Bitter End: Attack to Budapest, 1945
Bitter End: Attack to Budapest, 1945 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 2.0 Components
- 3.0 Sequence of Play
- 4.0 Weather
- 5.0 Replacements
- 6.0 Supply
- 7.0 Movement
- 8.0 Stacking
- 9.0 Zones of Control
- 10.0 Combat
- 11.0 Exploitation Phase
- 12.0 Bridges and Fords
- 13.0 Air Support
- 14.0 Artillery Support
- 15.0 Breakout
- 16.0 First Turn Surprise and Soviet Front Reserves
- 17.0 Reinforcements
- 18.0 Optional Rules
- 19.0 Variants
- 20.0 Victory Conditions
- 21.0 Scenarios
- 22.0 Setting Up the Game
- Designer's Notes
- Player Notes
- Developer's Notes
- Historical Notes
- Example of Play
2.0 Components
2.1 Units and Markers
The combat units ("units") represent the military formations which participated, or could have participated, in the actual operations. Most represent regiments or brigades although some are battalions.
The units of each nationality (and service branch of the same nationality) are distinguished by color:
- German Wehrmacht—Black on green
- German Luftwaffe—White on light blue
- German SS—White on black
- Hungarian—Black on light green
- Soviet Guards—White on red
- Soviet regular—Black on red
- Romanian—Black on tan
Each unit counter contains information which describes its unit type, ID, parent ID, attack/defense strengths and movement point allowance. Unit information is displayed on the Unit Description Chart, with some information being more detailed in the Glossary of Game Terms (2.5).
2.11 Both silhouette-style and NATO-style armored units are included in this edition of Bitter End. Players should choose one style of counter and keep the others completely out of the game. We suggest the silhouette-style as it is easier to remember the armored effects in the game….plus, we think they look better!
2.12 Unless a specific differentiation is made, "German" will always refer to both German and Hungarian units and "Soviet" will always refer to both Soviet and Romanian units.
2.13 The informational markers ("markers") are provided to track and remind players of game information, and are detailed on the Unit Description Chart.
2.2 The Map
The map covers an area of north-central Hungary and a portion of southwestern Slovakia. The major topographic features are the northern tip of Lake Balaton, the Danube River and the string of low, rugged volcanic mountains stretching in a rough arc from west of Lake Balaton to northeast of Budapest. Also significant is the man-made feature of Budapest, and the broad Czepel Sziget (island) which bisects the Danube for some distance south of the city. The landscape is dotted with several large towns and numerous farming villages. Primary roads are paved; secondary roads are partially paved or improved dirt.
By definition, "Buda hexes" are those urban hexes west of the Danube and east of the original Budapest perimeter inclusive. "Pest hexes" are those urban and clear hexes east of the Danube and west of the original Budapest perimeter inclusive. "Budapest hexes" include both "Buda hexes" and urban (not clear) "Pest hexes". There is a red outline surrounding the original Buda and Pest urban hexes (but not the one clear Pest hex) as a reminder.
The map was compiled from a number of sources including German and Soviet operations maps, and German, Hungarian and US survey maps. Needless to say, there was some disagreement between these sources which necessitated some guesswork, especially where the contemporary roadnet was concerned.
The map is covered by a field of hexes which regulate the movement and position of the unit counters. There is also a Turn Record Track in the southeast corner, used to mark the passage of turns and can be used as a general records track for VP markers.
Map terrain features have been drawn as naturally as possible. Nature doesn't conform to the regularity of a hexagonal grid, thus, more than one type of terrain will often be present in a single hex. One type of terrain will clearly dominate the center of the hex and will govern the movement cost and combat effect of the hex. Small intrusions of different types of terrain from adjacent hexes should be disregarded.
There are small lakes immediately south of Tata (on the northern map) and southwest of Adony (on the southern map). They are lake hexsides, not stream hexsides and are impassable for movement and combat. Each consists of only one hexside.
Most of the forested hexes are rough/wooded. Note the differences between the pictures on the TEC. The woods hexes are more yellow-green than their rough/wooded counterparts. There are only 13 woods hexes on the entire map.
2.3 Rules
These rules have been edited from the original English rules of the Hobby Japan version. They are written in a case format to facilitate organization and cross-referencing.
2.4 Game Scale
Each turn represents one day (24 hours) of operational time. Each hex represents 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) from side to side.
2.5 Glossary of Game Terms
Air Support Point (ASP): Variable-use points the players may apply, within restrictions, to attack strength totals.
Anti-tank/Flak: A unit that nullifies an attacker's Armor Effect bonus. The German tank destroyer is also considered to be an anti-tank unit. These units have a white circle around their black defense strengths as a reminder.
Armored: A unit that generates an Armor Effect bonus in combat and is affected by rough/wooded and urban terrain in combat. The German tank destroyer unit cannot generate the Armor Effect bonus, but is affected by terrain in combat as an armored unit.
Armor Effect: A die-roll bonus that applies when a player has an armored unit in a combat. Armor Effect is negated if the defender has an armored, anti-tank or flak unit in the combat.
Artillery Support Point (ArSP): Variable-use points the players may apply, with restrictions, to attack strength totals.
Attack Level: The 'successfulness' of an attack before terrain is considered.
Bridge: Bridges cross the Danube River, connecting the two sides. Roads that cross minor rivers and canals are not considered to have bridges.
Combat Engineers: Units with a white unit-type box that receive a die-roll bonus when attacking a village or urban hex.
Combat Result: The final result of an attack. Negative amounts affect the attacker and positive amounts affect the defender. A 'zero' amount results in Same-Hex Combat at the attacker's discretion.
Corps ID Box: Where a unit's Corps ID is found. It is color-coded for help in setting up units beginning on the map with the Historical Set Up Sheet. There are no Corps ID boxes on the back of the units.
Defense Level: The ability of terrain to help defending units resist enemy attacks.
Deployment Area: The set up areas for units beginning on the map at the start of the Historical Scenario. These are shown on the Historical Set Up Sheet.
Divisional Integrity: A die-roll bonus that applies when a player has all component regiments or brigades of a division or (Soviet only) Tank or Mechanized Corps in a combat.
Ford: Fords cross the Danube River, connecting the two sides.
Motorized: Any unit with a red box around its Movement Point allowance.
Movement Point (MP): A unit's movement ability expressed as a number. Unlike many games, this also affects combat.
Non-motorized: Any unit that does not have a red box around its Movement Point allowance.
Non-Phasing Player: The player whose turn is not in progress.
Organization Chart: A player aid card helping players set up units, organize reinforcements and determine Divisional Integrity.
Phasing Player: The player whose player turn is in progress.
Replacement Points (RP): An abstract representation of men and equipment returning to battle.
Same-Hex Combat: Combat within a single hex that may occur at the attacker's discretion after a Combat Result of 0.
Surprise Effects: The detrimental effects that penalize Soviet units within a Surprise Sector.
Surprise Sector: The area of hexes where Soviet units are subject to Surprise Effects.
2.6 Equipment
Each copy of Bitter End should include:
- Two different map sections (each 22x34")
- Two different countersheets (228 counters each)
- One German Organizational Chart (8.5x11")
- One Soviet Organizational Chart (11x17")
- Two identical Historical Set Up Sheets (11x17")
- One German & one Soviet
- Two identical player aid cards (8.5x11")
- One German & one Soviet
- One Unit Description Chart (UDC) (8.5x11")
- One 24-page rulebook
- One six-sided die
- One box assembly
3.0 Sequence of Play
Bitter End is played in turns. Each turn is divided into alternate player turns. Each player turn is subdivided into several phases. Player turns are performed in phase order. Game procedures may not be taken out of order.
Each turn proceeds as follows:
3.1 German Player Turn (always precedes the Soviet Player Turn)
3.11 Weather Phase The German player rolls a die and consults the Weather Table. The result indicates the type of weather for the entire turn.
3.12 Supply Phase The German player determines the supply status of each of his units. The supply status determined for each unit lasts until this phase occurs in the next turn.
3.13 Replacement Phase The German player adds new Replacement Points to his accumulated totals then expends Replacement Points to rebuild destroyed units or bring reduced strength units on the map back to full strength.
3.14 Movement Phase The German player moves all, some, or none of his units up to the limit of their individual movement allowances as affected by other game rules.
3.15 Combat Phase After the Movement Phase is concluded, the German player rolls one die on the Air Support Points Table. He may then attack enemy units adjacent to his own, in any order desired. He may allocate available Air and/or Artillery Support Points to aid these attacks. Attacks are resolved using the Combat Results Table. At the end of this phase, remove all "Retreated-No ZOC" markers.
3.16 Exploitation Phase German units may attack again, if eligible, or they may move again. Movement follows all combat in this phase. At the end of this phase, remove all "Retreated-No ZOC" and "Attacked-No Move" markers.
3.2 Soviet Player Turn
The Soviet player repeats steps 3.12 to 3.16 with his units. At the conclusion of the Soviet Exploitation Phase, the turn is over.
3.3 Advance to the Next Turn
4.0 Weather
4.1 There are three types of weather: Clear, Overcast and Snow. The German player determines the weather at the beginning of each turn by rolling a die on the Weather Table. The indicated weather type is in effect for the entire turn.
4.2 Clear weather has no effect on the game.
4.3 Overcast weather prohibits the use of Air Support Points.
4.4 Snow weather prohibits the use of Air Support Points, negates secondary road/railroad movement benefits, and reduces primary road benefits to those of secondary roads.
5.0 Replacements
5.1 Both players receive Replacement Points (RP) during the game. RP are used to flip reduced strength (inverted) units to their full strength (front) side or to completely rebuild destroyed units.
5.2 RP come in two varieties: infantry and armored. Infantry RP may be used to rebuild any infantry/cavalry, motorized or mechanized type units. Armored RP may be used to rebuild tank/panzer, assault gun, and recon units only. The German tank destroyer and miscellaneous type units may not be rebuilt.
5.3 Units must be in supply (see 6.0) in order to receive RP. Units which are destroyed while encircled by enemy units or enemy ZOC (see 9.0) may not be rebuilt.
5.4 It requires one RP of the appropriate type to flip a reduced strength unit to its full strength side.
5.5 It costs two RP to bring a destroyed unit back into play at reduced strength, or three RP to bring it back at full strength. Exception: Battalion-sized units or any units possessing only one step are brought back into play at a cost of two RP.
5.6 Reduced strength units are rebuilt during the friendly Replacement Phase. Destroyed units which are rebuilt during the Replacement Phase are brought onto the map as a reinforcement in that or a later turn (see 17.4).
5.7 RP are received as indicated on the Turn Record Track. They may be accumulated from turn to turn using the markers provided.
5.8 Out of supply units cannot receive Replacements Points (see 6.4)
6.0 Supply
6.1 Units must be in supply in order to use their full combat strength and movement allowance. Each player determines the supply status of his units during his Supply Phase; the supply status determined at that time remains in effect until the next friendly Supply Phase, regardless of changes in unit positions in the interim.
6.11 To be in supply, a unit must be able to trace a supply line back to an appropriate supply source. Units that cannot trace a supply line are Out of Supply.
6.2 Supply Lines
6.21 Supply lines are traced via a line of contiguous hexes stretching from the unit back to the supply source. Supply lines cannot be traced through hexes containing enemy units under any circumstances, nor hexes containing enemy Zones of Control unless a friendly unit is occupying the hex. For purposes of tracing supply, the presence of a friendly unit in a hex negates the effect of an enemy ZOC (see 9.0).
6.22 Supply lines may consist of a combination of non-road and road hexes. A variable number of non-road hexes may be included between the unit and a road hex; however, once the supply line has been traced to a road hex it must continue to be exclusively traced through connecting road hexes until it reaches a friendly supply source. Supply is traced from the unit, to the road, to the supply source.
6.23 The non-road distance that may be included in a supply line is limited to five MP. Movement point costs for terrain are considered per the Terrain Effects Chart. MP are spent according to the tracing unit's type (motorized or non-motorized). The road section may be of any length and consist of either or both primary and secondary road hexes.
6.24 A player is not required to stop tracing the non-road portion of a supply line just because he has reached a road. He may choose when the road portion of the supply trace begins, as long it is within 5 MP of the tracing unit. The non-road portion of a supply line may be traced along a road using the road rate, regardless of the presence of friendly units. Weather affects tracing a supply line along a road at the road rate per 4.4.
6.25 Supply lines may be traced through rugged hexes or hexsides only via roads. Supply lines may be traced across the Danube only via bridges/fords or the German Sturmboot unit (12.65). Remember that roads do not cross fords, but roads always cross bridges for supply line purposes (12.2). Supply lines may not be traced across lake hexes or hexsides.
6.26 Supply may be traced directly from a unit to a supply source without the use of the road segment. In this case the 5 MP limit is still adhered to, and the unit must trace supply one hex off the map, paying the same MP cost for the imaginary hex as the MP cost for the last real hex.
6.3 Supply Sources
The supply sources for German and Hungarian units are A, B and C entry hexes along the north and west edges of the map. The supply sources for Soviet and Romanian units are X, Y and Z entry hexes along the south, west and east edges of the map. Each supply source can supply any number of friendly units.
6.4 Out of Supply Effects
Units are out of supply if they are unable to trace a supply line to a supply source. Out of supply units halve their attack strengths and movement allowances (round fractions up). Their defense strengths are unaffected. Out of supply units cannot receive Replacement Points. Units are never destroyed through lack of supply. Units may remain out of supply indefinitely. "Out of Supply" markers should be placed on all out of supply units.
