Berlin 1945: The Fall of the Reichstag
Berlin 1945: The Fall of the Reichstag Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
- Districts 1 to 18: German troops are deployed in these districts. The fighting and maneuvers of both armies take place here.
- The Mitte: the central district, called Mitte, is further divided into 5 sectors (Mitte I to Mitte V in Roman numerals). Here is where the Reichstag is located, and special movement and stacking rules apply.
Note: when this rulebook refers to a "zone" on the map, it refers indistinctly to an area, district, or sector.
The 19 districts (the 18 districts plus the Mitte) form several concentric rings. This disposition will be important when moving your troops (to advance, flank, retreat, and withdraw).
- Outer edge: Areas A to F.
- Outer ring: Districts 12 to 18.
- Middle ring: Districts 6 to 11.
- Inner ring: Districts 1 to 5.
- Mitte: Sectors I to V.
2. Game Components
The game includes the following components: a Game Map, 127 counters, 50 Event cards, a Soviet Planning board and screen, and a 10-sided die.
2.1 Game Map
The board depicts the city of Berlin as it was in 1945. It is divided into zones as follows:
- Areas A to F: this is where Russian troops start the game. The Germans cannot enter these areas. They represent the outskirts of the city of Berlin.
- Districts 1 to 18: German troops are deployed in these districts. The fighting and maneuvers of both armies take place here.
- The Mitte: the central district, called Mitte, is further divided into 5 sectors (Mitte I to Mitte V in Roman numerals). Here is where the Reichstag is located, and special movement and stacking rules apply.
The map also has a space for the Flak Control marker, a space for the Control marker, a Turn track, and a Removed units box.
2.2 Counters
The game has a total of 127 square cardboard counters, essentially divided into two types: units and markers.
Units represent the fighting forces involved in battle: army corps, divisions and, for the German player, also regiments and some battalions. These units will move around the map and fight in the final struggle for the Reichstag.
There are 4 types of units. The color of a unit indicates its alignment and type (regular or elite). The rest of the information only offers historical flavor and has no effect on the game (unit name, tactical symbol, and size: division, regiment, battalion, etc.).
- Orange: Soviet regular units. Num. of units (counters) = 33.
- Red: Elite Soviet units or Guards units. Num. of units (counters) = 2.
- Gray: German regular units or Wehrmacht units. Num. of units (counters) = 22.
- Black: SS units (Schutzstaffel). Num. of units (counters) = 5.
Note: the printed rulebook reads "Black: Black: SS units"; the repeated word is a typographical duplication and is shown here once.
Markers are cardboard counters that are placed on the board to display and keep record of certain game information. There are 8 different types of markers: Barricades, Game turn, Moltke bridge, Flak anti-aircraft towers, Shock army, Wave attack, Order markers and Planning markers.
2.3 Cards
The game has 50 Event cards (25 for each side).
Each player starts the game with a hand of 5 cards, and will draw a card each round (with a hand limit of 6 cards) to later play them as deemed appropriate. These cards can add or modify tactical orders, help in combat, provide reinforcements...
There are two types of cards:
- Event cards: have an M or ! symbol printed on them.
- Combat cards: they have a C symbol printed on them.
Some cards have two symbols printed on them, which means that you can use them in one of two possible modes, at your choice.
When can you use a card? The symbol printed on the cards (M – C – !) indicates when they can be used:
- M: You can use this card during your own Movement phase, at the precise moment specified in its text.
- !: You can use this card at the precise moment specified in its text.
- C: You can use this card during the "card use" step before resolving a combat.
How many cards can you use each turn?
- Event cards (M and !): As many as you want and can, up to the maximum of 6 cards — since it is your hand limit.
- Combat cards (C): You can only use a single C card in each combat you fight during the Combat phase (Phase 4) of a single turn.
How do you use a card?
- Event cards (M and !): You simply choose a card from your hand, place it face up on the board and declare its use. If the card offers two alternative effects (for example, the Panzerfaust card we saw earlier), you must always select one of them; you cannot apply both.
- Combat cards (C): Before a combat, the German player decides if they will use a card in that fight. If so, they must place it face up on the board. Then, the Russian player does the same, after which the combat can be resolved.
Discarding cards for extra orders. In addition, you can discard any card to obtain a single additional order during the Movement phase of your turn, which can be one of the following:
- Rebuild a removed unit and return it to the game board. To do this, at the end of your own Movement phase (after having already moved all possible groups), you must discard two cards (of your choice) and place the rebuilt unit on the map (this will be explained in detail later).
- Obtain an extra Movement order by discarding two cards (if you are the Soviet player) or one card (if you are the German player).
You do not have to reveal the cards you discard for these two actions (Rebuild and extra Movement orders) to your opponent: simply show them that you discard the required number of cards without revealing which cards you are discarding.
Both used and discarded cards are permanently removed from the game, i.e. they never return to the decks and cannot be used again for the rest of the game.
You can consult the detailed explanation of each card in the Playbook.
2.4 Soviet Planning Board and Screen
The Soviet Planning board is an auxiliary board that the Soviet player places on their side of the table. The Soviet player will use it to secretly record the orders that their troops will carry out each turn.
To keep the orders hidden from the German player, the Russian player uses the Soviet screen.
2.5 10-Sided Die
Players will use it to resolve possible casualties of the winning side after a combat.
