by RockyMountainNavy, 2 January 2025
The introduction to Joint All Domain Operation 01 Land East China Sea Block 01B (hereafter JADO 01B) from PRC (Peoples Republic of China) wargame publisher War Drum Games (2024) lays out the lofty design goal of the game:
The global battlefield is a general system of battle-level modern war simulation wargame. It comprehensively deconstructs the basic theory of military weapons and equipment and combat application under high-tech conditions, and explores the new advantages of information created by multi-military and multi-field joint operations using wargaming as the medium. (Rulebook, 1.1)
JADO 01B offers two viewpoints to wargamers. First, although the series is touted as “All Domain”—Land, Sea, Air, Space, and Cyber—this entry in the JADO series is rather narrowly focused. In the case of JADO 01B the game covers the Land Domain well, the Cyber Domain fairly, the Air Domain lightly, and has very little-to-nothing to say about the Sea or Space Domain. Second, JADO provides unique insight into how at least one Chinese hobby wargaming publisher views wargames which inevitably invites comparisons to other wargames, especially those published in the United States.
[Note that all JADO game materials are printed in Chinese with no “official” translation into English to be found. The international wargaming community has (thankfully) done some great informal translations. Any quotes from JADO rules that follow should be considered more akin to “gists” than an authoritative translation.]
Multi-JADO
The JADO wargame series is composed of two related yet separate systems. In JADO Land sets like JADO 01B each turn is four (4) hours time with each hex 15 km across and every strength point on a counter representing 500-1000 combat troops, 50 combat vehicles, or 12-15 helicopters. JADO Nav-Air sets use that same four (4) hour turn but with hexes of 75 kilometers (40.5 nautical miles). Counters in a Nav-Air set represent one (1) ship of over 6,000 tons displacement, two (2) medium ships of 3,000 tons displacement, four (4) small ships of roughly 1,500 tons or less displacement, one or two submarines, or 10-12 combat aircraft or 1-4 support aircraft.
As the module (i.e. game specific) rulebook for JADO Block 01B explains, the game “simulates a multi-troop joint operation exercise on an island in the southeast region” (JADO 01B Module Rulebook 1.0). That is a polite way of saying the game simulates the Land Domain portion of a Taiwan invasion scenario.
If you read my comments on the Nav-Air JADO 01A set you will already know that one of my critiques of that set were the small, information-dense, counters. The Land set JADO 01B, fortunately, uses a mix of larger 11/16” counters along with smaller 9/16” counters like those found in JADO 01A. Not all the counters are larger but the fact some are is very helpful. It is also helpful that the Land set counters are not (quite) as information-dense as the Nav-Air set.
The map for JADO 01B shows the entire island to Taiwan. Beyond the land hexes, other important map elements are holding boxes and the “nested map” with associated gridlines that are used to bring supporting forces and fires from “off-map.” It is possible to combine the Nav-Air JADO 01A with the Land JADO 01B (more on that later).
Data and informatized d10
The core game mechanisms used in the Land set of JADO 01B are relatively straightforward making the game far less difficult to learn and play then the Nav-Air JADO 01A set.
Counters. The counters for JADO 01B are information heavy but not nearly as much as the Nav-Air sets. Many units are multi-step with each having a “face” on a counter. Each part of a counter is called a Module which are:
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- Anti-Air Combat Module: Strength and Range
- Informatization Value, “Represents an abstract assessment of the unit’s level of weapon equipment informatization and digitization. Units with higher information values possess significant advantages.” (Rulebook, 2.18)
- Ground Combat Module: Across the bottom of the counter showing Breakthrough Firepower Value – Support Firepower Value (superscript range) – Electronic/Physical Protection Value – Movement Allowance.
Some units are designated for Supply while others have special cyber-electronic warfare (Cyber-EW) capabilities.
Sequence of Play. While the sequence of play in the Nav-Air JADO 01A was a bit hard to discern from the rulebook or player aids, in the Land set JADO 01B it is well laid out and easy to follow in the rulebook. Additionally, the use of terminology in JADO 01B is more consistent than JADO 01A which further aids understanding. A turn of JADO 01B is played out over the following phases:
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- Initial Phase
- Campaign Support Step
- Reinforcement and Rebuilding Step
- Ground Combat First Phase
- Information Preparation Action Step
- Special Operations Step
- Ground Combat Second Phase
- Ground Unit Regrouping Step
- Information Campaign Action Step
- Dynamic Suppression Step
- Maintenance Phase
- Electronic Network Recovery Step
- Return to Base Step
- Day-Night Transition Step (3.0 Turn Sequence)
- Initial Phase
Die Rolls. Adjudication of actions in JADO 01B usually uses a single d10 die roll. Modifying a roll can be done by a +/- die roll modifier but more often certain combat values are multiplied or divided before rolling. There is also a provision for Advantage/Disadvantage wherein under certain conditions multiple die rolls are made and the result used is the highest/lowest of the pool. (See 1.4 General Adjudication Standards)
Informatization. The Informatization Value of a unit in JADO 01B is very important and used in multiple ways during a turn. Most importantly, actions within a phase are often acted upon in a countdown manner using the Informatization Value. For instance, in the Ground Combat First Phase, the Information Preparation Action Step is conducted 10 times—once for each Informatization Value—with only units having that value being allowed to act in that particular step. Disappointingly, the best listing of when the Informatization Value is used is buried in rule 9.13 Battlefield Situational Awareness (which is in turn buried in optional rule 9.0 Electromagnetic Space Warfare):
9.13 Battlefield Situation Awareness
The difference in informatization values reflects the various technical reconnaissance equipment that Ground units possess, providing comprehensive battlefield situation awareness capabilities. Units with higher informatization values have the following advantages:
- The higher the informatization value, the earlier the unit acts.
- The higher the informatization value, the earlier it attacks.
- During reactive movement, an informatization value judgment is required.
- After moving, if continuous action is executed, an informatization value judgment is required.
- When participating in retaliatory combat or joint firepower support, an informatization value judgment is required.
- During anti-aircraft fire, an informatization value judgment is required.
- When executing electronic interference, an informatization value judgment is required.
- When removing electronic interference, an informatization value judgment is required.
- When a unit attacks, it gets a die roll modifier equal to the difference between the highest informatization values of both sides.
When judging the informatizition value, the higher the informiaization value, the higher the success rate of the judgment, and the higher the efficiency and lethality of the unit’s actions.
Campaign Support Step. While JADO 01B can be played as a stand-alone game, the rules for Campaign Support Force (7.0) explain how “off-map” forces engage in the land campaign. A majority of the actions start in the Campaign Support Step of the Initial Phase. When not using a companion Nav-Air set, special scenario rules designate what campaign support units are available in a turn. As those units arrive they are placed in a “nested map grid” which determines where on the main map they operate during that game turn. There are times that the campaign support unit is placed in a hex of the Land set map in order for game interactions to occur.
Campaign support units, especially those coming from the Nav-Air set, use their Surface Firepower Value in the same manner the Land set units use their Breakthrough Firepower Value. The campaign support units participate in the Ground Combat First or Second Phases as if they were a ground unit. Generally speaking, a campaign support unit will contribute firepower to a combat action. When they do so, however, the unit may be subject to anti-aircraft fire. Following actions, most campaign support units will return to base (3.32 Flight Return) which is either placement in an off-map holding box or return to the Nav-Air set map if a combined game is played.
Ground Combat First Phase. The Ground Combat First Phase in JADO 01B is perhaps better understood as a preparation phase above all else. In this phase, units execute one of seven action combinations:
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- Move-Prepare: Units can move but only to half their allowance. If any other preparation action other than movement is desired, a roll for ‘continuous movement’ (roll equal to or less Informatization Value) is required.
- Attack Preparation: Units place an Attack Preparation marker and will be able to attack with 1.5 times Breakthrough Firepower in the next phase.
- Defense Preparation: Place a Defensive Preparation marker, in next phase hits against unit are halved but if attacking Breakthrough Firepower Value is likewise halved.
- Reactive Movement: Units can also execute Reactive Movement which gives them a chance of moving (roll equal or less than Informatization Value) during an enemy units move and entering a hex ahead of the moving player. The catch is the reacting unit cannot have any other status marker.
- Firepower Preparation: Units can use their Support Firepower Value and attempt to suppress an enemy unit in range. If Informatization Value is 6 or higher the range is 2 hexes. Further, if the targeted unit has an Informatization Value of 4 or higher and has a Firepower Preparation status marker there is a possibility of counter-artillery fire.
- Enter Reserve: Units can be designated Reserves going into a later phase.
- External Network Infiltration: Cyber units can attempt External Network Infiltration which, if successful, can initiate a Cyber Attack or enable Internal Network Penetrations in the Ground Combat Second Phase. (Rulebook, 4.2 Preparation Action – Ground Combat First Phase)
Ground Combat Second Phase. The Ground Combat Second Phase is the heart of a turn in JADO 01B. In order from highest to lowest Informatization Value all ground units conduct one action. The possible actions are:
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- Attack: Attack Preparation status gives 1.5 times Breakthrough Firepower; Defense Preparation gives one-half Breakthrough Firepower Value. If no status then use the unmodified Breakthrough Firepower Value.
- Counterattack: A Passive action; when attacked can counterattack with Firepower Value dependent on status (see Attack).
- Engage Reserve: Units marked Reserve can remove the marker and execute a half move with roll for ‘continuous action’ to Attack or make Strategic Transfer.
- Strategic Transfer: Units that are not adjacent to an enemy unit are allowed strategic movement which is, practically, the only time Highway movement allowances are used (see 5.33). Interestingly, some roads/highways have Curves where the movement allowances are multiplied based on the tightness of the curves (see 5.32).
- Intranet Infiltration: Attempt to penetrate an opposing units network; Cyber Attack if desired. (Rulebook, 4.3 Campaign Actions – Group Combat Second Phase)
Core Combat Mechanism. The core combat resolution game mechanism in JADO 01B is based on the Attack (or Assault) action (6.2). An Assault is usually conducted by a single unit, though an optional Joint Assault Modification rule (6.22) or Joint Firepower Support Modification (rule 6.23) allows other friendly units to join in with 1x Breakthrough Firepower or Firepower Support value; that is, if they pass an Informatization Value roll (and only half the value if the roll fails). Once the final attack firepower is summed, the attacking player rolls a single d10 against the Comprehensive Firepower Table using the column with the final value. At this point modifiers are few: the difference in Informatization Value is a +/- die roll modifier and terrain adjustments come in the form of either a die roll modifier or that advantage/disadvantage game mechanism. The result of the Firepower Table is the number of hits which are allocated 1 hit to each unit (multiple hits allowed only after all units hit at least once). Remember that units with Defense Preparation status markers have all hits against them halved. For each hit that remains, the unit throws a survival roll against their Protection Value with every roll greater than the Protection Value reducing the hit count by one.
The rules for Counterattack (6.3) and Aerial Combat (6.4) in JADO 01B are relatively similar to the rules for Assault. JADO 01B also has rules for Urban Warfare (6.28) which not only changes some of the firepower attack modifiers but also adds a second survival roll based on…you guessed it, the Informatization Value.
Supply. Rule 6.5 in JADO 01B is Logistics and Supply and is simple yet stressing on players. Units that conduct an Attack or Counterattack (or support one) are marked “consumed.” If a unit is “consumed” in one turn, it usually spends the rest of the turn in that status and will be eligible for resupply the next turn. Resupply, however, is not automatic. Certain other units can serve as a supply source and, if a valid supply line exists, can resupply units up to their supply value.
Campaign Support. As noted in the Campaign Support Step above, strikes from off-map—usually aircraft or missile strikes—arrive based on a scenario timetable. It is possible to combine a Nav-Air set like JADO 01A with the Land set of JADO 01B. Indeed, if one wants to play a wargame that is closer to a multi-domain simulation, one must combine the two sets. That is because JADO 01B is almost exclusively focused on the Land and Cyber domains; if one wants a more fulsome exploration of multi-domain operations one needs to use the Nav-Air JADO 01A to bring in the Air and Sea domains. Alas, even after combining the two sets, the Space Domain remains unaddressed.
JADO NAV-AIR + LAND (roughly) COMBINED SEQUENCE OF PLAY
(Nav-Air set / Land set)
The initial phase of land combat
• Reinforcement and reconstruction link: Each suppression unit executes the emergency repair ruling, throws dice equivalent to the strength value, all ≤ electronic protection value, and remove the suppression.
The first stage of air combat (the offensive side first and the defensive side later)
• Air patrol mission: the two sides alternately dispatch an air control formation.
Air patrol formation: After arriving at any grid, spend the voyage of the large/small target distance value, place the large/small AAW mark, and become an air patrol formation.
[Interception formation: After detecting the air at any link, dispatch from the base to intercept: or from the patrol area, the interception flight range does not exceed the distance value corresponding to the large/small target in the patrol area. After the start bar is cut off, perform a synchronous flight.]
• Sea patrol mission link: the two sides alternately dispatch a sea patrol formation/exploration formation.
Patrol formation: It cannot make its own effective detection range cover the maritime units of “undiscovered/coordinate positioning”, and maintain a stay after reaching the target grid.
Detection formation: enemy maritime units/shore-based units/fleets close to the target’s “regional discovery”, carry out a face/sonar detection.
Missile combat stage (the offensive side first and the defensive side later)
• Launch ballistic missiles at 1 surface unit, 1 fleet or 1 shore-based unit of the enemy’s “coordinate positioning” or “range value T”.
Missile assault: from the starting point of the launch to the grid where the target is located, the shortest straight line distance is affirmed. Launch a maximum of one attack per round against a target.
Anti-guide warning: solid W module 1 dice per grid, any point 1 accumulates 1 point (or 1/5). The M module directly accumulates 1 point.
Upward section anti-missile: anti-missile warning at least 1 point, one high-altitude air defense attack covered by a limited range.
Mid-range anti-missile: anti-missile warning at least 1 point, one ultra-high-altitude air defense attack covered by the limited range.
Anti-missile at the end: anti-missile warning at least 1 point, ultra-high-altitude and high-altitude covered by the limited range, air defense attack once each, and aviation units are not allowed.
The first stage of the maritime operation (the offensive side first defends the side and then)
• One-time navigation link at sea: the sea unit with a range value of 3 can consume 1 point of navigation value. Passive sonar detection after navigation (transfer to lurking).
• Sea exploration link: once on the opposite side of each target within the detection range, and one active sonar once for 1 target found/coordinate positioning in the area.
• Maritime monitoring link: not within the effective detection range of the enemy’s opposite side/sona module, the area is found and removed, and the target is located in an area.
• Water surface response attack link: all maritime and shore-based units have each carried out a cruise/anti-ship attack. Attack the unit’s own “regional discovery”.
• Underwater response attack link: All maritime units shall carry out an underwater attack in the order of adjudication of submarine guide/torpedo/deep bomb.
• Sea and air electronic network recovery link: remove electronic interference marks from all units that are not within the scope of interference. The unit within the interference range throws 1 dice, the points ≤ its own electronic protection value, and the detection of obstruction and detection attenuation are directly removed.
The second stage of air combat (the offensive side first and the defensive side later)
• Opposite mission link: The two sides alternately dispatch a strike formation in turn, which can only target the enemy’s “coordinate positioning” or “voyage value T” 1 fleet, 1 maritime unit, 1 shore-based unit or 1 nested map grid.
Strike formation (missile): carrying weapon units that conform to “size”, “technology” and “base number” and launch after approaching the target.
[Interception formation: After detecting the air at any link, dispatch from the base to intercept: or from the patrol area, the interception flight range does not exceed the distance value corresponding to the large/small target in the patrol area. After the start bar is cut off, perform a synchronous flight.]
Strike formation (bomb): Do not carry any weapon units, arrive at the target, and use the opposite firepower to attack.
• Shift task link: The two sides alternately dispatch a defense formation in turn and transfer to the other bases.
[Defense formation (ordinary unit): range value x2.]
[Interception formation: After detecting the air at any link, dispatch from the base to intercept: or from the patrol area, the interception flight range does not exceed the distance value corresponding to the large/small target in the patrol area. After the start bar is cut off, perform a synchronous flight.]
[Mobile defense formation (small endurance): use the endurance mark to unify 4 points.]
[Shift defense formation (large endurance): endurance marker point x2]
The first stage of land operations (see the land kit prompt card)
The second stage of maritime operation (the offensive side first and the defensive side later)
• Secondary navigation link at sea: Sea units with a range value of ≥2 can consume 1 point of navigation value. Passive sonar detection after navigation (turning out of lurking)
• Sea loading: It takes 1 point of voyage value to load land units of the same grid, and the loading force value does not exceed the loading and unloading efficiency value of the parent unit.
• Sea exploration link: once on the opposite side of each target within the detection range, and one active sonar once for 1 target found/coordinate positioning in the area.
• Maritime monitoring link: not within the effective detection range of the enemy’s opposite side/sona module, the area is found and removed, and the target is located in an area.
• Water surface response attack link: all maritime and shore-based units have each carried out a cruise/anti-ship attack. Attack the unit’s own “regional discovery”.
