We Are Coming Nineveh offers a rich and detailed treatment of this important battle. Unlike most wargames, where victory and defeat are determined by a single condition, We Are Coming Nineveh! takes into account three key aspects of the campaign: the speed with which the operation is carried out, the losses suffered by Iraqi government forces, and the collateral damage caused in Mosul.
It is entirely possible to take control of the Old City faster than Iraqi forces have done in reality - but at the cost of terrible civilian casualties. The map shows the main areas of western Mosul, including the densely built-up Old City where Daesh forces held their last position. Each unit represents around 100 Daesh fighters, an Iraqi army battalion or the elite of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS). Cards are used to indicate defensive preparations, air support and indirect fire, special weapons and a host of other effects. Each turn represents around two weeks of grueling combat.
The use of blocks maintains uncertainty and adds to the "fog of war".
The game combines a simple, intuitive and highly effective movement and combat system with innovative gameplay elements:
- Before the operation begins, players choose a number of cards - representing their planning and preparations for this long-awaited battle. Should Iraqi government forces deploy heavy air support and numerous artillery pieces, or could this cause excessive destruction in Iraq's second-largest city? Should they call in additional ground forces or invest in better training for those they have? What about the volunteer Shiite militias in the Popular Mobilization Forces? Will they be used in this predominantly Sunni city? Will Daesh invest in more and larger improvised explosive devices? Will it pre-position bomb-making factories and weapons caches, or perhaps prefer to focus on media productions, to spread its propaganda and show off its achievements? What surprises might they be preparing: homemade drones, primitive chemical weapons or a network of tunnels beneath the city? No two games are identical.
- During each turn, event cards can be triggered at any time by either player. Some of these indicate the increasing collateral damage suffered by the city and its inhabitants. Troops can get lost in the maze of small streets, communications can be interrupted and commanders can be faced with difficult moral and operational choices.