3. Initial Display
Before starting a game, place all the components in their corresponding spaces on and around the game board. This is called "Initial display". Perform the Initial display following the instructions described in the Playbook.
4. How to Play
In the following sections of the rulebook, we will explain in detail the Movement and Rebuild orders, their associated concepts, and the game sequence.
During a game, both players will use their units to maneuver and fight in the city of Berlin in pursuit of a strategic objective:
The Soviet player starts the game with their troops deployed in the outer areas of the city (A to F). From there, the Soviet soldiers must enter the city and advance through the districts to reach the Mitte (the central district) and storm Sector V, where the Reichstag is located. The German player will have to use all their available forces to defend the city streets and prevent the Soviets from reaching the Reichstag.
To move your units, you need to give them Movement orders. These orders, as in reality, can be hindered, cancelled, or sabotaged by your opponent.
In addition to Movement orders, you may use an additional order (by discarding two cards) as a Rebuild order to return a previously destroyed unit to the game board. This game mechanic simulates the arrival of replacements to reinforce the military units engaged on the battlefield.
5. Movement Orders
A Movement order consists of commanding a group of units, located in the same zone, to move to an adjacent zone.
A group is a unit or set of units of one side, located in the same zone, that move or fight together.
A Movement order must comply with these rules:
- A unit (regardless of whether it moves alone or within a group) can only move once per turn, i.e. you cannot assign two or more Movement orders to the same unit during a turn. However, some cards may alter this rule in certain cases.
- A Movement order may include all the units present in a district or only some of them, leaving the others in the rear.
- A single Movement order can be used to:
- Move a single group to an adjacent district.
- Move two groups from the same district to two adjacent districts.
Example 1: the Soviet player has a group of five units in District 15 (Reinickendorf). With a single Movement order, they decide to create two new groups of two units each, ordering the advance of one group to District 16 (Pankow) and the advance of the other group to District 8 (Wedding). A fifth unit stays in the rear to cover the advance.
Example 2: Another option would be to use a Movement order to order the advance of the entire group from District 15 to District 8.
Example 3: if the Soviet player wanted to move the two groups from Districts 15 (Reinickendorf) and 16 (Pankow) to District 8 (Wedding), they would have to use two Movement orders, since the two groups are located in different districts.
5.1 Adjacency
Two zones are adjacent if they share a border (a solid line separating the two zones). Districts that are connected to each other only by vertices are not adjacent.
Example of adjacency 1: District 7 (Charlottenburg) is adjacent to Districts 1 (Tiergarten) and 2 (Moabit) because it shares a border with them.
Example of adjacency 2: District 14 (Spandau) is not adjacent to District 8 (Wedding), as they are only connected by a vertex, not by a continuous line. Likewise, District 14 is adjacent to Districts 15 and 7; and District 8 is adjacent to Districts 15, 16, 2, 3 and 7.
The adjacency between some zones can be confusing, so we clarify them below:
- District 14 is not adjacent to District 8.
- District 3 is not adjacent to Sector I.
- District 15 is not adjacent to District 7.
- District 2 is not adjacent to Sector II.
- District 1 is not adjacent to Sector I.
In addition, and as an exception, the German player considers all sectors of the Mitte (from I to V) to be adjacent to each other, i.e. a German unit can move from a sector of the Mitte to any other sector with a Movement order, even if both are not adjacent on the map.
5.2 Movement Restrictions
Areas. German units cannot enter Areas (A through F). Areas are Russian deployment zones only: from these areas Soviet units enter Berlin.
The Mitte. The two German units (one Wehrmacht and one SS) deployed at the start of the game in Sector V cannot move until Soviet troops enter the Mitte.
Stacking. A unit or group may not enter a district if doing so would exceed the stacking limit for that district.
5.3 Stacking
The stacking limit is the maximum number of units of each side that can stay in a zone at the same time. In some districts, this limit is indicated by a small number next to the large district number, as for example District 5 (Kreuzberg), whose stacking limit is 7. This means that a maximum of 7 units of each side (7 German and 7 Soviet units) can be stacked in District 5 at any one time.
Stacking limits for each zone:
- Areas (A–F): unlimited. There may be any number of Soviet units at the same time in the same area.
- Districts 12 through 18 (outer ring of Berlin): unlimited. There may be any number of units of each side, at any one time, in any of these districts.
- Districts 1 to 11 (middle and inner rings of Berlin): the number indicated on the map next to the district number. This number limits the maximum number of units of each side that can be in any of these districts at any one time.
- The Mitte:
- Sectors I to IV: limit of 4 units per side.
- Sector V (Reichstag): limit of 4 German units. Unlimited Soviet units.
REMEMBER: As soon as a Soviet unit enters Sectors I to IV of the Mitte, the German stacking limit in the Reichstag (Sector V) becomes unlimited.
If a Movement order would cause the stacking limit of a zone to be exceeded, the order would be invalidated and cancelled in its entirety.
5.4 Number of Movement Orders
During a turn, each player can give a limited number of orders to their units. This means that you will almost certainly not be able to move all your troops every turn. You will be forced to choose carefully which locations of the city to attack or defend, where to reinforce your positions, from which districts to withdraw...
You can always decide not to use all your orders, or not to use any at all.
Each side has a basic number of Movement orders, which can be increased during a turn with the use of a ! card, or through the 'additional order' action.