7.0 Movement
7.1 Movement is voluntary. A player may move as many or as few of his units as he wishes in his Movement and Exploitation Phases. Each unit is moved individually. A unit's movement ends and may not be altered, as soon as the owning player begins to move another unit. A unit may move in any direction or combination of directions. A unit may expend all, some, or none of its available Movement Points (MP) in each phase it is allowed to move. Unused MP may not be accumulated or transferred between units.
7.2 Each unit is moved by tracing a path through the hexgrid. The maximum number of hexes a unit may move in a single phase of movement is limited by its movement allowance expressed in terms of movement points. The number of MP that must be expended to enter a hex or cross certain hexsides depends on the type of terrain in the hex, or along the hexside. Roads give enhanced movement ability when movement is conducted along them. Terrain costs are shown on the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC).
7.3 Combat does not occur, nor do enemy units move during a friendly Movement Phase. Enemy units may retreat during friendly Combat and Exploitation Phase (see 10.6).
7.4 Units may freely move through or stop in hexes containing other friendly units, subject to stacking limitations (see 8.0). Units may never enter hexes containing enemy units during movement (but may do so as a result of combat; see 10.46).
7.5 Generally, a unit may not enter a hex unless it has sufficient MP remaining to pay the full cost. This is predominately the case during movement, but there are exceptions as a result of combat (see 10.461, 10.64, 10.27 and 10.73). Supplied units may use One-Hex Movement (7.7) while Out of Supply units may not.
7.6 Road Movement
7.61 There are two types of roads: primary and secondary. There are also rail lines which function identically to secondary roads. Units moving along roads do so at reduced costs per the TEC, 7.65 and 7.66.
7.62 To benefit from road movement, a unit must travel along connected road hexes and must be the sole occupant of each road hex entered and exited at the moment of movement. Units which cannot meet the above condition must pay the non-road movement cost for entering the hex. Units arriving as reinforcements may enter using a road if otherwise eligible.
7.63 Road and non-road movement may be combined in any manner during Movement Phases and advances after combat (see 10.7). Road benefits do not negate the cost for crossing bridges (12.3).
7.64 Note that neither primary or secondary roads extend into most of the Budapest urban hexes, as extensive bombing and shelling have rendered them useless to traffic. The rail lines running through the city are still comparatively open, however, and may still be treated as secondary roads.
7.65 Primary roads cost motorized units ½ MP per hex and non-motorized units 1 MP per hex, regardless of other terrain (Exception: bridge and ford MP costs are always paid when using primary roads).
7.66 Secondary roads halve the total terrain cost for entering a hex (round remainder up) for both motorized and non-motorized units.
For example: An infantry unit crossing a minor river/canal hexside (+1 MP) and entering a wooded hex (2 MP) along a secondary road would pay 2 MP.
7.7 One-Hex Movement
7.71 Supplied units may always move a minimum of one hex during the Movement & Exploitation Phases even if they do not have sufficient MP to do so. One-hex movement expends all of a unit's MP for that phase. They may not violate other rules when performing One-Hex Movement (ZOC, stacking, or into/across prohibited terrain, etc.). Out of Supply units may not use One-Hex Movement and must abide by 7.5.
Note: this is how units cross rugged hexsides without the use of a road.
8.0 Stacking
8.1 No more than three friendly units may occupy the same hex at any time, regardless of their size, type or strength. This applies during movement, retreats, and advances after combat. The German Sturmboot unit may stack freely.
8.11 Friendly and enemy units may not stack together except during Same-Hex Combat (10.464).
8.12 German and Hungarian units may be stacked together, as may Soviet and Romanian units.
8.13 Informational counters (Out of Supply, Frozen etc.) have no effect on stacking.
8.2 A hex with three units in it (four if the German Sturmboot is there) may not be entered by a moving, retreating or advancing unit.
8.3 A unit cannot receive road movement benefits when entering or leaving a hex containing other friendly units (see 7.62).
8.4 Players may not inspect stacks of enemy units except to calculate combat odds for a declared attack. Once you inspect an enemy stack, you must make the attack (10.12).
9.0 Zones of Control
9.1 Every unit, except the German Sturmboot unit, has a Zone of Control (ZOC) which extends into the six hexes adjacent to the hex it occupies. A hex with a ZOC in it is termed a controlled hex.
9.11 When opposing ZOC overlap in a hex, the hex is considered enemy controlled by both sides.
9.2 ZOC Limitations
9.21 ZOC do not extend into rugged hexes or across rugged hexsides, including those containing or crossed by roads.
9.22 The ZOC of armored and mechanized units do not extend into rough/wooded hexes or across rough/wooded hexsides, except along connecting roads.
9.23 ZOC do not extend across Danube or lake hexsides, including those crossed by a bridge or ford.
9.24 Units which retreat as a result of combat lose their ZOC for the remainder of that phase (see 10.66). Mark such units with a "Retreated-No ZOC" marker. Remove all such markers at the end of each Combat and Exploitation Phase.
9.3 ZOC Effects
9.31 Units must stop movement as soon as they enter an enemy ZOC. Units may not move directly from one enemy ZOC hex to another; a hex not in an enemy ZOC must be entered first. There is no additional movement cost to enter or leave an enemy ZOC.
9.32 For the purposes of tracing supply lines and combat retreats only, the presence of a friendly unit in a hex negates the presence of an enemy ZOC.
10.0 Combat
10.1 General Rules
10.11 Combat occurs in both the Combat and Exploitation Phases. It occurs between adjacent opposing units at the discretion of the phasing player. The phasing player is always considered the "attacker" and the non-phasing player the "defender".
10.12 Combat is voluntary; units are never required to attack. However, once a player has declared his intention to make an attack and has inspected the defending stack, he must do so (see 8.4).
10.13 The phasing player may only attack enemy units that are adjacent to friendly units. A hex may be attacked from as many adjacent hexes as possible.
10.14 Units may not attack or be attacked more than once per phase.
10.15 Units stacked in a hex are not required to attack together; they may attack enemy units in different hexes. The attack strength of a single unit may not be split between different attacks.
10.16 All units defending in a single hex must be attacked as one combined defense strength.
10.17 Enemy units defending in two or more hexes may be attacked as one combat with a combined defense strength provided all attacking units are adjacent to all defending units. Also see 10.42
10.18 Attacks are resolved in any order the phasing player desires. Each attack must be completely resolved before another is started.
10.2 Combat Procedure
10.21 For each attack, follow cases 10.22 through 10.26 in order.
10.22 The attacker declares his attacking units and the defending hex(es). The attacker applies Air Support Points (13.0) and Artillery Support Points (14.0) (and declares All-Out Assault (18.3) if using that rule).
10.23 Total the attack strengths of all attacking units and committed support points. Reveal and total the defense strengths of all defending units. Remember to take into account attack strength halving due to Out of Supply (6.4) and Fuel Depleted (18.12) status, attacking across bridges/fords (10.34) and armor/mechanized units with certain terrain (10.35—10.37).
10.231 Units are halved individually and may only be halved a maximum of once, even if multiple conditions require halving. If a unit is to be halved once, the attack strength remainder is rounded up. If a unit were to be halved twice or more, round the remainder down instead, to a minimum of 1.
For example: If a unit with an attack strength of 5 is to be halved once, it would have an attack strength of 3. If the same unit was to be halved twice or more, its attack strength would be 2.
10.232 Units with a 0 attack strength cannot attack by themselves but may be included with other attacking units. Armor and engineer units with 0 attack strengths still generate their Armor Effect (10.9) and Combat Engineers (10.10) bonuses.
10.24 Convert the above totals into a numerical odds ratio, attacker vs. defender, rounding down (in the defender's favor) to conform with one of the simplified odds columns shown on the Combat Results Table (CRT). See also 10.27.
For Example: Three German units with a total of 14 attack strength points attack a hex containing two Soviet units with a combined defense strength of 5. This 14-5 would be rounded down to an odds ratio of 2-1 and the attack would be resolved using the 2-1 column of the CRT. Similarly, suppose there are 7 attack strength points attacking 9 defense strength points, this would round down to an odds ratio of 1-2.
10.25 The phasing player rolls one die for the attack, modifying as appropriate due to Divisional Integrity (10.8), Armor Effect (10.9), Combat Engineers (10.10) and Surprise Effects (16.3) (and All-Out Assaults (18.3) if using that rule). The combat die roll can never be reduced below 1 nor increased to more than 6. The modified die roll is cross indexed with the proper odds column on the CRT. This will give the Attack Level.
10.26 Subtract the Defense Level of the defender's hex(es) from the Attack Level to determine the Combat Result. The Combat Result is then satisfied by the affected player or Same-Hex Combat (10.46) occurs.
10.27 Note that the Combat Results Table prohibits attacks at less than 1-3 odds. As a player may not actually know the odds before he has committed himself to an attack, it is possible that he could find himself forced to make an attack at less than 1-3 odds. If such a condition happens, the attacking units must immediately lose two steps (total, not per unit) and the remaining units retreat one hex. No die is rolled in this case.
10.3 Terrain Effects on Combat
10.31 Each hex, depending on the type of terrain dominating it, is assigned a certain Defense Level. The higher the Defense Level of a hex, the more difficult it is to expel enemy units. Defense Levels are summarized on the TEC. Minor rivers/canals, rough and rough/wooded hexsides have a separate Defense Level which is sometimes used in place of the hex Defense Level (see 10.33).
10.32 Defense Levels are not cumulative. Use the terrain in a hex (or hexside) most advantageous to the defender as the Defense Level of the hex.
For example: A hex containing both a village (Defense Level 2) and rough/wooded terrain (Defense Level 4) is considered to have a Defense Level of 4.
10.33 Minor river/canal, rough, rough/wooded and rugged hexsides provide their Defense Level benefit only when all attacking units are attacking across these hexsides.
For Example: A clear hex (Defense Level 1) with a village (Defense Level 2) being attacked across exclusively minor river/canal hexsides (Defense Level 3) has a Defense Level of 3. If just one unit was not attacking across minor river/canal hexsides the Defense Level would be 2.
10.34 Units may attack across the Danube over bridges and fords only and must do so with halved attack strengths (round fractions up).
10.35 Armored units attacking into rough/wooded hexes halve their attack strengths (round fractions up).
10.36 Armored and mechanized units may only attack into rugged hexes or across rugged hexsides through connecting road hexes. This halves their attack strengths (round fractions up).
10.37 Armored units attacking into urban hexes halve their attack strengths (round fractions up).
10.4 Attack Level, Defense Level and the Combat Result
10.41 Cross-index the attacker's modified die roll with the combat odds on the CRT to get a numerical result from 0 to 7. This number is the Attack Level achieved by the attack. The Defense Level of the defending terrain is subtracted from the Attack Level yielding the Combat Result. If the Combat Result is negative (the Attack Level is less than the Defense Level) the attack fails; if the Combat Result is positive (if the Attack Level exceeds the Defense Level), the attack succeeds. The amount of difference between the Attack and Defense Levels indicates the degree of success or failure of the attack.
10.42 Determine the Combat Results for defending units in the same attack but occupying different hexes by applying the same Attack Level from the attack to each defending hex's Defense Level separately.
For Example: Six German units are attacking 3 Soviet units. The Soviet units occupy two hexes; one is clear and one is woods. The Attack Level for the Germans is 4. The Soviet units in the clear hex (Defense Level of 1) has a Combat Result of 3 (4-1) applied to them while the remaining Soviet unit in the woods (Defense Level of 2) has a Combat Result of 2 (4-2) applied to it.
10.43 If the difference between the Attack Level and Defense Level is negative, the attacking units must lose that number of steps and/or must retreat that number of MP. No more than two points of an adverse Combat Result may be satisfied by retreat. Any remaining difference must be satisfied with step losses. Within the above, the attacker is free to intermix taking step losses and spending MP in retreat as long as the entire Combat Result is satisfied.
For Example: Two units make an attack at 1-3 odds and roll a result of 0. The Defense Level of the attacked hex is 3. This yields a Combat Result of -3. Depending on the terrain, the attacking units could retreat two MP and lose one step, or retreat one MP and lose two steps or stay where they are and lose three steps.
10.44 If the difference between the Attack Level and Defense Level is positive, the defending units must lose that number of steps and/or must retreat that number of MP. The defender is free to intermix taking step losses and spending MP in retreat as long as the entire Combat Result is satisfied (see example for 10.45 below).
10.45 In cases where the Combat Result exceeds the printed MP allowance of some defending units, those defending units must immediately lose one step each. This loss is taken before and does not apply towards satisfying the Combat Result.
For Example: Three Soviet units are defending in a clear hex (Defense Level 1). The Soviet units are a 2-3-4 and a 1-2-4 infantry, and a 3-3-7 tank. They are attacked by German units at 6-1 odds and the Attack Level is 6. 6 - 1 = a Combat Result of 5. Since this exceeds the movement allowance of both infantry units, each must immediately lose a step. This eliminates the 1-2-4 and the 2-3-4 is reduced to a 1-2-4, but the Soviet player still needs to satisfy the 5 Combat Result. Because the remaining infantry unit cannot retreat more than 4 movement points the Soviet player decides to reduce it another step, eliminating the unit and satisfying 1 point of the Combat Result. This leaves the 3-3-7 tank a retreat of 4 to completely satisfy the Combat Result.
10.46 Same-Hex Combat
10.461 If the Attack Level and Defense Level are equal (the Combat Result is 0), Same-Hex Combat may result at the discretion of the attacking player. If the attacker does not want Same-Hex Combat, the attack is over. If the attacker does want Same-Hex Combat:
Up to three of the attacking units enter the defender's hex (now called the Contested Hex). The defending player then has a choice:
- He may retreat his units in the Contested Hex one hex, or
- He must immediately counterattack the intruding units.