• Underwater response attack link: All our sea units shall carry out an underwater attack in the order of the adjudication of submarine guide/torpedo/deep bomb.
• Sea and air electronic network recovery link: remove electronic interference marks from all units that are not within the scope of interference. The unit within the interference range throws 1 dice, the points ≤ its own electronic protection value, and the detection of obstruction and detection attenuation are directly removed.
The second stage of land operation (see the land kit prompt card)
The third stage of maritime operation (the offensive side is the first defender and the side is then)
• Three sailing links at sea: the sea unit with a range value of ≥1 can consume 1 point of navigation value. Passive sonar detection after navigation (transfer to lurking).
• Sea exploration link: once on the opposite side of each target within the detection range, and one active sonar once for 1 target found/coordinate positioning in the area.
• Maritime monitoring link: not within the effective detection range of the enemy’s opposite side/sona module, the area is found and removed, and the target is located in an area.
• Continuous attack on the surface: Repeat the water surface response attack many times until both parties give up.
• Underwater continuous attack link: Repeat the underwater response attack many times until both sides give up.
• Sea and air electronic network recovery link: remove electronic interference marks from all units that are not within the scope of interference. The unit within the interference range throws 1 dice, the points ≤ its own electronic protection value, and the detection of obstruction and detection attenuation are directly removed.
Maintenance stage
• (Onshore) Electronic Network Recovery Link: (See The Onshore Kit Prompt Card)
Reserve link: Rotate the aviation units in the standby area of their respective bases 90 degrees clockwise, and the units that restore the positive angle will be dispatched normally in the next round.
• Return link: All air patrol formations/sea patrol formations and land map stranded units on the map must return. The unit endurance value of the endurance module is -1.
• Day and night rotation link: move the round mark one grid
Special Ops. In JADO 01B special operations are more than just special forces units. Players use special action points and special operations units to perform these activities. Four special operations are possible:
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- Target Location – Locate high-value targets. (8.31)
- Special Assault – Suppression of enemy facilities or units (8.32)
- Information Node Assault – Electronically disrupts ground units. (8.33)
- Network Node Infiltration – Hacking into enemy unit or facility (8.34)
Special operations units in JADO01B are most useful supporting combat with their usually higher Informatization Value enabling them (and the other units in an attack) to act earlier in the action order.
Electronic Warfare (EW). Certain units in JADO 01B are capable of Electronic Support operations. Offensively, EW units can provide Electronic Interference (reduce target’s Informatization Value by 1) or act as an anti-radiation missile suppressing units. Alternatively, EW units can provide some Electronic Defense against offensive EW.
Cyber. Certain units in JADO 01B—those marked with “IW” or “IEW”—can conduct cyber operations. These cyber units can attack enemy units, usually by penetrating a network. Any enemy unit with a Informatization Value of six or greater is a Network Node (10.12). If a network node is penetrated, the attacker can pivot that penetration into an attack that causes network paralysis (10.23) on that attacked unit and all other units in the same formation. Network paralysis reduces movement and reduces the Firepower Support Value by half.
[Of note, in the Nav-Air JADO sets there are robust rules for Electronic Warfare but no rules for Cyber warfare. In effect, the combined rules for the JADO series seem to say that EW crosses the Land, Sea, and Air domains but Cyber only has an impact in the Land Domain.]
Amphibious Landing. Given that JADO 01B is, after all, a game of an island assault, amphibious landing rules are provided. The rules, however, appear in the Module (i.e. game specific) rulebook and not in the series standard rules.
Say what?
It should not be surprising to anyone that, given JADO is written in Chinese, there are some differences in how rules are expressed. Indeed, as Kania and McCaslin explain, the PLA has its own wargaming terminology; it is likely that the PRC hobby gaming industry also has unique terminlogy:
Despite American and Chinese wargaming and exercises sharing many core concepts, the PLA has its own terminology, elements of which are different from those of the United States and much of the rest of the international military community. In China’s wargaming community, (bingqi, 兵棋) or literally “war chess,” is the typical phrasing, and (bingqi tuiyan, 兵棋推演) captures the practice of wargaming, which can be rendered literally as “war chess deductions.” The PLA has concentrated on computerized wargaming (jisuanji bingqi, 计算机兵棋), and characterizes its efforts in wargaming, including at the campaign and strategic levels, as “wargaming confrontation” (bingqi duikang, 兵棋对抗). At times, the PLA has also described wargames as “confrontation exercises” (duikang yanxi, 对抗演习), which highlights a degree of fluidity between wargames and force-on-force exercises in the PLA. (Kanin & McCaslin, p. 13)
Kania and McCaslin point to the Gulf War as an inflection point in the PRC view of wargaming:
The PLA’s study of foreign militaries continued and intensified in the aftermath of the Gulf War, which provoked PLA concerns about changes in the character of warfare. In particular, the PLA attributed US success during the Gulf War in part to wargaming. The Gulf War attracted immense attention within the PLA as an initial instance of “high-tech warfare” with “informatization” as a core feature. The US military’s employment of wargaming during its preparations, as well as planning that continued through the course of the conflict, attracted the PLA’s attention at the time, as noted by Yang Nanzheng (杨南征), a PLA expert on the topic. (Kania & McCaslin, p. 16)
The U.S. influence on PRC wargaming, however, apparently does not extend to what U.S. wargamers might consider common wargame terminology. For instance, see JADO 01B rule 5.51 Real Time Hinderance:
5.51 Real-time Hindrance
After a friendly Ground unit/stack moves one hex, if it is adjacent to any enemy unit within a range of 1 hex, and the total breakthrough firepower value in that enemy hex reaches half of the total breakthrough firepower value of the friendly unit/stack, then the friendly unit immediately stops moving, regardless of any remaining movement points.
