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RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR
CMBS TOURNAMENT
Example of CMBS Gameplay by Simple Wine. This is not a scenario used in the Tournament
Ethical Disclaimer
Fight Club International condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and mourns its human cost.
This tournament studies the conflict to learn, not justify. Playing as Russian forces does not imply endorsement; understanding an adversary is vital to professional education.
This event is purely for competitive learning and shared development.
TL:DR
What: Inter-chapter online tournament using 3x community created Combat Mission: Black Sea Scenarios, ending with a Mariupol urban finale.
Why: Foster community competition, increase member camaraderie, develop awareness of Russo-Ukraine War, and explore modern urban warfare.
When: Oct 2025 – Feb 2026. Games played asynchronously.
How: Teams plan, play, and review three precursor scenarios before the finale. Mirror matches ensure fairness.
Who: Each FCI chapter fields up to four 4-person teams. Extras form mixed-region leagues. You must sign up to FCI to compete in the tournament.
How This Works
The Russo-Ukraine War Tournament is an inter-chapter initiative designed to test participants’ tactical acumen by pitting teams against one another using Combat Mission: Black Sea (CMBS), a commercial off-the-shelf simulation of modern combined arms combat, with community modifications. Participants must be a signed up member of FCI to participate.
Duration
The Tournament will run from 27 October until the end of February to coincide with the 4 year anniversary of the battle. Individual participation is expected to require 1-3 hours a week from each member of the team.
STAGE 1: 27 Oct to 5 Jan (may start later if sign ups are not forthcoming) - all teams compete in this stage.
STAGE 2: 5 Jan to 28 Feb (may commence earlier if all STAGE 1 games are complete) - only top scoring teams will progress to this stage.
Organisation
TEAMS will be formed into LEAGUES of 4 teams by chapter/geographic location/time-zone.
Each team plays 3x MATCHES in STAGE 1 against the other teams in their LEAGUE. Each MATCH consists of 2x GAMES in a unique scenario one played as the Ukrainians and the other as the Russians.
As all players have the software any player of the team can play any game and different players can play different turns within the same game. This keeps play progressing despite individual unavailability.
Teams must create a PLAN before each Game starts and an After Action Review (AAR) after each game ends to score additional points.
Scenarios
The scenario planning material (not the game files) will be released once teams have been formed. There is a mixture of Rural and Urban environments and infantry, mechanized and indirect fire assets on both sides. Each side will command roughly a company of troops. The missions have varied time limits but will last no longer than 60 minutes. Due to the game software's limitations around drones we have chosen scenarios that reflect the early war paradigm. The finale will be set in a section of the city of Mariupol and involve grueling urban combat.
Scoring Methodology
The scoring system is a hybrid of planning/reflection and execution.
For each Game 200pts are available to be scored as follows:
1. Plan (Concept of Operations): Up to 50pts assessed by a team of non participating FCI members
2. Execute: Up to 100pts based on the scenario end screen result
3. After Action Review (AAR): Up to 50pts assessed by a team of non participating FCI members
Penalties:
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Failure to finish the scenario by the stated deadline will incur 1pt deduction for both teams for each minute that remains on the scenario clock.
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If a team is unresponsive for a week that team will forfeit that game and their opposing team will be awarded a draw.
Stage 2 Filter:
The highest scoring team in each league will progress through to the finale.
Submit the form to enter...
FAQ
How do I communicate with my team?
Fight Club will establish League and Team discord channels for ease of communication. Teams are able to communicate and meet outside of this if they so wish but all transmission of game materials between teams must be done on discord to create a record.
How long do we have to complete each game?
Provided both games of all three matches are complete by 5 Jan 2026 there is no specific time duration for each match. Teams may choose to play 1, 2 or all 3 matches from the start or in sequence.
What are the minimum specs for the game?
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Pentium IV 1.8 GHz or equivalent speed AMD processor
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: 256 MB VRAM or better and must support 1024x768 or higher resolution in OpenGL
Storage: 10 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX 10 compatible Sound Card (Windows only)
Why do we need to do a plan before getting the file?
Because this is a professional wargaming activity, not just a casual ladder match. A written CONOP (Concept of Operations) before you see the mission file forces your team to:
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Practice the discipline of planning under uncertainty. In real operations, you rarely have perfect information. Writing a plan before you see the details develops that skill.
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Demonstrate teamwork. The process of producing a plan ensures that everyone in your team contributes ideas, roles, and responsibilities—rather than one person just “playing the game.”
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Enable flexibility. Since the plan is agreed upon before the file is distributed, any member of the team can step in and execute the match if the designated player becomes unavailable. This makes teams more resilient and prevents delays.
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Create a learning product. Your CONOP will be judged for points and shared back as part of the learning cycle. This means you’re not only competing but also helping other members learn from your thought process.
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Prevent hindsight bias. If you only wrote the plan after seeing the map and forces, it wouldn’t reflect your true tactical instincts. Planning blind makes the assessment more genuine.
Do we need to conduct a full planning cycle or combat estimate?
The Ukraine war did not start as a neat planning exercise. You can use any planning methodology you like. We will provide you a CONOPs and AAR format/template to use to ensure standardization of submission but the content within that is up to you.
Can anyone do the After Action Review (AAR)?
Yes. Any member of the team can draft and submit the AAR, but it is vital that all team members participate in the lessons drawn from it. The AAR is not just paperwork—it’s part of the tournament design.
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Shared learning. The purpose of the AAR is to capture what went right, what went wrong, and what can be improved. If only one person writes and reads it, your team misses the chance to build a shared understanding.
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Preparation for future matches. You may rotate players between games, or someone may have to step in unexpectedly. If everyone has absorbed the lessons from the AAR, your team maintains consistency and cohesion across all matches.
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Collective ownership. Each member likely contributed to decisions or had unique perspectives on how the battle unfolded. The AAR ensures all those perspectives are documented and learned from.
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Judged product. The AAR is also scored, so it makes sense for the whole team to contribute to producing the best possible submission.
What is the scoring criteria for the Plan/CONOP and AAR?
We will provide you a full breakdown of the scoring criteria before Stage 1 commences.
Will this earn me a FC Achievement Badge?
Yes absolutely, provided you conform to the criteria for each badge you will be awarded a COMPETITOR and REFLECTOR badge. See our Hall of Honour for more details: