are a study mounted map, loads of wooden pieces, nine play aids, both the rulebook and play book, as well as 130 cards which drive the game to a great extent. It’s always a good idea to sleeve those cards since I can see Fire in the Lake (FitL) becoming a go to game for those who are looking for a solid afternoon of strategy. All in all you surely won’t feel cheated when you open the box!

As with GMT releases which include one, the play book is especially useful. Along with designer notes from Volko Ruhnke, Mark Herman, and Örjan Ariander you’ll find an in depth tutorial walking you through seven turns of gameplay. Of special note is the section detailing each of the Event cards and their historical context as well as tips on how to play those cards.

As with many games which involve a lot of heavy mental lifting, I’ll stick with a high level look at FitL as opposed to bogging down in the minutia of the game rules. For those familiar with other titles in the COIN series many of the core elements of previous games are still present; players can utilize the cards either for Operations points or for the event depicted on the card, only two of the four factions may be active in a given turn with the two inactive factions performing actions or events the following turn; turn order is determined by cards as opposed to a set sequence. The game is asynchronous as all the factions play differently and possess different victory conditions.

Fire in the Lake pits the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) against the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and forces of the United States (U.S.). While one would think the breakdown of the opponents would pit two against two, the reality is there can only be one winner in FitL; each faction is looking to complete their victory conditions. Obviously, each faction doesn’t work openly against their ally but they certainly aim to further their cause even if sometimes this is to the detriment of their ally’s goal.  Jumping to a runaway lead early on in FitL only leads everyone at the table (ally included) to try and pull the frontrunner back to the pack.

In essence Fire in the Lake is an area control game fueled by players playing historical events and performing a variety of operations aimed at furthering their faction’s goals. The U.S. is focused on creating support for the South Vietnamese government while keeping American men and material out of Vietnam while the South Vietnamese aren’t overly concerned with “hearts and minds” but more so in controlling the populace and keeping their government in its current rather corrupt. On the other hand, the North Vietnamese Army looks to unite the Vietnamese people in a Communist regime while the Viet Cong aim to foment opposition and gain a foothold in nearly every corner of Vietnam.

Unlike most card driven games, Fire in the Lake doesn’t use hands of cards but rather two cards are displayed face up from the deck with the first being the active card and the second indicating what will be available during the next turn. This gives the players a clue as to what event may take place and attempt to plan accordingly. For an example, the active card may show the VC having the option to go first this turn but the next card indicates they could go first again and the event is extremely advantageous. The VC player should choose to pass this turn so they can use the desired event in the next turn. The event cards actually contain two events; one is shaded while the other isn’t and a choice is made between the two.

As mentioned previously, the first player chooses to pass, use one of the events, or perform an Operation (if they have Resources to pay for the Op). Interestingly enough the second player who doesn’t pass may perform an Operation as well as a Special Operation (as long as they have the resources to do so for both) if the first player chooses one of the Events. It may seem the other two players are left out in the cold but they can sit back with the knowledge that they’ll be in the driver’s seat on the following turn.

Victory is determined by Coup cards randomly inserted into the Event Deck. Victory conditions for each faction are checked and if any of them have achieved their goal then they’re declared the winner. These Coup cards can change conditions of the game (such as the leader of South Vietnam) and have ongoing effects if the game continues, which it will if no one has reached their goals. The length of the scenario will determine the number of Coup cards used. If the final Coup card is drawn and no one has achieved their conditions then the player closest is declared the victor.

While there’s a lot FitL shares with other COIN titles there are some additions and changes. There are an expanded number of unit types – especially with the ARVN who have police, troops, and rangers – and more specialization with what they can do. Terrain plays a much larger role (especially the Ho Chi Minh Trail) and even weather affects Operations available during the monsoon season. In the medium length and full scenarios each faction receives a Pivotal Event card which, if conditions are met to be played, can overturn an event while possibly rewriting the entire landscape of the current game. These aren’t all the changes by any stretch but mainly the most notable.

It’s nearly impossible to summarize all that’s under the hood of Fire in the Lake in a rather concise review. Those interested in the rules and play books can easily download both from the GMT website so I’d rather not rehash the details but instead give a feel for what FitL brings to the table.

One of the most striking things about FitL is the sheer amount of research which went into the design. I began the review by mentioning I have a good understanding of the Vietnam War; not only from the perspective of a flag waving American but also the viewpoint of the other side as well as the international community who had no involvement in the conflict. That said I was amazed by all the material in the Event cards that I was completely unaware of or whose consequences were much farther reaching than I’d believed. I’m certainly no expert on Vietnam but I’d gather even those much more knowing than I will be impressed by all that’s covered.

Each of the factions has very unique challenges: The North Vietnamese actually have muscle they can flex but in doing so will face the wrath of airstrikes and troops so they have to take advantage of their mobility and time offenses to the greatest effect. The NVA can’t melt back into the jungle and can be extremely vulnerable to counterattacks. The Viet Cong is less concerned with controlling the landscape of Vietnam and more interested in opposing the South Vietnamese regime and subverting the population. The VC gain resources by taxing the population which, in turn, pushes the people toward supporting the South. The Republic of Vietnam needs to fully engage in counterinsurgency while continuing to skim off the teat, so to speak, in order to keep their rather corrupt government in power. While the ARVN can sometimes feel like the plaything of the U.S., the South Vietnamese player has to train their troops and use their hard hitting rangers because the U.S. will eventually draw down. The United States have, in my opinion, the trickiest proposition of all.  Having nearly inexhaustible resources and firepower isn’t the end all be all as not only does the U.S. have to deal with the NVA and VC but also aim to reduce corruption within the South Vietnamese government. The U.S. player doesn’t want to get too stuck in because it’s difficult to get unstuck and higher troop levels in country help the ARVN player while making U.S. victory harder to attain.

Out of the current COIN titles Fire in the Lake is no doubt the best suited for head to head play. Although I have to say the depth of the design truly shine with a full complement of players, the options for a two or three player are extremely solid. While in depth player aids are included to control any of the factions as a nonplayer – you could even run all four factions while not actively participating – there’s no substitution for living breathing opponents. I especially appreciate how FitL presents the allied factions as less than overly enthusiast bedfellows.

I certainly think Fire in the Lake is a fantastic game but it’s important for readers to know this isn’t a light game by any stretch. Even if you have experience with other COIN titles, FitL will take some time for everything to click. You’ll also find a bit more analysis paralysis taking place around the table. It isn’t as if the complexity is a huge leap from A Distant Plain or Andean Abyss but I found quite a few turns where I had to stop and really mull over what my best option would be, regardless of the faction I took on. I don’t say that to deter anyone from buying FitL, as I appreciate a design which really makes me think, but you probably don’t want to make this your first wargame purchase. Then again, if you want to make one of the best wargames on the market to be the initial entry in your collection, strap on your thinking cap and grab a copy.

Regardless if you look at the Vietnam War as a nation winning a war but losing a peace, an example of a repressed people rising against a corrupt puppet government, something in between, or even a thing altogether different, Fire in the Lake deserves a place on any serious wargamer’s shelf. The design tackles the Vietnam War in a respectful manner and avoids any obvious white hats versus black hats stereotypes. This might irk those who love yearn for the old games with an option of going nuclear in The ‘Nam but for my money I’ve never played a finer, more thought provoking, and educational design than Fire in the Lake.

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...

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