Kiev '41 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Game Components
  • 1.2 Units
    • Force Lists
    • Abbreviations
  • 1.3 Stickering
  • 1.4 Sides and Factions
  • 1.5 Scale
  • 1.6 Fog of War
    • 1.6.1 Revealing Blocks
  • 1.7 Weather
• 2.0 Mapboard
  • 2.1 Supply Source
    • 2.1.1 Coastal Supply
  • 2.2 Special Boxes
  • 2.3 Defensive Absorb Bonus
  • 2.4 Terrain
    • 2.4.1 Green Area
    • 2.4.2 Yellow Area
    • 2.4.3 Red Area
    • 2.4.4 Victory Area
    • 2.4.4.1 Victory Points
    • 2.4.4.2 How to Win the Game
    • 2.4.4.3 Logistics Points
• 3.0 Basic Definitions
  • 3.1 Fractions
  • 3.2 Initiative
    • 3.2.1 Initiative Disc
• 4.0 Units
  • 4.1 Defensive Lines
  • 4.2 Blocks
    • 4.2.1 Movement Allowance
    • 4.2.2 Firepower
    • 4.2.3 Strength
    • 4.2.3.1 Reducing Strength
    • 4.2.4 Leaders
    • 4.2.5 Combat Blocks
    • 4.2.6 HQ
• 5.0 Reinforcements
  • 5.1 Colored Letter Units
• 6.0 Sequence of Play
• 7.0 Logistics Phase
  • 7.1 Logistics Pause
  • 7.2 Leader Activation
    • 7.2.1 Logistics Value (LV)
    • 7.2.1.1 Bad Weather affects Logistics
    • 7.2.2 Replacing Strength
• 8.0 Weather Check
  • Rain
  • Snow
  • 8.1 Determining the Weather
• 9.0 Supply
  • 9.1 Supply Check
  • 9.2 Line of Communication
  • 9.3 Isolation Check
  • 9.4 Attrition
• 10.0 Tactical Impulse
  • 10.1 HQ Activation Segment
  • 10.2 Tactical HQ
    • 10.2.1 Soviet Fleets
  • 10.3 Tactical Range
  • 10.4 Artillery Fire
  • 10.5 Exhausted HQ
  • 10.6 Marshal Budyonny
  • 10.7 Marshal Timoshenko
  • 10.8 Command Actions
  • 10.9 Movement
    • 10.9.1 Movement Allowance
• 11.0 Strategic Impulse
• 12.0 Pass
• 13.0 Final Phase
• 14.0 Optional Rules
  • OR 14.1 Rail Movement
  • OR 14.2 Agility
  • OR 14.3 AFVs Restrictions
  • OR 14.4 Sea Supply
  • OR 14.5 Blizzard
  • OR 14.7 Sea Transport
  • OR 14.8 Seaborne Operations
  • OR 14.9 Airborne Operations
• Setup
• Scenarios
  • 1. Les Preludes
  • 2. The River
    • Scenario 2 (The River) Setup
  • 3. The Pocket
  • 4. The Snow
  • The Southern Struggle (Campaign Game), July – December 1941

1.0 Introduction

KIEV '41 is a wargame covering the southern branch of the Barbarossa Campaign.

Besides the Campaign Game (which lasts for six Turns, from July to December 1941, and is played in one to six hours) players can also choose one of the four short Scenarios.

Although based on historical Orders of Battle and challenges, players must make their choices and change history!

1.1 Game Components

The game box contains:

• 1 Mapboard (heavy stock, laminated 86 x 62 cm);
• 1 Rules Manual;
• 2 Rules Summary and Player Aids;
• 151 PVC stickers;
• 2 Orders of Battle/Scenario Setup Aids;
• 56 Wooden Markers: 1 Weather Forecast Marker (yellow cylinder); 1 Initiative Disc (large green disc); 2 Weather Markers (white discs); 4 Soviet Supply and Control Discs (1 yellow, 1 orange, 1 light blue, 1 blue); 13 Artillery Fire Markers (squares, 2 blue, 4 black and 7 red); 20 Area Control Markers (cubes, 10 red, 10 black); 5 River Crossing Markers (blue cubes); 10 Out of Supply Markers (white cubes);
• 112 Wooden Block Counter Units (black, blue, brown, green, tan and red blocks);
• 8 Luftwaffe Bombers (8 black discs);
• 2 Soviet Fleets (red plates);
• 30 Defensive Lines (beams, 10 black and 20 red);
• 4 Dice.

1.2 Units

The 112 Blocks, the eight Luftwaffe Bombers, the two Soviet Fleets, and the 30 Defensive Lines are playing units.

Force Lists

The Axis, 46 Blocks and 8 Luftwaffe Discs:

• Hitler and Guderian
• 1st Panzer Group - 6 Blocks (von Kleist) - Red
• 6th Army - 5 Blocks° (von Reichenau) - Yellow
• 17th Army - 6 Blocks°° (von Stülpnagel) - Green
• 11th Army - 5 Blocks (von Schobert) - Light Blue
• 3rd Rumanian Army - 4 Blue Blocks (Dumitrescu) - Orange
• 4th Rumanian Army - 5 Blue Blocks (Ciuperca) - Pink
• Axis Reserves - 11 Blocks - White*
• 4th Fliegerkorps - (Pflugbeil) with 4 He-111
• 5th Fliegerkorps - (von Greim) with 3 Ju-88 and 1 He-111

°includes Hungarian Fast Corps - 1 Green Block °°includes Slovak Corps and Italian CSIR - 1 Brown and 1 Tan Block * includes Rumanian 2nd Corps - 1 Blue Block

The Soviets, 66 Blocks and 2 Navy Units:

• Stalin, Marshal Budyonny and Timoshenko
• Crimean Front - 3 Blocks (Petrov) - Blue
• Kharkov Front - 5 Blocks (Chernikov) - Green
• North Caucasus Front - 6 Blocks (Reiter) - Orange
• Southern Front - 15 Blocks (Cherevichenko) - Light Blue
• South Western Front - 18 Blocks (Kirponos) - Yellow
• Soviet Reserves - 16 Blocks - White
• battleship Parizhskaya Kommuna, cruisers Molotov/Voroshilov

Abbreviations

• K = Kleist
• G = Guderian
• Mtn = Mountain
• J = Jäger
• FK = Fliegerkorps
• SS = Schutzstaffel
• LAHSS = Leibstandarte Schutzstaffel Adolf Hitler
• LL = Luftlande Infantry
• CSIR = Corpo Spedizione Italiano in Russia
• SLK = Slovak Corps
• B = Budyonny
• T = Timoshenko
• C = Crimean Front
• K = Kharkov Front
• NC = North Caucasus Front
• S = Southern Front
• SW = South Western Front
• Co = Coastal Army
• G = Guard
• M = Marine Infantry
• 6A and 9A = 6th and 9th Soviet Army
• 6C and 9C = 6th and 9th Soviet Corps
• (X.Y) = See rule chapter X.Y
• AA = Anti-Air
• DAB = Defensive Absorb Bonus
• DF = Double Fire
• DL = Defensive Line
• HQ = Headquarters
• LP = Logistics Point

1.3 Stickering

1. Apply the 22 circular stickers as follows:
   • the two large stickers to the large green disc;
   • the eight Bombers to the eight black discs;
   • the four Weather Markers (two each) to the two white discs;
   • the eight Control Markers (two each) to each of four discs of the corresponding color.
2. Apply the 125 square stickers as follows:
   • the 4 grey Artillery Markers to the 4 black squares;
   • the 2 blue Artillery Markers to the 2 blue squares;
   • the 7 pink Artillery Markers to the 7 red squares;
   • and one sticker each to the 112 wooden blocks:
     • Germans: 33 stickers to the 33 black blocks;
     • Romanians: 10 stickers to the 10 blue blocks;
     • Hungarians: FAST sticker to the green block;
     • Italians: CSIR sticker to the tan block;
     • Slovaks: SLK sticker to the brown block;
     • Soviets: 66 stickers to the 66 red blocks.
3. Apply the four large stickers (Soviet Fleet Units) to the two red plates, two each, and one per side as shown below.

1.4 Sides and Factions

In the game, there are two sides: the Soviets and the Axis (which comprises the Germans, the Rumanians, the Hungarians, the Italians, and the Slovaks).

The only limitation for the Axis side is that Hungarian and Rumanian units can never stack together in the same Area, nor can Rumanian Artillery support the Hungarian unit in combat.

1.5 Scale

In KIEV '41, 1 cm is approximately 10 Km (1:1.000.000); a Game Turn represents 1 month; a full-strength Block represents a Headquarters (HQ, it has stars), a major combat formation (Combat Block, it has dots) or the Supreme Leader (Leader, it has squared stars).

1.6 Fog of War

Place the mapboard in the centre of the table. The Axis player sits at the western edge, while the Soviet player sits opposite him at the eastern edge. The game is played with "Fog of War", so Blocks are placed upright with the sticker facing the owning player so that the enemy player cannot see them.

At certain points during the game some Blocks will be revealed.

1.6.1 Revealing Blocks

Revealing a Block means showing it, by placing it face up, in a way the enemy can clearly see it.

Three German and two Soviet Blocks revealed before Combat.

1.7 Weather

The Weather may be Good (Sunny) or Bad (either Rainy or Snowy). The Weather is predetermined (Sunny) during all the Impulses of July, August and September, while it must be determined by a die roll starting from the second Axis Impulse of October (8.0).

2.0 Mapboard

The map is divided into 153 zones called Areas, each identified by a unique code and color indicator for what type of terrain the Area is in game terms. Combat, Movement and Stacking are influenced by whether the Area has a Green Dot, a Yellow Dot, a Red Dot, or a Star Icon for a Victory Area.

