In late 2019, we hosted a 3-part series on an upcoming game called The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998. Through that process I came to appreciate the designer Hugh O’Donnell’s take on this difficult conflict and really felt he was going about dealing with the nature of this bloody war as tactfully as possible as well as simultaneously providing some enlightenment and understanding about some of the salient issues.

Here are links to those three posts:

Part 1 – Uncomfortable questions about a game on this subject

Part 2 – Look at the map and the process behind it’s creation and genesis of events

Part 3 – Design progress to date and what “victory” looks like?

After those posts were received well, we asked Hugh if he would be interested in doing a series of Event Card spoilers for the game. The game is not yet published but has finished playtesting and gone through near final art so we are getting closer.

*Please keep in mind that the artwork and layout of these cards is not yet finalized (although they are getting close).

#175 Death of Bobby Sands MP

Bobby Sands had been convicted for his participation in the 1976 bombing of a furniture store in Dunmurry. He embarked on his hunger strike in 1981, during which time he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone seat (Independent Republican MP, Frank Maguire had died and this resulted in a by-election that the SDLP declined to contest so powerful was the public consciousness at the time; Sands narrowly beat Unionist
Harry West 30,493 votes to 29,046).

He died, aged 26, on the 5th May after 66 days of a self imposed fast. His death and those of nine other hunger strikers was followed by a surge of IRA recruitment and activity. International media coverage brought attention to the hunger strikers, and the republican movement in general, attracting both praise and criticism.

Development: +10 IRA Funds, +2 IRA & NAT Support. Remove 1 IRA Volunteer from Imprisonment and place in Casualties.

Bobby Sands grave in Milltown Cemetery.

You can catch up on the series to date by following these links:

#34 Provisional IRA Formed

#63 Four Square Laundry/MRF

#24 RTÉ Television Centre Attack

#122 Brighton Hotel Bombing

#108 SAS – Peter Cleary

#103 General Election 1974 & #130 Labour Government: No Confidence

#20 People’s Democracy March: Burntollet

#108 Dublin and Monaghan Bombings

Triple Feature including #166 Shergar, #169 Don Tidey Kidnapping and #154 Ben Dunne Kidnapping

#31b Bernadette Devlin Elected

#114 Birmingham Pub Bombings

#2 The Hand of Friendship

#35 Prime Minister Terence O’Neill Resigns

#184 The Loughgall Ambush

#105R Enoch Powell’s Last Stand

#153 Blanket Protests

#174 Hunger Strikes Begin

As always thank you Hugh for this great insight into the history behind the game and the issues. One of the things that draws me to these irregular counter insurgency games is the learning of something about history and this game is going to shed some really interesting light on the subject for many who do not know much about the details.

We also posted an interview with Hugh on our blog and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2021/08/02/interview-with-hugh-odonnell-designer-of-the-troubles-shadow-war-in-northern-ireland-1964-1998-from-compass-games/

If you are interested in The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998, you can pre-order a copy for $85.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/product/the-troubles-shadow-war-in-northern-ireland-pay-later/?sfw=pass1718299181

-Grant