Embrace the News: FITNA- The Global War in the Middle East
Happy Friday, and welcome to Part 4 in this series for those who can’t quit the news.
Toasted in the glass, toasty in the desert pass… Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com
In Pierre Razoux’s FITNA: Global War in the Middle East, the time for diplomacy is over. Players are thrown headfirst into the operational chaos of the Middle East, where factional rivalries, religious schisms, and foreign interventions threaten to ignite a regional firestorm, if not a global conflagration. The game provides a deeply immersive operational-level simulation, forcing players to navigate both high-stakes military maneuvers and intricate geopolitical alliances in one of the world's most volatile regions. (Note: we earn a small commission from our affiliate link at no cost to you.)
With eleven distinct scenarios ranging from an introductory two-player limited confrontation to the full six-player campaign across the entire region, FITNA represents one of the most accessible wargames to approach near-current day operational possibilities - if and when war breaks out. Each scenario challenges players to adapt to asymmetric warfare, shifting frontlines, and diverse victory conditions. For the scenario that could be ripped from recent headlines, we recommend Scenario 9: TSAHAL vs Hezbollah - Israel Attacks Lebanon and Syria, which highlights the tension between state militaries and deeply entrenched non-state actors.
FITNA — the word itself means schism or trial — presents a detailed model of the post-2012 tensions across the Middle East. Two to six players control the interests of major regional and global powers, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, Russia, and the United States. Most interestingly, the game incorporates various local proxy factions beholden to, and manipulated by, one or more benefactors, capturing the multi-layered dynamic where nation-states wage war through third-party forces.
Using a Card-Driven engine to execute a brigade-level war with very specific and limited point-to-point movement options, FITNA captures a stark sense of inevitability as critical supply lines, movement corridors, and chokepoints all reveal themselves early as the conflict unfolds. The cards themselves pose a constant operational dilemma: do you play them for their powerful geopolitical and battlefield event impacts, or burn them for command points and operational flexibility to maneuver your military across the board, push the front line, and secure strategic objectives? Balancing short-term tactical survival with long-term strategic goals is the key to mastering FITNA.
Huge desert… itty bitty fighting space. Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com
Now look, we’re not going to solve the Middle East in one go, but there is one whiskey that brings enough heat for this game: Nulu Toasted Rye, a five year single barrel Louisville whiskey that spends its final months in a freshly toasted oak barrel. Those extra months give this whiskey, with subtle cinnamon and brown sugar notes, a greater depth and sweet undercurrent, and a robust, spicy, black peppery heat that lingers long after each sip. If you’re skeptical of ryes - and at least one of us is - this one is not the average bottle, and it’s well worth a spot in your collection. If it’s too hot for you, then you can’t handle the Middle East! Admit defeat, and add a drop of water to help open up and mellow the flavor.