The Area codes are either a number from 1 to 148 or an alphanumeric code:

• FS for Fortress Sevastopol;
• Axis for the Axis Staging Area;
• S1, S2, and S3 for the three Soviet Staging Areas.

2.1 Supply Source

Units must be in supply to fully operate. Units out of supply are marked with a white cube, have limited operational possibilities and suffer Attrition (see 9.4).

To be in supply, a Unit must be able to trace a path of unlimited length – across Fully Controlled Areas (2.5) – to a Fully Controlled Supply Source Area, or – for the Soviet Units only – be in Coastal Supply (2.1.1).

The Soviet Supply Source is any of the Areas either marked with a Yellow Supply Icon (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) or an Orange Supply Icon (7, 8, 9, 10, and 11) or a Red Supply Icon (12, 13, S1, S2, S3, 60, 77, 94, 133, 136, 139, and 145).

• The six Areas marked with a Yellow Supply Icon are a valid Soviet Supply Source only if the Yellow Supply Disc is deployed on the active side. This status is permanently denied (by flipping the Yellow Supply Disc to the inactive side) as soon as Guderian enters Nizhyn.
• The five Areas marked with an Orange Supply Icon are a valid Soviet Supply Source only if the Orange Supply Disc is deployed on the active status. This status is permanently denied (by flipping the Orange Supply Disc to the inactive side) as soon as Guderian enters Tula.
• The three Soviet Staging Areas (S1, S2, S3) are permanent Soviet Supply Sources (the Axis cannot enter these three Staging Areas).
• Each of the other nine Areas marked with a Red Supply Icon are a valid Soviet Supply Source unless an Axis unit controls it (this effect is not permanent as for the above Yellow and Orange Areas, and the Soviets may liberate any of the Red Areas to re-establish the Supply Source status).

The Axis Supply Source is any of the following eight Areas adjacent to the western border of the map: Axis, 14, 61, 78, 95, 103, 110, and 111, each marked with the Axis Supply Icon.

2.1.1 Coastal Supply

Only the Soviets, as described below, may benefit from Coastal Supply:

• If the Soviets control the Black Sea (blue disc deployed on the active side) then any Soviet Unit in a Soviet-controlled coastal Area – even if contested – along the Black Sea is in Supply.
• If the Soviets control the Black Sea and the Azov Sea (both the blue and the light blue discs deployed on the active side) then any Soviet Unit in a Soviet-controlled coastal Area – even if contested – along the Azov Sea is in Supply. Any Soviet Unit inside the Fortress of Sevastopol is always in Supply.
• The Soviets control the Black Sea if both Sevastopol and Novorossiysk are Soviet controlled and uncontested (Full Control). The Axis immediately denies the Soviet Black Sea control as soon as an Axis unit is deployed in ANY of these two Areas (flip the Blue Disc to the inactive side). The Soviets may re-flip the Blue Disc to the active side as soon as they fully control BOTH these two Areas.
• The Soviets control the Azov Sea if they control the Black Sea (see above), and both the Kerch Straits crossings (Area 129 and 144) are Soviet controlled and uncontested (Full Control). The Axis immediately denies the Soviet Azov Sea control as soon as an Axis unit is deployed in ANY of these four Areas (Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, Area 129, Area 144) (flip the Light Blue Disc to the inactive side). The Soviets may re-flip the Light Blue Disc to the active side as soon as they fully control all the four Areas: Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, Area 129, and 144.

Note: the printed manual spells the port "Novorosysk" in some places and "Novorossysk" in others; this transcription uses the spelling "Novorossiysk" consistently for the same Area.

2.2 Special Boxes

There are special boxes with special functions.

Leaders' Boxes: are where Hitler (Rastenburg) and Stalin (Moscow) are deployed and restricted to. No other Unit may enter these Boxes. Hitler and Stalin cannot be eliminated and are always "in supply".

Road to Tula: the ten Boxes on the northern border of the mapboard are an abstract representation of the path that the Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group followed toward Tula.

• The first Box represents Minsk, where Guderian is deployed during setup, while the last one represents Tula itself.
• If Guderian enters Nizhyn and later Tula, then the Yellow and the Orange Disc respectively are permanently flipped to the inactive side, and the corresponding Areas (1-6; 7-11) permanently cease to be a valid Soviet Supply Source. Additionally, the Soviets lose one Logistics Point (2.4.4.3) respectively for the loss of each Box.

2.3 Defensive Absorb Bonus

The Defensive Absorb Bonus (DAB) is the ability of the Defender to avoid hits (10.14). Defensive Lines, Cities, Victory/Red/Yellow Areas have one Defensive Absorb Bonus (two in Red and Victory Areas).

2.4 Terrain

There are four different types of Areas: Green, Yellow, Red, and Victory Areas.

Note: roads, railroads, bridges, lakes, and towns are named for historical accuracy, with no impact on the game.