- Flying units are not affected by any real-time hindrance during their movement.
Or rule 5.52 Dynamic Suppression:
5.52 Dynamic Suppression
In each turn’s dynamic suppression phase, first remove all suppression markers from the map. Then, starting with the offensive player, both sides take turns checking the adjacency of their units to enemy units and implementing dynamic suppression.
Using the entire hex as a reference, the current player can declare any number of friendly unit hexes to implement dynamic suppression on a hex containing an enemy unit (including facilities, excluding campaign support units) within a range of 1 hex.
The total breakthrough firepower value of all friendly units (including facilities, excluding campaign support units) in the hex implementing dynamic suppression must be at least three times the total breakthrough firepower value of the enemy units in the target hex. If this condition is met, all enemy units in that hex are marked with a suppression marker 6.13.
… .
In a scale of one turn every 4 hours, units cannot engage in frequent continuous combat. This game simulates the continuity of low-density combat during a campaign through dynamic suppression.
JADO 01B rules 5.51 and 5.52 are, for all intents and purposes, Zone of Control or ZoC rules. As defined in the BoardGameGeek glossary, a ZoC is:
ZoC n. Wargame term. Abbreviation for ‘Zone of Control’. The area surrounding a unit (usually each adjacent hex) in which they have the ability to disrupt an enemy unit’s ability to move, retreat or stay in supply. Sometimes the term EZoC is used, meaning Enemy Zone of Control.
I highlight these rules and terminology to illustrate how the JADO series is like a western wargame yet, given it comes from a vastly different culture, has its own unique view and approach to wargame conventions. For players like myself who are working through translation challenges the different conventions add another layer of complexity to the task yet are also enlightening into how PRC wargamers view “common” wargame terms and design using them.
Informationized Warfare
The introduction to JADO 01B states that the game intends to explore, “the new advantages of informatization created by joint operations across multiple military branches and domains” (Rulebook, 1.1). What is “informatization? In the chapter “Strategic Support Force” by John Costello and Joe McReynolds in Chairman Xi Remakes the PLA: Assessing Chinese Military Reforms (Edited by Phillip C. Saunders, Arthur S. Ding, Andrew Scobell, Andrew N.D. Wang, and Joel Wuthnow from National Defense University Press, 2019) the origin of informatization is explained:
China drew two primary lessons from the Gulf War. First, the war proved that the widespread integration of information technology in warfare could confer overwhelming military superiority. As a result, a country’s progress in “informationizing” [xinxi hua, 信息化] itself, both in a military context and on a broader societal level, is central to its national security. To this end, the PLA recognized that it would need to study and adopt operational concepts that are informed by the U.S. concept now referred to as “network-centric warfare.” The operational use of space-based command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) attracted particular notice, with PLA writers frequently referencing it as a barometer of how informationized warfare had become. Second, the PLA quickly assessed that U.S. use of these technologies created fundamental dependencies that could be exploited in wartime. This line of thinking paved the way for China’s unique information warfare strategy, which seeks to “overcome the superior with the inferior” through the application of asymmetric information countermeasures against critical nodes in space, cyberspace, and the electromagnetic domains. After working through a number of doctrinal iterations, by the end of the 1990s the PLA had successfully developed the foundational concepts that have guided China’s strategy for and development of its information warfare forces ever since. (Costello & McReynolds, p. 440)
This PLA view of war is sometimes also referred to as “system of systems confrontation:
PLA researchers have developed a system of systems operational capability theory that advocates an integrated C4ISR foundation for their move towards a joint operations capability. The individual systems are basic warfighting functions—command, joint fires, logistics—integrated into a larger complex system. System of systems operations using advanced information technologies integrate weapons, equipment, and units to create a synergistic effect described by the PLA as 1 + 1 > 2. This capability enables the creation of modular, recombinant task forces at the strategic, campaign or operational, and tactical levels which the PLA calls “operational system of systems.” This theoretical development has brought about the concept of warfare that the PLA describes as “system of systems confrontation,” where the main characteristic of warfare is the confrontation and destruction of competing operational systems of systems. (McCauley, Kevin, “People’s Liberation Army Transitioning From “Informationized” To Intelligent Warfare Concepts”, Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO), U.S. Army, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) G-2, accessed 13 Dec 2024)
JADO 01B expresses informatization warfare chiefly through the use of the Informatization Value of each unit. As noted in rule 9.13 Battlefield Situational Awareness, there are many occasions in a game turn that units act in descending order based on their Informatization Value or can—or cannot—execute actions unless they pass an informatization die roll challenge. The first effect, the order of actions, reflects greater command and control of certain units, and the later reflects the impact of information exchange capabilities. The rules for Electronic Warfare and Cyber, of course, also show the vulnerabilities of information warfare.
Beyond the use of Informatization Value, however, to me JADO falls short providing deeper insight into “systems of systems confrontation.” While the game mechanisms encourage (reward?) the use of combined arms, the only real “synergistic effect” in the game is reflected through the use of a higher column on the Comprehensive Firepower Table. The effect, in play, is more akin to 1 + 1 = 2 rather than 1 + 1 > 2. Further, the Campaign Firepower rules—the in-game expression of “joint operations”—certainly shows the connection between the Nav-Air and Land domains but fails to robustly demonstrate how those connections create those synergistic effects that PLA doctrine reaches for. This is, again, in part the result of JADO 01B being focused on the Land and Cyber domains with little acknowledgement of the Air and Sea domains.
Can’t…breathe…no…air…
No better example of the lack of integration of the Land Domain of JADO 01B with other domains is seen in the rules for airpower in the Land set. Aircraft (and missile strikes) simply arrive in the Campaign Support Step. Once made available, the units may be placed on the map where they are subject to anti-aircraft fires and electronic warfare. There is no penetrating an Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) that can detect and engage the inbound strikes using surface-to-air missiles or other interceptors—at least in the JADO 01B rule set. If one wants to explore the interaction of Air and Sea platforms that must fight their way into the battle space players must combine the Nav-Air and Land sets.
Red vs. Blue
While JADO 01B seemingly comes up short demonstrating the synergistic effects of “system-of-systems confrontation” as expressed in multi-domain operations one can ask if there other wargames published that illustrate the concept better. To study that question I selected several wargames in my collection to see how they compare to JADO.
[Some of these games depict combat in Korea vice an invasion of Taiwan. Given JADO Block 02B uses the same core rules but is set in the Korean theater I am confident the comparisons are valid.]
It is important to note that each of the following games attempts to be multi-domain. Each game in the below list is an operational or grand tactical confrontation in the Land, Air, Sea, and (sometimes) Cyber domains. Some even go (gingerly) into the Space Domain. Granted, different wargames emphasize different domains, but each of the following games are more multi-domain than the individual JADO sets.
Taipei: China Invades, Designer: Joseph Miranda, Strategy & Tactics #202, 2002. Scale: 3.5 day turns / 10 km hexes / Units are Battalion to Corps Echelon HQ or PLA Armies. In this game every land unit has a C4I (Command-Control-Communications-Computers-Intelligence) rating. The C4I rating, “is a quantification of a unit’s ability to control operations, as well as to evaluate intelligence, perform reconnaissance, and conduct electronic warfare” ([12.0] C4I). The C4I rating has three game effects:
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- A unit may move directly from one enemy ZoC to another enemy ZoC if their C4I rating is higher than all enemy units extending a ZoC.
- A unit with superior C4I rating chooses the Combat Results Table (Probe, Assault, or AirLand Battle).
- A unit with a C4I rating of 1 or greater may place other friendly units “in command” enabling action in the Second Impulse of a turn. ([12.0] C4I)
As Miranda comments in the Design Notes:
C4I. The C4I rules neatly solve a number of dilemmas involved in the system, like determining who gets to choose the CRT, which units can take a second impulse, and under what circumstances units can infiltrate through enemy zones of control. Unit C4I ratings represent a wide range of command control and surveillance capabilities. So they consolidate, as per current U.S. military doctrine, a lot of things in one neat package. (“Taipei Simulation Design Notes,” S&T #202, p. 2)
Miranda also makes a nod to precision strikes. Again, in the Design Notes, we read:
Technology. Players should note that “TD” (target destroyed) results on the Air-Ground Attack table affect only one enemy unit in a hex (unlike there results). Since you can only gain a “TD” result with a die roll modifier, the idea is that this represents highly accurate strikes which are more likely to destroy a single installation but will be less effective against area targets. (“Taipei Simulation Design Notes,” S&T #202, p. 2)
Comparison to JADO. The C4I rating in Taipei is similar in concept to the Informatization Value in JADO but used in a less robust manner. It is also important to note that Taipei predates the PLA reforms which makes the game very net-centric on U.S. and allied forces and gives almost no high-tech capabilities to the PRC player.
Drive on Pyongyang, Design & Development: Ty Bomba & Joseph Miranda, Modern War #5, May-Jun 2013. Scale: 2 day turns / 13 km hexes / Units are corps and divisions with some brigade combat teams. Certain units in Drive on Pyongyang are designated as capable of Netcentric Attack where they can choose between the Assault or Netcentric Combat Results Table (see 2.9 Attack & Defense Factors). Joseph Miranda in the “Design Theory” column for Drive on Pyongyang explains:
I added a second combat results table (CRT) for net-centric operations. Its results are different from those of the Standard CRT. For example, a “Defender Neutralized” result causes long retreats in order to facilitate the kind of continuous mobile actions common during 2003’s Operation Iraqi Freedom in which coalition units rolled up enemy forces in running battles. The catch is that only certain units can execute net-centric warfare. They include a limited number of Coalition Striker brigades, helicopter, and special operations units. (Mirada, “Design Theory,” Modern War #5, p. 22)
Comparison to JADO. Like Taipei before, Netcentric-capable units in Drive on Pyongyang are an expression of the Informatization Value from JADO. The Netcentric capability, however, is very limited in Drive on Pyongyang with the only real impact being CRT selection. As this game was published shortly after the PLA reforms were announced reflections of net centric capabilities in PRC forces are again lacking.
Next War: Taiwan, Designer: Mitchell Land, GMT Games, 2014. Scale: 3.5 day turns / 12 km hexes / Units are mostly divisions and brigades. The Design Note for rule 9.0 Combat in the Standard Series Rules for Next War lays out the designer’s vision of modern warfare:
Design Note: In contrast to what we witnessed during the war in Iraq, it is our belief that combat in modern warfare, especially in rugged and built-up parts of the world, will inflict heavy casualties on both sides. Terrain and massed firepower are the primary factors. Line-of-sight will tend to be limited due to intervening terrain. Thus, even stand-off fights (tank engagements, AT missile shots, etc.) will generally be fought at relatively short distances. Engagements will be sudden and bloody affairs. Artillery firepower will be telling, as both sides deploy large numbers of guns with pre-plotted fire concentrated on likely routes of advance and reinforcement. Unit cohesion will play a telling role as huge losses take their toll on troop organization and morale. While terrain will certainly aid the defense, the cover provided by rough terrain will hamper early detection of attacking units, especially during bad weather. Thus, tactical surprise, infiltration, and flank attacks will combine to “pocket” units and create a swirling, confused battlefield with uncertain front lines. If, after a few game turns, you feel that fighting in modern combat is a real mess, be thankful that, at least this time, it’s only cardboard. (Next War: Iran, Standard Series Rules, 9.0 Combat)
The core game mechanism showing the quality or information warfare capability of a unit in Next War is expressed in the Efficiency Rating:
2.3.3 Efficiency Rating (ER)
The unit’s morale, training, doctrine, cohesion, and ancillary weapons systems. It is used to determine possible column shifts in combat. Units with a rating of 6 or more are considered Elite. Various game effects can reduce a unit’s ER, but it can never be reduced below 1. (Next War: Iran, Standard Series Rules)
While some rules for electronic warfare are found in the Basic and Advanced Game rules for Next War, rules for cyber warfare did not appear until the publication of Next War: Series Supplement #1 from GMT Games in 2017. The game mechanisms used for Cyber Warfare in Next War in concept are described thusly:
1.1 Overall Concept
Each nation in the conflict depicted by the particular game will receive a number of Cyber Warfare markers each game turn. During the game turn, at various points, players will be able to use the markers to affect things like Air Defense detection, combat, or the enemy’s Cyber Warfare ability itself. These rules are intended to be used with the Advanced Game only. (Next War: Series Supplement #1)
Next War: Series Supplement #3 (GMT Games, 2022) introduced a variant of the Cyber Warfare rules:
8.1 Overall Concept
Each nation involved in the conflict depicted by the game receives several Cyber Warfare Capability markers each game turn. During the Electronic Warfare Phase, players will be able to use the markers to attempt “hacks” to affect things like Air Defense detection, combat, or the enemy’s Cyber Warfare ability itself. These rules are intended to be used with the Advanced Game only.
