City & CEMA
City and CEMA is designed to reflect many of the significant features of modern, urban, large scale combat operations. It is my biggest and most complex game, representing the wide variety of issues, challenges and solutions that exist in grand tactical urban combat - whilst hopefully still being reasonably playable - if not quick! The forces involved are typically Brigade or Battalion level, with 2DOWN manoeuvre units, so Company or Platoon.
The game uses Capability Cards to represent the diverse range of assets and effects available to the modern commander including: Cyber, EW, HUMINT, Space, Air Support and Fires. Fog of War and the use of ISR assets are also key elements.
Civilians and Civilian infrastructure play an important part of the game, and every kinetic action has the chance of creating reverberating effects.
In order to put the battle in context City & CEMA follows NATOs USECT doctrine, leading the players through phases covering the Understand, Shape, Engage and Consolidate/Transition aspects of a modern urban war in a large town or city.
The game has had several outings at various UK conferences, and with each playtest I'm trying to refine the game. There has even been a suggestion that the "pre-game" element of the Understand and Shape phases of the game could be a standalone experience.
I am working towards getting the game out on print'n'play and on TTS, but in the meantime the following files and information are available:
- City & CEMA game flyer
- City & CEMA Designers Notes as they stood pre-COW 2023
- The COW2023 Nugget Onside report containing my observations and reflections after the game
- The COW2025 Nugget Onside report containing my observations and reflections after the game
- Pictures from the COW 2023 game
- Latest working draft copy of the City & CEMA rules (as used at COW 2025).
I currently have 3 scenarios/locations available for the game:
- Redditch, England - its close by and I can speak the language!
- Pebbles, Scotland - ask Tom
- Johvi, Estonia
Play time is around 6 hours for a full scenario with all options, with two teams of 2-4 people, but I'm working to reduce that and have an introductory scenario focussing on the Engage phase only which will only take a couple of hours.
One of the nice things about City & CEMA is that you can play it either as a conventional map and block game, or with 3D building and miniatures - and blocks for hidden units. The images below are from the COW2024 game, with 6mm miniatures, cardboard buildings and 1 foot rubber tiles to make the map.
Here are some images of City & CEMA in play.