2.4.1 Green Area

A Green Area has a green dot and is considered open terrain, easy to attack and hard to defend, thus it provides no DAB. A maximum of four Blocks per player may stack in a Green Area. Entering a Green Area costs one MP.

2.4.2 Yellow Area

A Yellow Area has a yellow dot and is considered rough terrain that is either hilly or forested, making it hard to attack and easy to defend, thus it provides a DAB. Up to two Blocks per player may stack in a Yellow Area. Entering it costs two MPs.

2.4.3 Red Area

A Red Area has a red dot and is considered swampy/heavily-forested terrain, extremely hard to attack but easy to defend, thus it provides two DABs. A maximum of two Blocks per player may stack in a Red Area. Entering a Red Area costs three MPs.

2.4.4 Victory Area

A Victory Area is marked with a gold star and represents a highly populated urban area with concrete buildings, very hard to attack and very easy to defend.

Entering a Victory Area costs two MPs and the stacking is two Blocks per player. A Victory Area provides two DABs.

There are Seven Victory Areas in the game: Tarnopol, Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Rostov, Maykop, and the Fortress of Sevastopol.

2.4.4.1 Victory Points

Each of the seven Victory Areas is worth one Victory Point toward winning the game and grants one Logistics Point (7.2.1).

2.4.4.2 How to Win the Game

The Campaign game is won in one of the following ways, whichever happens first:

A. Sudden Death (this is a Decisive Victory and the game finishes immediately) anytime a player has Seven Victory Points;

B. Alternatively, at the end of the game, the player with most Victory Points is the winner (Marginal Victory).

Example: when the Campaign starts, the Axis has one VP (Tarnopol), the Soviets have six (Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Rostov, Maykop, and Sevastopol). If the Soviets conquer Tarnopol, the game ends immediately (Soviet Decisive Victory).

Note: each Scenario has its own Victory Conditions.

2.4.4.3 Logistics Points

Additionally, the Soviets get one Logistics Point for each of the four Soviet Supply and Control Markers deployed on the active side (the one without the red X):

• Nizhyn (yellow disc), Tula (orange disc), Black Sea Activity (blue disc) and Azov Sea Activity (light blue disc). Active side: the disc without the red X. Inactive side: the disc with the red X, marked "Nizhyn has fallen", "Tula has fallen", "Black Sea Activity" or "Azov Sea Activity" respectively.

2.4.5 Staging Areas

There are four Staging Areas in the game: Axis, S1, S2 and S3.

Axis is the Axis Staging Area. This Area cannot be entered by the Soviets. It costs one MP to any Axis Unit (regardless the weather). Stacking restrictions are ignored for the Axis. This is the only Area where Axis Reinforcements may be deployed with stacking limitations ignored.

S1, S2, and S3 are the three Soviet Staging Areas. These Areas cannot be entered by the Axis. It costs 1 MP to any Soviet Unit (regardless of the weather) and any number of Soviet Units may stack in any Soviet Staging Area. Any number of Soviet Reinforcements may be deployed in any of these three Areas (other than one per each Fully Controlled City/Victory Area in the Soviet Union).

2.4.6 City

Some Areas contain a City. A City has a white square and the name printed in white. A controlled City grants ONE DAB to the Defender.

2.4.7 River Crossing

Rivers affect Combat, but not Movement (see 10.13.6.1). Blocks which have engaged across a River into a newly contested Area, are marked with a blue cube.

During Snowy Weather, all the rivers are considered frozen and thus the river crossing effect is ignored.

2.4.8 The Kerch Strait Crossing

The Kerch Strait is the sea strait between Area 129 and 144 connected by the white double arrows. Movement along the white double arrows (Kerch Strait Crossing) is treated exactly as River Crossing, except that the Kerch Strait Crossing is not affected by weather conditions.

2.4.9 Ports

Ports have no effect in the game (except when playing OR 14.4).

2.5 Area Control

• A player controls an Area if only Units belonging to that player are in the Area (Full Control).
• If the Area is empty, the player whose Unit was the last to occupy the Area controls that Area. Blocks need not stop in an Area in order to switch control.
• If an Area contains Units of both players, the Area is contested, but is controlled by the player who controlled it most recently, and that player will act as the Defender in the combat that follows (Original Defender).

At the Campaign Game start, the Axis controls the first Box of the Road to Tula, the Axis Staging Area, Tarnopol, and all the Areas in Romania (those west of the black/red start line).

The other 133 Areas on the mapboard and nine Boxes on the Road to Tula are Soviet controlled.

2.5.1 Marking Area Control

Players can use cubes of the appropriate color (red for the Soviets, black for the Axis) to mark Area control.

2.6 Kiev Privilege

The side controlling Kiev may always choose one block while drawing reinforcements. It must be the last block drawn (e.g. when drawing five reinforcements, draw four at random and choose the last one). Additionally, if the Axis controls Kiev, Budyonny is immediately and permanently eliminated.

2.7 Fortress Sevastopol

Area FS is a special Victory Area outlined with a white hexagon. Any Soviet unit(s) inside the Fortress of Sevastopol is always in Supply.