German side
- Base number of Movement orders: at the start of the game, the German player can give a maximum of 4 Movement orders per turn. This number will be reduced during the game because of the following situations:
- When a Soviet unit or group first enters the inner ring of Berlin (Districts 1-5), the maximum number of German Movement orders in subsequent turns is reduced to 3 per turn.
- When a Soviet unit or group enters in one of the Sectors I to IV of the Mitte for the first time, this maximum is reduced to 2.
- When a Soviet unit or group first enters Sector V of the Mitte (the Reichstag), this maximum is reduced to 1.
- These reductions are irreversible. Even if the German player expels the Russian troops from these districts or sectors and recaptures them, their maximum number of orders will not grow back.
- Additional order: after executing their basic Movement orders, the German player may discard a card to obtain an extra Movement order (only once per turn). To do so, they choose and discard a card from their hand, and execute the extra movement. They must show they discard a card, but are not forced to reveal which card is being discarded. If for any reason this extra Movement order cannot be executed, the discarded card is not recovered.
- Card #24 (Panzergrenadiers): this card allows a German unit or group to move twice in a row if it meets the requirements of the card.
Therefore, the German player could have a maximum of 6 Movement orders during a turn (4 basic orders + 1 additional order by discarding a card + 1 additional order by using card #24). Once Panzergrenadiers is resolved, its maximum possible would be 5 orders per turn, since the card is removed from the game after used.
Soviet side
- Base number of Movement orders: the Russian player can plan and execute a maximum of 3 Movement orders per turn. This maximum number will remain the same throughout the game (it is never increased or decreased).
- Additional order: the Soviet player can obtain an extra Movement order by discarding two cards from their hand (only once per turn). If for any reason this extra Movement order cannot be executed, the discarded cards are not recovered.
- Cards #13 (Georgi Zhukov) and #22 (Ivan Konev): the use of these cards grants the Soviet player additional orders (2 extra actions for card #13 and 1 extra action for card #22). The Soviet player can never play both cards in the same turn. In addition, the use of one of these cards during a turn prevents the Russian player from obtaining the additional order by discarding two cards (as just explained) during that turn.
Therefore, the Soviet player could have a maximum of 5 Movement orders during a turn (3 basic + 2 additional orders by using card #13). Without using a ! card, their maximum would be 4 orders (3 basic + 1 additional order by discarding two cards from their hand).
5.5 Types of Movement Orders
The following are important concepts when planning and executing a Movement order:
Control. A player gains control of a zone when only their units are present in that zone. Once a player gains control of a district or sector, it remains under their control even if there are no units in it. Players maintain control of a zone until their opponent seizes it from them. At the start of the game, all zones in the city of Berlin are controlled by the German player and have German Control markers to indicate so. When the Soviet player takes control of a district or sector, the Control marker is flipped over to the Soviet side; and if the German player recaptures it, the Control marker is flipped over back to the German side.
Example 1: District 2 (Moabit) is under German control (although there are no German troops in it). During the Movement phase, a Russian group enters this district. As there are now only Soviet units in that zone, the district immediately comes under Soviet control. At this very moment, the Control marker is flipped to its Russian side.
Dispute. A zone is in dispute when there are units of both players in it. This is only possible in districts and in the sectors of the Mitte since, as mentioned above, German troops cannot enter any of the Areas (A-F).
The control of a district or sector does not change because of being disputed.
In the Combat phase, a combat will take place in every disputed zone.
Example 2: A Soviet group enters District 8 (Wedding), which remains under German control, during the Movement phase. The zone becomes disputed, since there are now units of both sides in it.
During the Combat phase, there will be a confrontation between both sides, but the control of the district will only change if, at some point, the German troops retreat and only Soviet troops are left there. As long as there are units from both sides, the district will continue to be disputed and the Germans will retain control of it.
Summary (printed sidebar):
- The game consists of maneuvering and fighting with your military units on the map of Berlin.
- To move your troops, you will need to give them Movement orders.
- Each turn you will have a limited number of orders.
- Each side has a different base number of orders, which can be extended by using the 'additional order' rule (discarding cards).
- Only one 'additional order' (discarding cards) can be obtained per turn, and it can be a Movement or Rebuild order, at your choice.
- The use of certain M and ! cards allows players to perform extra Movement or Rebuild actions during a turn.
A Movement order consists of three fundamental elements:
- Units: how many units you want and can move.
- Starting zone: the area, district, or sector from which the units depart.
- Destination zone: the district or sector to which the units are moving.
It should be noted that both sides 'advance' and 'retreat' in opposite directions.
The Soviets advance from the outer edge of the map (Areas A to F) towards the Mitte, with the objective of conquering the Reichstag (Sector V).
The Germans advance from the Mitte towards the outer rings of the city, with the aim of driving the Russians out of the city.
Direction of the Soviet movement:
- Advance: a Russian group advances when it moves into a district or sector located in a ring closer to the Mitte.
- Flanking: a Russian group moves to the flank when it ends its movement in a district or sector of the same ring in which it started.
- Rear: a Russian group moves to its rear when it ends its movement in a district or sector located in a ring further away from the Mitte.
Direction of the German movement:
- Advance: a German group advances when it moves into a district or sector located in a ring further away from the Mitte.
- Flanking: a German group moves to the flank when it ends its movement in a district or sector of the same ring in which it started.