The defender may not examine the enemy stack in the Contested Hex before deciding to counterattack. Only the units actually in the Contested Hex are involved in the counterattack (or in any subsequent counter-counterattacks, etc.). If a counterattack fails to drive the attackers out of the hex, the attacking units in the Contested Hex (only) may attack the defenders again, and so on, until one side or the other either decides to retreat or is eliminated.
ASPs or ArSPs may not be applied to Same-Hex Combat.
10.462 Terrain hex effects on unit combat strengths are still enforced in Same-Hex Combat. However, previous hexside terrain effects (if any) are ignored as the combat is no longer being resolved across the hexside.
10.463 For the purposes of Same-Hex Combat (counterattacks, counter-counterattacks, etc.), the Contested Hex is considered to have a Defense Level of 1, regardless of its terrain type and normal Defense Level. If a counterattack achieves a Combat Result of 0, nothing happens and the option to retreat or counterattack passes to the opposing player.
10.464 Each player may have up to three units in the contested hex during Same-Hex Combat. (Exception: German Sturmboot unit, 12.66).
10.465 If attacking units which advanced into the Contested Hex retreat, the first hex of retreat must be back into the hex from which they originally advanced.
10.466 Units retreating as a result of Same-Hex Combat ignore the ZOC of enemy units in the Contested Hex. The ZOC of units in adjacent hexes are fully binding on units engaged in Same-Hex Combat.
10.5 Step Losses
10.51 Each step loss satisfies one point of the Combat Result.
10.52 Every unit in the game has either one or two steps. Most regiments and brigades have two steps while some regiments and all battalions have only one step. Units with a reverse side showing a reduced combat strength have two steps.
10.53 When two-step units lose a step they are flipped over to their weaker side. When a single-step unit or a two-step unit on its weaker side takes a step loss, the unit is eliminated.
10.6 Combat Retreats
10.61 When a player decides to retreat units instead of taking step losses, every affected unit must retreat the same number of MP, even though they may individually pay different MP for entering certain hexes. Each MP expended in retreat satisfies one point of the Combat Result.
For Example: An infantry and an armored unit will satisfy a Combat Result of 2 through retreating. The only retreat route available are urban hexes. The infantry unit will retreat two hexes since urban hexes cost non-motorized units 1 MP. The armored unit will only retreat one hex since urban hexes cost motorized units 2 MP.
10.62 Units retreat individually, in any order and manner the owning player desires.
10.63 In choosing each hex of retreat, the player must always adhere to the following priorities, listed in order of decreasing importance:
a. Retreating units may never enter hexes containing enemy units, the same hex twice, or into/across prohibited terrain. b. Retreating units must avoid hexes containing enemy ZOC unless the hex is occupied by a friendly unit. c. Retreating units must endeavor to maintain an open supply line (they may not voluntarily retreat in a manner which would cut their supply line if an open path is available). d. German and Hungarian units must always retreat, if possible, in a "westerly" direction (into any of the three west-facing hexsides in each hex retreated out of). Soviet and Romanian units must always retreat, if possible, in an "easterly" direction (into any of the three east-facing hexsides in each hex retreated out of).
For Example: A German unit's requirement to maintain an open supply line takes precedence over its less important requirement to retreat in a "westerly" direction.
10.64 Retreating units pay terrain costs normally; they cannot use road movement or one-hex movement. A retreating unit may enter a hex requiring more MP than the Combat Result currently remaining. In this case, the unit enters the hex and takes a step loss. The entire Combat Result is now satisfied for that unit.
For example: A Soviet 2-3-4 infantry regiment receives a Combat Result of 4. It is retreated through two clear hexes (1 MP each), but its only remaining avenue of retreat is into a rough/wooded hex (4 MP). The Soviet player could either leave the unit in the second clear hex and take two step losses (which would destroy the unit) or retreat into the rough/wooded hex (for a total of 6 MP) and take one step loss.
10.65 A unit must immediately take one step loss for each hex with an enemy ZOC into which it retreats. Friendly units in a hex negate enemy ZOC for retreat purposes. However, units that have a "Retreated-No ZOC" marker on them do not negate enemy ZOC in their hex.
10.66 A unit which retreats loses its ZOC for the remainder of that phase. "Retreated-No ZOC" markers are provided as a reminder of which units have lost their ZOC. Remove them at the end of every phase.
Note: a unit that retreats in the Combat Phase recovers its ZOC for the Exploitation Phase, unless it retreats again at that time.
10.7 Advance After Combat
10.71 When defending units are eliminated, or have retreated from a hex, the victorious attacking units may advance into and beyond the vacated hex. Defending units may not advance when attacking units are eliminated or retreat.
10.72 The number of MP available to a unit for advance after Combat is equal to the Combat Result, minus any step losses taken by the defender (excluding step losses mandated by 10.45, 10.64 and 10.65). However, a unit may never advance more MP than it has printed MP allowance.
For example: A German 5-4-7, 4-4-6, and 2-3-4 make an attack and receive a Combat Result of '6'. The Soviet player chooses to lose 1 step from a defending unit and retreats everyone 5 MP. The German 5-4-7 and 4-4-6 can advance the full 5 MP, but the 2-3-4 cannot advance more than 4 MP.
10.73 Advancing units pay the MP cost for each hex they enter, but they may always advance into the hex vacated by the defender (regardless of the terrain cost) even if they lack the MP. Units may not advance into/across impassable terrain.
10.74 Advancing units may not use road benefits when advancing into the hex vacated by the defender but may use them thereafter if otherwise eligible.
10.75 The option to advance must be exercised immediately, before another combat is resolved. Advance is voluntary and units need not advance at all, nor are they required to advance the full amount possible. Units advance one at a time at the attacker's discretion.
10.76 Units may advance in any direction or combination of directions, but the first hex must always be the one originally occupied by the defender.
10.77 Advancing units must stop when they enter a hex in an enemy ZOC. Enemy ZOC in the defender's just-vacated hex are ignored. Remember that retreated enemy units lose their ZOC for the remainder of that phase (see 10.66).
10.8 Divisional Integrity
10.81 If the attacker has all the component regiments or brigades of a division participating in an attack against the same defending unit(s), he subtracts 1 from his combat die roll. Other friendly units may be involved in the attack.
10.82 If all the component units of a division are defending in the same hex, or in different hexes but against the same attack, the attacker must add +1 to the combat die roll.
10.83 If both the attacker and defender have Divisional Integrity the effects are mutually cancelled.
10.84 The Divisional Integrity benefit is not cumulative. No matter how many complete divisions are involved in an attack or defense, a player may only receive one point of modification per combat.
10.85 The strength of a division's regiments (i.e. full or reduced) has no effect on the division's ability to receive Divisional Integrity.
10.86 Some divisions have three regiments, others have only two, and the German FHH division has two regiments and a battalion. Divisions with only two regiments are eligible for Divisional Integrity, but divisions with three regiments which lose one may not receive Divisional Integrity with the two surviving regiments. The presence of the FHH battalion is not necessary for the FHH division to receive Divisional Integrity.
10.87 Soviet Tank and Mechanized Corps consist of 4 brigades, sometimes with attached tank regiments. Only the presence of the four brigades is necessary for a Soviet Tank or Mechanized Corps to receive Divisional Integrity; attached tank regiments are not considered.
Note: Players should use their Organizational Charts to determine which units comprise divisions for this rule.
10.88 Divisional Integrity may be combined and is cumulative with Armor Effect (10.9), Combat Engineers (10.10), Surprise Effects (16.3), and All-Out Assaults (optional rule 18.3).
10.9 Armor Effect
10.91 If an attacker has armored units (tank/panzer, assault gun, recon; NOT tank destroyers) participating and the defending units are solely non-motorized infantry/cavalry-type, Sturmboot, artillery or rocket, the attacker must subtract 1 from his combat die roll. The Armor Effect bonus is not received when attacking motorized infantry/cavalry or engineer units.
10.92 A defending anti-tank, flak or tank destroyer unit negates the Armor Effect for the attacker. In addition, if the attacker suffers a negative Combat Result he must lose one step from a friendly participating armor unit. This loss counts towards satisfying the Combat Result.
10.93 If the defender has armored units (tank/panzer, assault gun, recon; NOT tank destroyers) and the attacking units are solely infantry/cavalry types, the attacker must add 1 to his combat die roll.
10.94 Attacking anti-tank, flak, or tank destroyer units do not negate a defender receiving the Armor Effect benefit.
10.95 Armor Effect may be combined and is cumulative with Divisional Integrity (10.8), Combat Engineers (10.10) and Surprise Effects (16.3) (and All-Out Assaults (18.3) if using that optional rule).
10.10 Combat Engineers
10.101 In any attack against urban or village hexes in which the attacker has one or more engineer units participating, he subtracts 1 from his combat die roll.
10.102 Combat Engineers may be combined and are cumulative with Divisional Integrity (10.8), Armor Effect (10.9) and Surprise Effects (16.3) (and All-Out Assaults (18.3) if using that rule).
11.0 Exploitation Phase
11.1 During the Exploitation Phase, the phasing player may choose to either attack again or move again with his units. The decision is made on a unit-by-unit basis. The provisions governing movement and combat are precisely as those described in the previous sections, except in this phase, all attacks precede all movements.
Note: If a unit attacks during the exploitation phase it cannot move for the remainder of the phase. Conversely, if a unit moves in the exploitation phase it cannot attack for the remainder of the phase.
11.2 Only units which begin the Exploitation Phase adjacent to enemy units may attack. "Attacked-No Move" markers are provided to differentiate attacking units from moving units. Remove them at the end of the Exploitation Phase.
12.0 Bridges and Fords
12.1 Movement and attacks across the Danube may only happen at bridge and ford hexsides or with the German Sturmboot (12.6).
12.2 Roads are assumed to cross intact bridges (even if there is no map graphic for it) when tracing supply lines (see 6.25). However, if there is no map graphic for a road across a bridge, no road is assumed to exist for movement purposes.
12.3 Units crossing bridges and fords must pay additional MP as indicated on the TEC. Road benefits do not negate the cost for crossing bridges.
12.4 Zones Of Control do not extend across bridges or fords.
12.5 Destroying & Capturing Bridges
12.51 All bridges begin the game under the control of the players. The bridges at Komarom, and all the bridges between Buda, Pest and Czepel Sziget begin the game under German control. The bridges connecting Czepel Sziget with the east and west banks of the Danube, and the bridges at Dunapentele and Dunafoldvar begin the game under Soviet control. Control markers are provided to assist players in remembering who controls each bridge.
12.52 An enemy-controlled bridge may be captured by moving a friendly unit across it.
12.53 At any time during his player turn, a player may destroy any bridge which he controls, without a die roll. A player may destroy any number of friendly bridges in his player turn.
12.54 A player may attempt to destroy a bridge he controls anytime during the opponent's player turn (even during movement or a Combat Advance) by declaring his intention and rolling a die. On a roll of 1-4 the bridge is destroyed; on a roll of 5-6 it remains intact. The attempt must be made before an enemy unit crosses it (and thus gains control of it). Each bridge may have a destruction attempt made on it once per player turn.
12.55 A destroyed bridge should be marked as such and is treated as a ford for the rest of the game.
12.6 German Sturmboot
This was a special engineer formation consisting of motorized collapsible boats, which proved highly useful to the Germans in transporting units across the Danube between Komarom and Esztergom. This unit functions as a kind of mobile bridge.
12.61 German non-motorized infantry and cavalry-type units may use the Sturmboot unit to move or attack across the Danube.
12.62 Units may move and attack across the Danube using the Sturmboot unit with the same penalties as a real bridge. The unit moves to or attacks an opposite shore hex which is adjacent to the Sturmboot unit.
12.63 The Sturmboot unit may move and function as a bridge during the same turn. The Sturmboot unit may initially move anywhere along the Danube between the west edge and Esztergom (inclusive). It is not affected by terrain and pays 1 MP for each hex it enters. It must always be adjacent to the Danube. It is not affected by enemy ZOC. It is the same as other units for combat purposes, except that it must always retreat along the river.
12.64 The Sturmboot unit may extend its area of operations beyond Esztergom if the shore hexes on at least one side of the Danube are free of enemy units and/or ZOC's, and are controlled by friendly units. Thus, if friendly units clear a portion of the Danube bank the Sturmboot unit may extend its range into that area.
12.65 It is treated like a bridge for tracing supply (6.25) but does not connect any roads on opposite banks by doing so.
12.66 The German Sturmboot unit may stack freely and has no ZOC. There is a white band on the Sturmboot counter as a reminder.
13.0 Air Support
In the actual campaign, both sides had air support available, but its availability was erratic because of weather and demands of other sectors.
13.1 The weather determined at the beginning of the turn will dictate whether or not air support is available that turn. Weather allowing, each player rolls a die at the beginning of his Combat Phase and consults the Air Support Table to determine the number of Air Support Points (ASPs) available to the player that Combat Phase. Markers are provided to help players remember how many ASPs they have.
13.2 ASPs are used to support attacks made by friendly units by adding them to the combined attack strength of the attacking units. Up to a maximum of five ASPs may be used to support a single attack. ASPs may not be used independently. ASPs are allocated before defending stacks are inspected (see 8.4). ASPs are never used by the defender.
13.3 ASPs are only used in the Combat Phase, may not be used to satisfy the Combat Result, may not be applied to Same-Hex Combat and may not be accumulated. ASPs and ArSPs may be combined to support the same attack, up to the maximum for each.
14.0 Artillery Support
The Soviets had several specialized artillery formations engaged in the reduction of Budapest.
14.1 The Soviet player has 12 Artillery Support Points (ArSPs) available each Combat Phase to support attacks by his units against Buda hexes or any hexes within three hexes of a Buda hex (see 2.2).
14.2 The Soviet player has another 12 ArSPs available each Combat Phase to support attacks against any Pest hexes or any hexes within three hexes of a Pest hex (see 2.2).
14.3 On January 1 and 2, the German player receives five ArSPs each turn. These ArSPs may be used to support attacks by any German units except those of the Budapest garrison.
14.4 On January 17 and 18, the German player receives ten ArSPs each turn. These ArSPs may be used to support attacks by any German units except those of the Budapest garrison.
14.5 ArSPs are used identically to ASPs (see 13.2), although a maximum of four ArSPs may be committed to a single attack.
14.6 ArSPs are only used in the Combat Phase, may not be used to satisfy the Combat Result, may not be applied to Same-Hex Combat and may not be accumulated. ASPs and ArSPs may be combined to support the same attack, up to the maximum for each.
15.0 Breakout
Hitler's goal in ordering the attack toward Budapest was not the rescue of its garrison, but rather the recapture and retention of the city (see Historical Notes). The garrison was in fact ordered not to break out but to hold and await relief. However, few German commanders took the idea of holding Budapest seriously. Had the relieving German forces gotten to within a few miles of the city, a breakout attempt would probably have been made. This rule allows the Budapest garrison to make a breakout attempt when outside German forces have obtained a certain proximity to the city.
15.1 Units of the Budapest garrison may attempt a Breakout whenever, and only as long as, a supplied German unit is within five hexes of any Budapest urban hex (as defined in 2.2). Breakout is declared during the German player's Supply Phase.
15.2 A Breakout may only be declared once per game. A Breakout marker is provided to help players remember in which turn Breakout was declared.
15.3 On the turn Breakout is declared and on the following turn, all units of the Budapest garrison are considered supplied.
16.0 First Turn Surprise and Soviet Front Reserves
The Soviets were taken by surprise not once, but twice, by the German attacks towards Budapest. This surprise contributed substantially to the success of the initial German assaults on both occasions. The following rules simulate this important factor.
16.1 Receiving Surprise
16.11 The German player automatically receives Surprise Effects on the January 1 turn. The German player declares Surprise and designates the Surprise Sector at the beginning of his combat phase. The Soviet player must then declare the Reserve Release Schedule he wishes to use (16.44).
16.12 In addition to 16.11, the German player also receives Surprise Effects on one subsequent turn of his choice, beginning on or after the January 13 turn. The German player declares Surprise and designates the Surprise Sector at the beginning of his combat phase. There are no Soviet Reserves released in response to this Surprise.
16.2 Surprise Sector
16.21 Surprise Effects are received only along a certain length of the front line. On the January 1 turn, the Surprise Sector consists of any 8 consecutive frontline hexes. On the subsequent surprise turn, the Surprise Sector consists of any 8 consecutive hexes which comprise the original German frontline hexes or any hexes within 3 hexes of the original German frontline.
16.22 In the Historical Scenario the Surprise Sector is always the eight hexes between the Danube and the village of Kornye (the IV SS Panzer Korps sector plus one hex of the III Panzer Corps).
16.23 In Free Deployment Scenarios, the German player may select any 8 consecutive frontline hexes as his Surprise Sector.
16.3 Surprise Effects
16.31 Surprise Effects apply to all Soviet units deployed along the Surprise Sector of the frontline and all Soviet units in a zone extending 10 hexes deep and 8 hexes wide to the rear of the Surprise Sector. This zone is determined by the German player and can be noted with the "Surprise" markers as a reminder.
16.32 All German units attacking Soviet units that began the turn in the Surprise Sector or within the above described zone to its rear, may apply Surprise Effects to their attacks.
16.33 The Defense Levels of urban, rough/wooded and rugged terrain are reduced to 2 and all other Defense Levels are reduced to 1 (including minor river/canal hexsides). No Defense Level may be higher than 2. Additionally, the German player subtracts 1 from his combat die roll when making attacks against clear hexes (regardless of hexside terrain). Soviet units suffering adverse Combat Results must retreat whenever possible rather than stand and take step losses. The Soviet player still retains his 'fight or flight' choice when confronted with Same-Hex Combat (10.46).
16.34 Surprise Effects last the entire turn and may be combined and are cumulative with Divisional Integrity (10.8), Armor Effect (10.9) and Combat Engineers (10.10) (and All-Out Assaults (18.3) if using that rule).
16.4 Soviet Front Reserves
The mobile Soviet corps deployed behind the front of the 4th Guards Army were not under the operational control of a local army commander. Rather, their deployment was controlled directly from the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Front headquarters (see Historical Notes). This factor limited proper deployment of reserve troops in the intial stages of the battle. To reflect this, the following rules are used.
16.41 The Soviet Front Reserves (18TC, 5GCC, 7MC, 41RD and 1GMC) may be freely deployed within their indicated deployment areas (where those areas allow latitude in deployment).
16.42 Until they are released, Soviet Front Reserves may not move or attack. 'Frozen' markers are provided to remind players which Reserve formations haven't been released yet.
16.43 The Soviet Front Reserves are released beginning on the January 2 turn, as determined by the Reserve Release Table. All component units of the indicated formation are released at the same time even if they are not deployed in one area.
16.44 The Reserve Release Table lists five "schedules", labeled A-E. Which schedule the Soviet player uses is largely determined by the location of the German January 1 Surprise Sector. The Soviet player declares his release schedule after the German player declares the Surprise Sector (16.11).
If the Surprise Sector is:
- North of the Danube (or at least 5 hexes of it), the Soviet player must use schedule E.
- In the IVSS Pz. Corps or III Pz. Corps deployment areas (or at least 4 hexes of it), the Soviet player must use schedule A or B.
- In the I Kavallerie Corps or II Hungarian Corps deployment areas (or at least 5 hexes of it), the Soviet player must use schedule C or D.
16.45 In the cases where he has a choice of schedules, the Soviet player may choose which of the two he wishes to use as soon as the German Surprise Sector has been designated. The Soviet player must follow this schedule in subsequent Turns—STAVKA's order. A marker is provided as a reminder of which schedule is used.
16.46 Soviet Front Reserve formations are automatically released if a supplied German unit moves adjacent to or enters their deployment area; note that this may cause formations to be released earlier than scheduled. If it happens that a formation indicated on the schedule has already been released by a German unit, no other formation is released in their place (the Soviet player can't "skip ahead" to the next formation).
16.461 The Soviet 32nd Motorized Brigade of the 18th Tank Corps begins in Budapest, probably adjacent to a German unit of the Budapest Garrison. This unit is not released early due to the adjacency of German Budapest Garrison units. It is released early due to German non-Budapest Garrison units moving adjacent to it or if it is attacked.
16.462 If the Soviet player is using schedule 'E' for releasing his reserves, the Soviet 7th Mechanized Corps and the 41st Guards Rifle Division are only released according to rule 16.46.
16.5 Soviet 46th Army and Pest Group Release
Note: for the purposes of 16.5, the definition of a "Budapest urban hex" is as defined in 2.2.
16.51 All units of the 46th Army (west bank) and the Pest Group (east bank) are restricted in their movement. These units may not voluntarily move more than two hexes away from a Budapest urban hex.
16.52 Units are released from the 16.51 restriction per 16.53-16.57 whenever a supplied German unit moves into range to release them. The German unit is not required to remain there, all it has to do is pass within range to trigger release. Once Soviet units are released, they are never restricted again. There are three Soviet "46th Army Release" markers (15-hex, 10-hex and 5-hex) that can be used on the Turn Record Track to note when each event happens.
16.53 If a supplied German unit comes within 15 hexes of a Budapest urban hex, the Soviet player may release 6 infantry and/or anti-tank units from the 46th Army. German units north of the Danube are only counted as being "within 15 hexes of a Budapest urban hex" if the 15 hexes are counted around the Danube on the north side of the river exclusively.
16.54 If a supplied German unit comes within 10 hexes of a Budapest urban hex, the Soviet player may release 6 additional infantry and/or anti-tank units from the 46th Army.
16.55 If a supplied German unit comes within 5 hexes of a Budapest urban hex, the Soviet player may release all units of both the 46th Army and Pest Group.
16.56 All infantry units of the 46th Army and Pest Group are automatically released on the January 19 turn.
16.57 If all Axis Budapest Garrison units are eliminated or evacuated from Budapest, all units of the 46th Army and Pest Group are automatically released. "Evacuated from Budapest" is defined as when a unit is at least 5 hexes outside the original Budapest perimeter (per 2.2) and in supply.
16.58 The Soviet player must, at all times, endeavor to maintain an unbroken line of Soviet units or ZOC around the Budapest Garrison. If the Soviet player fails to maintain an unbroken line VP are awarded to the German player per 20.36.
17.0 Reinforcements
17.1 Both players receive reinforcements during the course of the game. The units, their turns of arrival and their entry zones are listed on the respective Reinforcement sections of the Organization Charts. As a reminder, German cross and Soviet star icons are located on the Turn Record Track to indicate when reinforcements enter.
17.2 Reinforcements enter the map during their friendly Movement Phase on the designated turn at any edge hex adjacent to the appropriate letter zone corresponding to the reinforcement code (marked A, B or C for the Germans and X, Y and Z for the Soviets). Most entry zones have several areas and the players are free to choose which ones to use as long as they have the same letter code.
17.3 Reinforcements must pay the movement point cost for their first hex and may use road benefits when entering. Reinforcements may not enter hexes which are occupied by enemy units. However, they may enter hexes which are in enemy ZOC but must immediately stop (i.e. its move consists of moving onto the board into one controlled hex).
17.4 Reinforcements may be delayed at the owner's discretion, but must still arrive at the same entry zone. Rebuilt units arriving as reinforcements may arrive at any entry zone.
18.0 Optional Rules
The following rules may be used to provide greater depth and realism or to balance a scenario between two players of unequal ability or experience. They may be combined with any Variants (19.0).
18.1 German Fuel Shortage
Although they were operating in the immediate vicinity of the Balaton oilfields, German forces in Hungary felt the pinch of limited fuel supplies.
18.11 Beginning on the January 15 turn and every turn thereafter, the German player rolls a die and consults the Fuel Shortage Table at the beginning of his Supply Phase. The result will arbitrarily (individual fuel shortages were rather arbitrary) designate one or two of his panzer divisions as Fuel Depleted for the rest of that turn.
18.12 Fuel Depleted effects are identical to those for being Out of Supply (see 6.4). Out of Supply and Fuel Depleted effects are not cumulative. Use Out of Supply markers to show Fuel Depleted units.
18.13 For Fuel Shortage purposes, a division is assumed to 'exist' so long as two regiments of that division remain on the map (at full or reduced strength). If only one unit of the division remains, the division is not considered to exist. If such a division is designated Fuel Depleted, another division cannot be substituted.
18.14 Divisions which appear in parentheses on the Fuel Shortage Table are only affected when using either Additional German Forces (19.5) or Larger German Offensive (19.6).
18.15 Optional Optional German Fuel Shortage
As an optional way to implement the Optional German Fuel Shortage rule, use the following:
The German player does not automatically roll on the Fuel Shortage Table starting on January 15, but instead, he rolls one die. If he rolls a 1 or 2, he then rolls on the Fuel Shortage Table, otherwise he does not. Beginning on the January 20 turn and until the end of the game, a roll of 1-4 requires rolling on the Fuel Shortage Table.
18.2 Soviet Rifle Regiment Stacking
18.21 By the end of each Soviet Movement, Combat and Exploitation Phase, Soviet rifle regiments may not be stacked with any rifle regiments not of their own division if at all possible. They may stack with any friendly non-rifle units.
18.22 The above provision may be ignored in situations caused by combat retreats during the German player's turn (although the "mixing" of regiments must be avoided if possible), but must be corrected at the first opportunity.
18.3 All-Out Assaults
This allows players to make a special effort in certain attacks, but at the cost of higher casualties.
18.31 Each player may make one All-Out Assault per turn and it may be made only in the Combat Phase.
18.32 To make an All-Out Assault, the phasing player designates the attack as an All-Out Assault before odds are computed and before defenders are revealed. The attacker then subtracts 1 from his combat die roll. All-Out Assault does not carry over to any Same-Hex Combat.
18.33 A player making an All-Out Assault must immediately take 1 step loss from one of his attacking units in addition to any other step losses he may suffer as a result of the attack. This step loss is taken after the attack is resolved.
18.34 All-Out Assaults may be combined and are cumulative with Divisional Integrity (10.8), Armor Effect (10.9), Combat Engineers (10.10) and Surprise Effects (16.3).
18.4 Soviet Artillery Restriction
This simulates the reduced value of the heavy gun concentrations in a mobile battle.
18.41 Anytime Soviet ArSPs are applied to attacks against non-Budapest hexes (as defined in 2.2), the ArSP attack strength applied to the attack is halved (round up).
18.5 German Withdrawals
The opening of the Soviet general offensive along the Vistula Front on January 12 forced the Germans to transfer units, especially mobile formations, from other fronts in a desperate attempt to stem the Russian flood. The 8th and 20th Panzer Divisions were thus transferred from the operations in Hungary on January 16. This rule attempts to reflect this.
18.51 At the end of the January 15 turn, the German player rolls the die. On a 1-3 he must withdraw one panzer division; on a roll of 4-6 he must withdraw two panzer divisions from play.