If the Soviets fully control FS, then the Fleets may be committed to support Combat (see 10.2.1).

2.8 Movement Point Cost

Entering an Area costs 1, 2 or 3 Movement Points (MP). Disengaging costs one extra MP.

• Green: clear terrain, 1 MP
• Yellow: rough terrain, 2 MPs
• Red: extremely swampy/forested terrain, 3 MPs
• Victory Area: heavy urban terrain, 2 MPs
• Rastenburg/Moscow: no Movement allowed
• Guderian's Movement over the Road to Tula is described in 10.10.

2.9 Stacking

Except for the Axis Staging Area (Axis) and the three Soviet Staging Areas (S1, S2, S3) which have unlimited stacking for the Axis and the Soviets respectively as each Area has a maximum stacking per player. The controlling player may also build a Defensive Line (DL) which do not count for purposes of stacking.

Green Areas have a stacking limit of four Blocks per player, while Yellow, Red, and Victory Areas have a stacking limit of two Blocks per player.

Area	Absorb	Stacking	MP*
Green	0	4	1
Yellow	1	2	2
Red	2	2	3
Victory	2	2	2
Staging Areas	-	∞	1

*Disengaging: +1 MP.

Note: Stacking limit is per player: a Green Area may contain up to eight Blocks of – up to four per player. The controlling player may have one Defensive Line.

3.0 Basic Definitions

The following terms are used throughout the different Impulses, Phases and Segments of a Turn and are grouped here to avoid repetition.

The game is divided into Turns that roughly represent one month of historical time. A Turn is divided into Impulses. During his own Impulse, a player can choose to play one of the following options:

• A. a Tactical Impulse
• B. a Strategic Impulse (spending the Initiative Disc)
• C. a Pass

Then the other player performs his own Impulse. After two consecutive Passes (one each per player), players perform the Final Phase, after which the Turn is finished. The Turn Track Marker is moved forward by one space and a new Turn starts with the Logistics Phase.

The game ends immediately if a player fulfils the Sudden Death requirements (see 2.4.4.2) or lasts until the end of the Final Phase of the last Turn (December).

3.1 Fractions

Fractions are always rounded down. However, if rounded down below 1, a fraction is rounded up to 1.

Example: 7/2 = 3.5 rounded down to 3.

Example: 1/2 = 0.5 rounded up to 1.

3.2 Initiative

The player who holds the Initiative Disc is the player with the Initiative and has several privileges.

3.2.1 Initiative Disc

The player without the Initiative is the first to set up his units at the game start, and the first to decide what to do in the Logistics Phase (see 7.0). The player with the Initiative plays the 1st Impulse of the Turn. Additionally, he may spend the Initiative Disc either to:

• play a Strategic Impulse;
• play an Exploitation Movement (immediately after a Tactical Impulse).

4.0 Units

Leaders, HQs, Infantry, Cavalry, and Tanks are represented as wooden blocks and are referred to as "Blocks".

Additionally, the Axis has eight Bombers (wooden black discs), the Soviets have two Fleets (wooden red plates) and both players have Defensive Lines (wooden beams, ten black for the Axis and twenty red for the Soviets).

4.1 Defensive Lines

Defensive Lines are fortification works, including trenches, minefields, anti-tank ditches, and barbed wire with machine guns, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns attached.

Defensive Lines (DL) are represented by wooden beams and have no sticker.

DLs are provided in a limited number in the game (20 red for the Soviets, 10 black for the Germans). A player, after the Supply Check, may voluntarily disband some of his in supply DLs to build new ones.

A DL may be built in any controlled and uncontested Area (not on the Road to Tula) during any action (Pass, Strategic Action, or Tactical Action).

To build a DL, a Combat Block (not an HQ) – instead of moving – is reduced by rotating it by 90° (step-reduction). A Block cannot be destroyed to build a DL.

A Defensive Line:

• cannot move or attack. It can only defend;
• has a (Defensive) Single Fire (hits on 6);
• has one DAB, so two hits are required to eliminate it;
• when defending (not when attacking) has a protective function: no friendly Blocks may be hit before the DL is destroyed;
• if marked as Out of Supply, a DL cannot be disbanded, nor is it automatically destroyed in the Final Supply Check, unless the Area does not contain a friendly Block but contains an enemy Block.

4.2 Blocks

Each Block has a sticker indicating the name, the type, the Strength, the Firepower and the color-coding that indicates Movement Allowance.

A Block may represent:

• the Supreme Leader (Hitler or Stalin);
• HQs (Front HQs for the Soviets plus Budyonny and Timoshenko; Army, Panzer Group and Luftwaffe HQs for the Axis);
• Combat Blocks: a major military formation.

Note: German Combat Blocks are Corps (four dots) or Divisions/Brigades (two dots), while most Soviet Combat Blocks are Army (four dots), Corps (three dots), or Division (two dots) size formations. All the Axis Minors (Rumanian, Hungarian, Italian and Slovak) Combat Blocks are Corps.

4.2.1 Movement Allowance

Stalin, Hitler and Defensive Lines cannot move.

Other Blocks may be Fast or Slow:

Fast Blocks (darker sticker background color, see above) represent fast HQs, tanks, mechanized and motorized infantry and cavalry. They all have five MPs.

Slow Blocks represents infantry and slow HQs. They all have three MPs.

Note: the German LAHSS, the Hungarian Fast, and the Rumanian "Cav" Units are all (Light) Tanks and Fast Blocks.

4.2.2 Firepower

The Firepower (of a Unit) determines its chances of scoring a hit in Combat and depends on the color of the Block's Dots or Stars:

• Single Fire (SF), hits only on 6;
• Double Fire (DF), hits on 5 and 6;
• Triple Fire (TF), hits on 4, 5 and 6.
• HQ Stars are White, thus they have DF.
• Marshal Timoshenko's Stars are Red (TF).
• LW HQ Stars are Blue, thus they have no Firepower.

4.2.3 Strength

Defensive Lines have a Strength of 1.

A Block's Strength is equal to the number of Combat Block's dots or the number of HQ's Stars, thus usually it varies from a maximum of four to a minimum of one. Exhausted HQs (Heart Level) have no Strength.

Strength is used to determine the number of dice rolled by a Unit.

HQ Strength is also used to determine the HQ Command Range.

Luftwaffe HQ Strength is used to determine the number of Bombers the HQ may commit, and Bombers' Air Range and Strength (the number of dice rolled in combat by each Bomber).

4.2.3.1 Reducing Strength

When a Block suffers damage, it is reduced (step-reduction) once per each Hit suffered.

Reducing a Block means rotating it counter-clockwise by 90° for each Hit. A Block already reduced to Minimum Strength which suffers a Hit is destroyed.

4.2.4 Leaders

Hitler and Stalin are the (Supreme) Leaders.

They cannot move, cannot be eliminated, do not affect combat, are always in supply, and are restricted to Rastenburg and Moscow respectively.

Leaders play a role in the Logistics Phase and their Strength is used to calculate the Logistics Value (7.2.1).

4.2.5 Combat Blocks

A Combat Block is a major combat formation: Infantry, Motorized Infantry, Cavalry or Tank.

Infantry (including Mountain, Jäger, Marine and Airborne included) is a slow Block with 3 MPs.

Motorized Infantry, Cavalry and Tanks are Fast Blocks and they all have 5 MPs.

Notes:

1. the German LAHSS, the Hungarian Fast and the Rumanian "Cav" Light Tanks are Tanks for all effects;
2. there is no distinction between Motorized Infantry and Cavalry in the game (unless playing OR 14.2, 14.3);
3. Mountain, Jäger, Marine and Airborne Infantry have no special ability in the base game and are treated as Infantry for all effects (unless playing OR 14.2).

4.2.6 HQ

An HQ represents not only the commander himself, but also the General Staff and soldiers attached to him, along with various types of artillery and support units.

The Axis has nine HQ:

• seven Tactical HQ (3rd and 4th Rumanian Army; 6th, 11th, and 17th German Army; 1st Panzer Group; Guderian);
• two Luftwaffe HQ (4th and 5th FliegerKorps).

The Soviets have seven Tactical HQs representing Marshal Budyonny and Timoshenko, and five Front HQs (Crimean, Kharkov, North Caucasus, South, and South Western HQ).

Each Tactical HQ has a unique color code identifying all the Blocks belonging to it.

Some Blocks on each side are "white color-coded" and they can be commanded by any Tactical HQ.

Tactical HQs are essential for commanding Combat Blocks and providing Artillery Fire.

German LW HQs cannot command Blocks, build DLs or add Artillery Fire; they can perform Airstrike (10.12.4).

5.0 Reinforcements

Reinforcements may arrive in two ways:

• A. during the Logistics Phase (7.0);
• B. by playing the Initiative Disc during a Strategic Impulse (11.0 – Option B).

Reinforcements are randomly drawn from the player's Reinforcement Pool in a number equal to the player's Logistics Value.

Axis Reinforcements enter the game in the Axis Staging Area without stacking restrictions.

Soviet Reinforcements enter the game in any of the three Soviet Staging Area without stacking restrictions, or in a Victory Area or in an Area containing a Soviet City inside the Soviet Union – maximum one Block per Area and without overstacking – provided that the Area is fully controlled (uncontested) and "in supply."

• Soviet Remnant Units (those with an "R") are deployed at minimum strength, all other Units deploy at maximum strength.
• Once the 5th LW is drawn, the four Bombers attached to it are put in the Axis Available Bombers Box on the Axis Order of Battle.

Note: an Area is in supply if it can trace a Line of Communication to a Supply Source (9.0). If a Reinforcement cannot be deployed because it does not meet the conditions above, it must be returned to the Reinforcement Pool (and no other is selected).

5.1 Colored Letter Units

• The seven German Blocks with a light blue diamond inside a colored circle on the lower right corner are deployed in Romania during the setup.
• The 12 Soviet Blocks with a green dot on the lower right corner are available as Reinforcements at the game start.
• Ten and two Soviet Blocks respectively have a white "S" or "N" inside a colored circle on the lower right corner, to indicate that these Blocks are added to the Soviet Reinforcements pool in September and November respectively.

Once a Block becomes available, it is immediately added to the player's Reinforcement Pool and, from that Turn on, may be drawn as a Reinforcement.

6.0 Sequence of Play

1. Logistics Phase (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Turn)
2. Impulses Phase (player with the Initiative first)
   • Bad Weather Check (2nd Impulse of October)
   • Supply Check (always)
   • HQ Activation Segment (TI only)
   • Command Segment (always)
   • Combat Segment (TI and SI only)
   • Blitz Segment (TI only)
   • HQ Deactivation Segment (TI only)
   • Isolation Check (always)
   • Exploitation (playing Initiative Disc after a TI)
3. Final Phase

A Turn is made of a variable number of Impulses, from a minimum of two, up to unlimited. When a new Turn starts, the player with the Initiative plays the 1st Impulse, followed by the other player, and so on.

A player may:

• a. play a Strategic Impulse (SI) or
• b. play a Tactical Impulse (TI) or
• c. Pass

After 2 consecutive Passes (by the two players, one per player), the Turn ends and a new one begins.

7.0 Logistics Phase

The Logistics Phase is performed at the beginning of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Turn. There is no Logistics Phase in the 1st Turn.

Players – the player without the Initiative first – must choose to:

• A. declare a Logistics Pause
• or
• B. activate his Supreme Leader.

7.1 Logistics Pause

If a player declares a Logistics Pause, his Supreme Leader, instead of being activated, is regenerated to full strength.

7.2 Leader Activation

If a player decides to activate his Supreme Leader, the Supreme Leader is revealed. Then he may:

1. restore HQ steps;
2. replace Combat Blocks steps;
3. deploy Reinforcements.

For a player, the number of available Regeneration Points, Replacement Points and of Reinforcements is equal to his Logistics Value.

At the end, the Supreme Leader is reduced.

Note: the Supreme Leader may be activated even if already reduced at Heart Level. If this is the case, its Strength is "0" and it remains at Heart Level (it is not eliminated).

7.2.1 Logistics Value (LV)

The Logistics Value (LV) is a number used to determine:

1. the number of Regeneration Points available during the Logistics Phase;
2. the number of Replacement Points available during the Logistics Phase;
3. the number of Reinforcement Blocks available (either in the Logistics Phase or in a Strategic Impulse);
4. the maximum number of Blocks which can be moved during either a Strategic Impulse or the Exploitation Movement.

The LV is calculated in Logistics Points by adding:

1. the Strength of the Leader (Hitler/Stalin);
2. the number of non-exhausted HQs deployed on the map (Guderian and LW HQs included);
3. the number of controlled VP Areas;
4. plus 1 for the Axis for every 10 eliminated Soviet Blocks and Fleets; plus 1 for the Soviets for every 10 eliminated Axis Blocks;
5. and – only for the Soviets – plus 1 for each Supply and Control Marker deployed on its active side.

The Soviet Supply and Control Markers (Nizhyn, Tula, Black Sea Activity, Azov Sea Activity) are shown on their active side (top row, without the red X) and inactive side (bottom row, with the red X).

Example: at the beginning of the Campaign Game, the Axis LV is 12, calculated by adding:

• Hitler's Strength (4);
• the # of Axis deployed and not exhausted HQs (7);
• the # of controlled Victory Areas: Tarnopol (1).

7.2.1.1 Bad Weather affects Logistics

In Rain the LV is halved for both players, and for the Axis in Snow as well.

7.2.2 Replacing Strength

Replacing Strength works in the opposite way to Reducing Strength, thus a Block is rotated clockwise by 90° per step replaced. This is performed during the Logistics Phase only, by activating the Supreme Leader.

Damaged Fleets cannot be repaired.

HQ Strength is Regenerated by spending Regeneration Points, while Combat Block Strength is replaced by spending Replacement Points.

One Regeneration Point is spent per every HQ step, while a number of Replacement Points, from 1 to 3, is spent per each step, depending on the step's color:

• Black: 1 Replacement Point;
• White (ring): 2 Replacement Points;
• Red: 3 Replacement Points.

Note: the number of Logistics Points determines the number of BOTH Replacement Points and Regeneration Points. You do not have to choose between the two.

If activated, the Leader is reduced at the end of the Logistics Phase. If not activated (Logistics Pause), it is restored at full strength.

