Fall of Saigon Expansion for Fire in the Lake

Fall of Saigon: A Fire in the Lake Expansion extends the acclaimed COIN series game Fire in the Lake through the final years of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Designed by Mark Herman and Volko Ruhnke, Fall of Saigon takes the conflict beyond the Paris Peace Accords and portrays the dramatic final phase of the war, as the conflict evolves from insurgency and counterinsurgency into large-scale conventional warfare between the North Vietnamese Army and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

The expansion includes three Fall of Saigon scenarios for 1–4 players, covering different starting points, plus a standalone two-player Black April scenario focusing on the final confrontation between the NVA and ARVN after the Paris settlement.

The War, 1973–1975

Fall of Saigon significantly expands the scope of the original Fire in the Lake system.

The final phase of the war is no longer primarily an insurgency campaign. The NVA and ARVN now field powerful armored formations capable of rapid, large-scale operations.

Political developments also become increasingly important, with Washington, Hanoi and Saigon all attempting to influence the course of the conflict.

New mechanisms include:

• Paris Peace Talks, which may result in US and/or NVA withdrawals.
• A growing US Anti-War Movement.
• Northern War Weariness, penalizing continued military campaigns.
• US Posture, ranging from full economic and military support for South Vietnam to complete abandonment.
• Powerful NVA and ARVN armor units capable of Spearhead operations.
• The ability to capture enemy vehicles and use them in subsequent attacks.
• A new two-player NVA vs. ARVN Initiative system, adapted from Colonial Twilight.
• 79 new cards covering events, coups and pivotal events for the 1973–1975 period.
• A dedicated card-driven solitaire system designed by Bruce Mansfield.

Scenarios

Fall of Saigon – Three scenarios for 1–4 players

These scenarios allow players to extend Fire in the Lake into the final years of the Vietnam War, with different starting points ranging from the period before the Tet Offensive through the 1972 Easter Offensive and campaigns continuing toward the final collapse of South Vietnam.

Black April – Standalone two-player scenario

A focused NVA vs. ARVN game covering the post-Paris period, the final major battles and the rapid collapse of South Vietnam in 1975.

Solitaire System

Fall of Saigon includes a dedicated card-driven Non-Player system designed by Bruce Mansfield.

This system allows the expansion to be played solo and is specifically designed for Fall of Saigon. It does not replace or extend the solitaire system for the scenarios contained in the original Fire in the Lake.

Game Contents

• 1 deck of 79 cards: Fall of Saigon Events, Coups and Pivotals
• 1 deck of 36 solitaire cards
• 29 wooden pieces
• 4 double-sided color 11 × 17" faction/player aid sheets
• 2 double-sided color 8½ × 11" Coup Round and Paris Peace player aids
• 2 double-sided color 11 × 17" solitaire player aids
• 2 double-sided color 8½ × 11" solitaire player aids
• 1 counter sheet
• 1 Expansion Rules booklet
• 1 Expansion Background/Playbook booklet
• 1 Solitaire Rules booklet
• 1 game box

Game Information

GMT Games confirms compatibility with both the 1st and 2nd editions of Fire in the Lake as well as the Second Edition Upgrade Kit. A copy of Fire in the Lake is required to play the expansion.

Our Take

Fall of Saigon is a substantial campaign expansion rather than a small add-on. It takes the Fire in the Lake system into a dramatically different phase of the Vietnam War, introducing armored warfare, large-scale conventional offensives and the increasingly decisive political consequences of American withdrawal.

For experienced Fire in the Lake players, it offers the opportunity to experience the final years of the Vietnam War and the collapse of South Vietnam within the COIN system.

The dedicated solitaire system and the focused Black April two-player scenario also make the expansion particularly attractive to solo players and two-player groups.