Design Note: EW/Jamming isn’t really “cyber” per se, but the effects tend to be the same, and, in the abstract, it’s easier to do the shaping of the electronic warfare battlefield all at the same time. (Next War: Series Supplement #3)
The Series Supplement #3 version of Cyber Warfare for Next War is played out on a side board.
Comparison to JADO. Looking at JADO 01B, wargamers are likely to see Next War as the closest in design. The major difference, however, between Next War and JADO is the fact that Next War is a true multi-domain wargame. That multi-domain simulation comes through a design that focuses on the Land Domain but adds a robust rules for actions in the Air and Sea domains, albeit with a large degree of abstraction. In the Series Supplements, Next War added the Cyber Domain to an already extensive set of EW rules from the Standard and Advanced Games.
The Dragon & the Hermit Kingdom, Designer: Eric R. Harvey, Modern War #45, Jan-Feb 2020. Scale: Turns undefined / 58 km hexes / Units are mostly corps and divisions. The “Design Theory” column for The Dragon & the Hermit Kingdom, bylined by Joseph Miranda who does not appear in the game credits, notes that:
This war would involve joint operations: ground, air, naval, and cyberwar. Also in there are cutting edge technologies, such as guided ballistic missiles. It is the full spectrum of warfare.
The spectrum of operations necessitates a complex sequence of play. By following that sequence, players can keep their game strategy organized by seeing operations in terms of multiple dimensions of conflict. (Miranda, “Design Theory,” Modern War #45, p. 20)
Aside from a sequence of play that supposedly illustrates multi-dimensional (multi-domain?) conflict, cyber warfare is available through rule 14.0 Cyberwar. Both sides have cyberwar markers that can be used during a game turn to gain a +1 die roll modifier to certain actions or a favorable column shift in ground combat.
Comparison to JADO. Units in The Dragon & the Hermit Kingdom have no rating comparable to the Informatization Value found in JADO. The information warfare domain in this game is shown through the cyber rules which have generally similar effects to those in JADO.
Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific – A Grand Tactical Educational Wargame, Designer: Sebastian Bae, The Dietz Foundation, 2022. Scale: Turns ~2 hours / 20 km hexes / Company-sized land units. In a Designer Diary written posted to BoardGameGeek, designer Sebastian Bae explains the intent behind Littoral Commander:
To fully understand Littoral Commander, one must understand the transformative change the Marine Corps is undergoing. Under Commandant General David Berger, the Marine Corps is implementing a service-wide transformation called Force Design 2030 (FD2030), which aims to redefine and modernize how the Marine Corps trains, equips, and operates in contested littoral and maritime environments. A central element of FD2030 is the Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR), a newly formed unit that emphasizes long-range fires, integrated air and missile defense (IAMD), and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. (“Designer Diary: Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific” BoardGameGeek, 12 May 2023)
Bae goes on to explain:
The essence of Littoral Commander lies in the concept of the sensor-to-shooter chain, also known as the F2T2EA (find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess) process in the military. In simpler terms, it pertains to the way in which a unit detects and locates a target and carries out an action against it. This can take the form of launching a missile to strike a ship or a cyber-attack to disrupt their networks. This process on the battlefield is exceedingly complex, but I wanted to create an accessible game for beginner wargamers, so I decided to smuggle as much math, analysis, and research as possible into the game – without making it an unbearably boring grind to play. I wanted the players to learn from playing the game, but I didn’t want it to feel like homework either. (“Designer Diary: Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific” BoardGameGeek, 12 May 2023)
In “Designing Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific, a professional educational wargame” written for sdhist.com and posted 03 May 2023, Bae expands on the F2T2EA design objective:
Therefore, the imperfect knowledge aspect of “revealing units” and detecting certain Joint Capability Cards (JCCs) is critical. Players must wrestle with how they find targets and the risk associated with engaging them. If a player finds a target, they must ask themselves, “Is this target worth revealing my own units to attack it?” Likewise, players must consider how they avoid becoming targets themselves. (“Designing Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific, a professional educational wargame,” sdhsit.com, 03 May 2023)
Littoral Commander rule 9.0 Joint Capability Cards (JCCs) states that, “Joint Capability Cards represent the support of higher command and adjacent forces and their respective capabilities.” JCCs support one of five functions: Fires, Maneuver, Interception, Information Operations, or Command-Control-Communications-Computers-Cyber-Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (C5ISR).