18.52 Withdrawal of the division(s) must commence in the German Movement Phase of the January 16 turn. The German player must move the units as expeditiously as possible to a friendly entry hex and exit them from the map. They may not return to play.
18.53 To satisfy the withdrawal requirement, the division(s) must have at least two of their component regiments on-map and in supply.
18.6 Alternate German Withdrawal System
In this version, use 18.61 instead of 18.51 and use 18.52 and 18.53 normally.
18.61 At the end of each turn starting January 15, the German player rolls the die. He will roll each turn thereafter until either two German panzer divisions total are withdrawn, or he rolls a 1 or 2. Determine the result on the table below:
1-2: No panzer divisions are withdrawn, stop rolling on future turns. 3-5: Withdraw one German Panzer division. 6: Withdraw two German Panzer Divisions.
A maximum of 2 panzer divisions is withdrawn; if one panzer division has already been withdrawn and a 6 is rolled, only withdraw one additional panzer division.
19.0 Variants
19.1 Variants may be applied to the Historical Scenario as desired by the players before the game. They may be combined with any Optional Rules (18.0).
19.2 German Additional Forces (19.5) and Larger German Offensive (19.6) may not be used together.
19.3 When using Additional German Forces (19.5) and Larger German Offensive (19.6), each additional division is deployed in its entirety within a corps area. You may not split a division's units between two or more corps areas.
19.4 German Free Deployment
This may be carried out in one of two forms: Limited Free Deployment or Full Free Deployment.
19.41 Limited Free Deployment affects the following formations:
- 3rd SS Panzer Division
- 5th SS Panzer Division
- 96th Infantry Division
- 509th Panzer Battalion
- Norge Motorized Battalion
- Danemark Motorized Battalion
- 10th Panzer Regiment (of the 8th Panzer Division)
All units must be deployed in the same deployment area.
19.42 Full Free Deployment removes the corps deployment area restrictions during set-up for all non-Budapest Garrison German units. All affected German units may be set up anywhere along the German frontline. All other set-up restrictions still apply, except at least two infantry divisions and one panzer division must set up north of the Danube. Soviet Strategic Reserve Release is figured normally based on the Historical Scenario corps deployment areas.
19.5 Additional German Forces
The German operations in Hungary took place in the shadow of the Ardennes and Alsace Offensives which absorbed most of the Wehrmacht's strategic reserves. This scenario assumes that some of the units that were later fed into the Ardennes (to little benefit) were instead used to bolster the attack in Hungary.
19.51 The German player adds the following units to his initial set-up:
- 10th SS "Frundsberg" Panzer Division
- 20th Panzer Division
- 3rd Kavallerie Division
- 257th Volksgrenadier Division
- 79th Volksgrenadier Division
- 167th Volksgrenadier Division
19.52 The above units may be initially deployed in any corps deployment area.
19.53 The German player does not receive the 153rd Training Division.
19.6 Larger German Offensive
This postulates that the Germans had opted to launch a larger operation in Hungary aimed at the destruction of all Soviet forces west of the Danube (an earlier "Frehlingserwachsen"). This would have included attacks by Second Panzerarmee and Armeegruppe F south of the map area.
19.61 The German player adds the following units to his initial set-up:
- 10th SS "Frundsberg" Panzer Division
- 79th Volksgrenadier Division
- 167th Volksgrenadier Division
19.62 The above units may be initially deployed in any corps deployment area.
19.63 The reinforcements for the January 10 and 14 turns (20th Panzer Division, 3rd Kavallerie Division and 44th Infantry Division) are not received.
19.64 The Soviet player does not receive the following reinforcements:
- January 18 (104th, 122nd, 35th Guards Rifle Divisions)
- January 19 (113th, 74th Rifle Divisions)
- January 24 (23rd Tank Corps)
19.7 The Soviets Prepared
This may be applied in one of two forms: Partial Preparedness or Full Preparedness.
19.71 Partial Preparedness gives the Soviets the following advantages:
a. All units of the 18th Tank Corps are set up within 2 hexes of Bicske. The hex occupied by the 32nd Motorized Brigade (of the 18th TC) in Budapest is taken over by the 10th Guards Rifle Corps. b. All units of the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps are set up west of the Danube within 2 hexes of the Szent Endre. c. Soviet Front Reserve formations are released one turn earlier than normal (the Soviet player begins releasing reserve formations on the first turn).
19.72 Full Preparedness allows all of 19.71 plus it cancels German Surprise Effects on the January 1 turn. The Germans still receive Surprise Effects on one subsequent turn (see 16.12).
20.0 Victory Conditions
By January of 1945, Nazi Germany's military fate was sealed. There was nothing which the German forces in Hungary could have achieved which could have substantially delayed or even mitigated this defeat. In the following determination of "victory levels", it must be kept in mind that they can be applied only in the context of the isolated military event which the game attempts to simulate.
20.1 Victory is determined at the end of the scenario or at any point mutually agreed upon between the players. The winner and his Victory Level is determined by the accumulation of Victory Points (VP) from 20.2 and 20.3 and comparing the player's totals per 20.4.
20.2 Terrain Victory Points
20.21 Both players receive VP for the possession of certain towns and villages. These points are awarded to the player who possesses them at the end of the game. Possession is awarded to the player whose units were the last to occupy or pass through the hex.
| Town/Village | Soviet VP for possession | German VP for possession |
|---|---|---|
| Komárom | 10 | 50 |
| Tatabanya | 10 | 10 |
| Tata* | 10 | 20 |
| Bicske | 20 | 10 |
| Esztergom | 20 | 10 |
| Mór | 10 | 20 |
| Székesfehérvár | 20 | 10 |
| Dunapentele | 20 | 10 |
| Dunaföldvar |
* For Tata, only the hex to the west of the river is considered for VP.
20.3 Other Victory Points
Note: for the purposes of 20.3, the definition of a "Budapest hex" is as defined in 2.2.
20.31 The German player receives 50 VP if at any point he succeeds in restoring a supply line to any unit of the original Budapest garrison which is occupying a Budapest hex. This award happens the instant a supply line is opened; you do not wait until the following German Supply Phase. This can be noted by placing the German "Budapest Resupplied" VP marker on the Turn Record Track when it happens.
20.32 The German player receives 20 VP if at any point a supplied German non-Budapest Garrison unit comes within 10 hexes of a Budapest hex. This can be noted by placing the German "Budapest Approached" VP marker on the Turn Record Track when it happens.
20.33 The German player receives 20 VP for each complete turn he holds a supply line (as defined in 20.31) open. The phrase "each complete turn" is measured from the phase the supply was opened until the following turn's identical phase. This can be tracked with the German "Budapest Supplied" VP marker on the Turn Record Track.
20.34 The VP received under 20.31—20.33 are cumulative. The points received under 20.31 and 20.32 may only be received once, the first time the condition is met.
For example: If a German player succeeds in opening a supply line to the city, holds it open for three complete turns, and has had a supplied German non-Budapest Garrison unit within 10 hexes, he receives 130 VP (50 + 60 + 20).
20.35 The German player receives 2 VP for each step of the original Budapest garrison successfully evacuated from the city. "Successfully evacuated from the city" is defined as when a unit is at least 5 hexes outside the original Budapest perimeter and is in supply. Each step can only score VP once for evacuating Budapest, even if it somehow returns to within 4 hexes of a Budapest hex and evacuates again. This can be tracked with the German "BG Steps Evacuated" VP marker on the Turn Record Track.
20.36 The German player receives 2 VP at the end of every Soviet player turn in which the Soviet player fails to maintain an unbroken line of his units and/or ZOC around the Budapest garrison (see 16.58). This can be tracked with the German "Budapest Uncovered" VP marker on the Turn Record Track.
20.37 The Soviet player receives 20 VP at the end of the game if a supplied German unit never comes within 10 hexes of a Budapest hex. This event cannot really be 'tracked' and doesn't 'happen' until the end of the game, but a marker is supplied for it as a reminder.
20.38 The Soviet player receives 2 VP for each step of the original Budapest garrison he destroys in Budapest itself or within 4 hexes of a Budapest hex. This can be tracked with the Soviet "BG Steps Eliminated" VP marker on the Turn Record Track.
20.4 Victory Levels
20.41 German Strategic Victory: The German player earns 200+ VP.
20.42 German Tactical Victory: The German player earns 120+ VP.
20.43 Marginal Victories: The German player earns 119 or less VP and the Soviet player earns 99 or less VP. Whichever player has more VP wins a Marginal Victory.
20.44 Soviet Tactical Victory: The Soviet player earns 100+ VP and the German player earns 99 or less VP.
20.45 Soviet Strategic Victory: The Soviet player earns 150+ VP and the German player earns 59 or less VP.
21.0 Scenarios
21.1 Historical Scenario
Quite frankly, this scenario is probably the most difficult scenario for the German player (with the exception of Variant 19.7). The attack was hastily planned and faced severe terrain obstacles (see the Historical Notes). Other scenarios will allow a greater latitude in deployment for the German player and/or the addition of other forces.
21.11 The Organization Charts give the organization and set-up for re-creating the Historical Scenario. The game begins on January 1 and is finished at the end of the January 26 turn (26 turns). At the end of turn 26, the players determine the winner.
Alternately, if both players agree at the start of the game, a turn different than January 26 may be chosen as the last game turn.
21.12 The players may agree to use any of the Optional Rules in 18.0 and Variants in 19.0.
21.13 The winner is determined at the end of the game according to Victory Conditions (20.0).
21.2 The Northern Attack Scenario
This is a short scenario covering the initial German attack towards Budapest on January 1.
21.21 This scenario begins on the January 1 turn and concludes at the end of the January 6 turn (6 turns), when the winner is determined pursuant to 21.23. The historical set-up is used (21.11). Surprise Effect rules apply (see 16.1-16.3).
21.22 The players may agree to use any of the Optional Rules in 18.0 and Variants in 19.0.
21.23 To win, the German player must control, in supply, both Esztergom and Bicske plus 2 of either Dorog, Tinnye or Zsambek. The Soviet player wins if the German player fails to win.
21.3 Ultra-Historical Scenario (by Perry Moore)
After the release of the Hobby Japan edition of Bitter End, an article written by Perry Moore was published in The VIP of Gaming magazine covering Bitter End's "historicity." Perry added 11 new units (the German units with a yellow asterisk in this edition) and a handful of straight-jacket rules to recreate the historical events. The rules are provided here for Bitter End's completeness, but take note: using these rules removes most of the German player's options.
21.31 The German player prepares his Organization Chart normally and then adjusts his set up and reinforcements as noted below (note that most of these changes involve the new units):
a. The LVII Panzer Corps units may set up within 10 hexes to the west of (and including) his start line. b. The 96th Infantry Division sets up along the north Danube shore. c. The 662nd Tank Destroyer Battalion and all non-Budapest Garrison FHH Division units are part of the LVII Panzer Corps. They set up north of the Danube per 'a', above. d. The 3rd Panzer Division is part of the III Panzer Corps (not the IVSS Panzer Corps). It sets up with the III Panzer Corps units. e. The 303rd Stug Battalion belongs to the IVSS Panzer Corps. f. The 219th Stug Battalion begins the game with the III Panzer Corps, not as a reinforcement on January 16. g. The three units of the Hungarian 2nd Division set up north of the Danube within three hexes of Komarno. h. The 325th Stug Battalion and the 19th Rocket Brigade enter the game on January 16 at Entry Area B or C. i. The 403rd Artillery Brigade enters the game on January 4 at Entry Area B. j. The 711th Infantry Division arrives at Entry Area B. k. The Hungarian 25th Infantry Division enters at Entry Area C. l. The 20th Panzer Division and the 153rd Division arrive on January 9. m. The 44th Infantry Division enters at Entry Area A. n. All new units not mentioned above begin the game with their corps as indicated on their counter.
21.32 The Soviet player sets up normally and then adjusts his reinforcements as noted below:
a. The 5th Guard Tank Corp and the 9th Guard Mechanized Corp enter the game on January 6.
21.33 The German player's movements and attacks are restricted as follows:
a. LVII Panzer Corps may not move until January 8. They may not move south of the Danube (Exception: the Hungarian 2nd Division (see below)). b. The Hungarian 2nd Division may move south of the Danube starting January 12. c. Unless a unit of the IVSS Panzer Corps is within 5 hexes of a Budapest urban hex, all units of the IVSS Panzer Corps must exit enemy ZOC beginning January 12. d. The 44th Infantry Division (when it enters the game) must move north of the Danube if a Soviet unit is within 10 hexes of Komarno. e. During January 1-6, only units of the IVSS Panzer Corps may attack. f. During January 7-11, the IVSS Panzer Corps, III Panzer Corps and the I Kavallerie Corps may attack. g. From January 12 until the end of the game, only the IVSS, III Panzer Corps, 1st Panzer Division, 23rd Panzer Division, and the 3rd Cavalry Division may attack.
21.34 The Soviet player's attacks are restricted as follows:
a. Soviet units north of the Danube may only attack during January 6-11, unless a German unit is within 5 hexes of Komarno.
21.35 The players may agree to use any of the Optional Rules in 18.0 and Variants in 19.0.
21.36 The winner is determined at the end of the game according to Victory Conditions (20.0).
22.0 Setting Up the Game
22.1 Players should sort their units using their Organization Charts. Players then place their units on the map according to which scenario and variants they are playing. German Budapest garrison units are set up first, then all Soviet units, and finally all remaining German units.
22.2 Units are set up in areas designated by colored lines on the historical set up chart (their deployment area). These deployment areas are for the Historical Scenario (21.1) only and may be modified by Variants (see 19.0). Units must be set up on the indicated hexes and all hexes must be occupied by friendly units or their ZOC. In cases where there isn't enough room (due to stacking limitations) for all designated units, excess units must set up adjacent to and behind the indicated frontline.
Note: This will happen in some of the Soviet Budapest areas.
22.3 Soviet Front Reserve units may set up anywhere within their deployment areas; they ignore the "all hexes must be occupied by friendly units or their ZOC" requirement of 22.2.
22.4 The Soviet player has three groups of units that are listed as "Deploy with Corps," These units may be deployed as a group or separated during set up.
22.5 The German has two groups of units listed as "Set up in either LVII or IVSS Panzer Corps areas" and "Set up in any corps areas south of Danube." These free deployment units may be split up between the corps areas as desired, however divisions must be placed as a group and may not be split up. The German 8th Panzer Regiment is not required to set up in the LVII Corps deployment area with the rest of the 8th Panzer Division.
22.6 German LVII Corps units deployed north of the Danube are an exception to 22.2. During set-up, they are deployed anywhere north of the Danube. However, all deployment area hexes must still be covered by friendly ZOC.
22.7 The German 903rd Sturmboot Regiment is listed as "Danube." It sets up north of and adjacent to the Danube between the west edge of the map and Esztergom. Also see 12.6.
Designer's Notes
Suffice to say that Bitter End is a design the designer is very pleased with, perhaps more satisfied than with any previous design. In every project, compromises had to be made with necessity, reality, and simple common sense, but the existing product is felt to be a good game and a good simulation.
Why choose the Budapest relief operation as the subject for a game? It's certainly not well known nor did it have any great strategic importance. It did have some unique qualities that had never really been touched upon in existing wargames. First, it was a battle in the final months of the Eastern Front, a subject barely treated by any game and for good reason. The final phase of the Russo-German war was largely a case of a battered, depleted Wehrmacht reeling under the relentless blows of the massive Red Army. Quite simply, it was difficult to find a battle from the period where the two opponents were pitted in anything resembling an equal contest. The obvious exceptions would have to be those rare cases where the Germans were able (or thought they were able) to take the offensive, if only temporarily. Research into the Budapest relief operation revealed it to be a kind of East Front "Ardennes". Like the "Bulge", terrain played a very important and generally obstructive role. In the case of the Budapest operation, there was a very clear contrast between a short, but difficult route, and a longer, but easier approach. There was also the presence of the high Danube, large lakes and the urban mass of Budapest itself. There was also a clear difference in the general accessibility of the objectives of the two offensives. The Ardennes attack aimed at throwing an armored force across the Meuse with the highly improbable goal of capturing Antwerp. The offensive in Hungary had the more viable and attainable goal of the recapture, or at least the relief of, Budapest and its garrison.
Documentation on the battle proved rather sketchy, especially on the German side, due in part to the relative shadow in which operations in Hungary were cast by the Ardennes Offensive and the Soviet winter offensive in Poland, as well as the general decay of German military record keeping. The biggest difficulty was simply putting together an accurate order of battle of the German and Hungarian forces, since Kampfgruppen and Splintergruppen seemed to come and go in the battle with confusing regularity. Because the Germans had so few units for the front, the absence of even one or two weak units could be critical. Two "scratch" formations were created to account for a few oddments: the Luftwaffe "Alarm" unit and the Hungarian machine-gun brigade, each representing an amalgamation of several small, often temporary formations. Conflicting or vague information also affected the arrival of certain reinforcements, especially in the case of the Soviets, the most significant of which was the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps; its arrival in the game is a matter of guesstimate (though a generally accurate one) and convenience rather than hard fact.
One of the preliminary decisions was to do the game on a regiment/brigade level, and both in terms of number of units and ground scale, the Budapest operation fit perfectly. The first inclination was to make the Danube the northern and eastern terminus of the map and to leave out and abstract the Soviet siege of Budapest. It soon became apparent, however, that the operations north of the Danube had an important bearing on the main operations to the south and had to be included, and it became more and more difficult to justify an exclusion or abstraction of the siege. The result was to include the siege, but keep it "clean" (handle it within the standard rules of the game). The result may be a simplification, but one which nevertheless catches the flavor and impact of the siege on the other operations without overpowering the rest of the game.
As far as the game system goes, most of it is derivative from existing designs, as are they. One interesting innovation is Same-Hex combat. The basic concept certainly isn't new but the particular way it's used here is; the point is to simulate a case of an attack penetrating an enemy position but not being able to break through it, an extension of the old 'engaged' or 'counterattack' results. Similarly the Move, Fight, Fight/Move play sequence takes off from the time-honored Move, Fight, Move system. Coupled with the combat advance system, however, the present system allows a much more subtle and accurate simulation of mobile/armored warfare.
There are one or two points that require some explanation, the most important of these being the rules governing the release of the Soviet Front Reserves and the units around Budapest. Some players may feel that these rules are too restricting for the Soviet player, and will be frustrated by the limitations they impose, especially when they are unable to move a reserve formation to counter an obvious and dangerous breakthrough. An accurate simulation must do more than simply provide a map of the battlefield and a roster of the opposing forces; it must also place those forces within the context of their historical environment. The Soviet player in Bitter End can simply look down and see at a glance the positions of his and opposing units everywhere on the map, enjoying a level of intelligence regarding the dispositions and intentions of his opponent that would have been impossible for the actual Soviet command. In addition, the Soviet Front Reserves were not under the orders of the local corps or army commanders, but controlled by the front commands, of which, to add to the confusion, there were two. Similarly, the Soviet Stavka placed a premium on the speedy reduction of Budapest and were reluctant to detach units from this task unless it was absolutely necessary. The restrictions on the release and mobility of these Soviet formations are therefore necessary to create an accurate simulation and are not merely a tool to handicap the Soviet player.
Player Notes
Bitter End is a player's game (i.e. he who knows the system best and can most effectively exploit its subtleties, will win). It will probably take several games before all the possibilities are learned or effectively employed. The first piece of advice is to not become discouraged if your first outing proves a disaster. You must always exploit the movement abilities of your units to the fullest; this is especially true for the German. Don't neglect to use road benefits or forget that they can be employed in combat advances. Also, remember that units retain their supply status for the entire turn, which means that units cut off in the course of a turn still have their full combat and movement allowances. If the game rewards planning, it also rewards audacity. You will never win by always playing it safe.
The German side is certainly the more difficult and challenging of the two. The burden of the attack rests with the German player. He must remain constantly on the offensive and on the move. The Historical Scenario is very difficult for the German and should only really be played to learn what did happen. Once it has been tried, players should go on to the Free Deployment scenarios to see what could have happened. Basically, any attack north of Mor faces severe obstruction from terrain. The German player is usually better off taking the longer, but more open, southern route. The rule for the German should always be concentration of effort, even if this means stripping other parts of the front to the bare minimum. Diversionary attacks should be avoided, except possibly north of the Danube, where considerable effect can be gained with small forces early in the game. The German player possesses a very strong armored "fist", but has no strong "arm" to support it. Quite simply, what the German lacks is not armor, but the more mundane infantry. This dearth will be alleviated somewhat in the scenarios employing additional forces (which will show how much of a difference a couple Volksgrenadier divisions would have made), but the German will never have enough infantry to properly hold the flanks of his armored advance. This will compel him to peel-off mobile units for this purpose, or simply leave the flank open. Both these conditions will be necessary and are manageable to a degree, but must always be minimized. The German player should never be reluctant to shift the direction of his attack if it has stalled along a certain approach; the key to victory for the German is concentrated hitting power, coupled with fluidity and speed.
The Soviet player will, at least in the initial stages of the game, be forced to respond to what the German does. This does not mean that the Soviet player's approach should be passive or cautious. Basically, the Soviets must try to contain the almost inevitable initial German breakthrough and then gradually regain the initiative with counterattacks. The Soviet should use his abundant (but not inexhaustible) infantry to delay and channel the German offensive while gathering his mobile corps for a concerted counterattack. There will be a strong temptation (often a necessity) to spread the mechanized and armored units out among the infantry as stiffening but this must be kept to a minimum. The German's flanks will almost always be fragile constructions and a timely counter thrust can bring about the collapse of the entire drive. Units which have been cut off can serve a useful purpose by holding key points or infiltrating further into the German rear. However, the Soviet player should avoid letting large forces be surrounded. Don't be reluctant to pull back an overextended or outflanked line. Basically, you have plenty of space to trade. Die-hard defense of a position should only really be practiced if and when the German is able to push within a few hexes of Budapest. Then every hex must be defended doggedly. Reducing Budapest will be slow and costly, but the Soviet has time and numbers on his side. The initially weak position of the Soviet 23rd Rifle Corps should be quickly strengthened. Mobile corps should not be tied down in siege operations.
Developer's Notes
The first thing worked on in a game is the map. The original map had small hexes with small counters and, at least to the developer, playability was an issue because of this. The first decision made for the game was to go with two maps and enlarge the hexes as much as possible and go with 9/16 inch counters. This is obviously the biggest outright change in the game and has worked wonderfully. The 'playability factor' of the game is much higher now due to this one simple change.
Bitter End required a 'snow-look' and so the clear hexes were the first thing built and the terrain look developed came out of that. If something didn't look good against the clear hexes, it wasn't used. The forest hexes are something in and of themselves, with an amazing amount of work in the forests. The buildings (both villages and Budapest itself) were a lot of work. Most maps have a particular 'scale' that they use, not just for time/distance, but also for visual representation of the terrain. Bitter End breaks that standardization to let villages look LIKE villages, not a collection of black dots, and the same with Budapest. If you look closely, you can see rings of snow on the rooftops of the undestroyed buildings within the city.
For the counters, in addition to going to the 9/16 inch size, the Perry Moore variant from VIP magazine and a whole bunch of "missing" markers were added. There was enough space to add armored silhouette units with the NATO-style units and allow the players to choose which set to use. The 'basic-styled' counters were jazzed up somewhat with some Photoshop® effects, but not so much as to detract from the information presented. Counters, even if artistically very pretty, must remain functional or they are worthless.
The original English charts were just the Japanese ones with typewritten notes overlaid and then photocopied, so it was possible to really update the look of the new charts. The Historical Set Up Sheet was an idea taken from other games, avoiding having the set up lines printed directly on the map since they are useless afterwards and detract from the map. Increasing the size of the counters also created a slight ripple effect, requiring the Order of Battle cards to be enlarged to accompany them as compared with the originals.
The rules for Bitter End were in really good shape to begin with and most of the initial effort was to edit and format them. But, the further in, small questions started to appear. One of the major question areas were the retreat rules. Players of the original game will notice differences in the rules here; the overall effect is nearly identical to the original rules, while being more concise and shorter. Most of the time was spent with small, irregular game events that, while possible, won't happen very often but they still needed to be addressed. The rules for Bitter End are very tight and should generate little player puzzlement.
Of special note is the first appearance of Richard Spence's Historical Notes in English. Richard lost his original manuscript somewhere over the last 22 years and thanks to Tomoki Kondo and friends, it was freshly translated for inclusion here.
Historical Notes
Prologue
Operation Konrad in January 1945, was one of the last efforts of OKW (Oberkommando des Wehrmacht) to get back the initiative in any one area—and, perhaps, the last effort that might have had any chance of success. Of course, "success" for Germany at this point in the war could only be of limited duration and scope. Nazi Germany's military life was running out. The best that could be hoped for was to rebuild the front lines, possibly along the Danube, and to stop, at least temporarily, the Soviet armies that were racing westward.
Romania and Bulgaria Withdraw from the Axis
To tell the story of Budapest in January 1945, we must start in August 1944. In the west, the Allies had finally broken out from the Normandy beachhead and had advanced to the borders of Germany. In Italy, other Allied armies pushed north to the Gothic Line. In the east, the Red Army's offensive had continued, pushing the Axis forces back to the Vistula in the north and threatening to cross the Carpathians and the Romanian border in the south. As with Germany itself, the day of reckoning for Hitler's eastern allies had come. Now they would have to abandon their alliance with Germany if they wished to escape total destruction.
The first to fall was Romania. On August 20, 1944, Lt. Gen. Malinovskii's Second Ukrainian Front and Lt. Gen. Tolbukhin's Third Ukrainian Front began the "Jassy-Kishinev Operation" against Gen. Friessner's Army Group South Ukraine. Friessner had four armies: the German Sixth (Fretter-Pico), and Eighth (Wöhler) and the Romanian Third (Dumitrescu) and Fourth (under the operational command of Kirchner, cic LXVII Panzer Corps) Armies. On August 23, King Michael of Romania suddenly declared a peace treaty with the Soviet Union and soon thereafter declared war against Germany. The result was total collapse on the southern wing of the eastern front. Sixth Army was surrounded (again!) and virtually destroyed. Although Wöhler's Eighth Army was able to retreat onto the Western Carpathians, hundreds of thousands of Germans were killed or captured and much equipment was lost. The Red Army occupied Bucharest on September 1 and passed south of the Carpathians into Transylvania. Further south, Tolbukhin's force overran Bulgaria, which had also broken with Germany and declared war upon it. Soviet and Bulgarian armies then crossed the border into Yugoslavia, uniting with Tito's partisans and seizing Belgrade on October 20. At the same time, far to the north, Finland agreed to an armistice ending their war with the Soviets (September 4). Now Hungary was Germany's sole remaining ally.
The Case of Hungary
Even as Hungary adhered to its alliance with Hitler in September 1944, its loyalty to the Axis was questionable. Admiral Horthy, the Hungarian regent, was searching desperately for a way to take Hungary out of the war. At the beginning of August he sent secret peace feelers out to the Soviets and the Western Allies (via Cairo). What Horthy sought was to keep the war out of his country as well as a guarantee that Hungary would not have to yield any territory to the Soviet Union—in other words, he wanted something that the Soviets did not, and the western allies were not prepared to give.
Making Horthy's proposals even more unrealistic, Germany rushed many new combat units to Hungary during September and October. Although these were nominally sent as a replacement for the losses in Romania, the true purpose was to occupy Budapest and other important areas of the country without bloodshed. Hitler counted on help from the local right wing and fascist groups. The most famous of them was the Arrow Cross Party. Although the Arrow Cross, fanatically nationalist, anticommunist, and anti-Semitic, enjoyed little support among the people as a whole, it had some influence among the Honvéd (Hungarian Army) officer class. The party was led by Ferenc Szalasi, an ardent admirer of Hitler.
In October a Hungarian delegation secretly arrived in Moscow to negotiate an armistice. Although an agreement was signed on October 12, Horthy delayed taking any action until it was too late. On the fifteenth, he broadcast a ceasefire announcement to the troops, but the same day saw the launching of Hitler's Operation Panzerfaust, a military takeover of the government led by Otto Skorzeny. Horthy and his colleagues were arrested and Szalasi became the new leader of Hungary.
A Victory for the Panzer Troops
While all of this was going on in Budapest, the military situation grew steadily worse. German troops replaced the Hungarians along the front line. Wöhler's Eighth Army with both German and Hungarian forces was placed to defend the watershed of the Carpathians east of Dorna Vatra. The German Sixth Army, which was being reformed near Cluj (Koloszvár), had just 20 battalions, including parts of 13th Panzer Division. The Hungarian Second Army was placed on the left wing of Sixth Army and the Hungarian Third Army was placed on its right wing. The troops of both Hungarian armies were poorly armed and lacked training.
Malinovskii's Second Ukrainian Front was showing indications that it would soon go back on the offensive. According to Stavka and Front plans the main attack would be directed at the Hungarian Third Army between Oradea (Nagyvárad) and Arad; the Sixth Guards Tank Army would break through rapidly, quickly swinging north to Debrecen and Nyirigyháza to envelope the Axis forces to the east. The Soviet forces advanced 60 miles in the first three days. But a counterattack by the 23rd Panzer Division, which had just come up, stopped their movement to the north. Although Friessner asked for permission to withdraw his troops behind the Tisza River line, Hitler ordered him to hold on to the valuable mining region around Dorna Vatra.
On October 12, Malinovskii resumed the offensive. Oradea was occupied and the German 76th Division, which was defending it, was crushed. On the thirteenth, Friessner ordered a withdrawal on his own authority. German and Hungarian troops escaping from Transylvania to the east were threatened with isolation by the continuing Soviet push northwards. Debrecen fell October 20, Nyirigyháza two days later. Just in the nick of time Breith's Third Panzer Corps, including the 23rd Panzer Division, came up from Budapest and saved the situation. Breith attacked from the west, his units linked up with Wöhler's Eighth Army withdrawing from Transylvania, and large Soviet cavalry and mechanized forces were surrounded. Although they eventually broke out of the encirclement, the Soviets lost 25,000 soldiers and more than 500 tanks. The Soviet advance was brought to a halt again and Friessner could withdraw unmolested behind the Tisza. It was October 27.
The Red Army's November Offensive
By the end of October, the Sixth Army had added a further four panzer divisions (1st, 13th, 23rd, 24th) and two panzer grenadier divisions (4th SS Polizei, Feldherrnhalle). These troops had but 100 tanks and assault guns. A more serious problem was the shortage of good infantry. The line along the Tisza was not merely weak but also open on the right flank to a Soviet attack from the south. As there was a big gap between Friessner's front and Weich's Army Group F, the Soviets tried to enter between the Tisza and Danube quickly to threaten the rear of Army Group South Ukraine once again.
On October 29, Soviet forces occupied Kecskemet and pushed to within six miles of Budapest's suburbs, the 23rd and 24th Panzer Divisions counterattacking fiercely. Along with the 8th and 22nd SS Cavalry Divisions, these forces were all that was on hand to defend the city. Tolbukhin's Third Ukrainian Front was ordered to cross to the west bank of the Danube. And on November 7 they succeeded in establishing bridgeheads at Mohacs, Apatin and Batina. It was impossible to stop the advance; Tolbukhin's 53rd Army expanded the bridgehead to 100 miles wide and 30 miles deep. Developing west and north from there, they occupied Dunaföldvár on December 12, and the spearhead of the 7th Rifle Division reached the north edge of Lake Balaton. On the right, Malinovskii prepared to attack the eastern (Pest) side of Budapest itself. Wöhler's Eighth Army and Fretter-Pico's Sixth Army were forced to retreat step by step, and the hills north of the city were taken.
At the end of the November offensive, the Second and Third Ukrainian Fronts developed a plan to envelop Budapest together. Malinovskii's task was to pin the enemy on the eastern (Pest) side and seal off the north of the city with 39 infantry divisions, two tank corps, two mechanized corps and a cavalry corps. Tolbukhin's task was to break through to the north and connect with Second Ukrainian Front at the Danube River northwest of the city with 31 infantry divisions and a cavalry corps.
Budapest Surrounded
Friessner had no answer to the threat. The Sixth Army and remnants of the Hungarian Third Army formed a thin line between Lake Balaton and Hatvan north of the Danube. Hitler ordered more troops into Budapest to hold the city. Hitler promised further reinforcements and, despite the needs of his Ardennes Offensive, managed to produce them: the 3rd, 6th and 8th Panzer Divisions with new Type V Panthers, as well as two independent Tiger battalions. The Führer's order was that Breith should counterattack with these divisions between Lake Balaton and the Danube River. But on December 14, Friessner postponed the start of the attack to wait for expected reinforcements and because of pervasive ground frost. Through the first half of November, the Soviets established control of the north bank of the Danube. The Sixth Guards Tank Army and Sixth Guards Army occupied Ipolysög on December 14 and reached the Hron River on December 24. South of the Danube, where Tolbukhin's and Fretter-Pico's forces clashed, the 18th Tank and 7th Mechanized Corps made a break-in of sixty miles and turned to the north, towards the Danube River bend. The Soviets' advance was so fast that the army's vehicles blocked the roads for civilians returning home to the city after Christmas shopping. Székesfehérvár and Bicske fell on the 23rd. By the 25th, the Hungarian capital was completely cut off to the west and the 18th Tank Corps occupied Esztergom the following day. Budapest, with 50,000 German and 30,000 Hungarian troops as well as 800,000 citizens, was now surrounded. On December 29, a group of Soviet envoys bearing white flags approached the German lines at several points to negotiate surrender terms. They were all shot. The combat of Budapest had begun in earnest.
Timing of the Counterattack
Later in December, Friessner struggled with pressure from both Hitler and Guderian. Guderian now seemed to be a spokesman for Hitler. Both demanded that Friessner's tanks must attack quickly and forcefully. But Friessner was a veteran who had fought in muddy combats like Cherkassy; he decided to wait for frost to harden the roads. Hitlers reaction was to promote Wöhler and Balck to command in Hungary; Friessner and Fretter-Pico were dismissed. Wöhler, however, agreed with Friessner's assessment of the prospects for a counterattack. So Wöhler decided to wait for the Soviets to advance beyond their supply ability and for the weather to become colder. Furthermore, he waited for Gille's IV SS Panzer Corps' arrival. That corps, which included the 3rd and 5th SS Panzer Divisions and 96th Infantry Division, was being sent from Poland.
Because the time left to rescue the city was short, Wöhler argued strongly for the garrison's voluntary escape. Hitler, however, continued to deny the breakout order, since he thought it hardly possible to re-take the city after having abandoned it. This opinion was nurtured by Hitler's thoughtless yes-man, Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, commander of 9th SS mountain corps and the city garrison itself. Even though the stocks of food and ammunition were almost exhausted at the time the city was encircled, he believed it could be re-supplied by air. Because of the lack of time, the attack should have advanced along the shortest route to Budapest—advancing via the hills along the Danube River. Unhappily, this route passed through the rough Gerecse Mountains and also the broken Buda hills. For the vehicles, going south via Székesfehérvár and then working their way north and east to get to Budapest was much better, but it required more time and more fuel, and supplies were short.
On December 30, Gille's IV Panzer Corps gathered around Komarno. Wöhler decided to advance on Budapest without waiting for the other tank troops staging in the south. Wöhler expected the effect of surprise attack to offset this lack of force. In fact, Soviet intelligence did notice that these troops had left Poland, but had not as yet located them in Hungary. Wöhler also knew that the front between the Danube and Tatabanya was defended by the exhausted 31st Rifle Corps and that the area around Esztergom was defended by few troops.
Surprise Attack
The attack was started on New Year's Day of 1945. Riding on assault boats, soldiers of the 96th Infantry Division crossed the frost-covered Danube River and gained a beachhead west of Esztergom by early morning. This attack disrupted the Soviet front lines and spread terror and confusion in the rear. The 3rd and 5th SS Panzer Divisions also succeeded in surprising the enemy and advanced well with the 6th and 8th Panzer Divisions' support by deploying numerous German and Hungarian small units. By the second day the advance was slowed by broken terrain and by the firm defensive fighting of the Soviet infantry. IV Panzer Corps began to lose its freedom of action by January 3. The combat was continued for three more days, focusing on the important cross road of Bicske. The Soviets succeeded in defending the town against all attacks of the SS forces, thanks to reinforcements and anti-tank units from the 18th Tank Corps.
The most important success was by the German infantry. The 96th and 711th Divisions occupied Esztergom on the fifth. There were not any Soviet troops east of Esztergom at this point. But the Germans did not have any effective means to advance into the gap, due to the steep slope of the Pilis Mountains east of the city and their shortage of mobile troops. The stalemate became obvious by January 6. The attack was called off on the advice of Guderian, who had arrived at Army Group South headquarters the previous day (Army Group South Ukraine was renamed Army Group South on Oct. 24). On the same day, the Soviet Seventh Guards Army and Sixth Guards Tank Army attacked north of the Danube where the German line had become thin. This threatened the important bridges where rails and roads ran east of Komarno.
Guderian Appears
Guderian's arrival meant that Hitler had shifted his focus to the operation in Hungary and away from the Ardennes, which by now was an obvious failure. Guderian had big plans. He aimed to take back Budapest and to control Ercsi—Lake Velence—Lake Balaton and to clear the west bank of the Danube of Soviet troops. Neither Guderian nor Wöhler expected to accomplish all these tasks with the limited forces at hand, but an effort to rescue the Budapest garrison could be considered. Guderian at first decided to try a feint attack to improve the IV SS Panzer Corps' chances. On January 7, the I Cavalry Corps attacked north of Székesfehérvár. The main forces were 3rd and 23rd Panzer Divisions and the 4th Cavalry Brigade. Their aim was to shift the Soviet reserves away from the principle axis of attack. But the Soviet command was not tricked. Soviet troops defended inch by inch with anti-tank guns deployed in the open. The 23rd Panzer occupied Zamoly (halfway between Tatabanya and Székesfehérvár), but the advance was stopped on January 11. Restarting the attack in the north was obviously impossible—Guderian would have to find a new way to Budapest.
Street Fighting
At the moment, the situation for the garrison was growing worse and worse. The Soviets threw four artillery divisions and many additional rocket and artillery forces at the city. And though Stavka wished to avoid street combat, they carried it out thoroughly once it became unavoidable. In addition, heavy air bombardment was added to the assault. Bombardments were concentrated on the eastern part of the city at first. There, a part of the Seventh Guards Army was formed into an assault group and advanced through Pest, working from building to building: Soviet troops had been familiar with tough street combat since Stalingrad.
The main force of the German garrison consisted of the 8th and 22nd SS Cavalry Divisions, 13th Panzer Division, and Feldherrnhalle Panzer Grenadier Division, and they were determined to fight to the bitter end, although their hope for victory was waning day by day. Most of the Hungarian units fought well. But the Pest break-in by Red Army forces east of the Danube became increasingly threatening. Balck felt that he must issue a retreat order within 24 hours or risk losing everything. Hitler opposed this and ordered the Sixth Army to break through to the Budapest garrison if it should appear to waiver. Wöhler became desperate and formed a kampfgruppe with 2 motorized infantry companies and five panzers to advance through the Pilis Mountains. There was no hope for such small groups to make a significant breakthrough—Wöhler expected it to merely confuse the Soviets, making a real breakthrough easier. Failing this, a brief window of opportunity might be opened for sending in much-needed supplies, but the effort failed on both counts. The kampfgruppe advanced a few miles toward Budapest and then was forced to retreat.
On January 9, an order—it is not clear whether by Guderian or Hitler—was given to let the IV SS Panzer Corps and other units move south to launch another breakthrough attempt.
The Last Blitzkrieg
The chosen area for the new offensive was just to the west of Székesfehérvár where the first offensive was to have taken place. From January 10 to 17, the 3rd and 5th SS and 3rd and 6th Panzer Divisions and other troops secretly withdrew from the northern bulge to move to the new offensive area.
On the eigthteenth, the 135th Rifle Division was attacked by units that Soviet intelligence still placed in the north. On the following afternoon the spearhead of the German tank troops reached Dunapentele on the west bank of the Danube River. The advance had covered more than 40 miles. This advance, such as it was, was the last Blitzkrieg, and it seemed to the Germans that Budapest could finally be reached. For the Soviets, on the other hand, the promising situation of the last few days had begun to look dangerous.
Malinovskii demanded reinforcements from Stavka and tried to get permission to move a part of the attacking force to Budapest. Although Stavka promised to send other tank and infantry troops, Malinovskii was ordered to do the best he could with the forces at hand.
A major Soviet offensive was now starting north of the Carpathian Mountains, meaning that reserves and HQ attention would be focused there for the time being. The offensive in Poland, of course, affected German activity as well. The Soviet's advance to Komarno was restrained and counterattacked by the 8th and 20th Panzer Divisions (the 20th Panzer had arrived recently from Poland). On January 16, however, faced with the dangerous situation further north, both panzer divisions had to quit the Danube River area to relieve a tired infantry division. The Soviets in turn could not restart their own advance after sustaining heavy losses stopping the German counteroffensive.
The Bitter End
On the other hand, in Budapest itself, Gille's breakthrough to the Danube was welcomed only by diehard fanatics. Pfeffer-Wildenbruch abandoned Pest on January 18, as soon as Hitler permitted it. He also strengthened the Danube River defense line. Choosing a time when the Soviet bombardment was weakest, he pulled his forces safely out of Pest and then blew the bridge. The hope to hold the city intact was finally lost—there was nothing left but to attempt to rescue the surviving garrison. On the nineteenth, Pfeffer-Wildenbruch sent a message to Gille praising his efforts to advance to the city and added that "10,000 injured soldiers are waiting for you." After its initial success, the German advance was losing momentum. On January 22, having reached the Vari River, the offensive ground to a halt. A shortage of fuel, the presence of Soviet troops in their rear, and the danger of an open left flank all sapped the strength of the attack. The other problem was Gille himself. Although Gille was a great general, he was not able to work smoothly under Wöhler. Hitler, however, insisted on leaving him in command of the corps.
The Führer, who was following the course of the attack closely, decided to withdraw the entire Sixth SS Panzer Army from the Ardennes and send it to Hungary. But the fate of the city was already sealed. On January 24, the IV SS Panzer Corps made its last effort to cross the Vari. Although the Soviets wavered, they were ultimately able to hold the river line. The German attack at the upper river was called off on the 25th, having failed to achieve its purpose; Wöhler judged that it was impossible to break through to Budapest. He ordered the garrison to attempt an escape.
On the 27th, the Soviets started to organize an attack on the bulge of the Axis line where the defense was particularly weak. The southeast sector was attacked by a dozen rifle divisions supported by the 18th and 21st Tank Corps. Another strong attack was launched at the Vari River line and north of Székesfehérvár. It was impossible for Gille's exhausted panzer corps to remain; there was a serious risk of being surrounded if they did not retreat quickly. At the end of the month, the Germans retreated to the line between Lake Velence and Lake Balaton. The operation to rescue Budapest had ended.
Resistance in Buda continued until February 13. Surviving garrison forces were gradually squeezed out and most of the remaining German and Hungarian soldiers surrendered. The Red Army captured 25,000 POWs on that day. As of the 13th, Hitler allowed the garrison to attempt to escape, but the chances of success were practically nil. Some 2,000 soldiers tried to escape to the northwest, but most of them were killed or captured; a mere 700 ultimately reached the German lines to the west.
Example of Play
The first German player turn in the IVSS and III Panzer Corps sectors of the Historical Scenario (21.1) is covered. No Optional Rules or Variants are being used. German units are written in normal type and Soviet units are in italics.
Of the variable placement German units, only the 6th Panzer Division was placed in the IVSS sector, to maximize the German attack. The rest are either in the LVII Panzer Corps area, or in the I Kavallerie Corps area.
The diagrams that follow show the situation at the beginning of the German Combat Phase. Solid arrows show the German attacks and outline arrows show retreats. The explosions show where units are eliminated.
Soviet Initial Deployment
The 31st Rifle Corps is deployed with an eye towards keeping the route along the Danube blocked as much as possible. This leaves the secondary road through Tanlosbanya wide open. It is hoped a few units near Tata survive to block the way.
The 68th Rifle Corps is deployed in such a manner to block the route through Tatabanya. This is a terrible place to have the Germans break through due to the primary road behind it.
German Combat Phase
The German player rolled a '2' for the weather, so it is clear. The German player rolls on the Air Support Points Table (ASP) and gets a '4,' which means there are 4 German ASP available this combat phase. There are also 5 ArSP (Artillery Support Points) available.
First Attack The German player decides to make his first attack against the 217/80G & 232/80G regiments with his 5th SS Division, plus the Hungarian 23rd Division and the 26th Hungarian KG. The German player assumes the hex has a defense strength of 6 ('assumes' because he cannot examine the Soviet stack (8.4 and 10.12)) and so commits no support points. The Soviet units are revealed and there are indeed 6 defense points in the hex, so the odds are 3-1 (20-6). The German player receives -3 to his die roll (Divisional Integrity (10.8), Armor Effect (10.9) and Surprise Effects vs. a clear hex (16.33)). A '5' is rolled, which is modified to '2'. The Attack Level is 4. The Defense Level of the hex is normally 3, but due to Surprise Effects (16.33), it is 1. Therefore, the Combat Result is 3 (4-1=3).
The Soviet player must retreat (16.33 again) each infantry regiment 3 MP. Both units retreat to the hex northeast of Agostyan and absorb the full Combat Result without step loss (clear hex = 1 MP and the rough hex = 2 MP, total of 3 MP). Each German unit now has 3 MP available for advance after combat. The 26th Hungarian KG advances first, paying 2 MP for the defender's clear hex (1+1 for the minor river hexside) and then uses primary road movement (1 MP, total 3 MP spent) to enter the rough/wooded hex NW of Agostyan. The 23rd Hungarian Division moves into Agostyan (3 MP total). The 5th SS units move into the defender's hex at a cost of 3 MP (1 MP for the clear hex and +2 for the minor river hexside since they are motorized).
Second Attack The 230/80G regiment is now surrounded by ZOC, so the German player declares the 3SS Division will attack it without committing any support points. The odds are 5-1 (16-3). The German player receives a -2 to the die roll (Divisional Integrity & Armor Effect). He rolls a '3,' which becomes a '1.' The Attack Level is 7. The Defense Level is 2 (Surprise Effects 16.33), so the Combat Result is 5.
The 230/80G must retreat to the rough hex east of Dunaalmás where it enters an enemy ZOC and is eliminated (10.65). The 3SS Division units may each advance 5 MP. The 3/3SS Panzer Regiment advances into the defender's hex for 4 MP (2+2) and into the hex east of Dunaalmás for ½ MP more. The 5/3SS & 6/3SS regiments advance into Dunaalmás (4 MP) and must stop as they cannot use road movement to join the 3/3SS (7.62).
Third Attack The 3rd Panzer Division and the minor SS units will attack the 8/4G & 11/4G regiments. The German player guesses again that there are 6 defense points in the hex and so commits 1 ArSP, giving them a total of 18 attack strength points. He is right again, so the odds are 3-1 (18-6). The German player receives -2 to his die roll again (Divisional Integrity and Armor Effect) and rolls a '6' which becomes a '4.' The Attack Level is 2. The Defense Level is 1 (that 16.33 again), so the Combat Result is 1.
Due to 16.33, the Soviet units are forced to retreat. Their only open path is into the rough/wooded hex to the east. The hex costs 4 MP and the Combat Result is 1, so both Soviet units are eliminated! The German player moves the entire 3rd Panzer Division into the defender's hex (allowed due to 10.73).
Fourth Attack The German player is going to make a risky, low odds attack to try and capitalize on the Surprise Effects and generate some momentum. The German 6th Panzer & the Hungarian 1st Cavalry Divisions will attack the Soviet stack to the west of Tatabanya. Seeing the 33rd AT Brigade, the German is guessing there is at least 10 defense points in the hex and so commits 3 ArSP to the attack. The German player's 11/6th Panzer Regiment is halved attacking a rough/wooded hex (remainder rounded up) but, combined with 3 ArSP, the Germans muster 20 attack strength points. The Soviet units are revealed to have 10 defense strength points (Germans are getting a little lucky, aren't they?). The odds are 2-1 (20-10). The German player only receives a -1 to the die roll (for Divisional Integrity; the Armor Effect is cancelled by the presence of the 33rd AT Brigade (10.92)) and rolls a '5' which becomes a '4,' for an Attack Level of 2. Rough/wooded hexes only have a Defense Level of 2 within the Surprise Sector, so the Combat Result is 0. The German player chooses Same-Hex Combat!
The German player moves the entire 6th Panzer Division into the hex. The Soviet player can now choose whether to leave or stay and fight it out (10.461). He chooses to retreat one hex east into Tatabanya. The German player took the rough/wooded hex!
Fifth Attack The German player is feeling lucky and decides to make an even riskier attack. He uses his last two stacks adjacent to Kecskéd to attack the Soviet units there. The Soviets reveal 6 defense strength points yet again and the odds are 1-1 (7-6). The German player still gets -2 to his die roll however (Divisional Integrity & Armor Effect). He rolls a '6' which becomes a '4.' The Attack Level is 1. The Defense Level is 3 however (as the defending hex is outside of the Surprise Sector), so the Combat Result is -2. The German player retreats his attacking units 2 MP each. Oh well, it was worth a shot….
German Exploit Phase
During this Phase, all attacks happen before any movement.
First Attack The German player chooses his 3/3SS Panzer Regiment, Hungarian 26th KG and 21/23 Regiment to attack the Soviet 217/80G & 232/80G Regiments. No support can be used during the Exploit Phase, so the odds are 1-1 (10-6). The German player gets -2 to the die roll (Divisional Integrity & Armor Effect). He rolls a 6! The -2 makes it a '4,' which is an Attack Level of 1. The Surprise Effects reduce rough terrain to a Defense Level of 1, so the Combat Result is 0. The German player chooses Same-Hex Combat and moves in the 3/3SS, the 26th KG and the 21/23rd. The German player kept the 51/23rd out of combat to keep it's ZOC active vs. the Soviet units if they retreat and for movement purposes.
The Soviet player decides to retreat since he can safely move his units to the rough/wooded hex to the east (retreating out of Same-Hex Combat is "one hex," not MP (10.461)). They do so and get a "Retreated-No ZOC" marker. All attacking units are marked with an "Attacked-No Move" marker.
Notice that if the Hungarian 51/23rd Regiment had been in combat and entered the Soviet units' hex, there would have been no Axis ZOC to the southeast hex and the Soviet units could have retreated there and blocked the movement of the 5SS Division.
Second Attack The German player declares his 6th Panzer Division will attack the Soviet stack topped by the 1039/223rd Regiment. It is a risky attack, but the rewards could be good. The attack is at 1-1 (12-8) with a -1 to the die roll (the Soviet stack is the complete 223rd Division, so the Divisional Integrity modifiers cancel out, but Armor Effect does apply). The German player rolls a '3' which is modified to 2.' The Attack Level is 3. The village's Defense Level under Surprise Effects is 1, so the Combat Result is 2.
The Soviet player is in a tough spot - he has to take step losses, or all his units will suffer a step loss for retreating into a rough/wooded hex (4 MP), which is the only retreat path available. So, he satisfies the Combat Result with 2 step losses, eliminating the 1041/223rd Regiment (a one-step 1-2-4) and flips over the 1039/223rd Regiment (a two-step 2-3-4). All attacking units are marked with an "Attacked-No Move" marker.
Third Attack Feeling even luckier, the German player decides to really push it and he declares the Hungarian 1st Cavalry Division will attack the adjacent Soviet stack. The odds are 1-1 (7-6) and there is a -1 to the die roll (Divisional Integrity). The die roll is a '6' which becomes a '5.' The Attack Level is 0! The Defense Level behind a minor river/canal is 3 (as it is outside the Surprise Sector), so the Combat Result is -3. The attacker can only retreat 2 MP of a negative Combat Result (10.43). He eliminates one step from the 2H/1 Regiment and retreats the entire stack 2 MP. All attacking units are marked with an "Attacked-No Move" marker.
Exploit Phase Movement
The positions of all units after combat, showing Axis movement for units that did not attack previously in the Exploitation Phase. To showcase Road Movement (7.6), the movement of the German 5SS Division is explained in detail (follow the numbers):
1: Because stacking is enforced at ALL times, the Hungarian 51/23rd Regiment needs to get out of the way, so it enters the rough/wooded hex to the northeast and stops.
2: The 5/5SS Panzer Regiment moves first. It unstacks, entering the Agostyan village hex for 1 MP, then each of the successive rough/wooded hexes entered are through a connecting secondary road hexside (at half MP cost) for 2 MP each. It stops in Vertestolna, having spent 7 MP.
3: The 10/5SS moves next, following the 5/5SS. It has to stop in Tanlosbanya (5 MP spent) as it would cost 4 MP to enter Vertestolna (no road movement benefit (7.62)).
4: The 9/5SS moves last, ending its move one hex west of Tanlosbanya and having spent only 3 MP. Entering Tanlosbanya would cost 4 MP (1 MP over the unit's 6 MP allowance (again, no road movement benefit (7.62)).
Note: the 5/5SS unit moved first, to make it one extra hex into Vertestolna. Neither of the other 5SS regiments would have been able to make it if they had gone first. Also note that the Soviet 80G stack has a "No ZOC" marker on it since it retreated in the same Exploit Phase and therefore cannot stop the 5SS movement.
Remove the "Attacked-No Move" and "Retreated-No ZOC" markers and the German player turn is complete.