- Rear: a German group moves to its rear when it ends its movement in a district or sector located in a ring closer to the Mitte.
Figure labels: Advance zone, Flanking zone, Rear zone.
With all this in mind, there are four different types of Movement orders you can give to a group of units:
- Advance.
- Flank.
- Retreat.
- Withdraw.
5.5.1 ADVANCE Order
An order to move a group from a zone with no enemy units (i.e., undisputed) to a district closer to the Mitte (for the Soviet player) or further away from the Mitte (for the German player).
- Units: you can advance with as many units as you want as long as you do not exceed the stacking limit of the destination zone.
- Starting zone: the zone (area, district, or sector) from which the advancing units start cannot contain enemy units.
- Destination zone: the zone into which the units advance must be an advance zone (a district or sector in a different ring from the starting zone and in the direction of advance).
Example of Soviet advance: The Soviet player, during their first turn, executes two of their Movement orders on the southwest front of Berlin. The first order starts from Area F. With this order, they move a group of two units to District 14 (Spandau), which is adjacent, and another group of two units to District 13 (Zehlendorf), which is also adjacent. This is possible because, with a single Movement order, you can move troops to two different destination zones, as long as there is only one starting zone and both destination zones are adjacent to said starting zone.
The second order starts from Area E and advances all the units present there to District 13 (Zehlendorf). With this move, the Russian player has used two different orders to bring troops to the same destination zone, but from two different starting zones.
Both are Advance orders because the Russian troops move in the direction of the Reichstag (Sector V of the Mitte) and change ring (they move from the outer edge, formed by Areas A to F, to the outer ring, formed by Districts 12 to 18).
In both advance orders, the Soviet player does not have to worry about the stacking limit of the destination zones, since there is no stacking limit in the outer ring.
Example of German advance: The German player, aware that Soviet troops are approaching the Reichstag and have already entered the middle ring of Berlin, decides to use 3 Movement orders to stop the enemy offensive.
The first Movement order is an Advance order, as they move a group of two units from District 2 (in the inner ring) to District 8 (in the middle ring). In this case, the German player leaves a unit in the starting district to cover the rear against possible further Russian advances.
With the second order, also an advance, they move a one-unit group from District 3 to District 8.
The third order (a group of two units from District 9 to District 8) would not be an Advance but a Flanking order, because the starting and destination zones are in the same ring of the city.
The destination district of the three orders (District 8) has a stacking limit of 8 (there can be a maximum of 8 units of each side in that district). Therefore, the German has not exceeded the limit and all their orders are legal.
In addition, as there are troops from both sides in the same zone, a confrontation will take place in the Combat phase.
5.5.2 FLANKING Order
An order to move a group from a zone with no enemy units (i.e., undisputed) to a district in the same city ring.
- Units: you can flank with as many units as you want as long as you do not exceed the stacking limit of the destination zone.
- Starting zone: the zone (district or sector) from which the flanking units start cannot contain enemy units.
- Destination zone: the zone to which the units move must be a flank zone (a district or sector in the same ring as the starting zone).
5.5.3 RETREAT Order
An order that allows a group located in a disputed district (with units of both sides), to move to a flank zone (a district or sector in the same ring) or to a rear zone (a district or sector in a ring closer to the Mitte for the Germans or further away from the Mitte for the Soviets). That is to say: an order of retreat serves for a group to abandon a disputed district, moving to its flank or to its rear.
- Units: you can retreat with as many units as you want as long as you do not exceed the stacking limit of the destination zone. You must also leave some units in the starting zone, covering the retreat. (Printed callout: German side: 1 unit. Soviet side: 2 units.)
- Starting zone: the zone (district or sector) from which the units start must be disputed (must contain units from both sides).
- Destination zone: the district or sector to which the units retreat must be a flank zone (in the same ring) or a rear zone (in a previous ring).
- Can there be enemy units in the destination zone?
- If the German retreats, there may be Russian units in the destination district or sector.
- If the Soviet retreats, there cannot be any German units in the destination district or sector.
5.5.4 WITHDRAWAL Order
An order which allows a group located in a district without enemy units (i.e., undisputed), to move to a rear zone (a district or sector in a ring closer to the Mitte for the Germans or further away from the Mitte for the Soviets). That is to say: a Withdrawal order serves to move a group back to its rear.
- Units: you can withdraw as many units as you want as long as you do not exceed the stacking limit of the destination zone.
- Starting zone: the zone (district or sector) from which the withdrawing units start cannot contain enemy units.
- Destination zone: the district or sector to which the units withdraw must be a rear zone (in a previous ring), and can contain enemy units.
SPECIAL CASE: the Germans cannot use more than two Withdrawal orders per turn. This restriction, however, has two exceptions:
- Movement inside the Mitte is not considered withdrawal for either side, so the German ignores this restriction inside the Mitte.
- There are five German units (which come into play using Event cards) that are also not subject to this restriction on withdrawal. They are recognizable by having a yellow dot in the upper left corner of the counter. However, this benefit does not apply when the withdrawn group is composed of these units and other German units.
(Printed figure: the two Wenck army units, the Volkssturm, the Charlemagne, and the Steiner group.)
6. Rebuild Order
As seen above in the section 'Number of movement orders,' both players can 'purchase' an additional order per turn by discarding cards. This extra action can be either a Movement or a Rebuild order.