Bae goes on to explain those JCCs further:
The next critical element of Littoral Commander is the card-driven effects of the JCCs. There is a lot to unpack here. First, the card-driven mechanic of playing special effect cards was an easy way to feature a wide spectrum of joint capabilities.
Modern warfare is truly all-domain, which means threats and challenges exist and converge across the domains of air, land, sea, cyber, and space. The JCCs allow for this complexity and richness in interplay to exist without a litany of specific rules. A player simply reads the card and executes its effect. (“Designing Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific, a professional educational wargame,” sdhsit.com, 03 May 2023)
BGG user bigiron03, who was also an early playtester and scenario designer for Littoral Commander, writes:
“Littoral Commander” offers an elegantly crafted model of that battlefield. It gives players the options to think and fight in all domains, but does not require any detailed knowledge of specific weapons systems or capabilities on the front end to do so. Things like munitions payloads and ranges are gamified in such a way that players do not have to get bogged down in specialist knowledge, but nevertheless understand how different weapons and capabilities interact on this future battlefield. Yes, HIMARS is very destructive and can shoot far; but if you haven’t protected it with some kind of air defense unit, your exposed HIMARS launcher won’t survive very long. Or, you can have a significant amount of conventional ground or naval combat power; but if you failed to invest in ISR, or protections against your opponent’s ISR, that combat power will have nothing to shoot at, and your otherwise powerful force may find itself at the mercy of a weaker force that nevertheless has excellent sensing capabilities. All of this and more is presented in “Littoral Commander,” allowing players to understand just how complex the modern battlefield is without overwhelming their ability to make decisions on it. (“Littoral Commander – making future war easy, relevant, and fun,” BoardGameGeek, 14 May 2023)
Comparison to JADO. At least one player of JADO calls it a Grand Tactical wargame. While Littoral Commander and JADO are relatively similar in time and distance scale, the scale of units is far different. The design approaches of each game are also seemingly diametrically opposed; JADO opting for a seemingly traditional hex & counter approach whereas Littoral Commander, though hex & counter, uses those JCCs to leverage card-driven game mechanisms. All that said, JADO and Littoral Commander both provide insight into the roles of firepower support and information warfare in the modern battlespace.
Landed abstractions
An observation that crosses all the above titles as they compare to JADO is the degree of tactical detail in each game design. As I noted in my comments on JADO 01A, the Nav-Air set is very tactically focused—one fellow wargamer described JADO 01A as a grand tactical wargame and not an operational-level treatment as advertised. The rules for JADO 01B and the Land sets in JADO as a whole are not tactically focused and are do a better job of showing a campaign at the operational-level of warfare than the JADO Nav-Air set does.
Manual Mozi?
Taking a step back for a moment to look at the JADO series at a very macro level, the games appear to me to be like other wargames used for professional military education (PME) in the PRC. In their September 2021 paper, Learning Warfare from the Laboratory – China’s Progression in Wargaming and Opposing Force Training, published by the Institute for the Study of War, authors Elsa B. Kania and Ian Burns McCaslin studied how wargaming and PME in the PRC interacts:
Meanwhile, wargaming has become prominent and popularized across China, and the PLA [Peoples Liberation Army] has leveraged the commercialization of wargaming to improve its quality and realism. …Beyond PME efforts, wargaming competitions have become an important element of national defense education, as thousands of military and civilian students across universities nationwide participate in annual wargaming competitions. This national initiative encourages patriotism and interest in military affairs among the public while fostering greater unity and understanding between military and civilian stakeholders. (Kania & McCaslin, p. 9)
Kania and McCaslin trace the development of wargaming in the PRC and in particular the rise of a system called “Mozi”:
The PLA’s [Peoples Liberation Army] modern practice of computerized wargaming continues to progress and increasingly focuses on preparing for future scenarios of joint operations. Increasingly, companies are contributing through designing new systems, yielding a successful instance of military-civil fusion (MCF). In particular, Beijing Huashu Defense Technology Co. Ltd. (北京华戍防务技术有限公司) has developed the Mozi Joint Operations Deduction System (墨子联合作战推演系统) for use in training and education. This has been a major platform employed within the PLA and in national tournaments. The platform has also been available for public usage since 2019. Mozi is described as a “human-in-the-loop joint operation deduction system, covering ground, sea, air, space, and electronic operations domains” that is “capable of supporting campaigns and tactical-level deductions and supporting the whole process of combat planning, combat organization, and force command.” This system was directly inspired by and developed to imitate Command: Modern Air Naval Operations (CMANO), a commercial wargaming platform used by the United States and NATO that features the major armaments and equipment of over 130 major countries. Relative to previous wargames available to the PLA, Mozi is described as allowing for significant improvements in sophistication. Its design also provides a platform through which AI agents can be developed and integrated. (Kania & McCaslin, p. 19)
The JADO series appear to me to be very much like a manual Mozi wargame. As a tabletop game, it certainly is a “human-in-the-loop” wargame (“deduction system”) that covers ground, air, sea, and electronic operations (space is also lightly included). JADO is designed for operational-level scenarios (“supporting campaigns”) with a game engine that emphasizes tactical-level interactions (i.e. “tactical-level deductions”). If JADO used NTDS symbology it would even look like Mozi or CMANO (now called Command: Modern Operations).
Looking at the Davidson Window with JADO
Taken as a whole, the Land set of JADO 01B was far easier to learn and understand than the Nav-Air JADO 01A. That said, I must admit the JADO series is growing on me even with all the translation challenges and wargaming cultural differences. While the counters in JADO are information dense, the combat resolution system for both sets, based on a single d10 die roll, is in some ways elegantly simple. As I get more reps of the game under my belt the intuitive aspects of the design are becoming more apparent. With the depth of the core sets and the many expansions available JADO can certainly become a lifestyle wargame for gaming the Davidson Window as 2027 approaches.
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