Border skirmish is a 28mm ‘border reiver’ wargame from Flags of War that ran on Kickstarter this year and will be available early in the New Year. It involves families on both sides of the Scottish border in the 16th century reiving livestock and other goods from each other. The game uses cards and tokens to represent the actions of the players, with each family on a side represented by one or more figures.
The conflict along the disputed India-China border in the Himalayas is not just the result of poorly demarcated frontiers but also China’s continuing refusal to recognize treaties agreed to by the two countries in earlier centuries. Tensions flared again this week after a deadly clash between India and Chinese troops in Aksai Chin, the westernmost part of Xinjiang that Beijing claims as Tibet.
While the 73-day standoff in Doklam last summer was a low point, the clashes that followed have raised tensions again and deepened mistrust. In addition, India’s heightened nationalism makes it particularly sensitive to any perceived threat from China.
A melee at the border might seem like science fiction, but it’s a real possibility for both countries. Both want to keep the issue alive—to telegraph to each other that their claims are not acceptable—but they also want to avoid a major war. Until recently, a 1996 agreement on the Line of Actual Control —which stipulates that neither side shall use firearms near the frontier—has helped to keep casualties and pressure to escalate relatively low.
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