A Rebuild order allows you to return to the board a unit that was previously eliminated, either in combat or because of an opponent's card. The Rebuild order can only be obtained after discarding 2 cards, and must be executed in a district or sector controlled by the player executing the order (regardless of whether that zone is being disputed or not). Units cannot be rebuilt in Areas A to F. In addition, German SS units (black color) and Soviet Guard units (dark red color) cannot be rebuilt by a Rebuild order.
Both Reinforcement counters and counters created by Event cards can be rebuilt when they are eliminated (in combat or by an opponent's card), but not before. There is no limit to the number of times the same unit can be rebuilt.
Rebuild orders are performed during each player's Movement phase, after resolving all Movement orders. The Soviet player, as will be seen below, records them at the end of their order assignment. As the rebuilding takes place at the end of the Movement phase, the rebuilt units cannot move in the same turn they are returned to the board.
If for any reason (e.g., exceeding the stacking limit) a Rebuild order is illegal or is cancelled and cannot be executed, the cards discarded to obtain this extra order are not recovered.
6.1 Summary of Additional Orders
WHAT. An additional order allows you to perform one of these two actions, although you can only choose one per turn:
- Movement order: perform an additional Movement order.
- Rebuild order: return a previously removed unit to the board. This unit cannot be an SS or Guard unit.
WHEN. At the end of your Movement phase, once you have moved all your units.
HOW. Depending on your side:
- German player
- Extra Movement action: after executing all your Movement orders, you simply announce that you want to make an additional action. At this point you discard a card (you do not have to reveal the discarded card) and execute the additional order.
- Extra Rebuild action: after executing all your Movement orders, you discard two cards (without revealing them) and return a unit to the map by placing it in a zone you control, even if it is being disputed.
- Soviet player
- Extra Movement action: you must assign this order on your Planning board during your Planning phase, in the last place. In your Movement phase, when executing the extra order, you simply discard two cards and execute the previously assigned order.
- Extra Rebuild action: you must assign this order on your Planning board during your Planning phase, in the last place. In your Movement phase, when resolving the Rebuild action, you simply discard two cards and return a unit to the zone previously marked on the Planning board.
WHERE. When resolving a Rebuild order, the rebuilt unit must be taken from the stack of removed units and placed in a zone (district or sector) that you control, even if it is being disputed. You cannot rebuild units in Areas A to F.
HOW MANY. You may only perform one additional action per turn, either a Movement or Rebuild order. The extra order is optional: you may choose not to perform any.
CANCELLATION. There are several circumstances that can cancel an additional order:
- If, when executing the order, you do not have enough cards in your hand to discard: the order is cancelled and is not executed. If you only have 1 card in hand and need a second one, the order is cancelled but you discard no cards.
- If the order is illegal at the time of execution: the order is cancelled and you must still discard the necessary cards if you have enough in your hand (if you must discard 2 cards and you only have 1, you discard none).
- If, once executed, the order is cancelled by an Event card played by your opponent: the order must be undone and you do not recover the discarded cards:
- If it was an additional Movement order, the units return to their starting zone.
- If it was an additional Rebuild order, the rebuilt unit returns to the stack of removed units.
7. Game Sequence
We have seen the essential mechanics of the game. Let us see how and in what order things are done:
After the Initial display, both sides play successive turns until the game ends. The game sequence is the order in which each player must perform the different phases that comprise each turn.
A turn is divided into 5 phases. At the end of Phase 5, the current turn ends and a new one begins.
Advance the Game Turn marker on the Turn track (in the upper right corner of the board). Then, if no automatic victory is achieved, a new turn begins (starting at Phase 1 of the sequence of play - Card draw phase.)
A game can be played for a maximum of 12 turns. At the end of the 12th turn, the victory conditions are checked to determine which side has won. The game may, however, end on an earlier turn if the German player achieves an automatic victory.
Phases of the game sequence:
- Card draw: each player draws a card from their deck.
- Soviet planning: the Russian player secretly plans and records their orders (the guidelines for their troops) on the Soviet Planning board.
- Movement: both players execute their Movement and Rebuild orders.
- German movement: the German player executes their Movement and Rebuild orders.
- Soviet movement: the Russian player executes the Movement and Rebuild orders previously assigned (in Phase 2) on the Planning board.
- Combat: combats are fought in every disputed zone (those in which there are units of both sides). The German player decides the order in which combats are resolved.
- Soviet presence check in the Reichstag.
7.1 Card Draw Phase
Each player draws a card from their deck. If you already have 6 cards in your hand before drawing, you still draw a card, but you must then discard a card of your choice (you can discard the one you just drew). You can never have more than 6 cards in your hand.
7.2 Soviet Planning Phase
Once both players have drawn a card, Phase 2 begins, in which only the Soviet player will play.
In this phase, the Russian player must secretly assign the orders that their troops will execute in Phase 3. The order will be as follows:
- Phase 2: the Soviet player secretly plans their orders, but does not execute them.
- Phase 3.a: the German player, unaware of the Russian plans, simultaneously plans and executes their orders.
- Phase 3.b: the Russian player executes —if possible— the orders planned in Phase 2.
Therefore, the Soviet player must consider that, in between the planning and execution of their orders, the German movement will take place, which may disrupt their plans, modifying or annulling them.
The Soviet player may not plan an order that is illegal during Phase 2.
How Soviet Planning Is Done
To program the orders, the Soviet player will use the Soviet Planning board, hidden behind a cardboard screen so that the opponent cannot discover their plans. On the Planning board, the Soviet player will have to record the additional Rebuild order (in case they made one) and the Movement orders considering these elements: where the troops are coming from, how many troops are moving and what is their destination.
- Destination markers (gray and beige color): they are used to register the zone to which you command the units to go. Roman numeral markers are used for Mitte sectors and Arabic numeral markers for districts. There are no markers for Areas (A through F) because no unit can enter an area with a Movement order; they can only move out of them.
- Destination markers are also used in additional Rebuild orders, to indicate the zone in which you want to place the rebuilt unit.
- Quantity markers (beige color): the beige markers are also used as Quantity markers to record the number of units you want to move with each order.
All markers are printed on both sides, which reduces the number of counters needed. In the upper right corner of each marker, printed inside an oval, you can find the value depicted on the other side, so you can look for the tile you need without having to flip them over.
Order assignment. The assignment of a Movement order consists of 3 steps: (printed as "Order assignement")
- Starting zone: is the zone from which the units start the movement. It can be an Area A through F, a District 1 through 18, or a Mitte Sector I through V. On the Soviet Planning board, the starting zone corresponds to the first row of each column. Therefore, if the Movement order starts, for example, from District 9, you just record down the entire order in that column — it is not necessary to put a marker on the box of the starting zone.
- Destination zone: is the zone to which the units move (a district or sector). There are 2 boxes in each column because a single Movement order can have two different destination zones. In these boxes you must place a marker corresponding to the zone or zones to which you want to move the units. If there is just one destination zone, you only need to place a single marker in the 'Destination 1' box. If there are two destination zones, you will also place a marker in the 'Destination 2' box.
- Number of units: is the number of units affected by the Movement order.
- In the 'All units' box, you must place a marker with the number of units that will move to the first destination. If all units will move to that destination zone, you can leave this cell uncovered (thus the text 'All units' will be visible, indicating that all units are moving to 'Destination 1').
- In the 'No. of units' box, you must place a marker to record how many units will move to the second destination zone ('Destination 2'). If the order does not include a second destination zone, just leave this cell uncovered.
Additional orders. If you want to use an additional order (either movement or rebuild), you must also register it on the Soviet Planning board, right after the basic orders.
- Additional Movement order: you register it in the same way as a basic Movement order.
- Additional Rebuild order: in the 'Destination zone' cell on the Soviet Planning board (next to the 'Rebuild' cell), place a Destination marker indicating the zone where you want to rebuild the unit.
During the subsequent Movement phase, just before executing the additional order, you must discard the necessary cards. If you do not have enough cards (because you have used them previously as events or during a combat, or because the German player has removed them from your hand using one of their cards,), the additional order will be cancelled.
Normal use of Event and Combat cards. The normal use of Event or Combat cards is not recorded on the Planning board during the Soviet Planning phase. The Soviet player will decide whether to use their cards directly during the Movement phase, without having to note anything beforehand.
General considerations of the Soviet Planning phase. When planning an order, you do not specify whether the moving troops are regular or Guard units: you will decide that at the time of executing the order (during the Movement phase).
When noting orders on the Soviet Planning board, you do not need to indicate the type of movement your troops will execute (advance, flank, retreat or withdraw). You simply give a legal order; whether it is an Advance or another action will already be seen in the Movement phase, depending on the state of the board.
Example: During Phase 2, the Russian player secretly notes their Movement orders. The first of these is an Advance order from District 15 to District 8 with a group of 2 units (the 2 units in District 15). This order is legal, as it meets all the requirements of an Advance order, moves to an adjacent zone, does not exceed the stacking limit of the destination zone and does not exceed its maximum number of orders per turn (the player has 3 basic orders, and this is the first one).
During Phase 3.a the German, unaware of the Soviet plans, moves with a Flanking order a group of units from District 16 to District 15. This movement makes the Russian Advance order illegal, since it is not possible to advance if there are enemy troops in the starting zone. Therefore, during Phase 3.b, this Soviet order will be cancelled and not executed.
7.3 Movement Phase
During this phase, both players will execute their Movement orders (and their extra Rebuild order, if any). The German player will go first. The Soviet player will then execute the orders previously noted on the Planning board.
Phase 3.a: German movement. (Printed as "Fase 3.a German movement".) The German player, unlike the Soviet player, does not have to program their orders beforehand. They are executed directly on the map.
During this phase, the German player will:
- Perform the desired Movement actions to the maximum extent possible, and in any order. Although Movement orders will be executed one by one, they are all considered to take place simultaneously, not sequentially.
- Use, from their hand, as many M and ! cards as they want, as long as they meet all the requirements described on each card.
- Obtain (if able and willing) an extra action (either a Movement or Rebuild order) by discarding the necessary cards.
Once the German player finishes their Movement phase, the game advances to the Soviet Movement phase.
Phase 3.b: Soviet movement. (Printed as "Fase 3.b Soviet movement".) At this point, the Soviet player reveals the Planning board and executes the orders assigned on it — only if the previous German movements allow it. The Russian orders are executed in the order the Soviet player chooses.
The Russian player cannot, at this point, change or add any orders on the Planning board; they must stick to what they planned earlier. In addition, if they assigned an erroneous or illegal order by mistake (for example, by marking as the destination zone a district that is not adjacent to the starting zone), the order is cancelled.
Similarly, actions taken by the German player during the German Movement phase (either by use of cards or by movement of troops) may cause a Russian order that was legal when planned to be illegal when executed.
Therefore, the Soviet player will not be able to execute, during this Phase 3.b, an order that was legal when it was planned but is illegal when executed.
An illegal order is one that fails to comply with any of the order execution requirements:
Movement order:
- The stacking limit of the destination zone cannot be exceeded.
- The destination zone must be adjacent to the starting zone.
- Units in the same starting zone can move to a maximum of two destination zones.
- The maximum number of orders per turn cannot be exceeded.
- The requirements of the type of movement performed by the units (advance, flank, retreat, or withdraw) must be fulfilled.
- If it is an additional Movement order, the player must have enough cards in hand to discard.
Additional Rebuild order:
- The player must have enough cards in hand to discard.
- The player must control the district in which the rebuilt unit will be placed.
Soviet orders that become illegal because of a previous German action are cancelled. That is to say: the Soviet order is invalidated in its entirety and the units that were to move remain in their starting zones.
However, and only if the Soviet player wants, a cancelled Movement order can be executed if it is possible to transform it into a Retreat order. To do so, the Soviet player must leave 2 units in the starting zone and move the others.
Example: Phase 2: The Soviet, on the Planning board, assigns a Withdrawal order to all units from District 3 (Prenzlauer) to District 9 (Weissensee). Remember that a Withdrawal order requires that there are no enemy units in the starting zone.
Phase 3.a: the German player moves 4 units from District 4 to District 3.
Phase 3.b: the Soviet player cannot execute the Withdrawal order because it is now illegal (there are German troops in the starting zone). In normal conditions, the Soviet order would be cancelled and the Soviet units would remain where they are without moving. But in this case, the Withdrawal movement can be converted into a Retreat movement by leaving two units in the starting zone (as required by the rules for Retreat movements).
At this point, the Russian player must choose: cancel the Withdrawal order and leave their troops where they are or turn it into a Retreat order, leave 2 units in the starting zone (although this is not recorded on the Soviet Planning board) and move the rest. Finally, the Soviet player chooses the second option and retreats to District 9 with 2 units (leaving another 2 in District 3 to cover the retreat).
Illegal additional Movement order. If an additional Movement order is illegal when executed, the order is cancelled and the Soviet player still discards two cards.
If the Soviet player does not have two cards to pay the additional Movement order in Phase 3.b, the order is also cancelled.
Illegal additional Rebuild order. If an additional Rebuild order is illegal when executed (because the Germans control the rebuild zone), the order is cancelled, the unit is not rebuilt and the Soviet player still discards two cards.
If the Soviet player does not have enough cards to pay for the additional Rebuild order in Phase 3.b, the order is cancelled and the unit is not rebuilt. If they could only discard one of the two cards needed, the order is cancelled and no cards are discarded.
7.4 Combat Phase
After both players have moved their troops, a combat will take place in every disputed zone (zones with units of both sides). If more than one combat is triggered, the German player will decide the order in which they will be resolved.
For each combat, players must follow these four steps in this specific order:
- Playing Combat cards.
- Determining strengths.
- Declaring the winner.
- Applying casualties.
7.4.1 Playing Combat Cards
Only one Combat card (with the symbol C) per side can be used in each combat. There is no limit, however, to the number of ! cards that each player can use in a single combat.
The German player chooses first. If they decide to use any card (a single C card and/or any number of ! cards) from their hand, they place them face up on the board. Then, the Soviet player does the same (the Russian player has the advantage of seeing the German cards before deciding their own).
It should be noted that ! cards can be used at different moments of a combat, either before its resolution, as a reaction to an opponent's card, or once the combat is over. The text of the card indicates the exact moment when it may be used.
If both players play a C card, the German card is resolved first (unless the Soviet card cancels it).
The Soviet player does not need to have previously noted the use of these cards on the Planning board. They can use them freely during each combat.
7.4.2 Determining Strengths
Now both armies calculate their combat strength in the disputed zone. To do so, each player counts:
- The combat strength of all their units in the disputed district or sector.
- The modifiers added by the cards.
- Event markers affecting the disputed district or sector.
Combat strength of the units:
- Orange: Soviet regular units. Combat strength = 1.
- Red: Soviet elite units or Guards units. Combat strength = 2.
- Gray: German regular units or Wehrmacht units. Combat strength = 1.
- Black: SS units (Schutzstaffel). Combat strength = 2.
Markers: some Event cards (such as Flak anti-aircraft towers) place markers on the board that modify the combat strength of a side in that district.
7.4.3 Declaring the Winner
Players now compare the strength of both armies (with all the above-mentioned modifiers). The side with the higher combat strength is the winner. If the two armies have the same strength, there is a tie.
7.4.4 Applying Casualties
The application of casualties in a combat depends on which side is the winner or whether a tie has occurred.
- In case of a tie, both armies remove 1 unit.
- If the winner has more combat strength than their opponent but less than double, the loser removes 1 unit and the winner none.
- If the winner's combat strength is double or more than that of their opponent, but less than three times, the loser removes 2 units. The winner then checks for possible casualties.
- If the winner's combat strength is triple or more than their opponent's, the loser removes 3 units. The winner then checks for possible casualties.
Casualties on the winning side. If the loser removes two or three units, the winner must make a dice roll:
- If the loser removed 2 units = the winner rolls 1 10-sided die.
- If the loser removed 3 units = the winner rolls 2 10-sided dice.
For each die result of 1 to 3, the winner must remove one of their own units.
Who chooses the casualties. When a player suffers casualties in a combat, they choose which of their own units to remove. Logically, you will always prefer to eliminate a unit with combat strength 1 rather than an elite unit (SS or Soviet Guard). For casualty purposes, the combat strength of the unit does not matter. If you must remove two units, it is not enough to eliminate a unit with combat strength 2, since it only counts as one unit.
Once a combat is resolved, the surviving units of both sides remain in the zone where they have just fought.
Example: District 6 has become disputed (it contains units of both players). Therefore, in the Combat phase, a battle will take place. First, both sides play their Combat cards. The German player decides to play a C card, and then the Russian player, making a quick calculation and foreseeing the impending disaster, also plays a Combat card.
The combat strength of both sides is then determined. The German player has a strength of 7 (3 from the Wehrmacht units + 2 from the SS unit + 2 from the card). The Soviet player has a strength of 4 (3 from the regular units + 1 from the card). In District 6 there are no markers that modify the strength of the contenders. The winner of the battle turns out to be the German player — since their fighting strength is greater than that of the Russians.
Lastly, players calculate their casualties. The winner (German) has more combat strength than the loser (Soviet) but less than double, so the Russian player only loses 1 unit. This is why the Soviet player used the Combat card: had they not done so, their combat strength would have been 3 and the Germans would have doubled it, resulting in the loss of 2 units. The Russian player, at this point, removes one unit (at their choice). As the Soviets only lost 1 unit, the German player does not have to roll dice to see if they also suffer casualties. The combat is over.
7.5 Soviet Presence Check in the Reichstag
At the end of each turn (except turn 12), players check for Soviet units in Sector V of the Mitte.
- If there are, but there are also German units, nothing happens.
- If there are, and there are no German units, the Soviet player may remove a German unit (other than an SS unit) from anywhere on the map.
After this, the current turn ends and a new one begins.
On the 12th, skip this phase and check the victory conditions.
8. Reinforcements
During the game, both sides will receive reinforcement units, although each player will receive them differently.
8.1 Soviet Reinforcements
The Soviet player receives reinforcements only once in the entire game and always at the same moment: after Phase 1 (Card draw phase) of turn 4, once both players have drawn a card, the 8 Soviet reinforcement units are placed on the map.
Form two groups of counters, each with 3 regular units and 1 elite unit. The Soviet player places one of the groups in an area of their choice between Areas A, B, or C on the map, and the other group in one of Areas D, E, or F of Berlin. Each group must be deployed altogether in the same area (you cannot separate them into smaller groups).
Once deployed on the map, these units are treated like any other: the Soviet player needs to give them Movement orders to bring them to the districts inside the city.
After placing these reinforcements in the corresponding areas, the Soviet player advances to the Movement phase of turn 4.
8.2 German Reinforcements
The German player does not receive predetermined reinforcements like the Soviet player, but can play Event cards to obtain reinforcements.
Throughout the game, the German player will use (if willing and able) some of these cards to obtain the corresponding reinforcements, which they deploy where the card itself indicates.
Printed example cards (Event cards, shown on this page):
- Wenck's 12th Army (card 2), M. When: At the end of your Movement phase. Effect: Deploy two units of the Wenck's 12th Army in one of the following districts: District 12, 13 or 18.
- Charlemagne Battalion (card 3), M. When: At the end of your Movement phase. Effect: Deploy the Charlemagne SS unit in any zone under German control.
- Volksturm and Feldgendarmerie (card 10), M. When: At the end of your Movement phase. Effect: Deploy 1 Volkssturm unit in any district or sector with no Soviet units.
- Steiner! (card 23), M. When: At the end of your Movement phase. Effect: Deploy the Steiner SS unit in District 13 or 16. This unit is not considered to withdraw if it subsequently moves toward the Mitte.
9. Victory Conditions
And how do you win a game of Berlin 1945? There are different victory conditions, depending on your side (German or Soviet).
9.1 Soviet Victory Condition
The Soviet player wins the game if the following condition is fulfilled at the end of the game: The Soviet combat strength in Sector V of the Mitte is at least twice that of the German combat strength present there.
The game does not end if this condition is met at any other time during the game. The victory condition must be fulfilled at the end of the last turn; that is, after Phase 4 of turn 12 (remember that, in turn 12, Soviet presence in the Reichstag is not checked).
9.2 German Victory Conditions
Automatic German victory. From the end of turn 4 until the end of the game, the German player wins immediately if their combat strength in Berlin is greater than the Soviet combat strength (total sum between areas, districts, and sectors of the map). If this happens at any time during any turn (for example after a combat, even if there are others to be resolved), the game ends and the German side is declared the winner.
Standard German victory. If no automatic victory is achieved, the German player wins if they prevent the Soviet victory condition at the end of the game.
In either case, once players finish Phase 4 of turn 12, the Soviet victory condition is checked and a winner is declared. If the Soviet player is not the winner, then the German player wins the game — a draw is never possible.