Example: at the beginning of November, the Axis has the Initiative, thus the Soviets must take the first decision in the Logistics Phase. They choose the Logistics Pause, so Stalin is automatically fully regenerated, and nothing else happens. Then the Axis chooses to play the Logistics Phase and activates Hitler (at Heart Level). The Axis LV is calculated by adding Hitler's Strength (0), the number of Axis HQs deployed on the mapboard and not exhausted (4), Victory Areas (3) plus 2 extra Logistics Points for 21 surrendered Soviet Blocks. The value (9) is halved to 4 as the Weather is Snowy (see 8.0).

The Axis then has:

1. four Regeneration Points to regenerate an HQ from 3 to 4 (1), and another HQ from Heart Level to 4 (3);
2. four Replacement Points to Replace Combat Blocks' Strength: one Red (3) and one Black step (1);
3. and finally they draw four Reinforcements and deploy them in the Axis Staging Area.

8.0 Weather Check

The Weather is Sunny (good weather) in July, August, and September.

From October, the Weather may change to Rainy, and then afterwards to Snowy. Snowy and Rainy are Bad Weather which affect Movement, Combat and Logistics. Soviet Fleets are not affected by the Weather.

Rain

• Entering any Area costs three MPs;
• Attacking Blocks' Strength, HQ Tactical/Air Range, and Strength are reduced to 1;
• The Logistics Value is halved.

Snow

• Entering any Area costs two MPs;
• All Attacking Axis Blocks' Strength (including HQs' Tactical/Air Range and Strength) is halved. The Attack Strength (not the Defensive Strength of any Block, Axis Blocks included) of all Soviet Blocks (including HQ's Tactical Range and Strength) is not reduced in Snow;
• Rivers are Frozen (no effect on combat);
• The Axis Logistics Value is halved.

8.1 Determining the Weather

At the beginning of the 1st Axis Impulse of October, the Soviet player deploys the Weather Forecast Marker on the "--" box and the Weather remains Clear.

At the beginning of the 2nd Axis Impulse of October, the Soviet player moves the Weather Forecast Marker on the "1" result. Then he rolls a die to determine the Weather:

• A. on a die roll of equal or lower than the box occupied by the Weather Forecast Marker (in this case box "1", so if a "1" is rolled), the Weather changes (to Rainy in this case), and the Weather Marker is changed accordingly;
• B. on a die roll greater than the box occupied by the Weather Forecast Marker (in this case box "1", so on a die roll of 2-6), the Weather remains unchanged, and the Weather Forecast Marker is moved one box to the right.

On any next Axis Impulse, the Soviet player repeats the procedure by rolling a die and adapting the weather as described above.

In other words, one of the two – the Weather or the Weather Forecast Marker – will change, and once the Weather has changed to Rainy it is not sure that it will be Rainy for the next Impulse as well.

Once the Weather Forecast Marker has reached the "5" box – or in any case at the beginning of December whatever happens first – the Weather automatically changes (no Weather die roll is needed any more) to Snowy and remains Snowy for the remainder of the game!

Example: during the 2nd Impulse of October, the Soviet player rolls the weather die and scores a 1. The Weather Marker is changed to Clear, while the Weather Forecast Marker remains on "1".

On the following Impulse (the 3rd of October), the Soviet player rolls the die and scores a "3". The Weather Marker remains Clear, while the Weather Forecast Marker is advanced to the "2" box.

The next Impulse (the 4th of October) a "6" is rolled. The Weather remains unchanged, while the Weather Forecast Marker is advanced to the "3" box.

The next Impulse, a "4" is rolled, thus the Weather remains unchanged, and the Weather Forecast Marker is advanced to the "4" box.

Then again the next impulse a "6" is rolled, thus the weather still remains unchanged (Clear) and the Weather Forecast Marker is moved to "5". The Next Impulse the Weather will be Snowy, for the remainder of the game.

9.0 Supply

At the beginning of any Impulse, the active player checks all of his Blocks and DLs for Supply and marks with a white cube those Blocks and DLs unable to trace a LOC to a Supply Source (they are Isolated).

Soviet Blocks/DLs may use Coastal Supply (2.1.1).

Soviet Blocks/DL in Sevastopol, Soviet Fleets, Stalin, Hitler, and Guderian are always in Supply.

At the end of each Impulse, the active player checks Supply for his Isolated Blocks and DLs and applies Attrition (9.4).

9.1 Supply Check

At the beginning of an Impulse (a Pass, a Tactical Impulse or a Strategic Impulse), the active player must Check Supply for all his Units.

Units unable to trace a Line of Communication (LoC) at the beginning of the Impulse are Isolated for the whole Impulse and are marked with a white cube until they can trace a LoC in any future Isolation Check (9.3). Isolated units defend normally if attacked.

Isolated Units cannot:

• build Defensive Lines;
• move;
• attack;
• be activated;
• receive Replacements;
• be restored;
• isolated DL may not be disbanded.

9.2 Line of Communication

Units in a controlled Supply Source Area are always in Supply (even if the Area is contested).

A Line of Communication (LoC) is a path of unlimited length, traceable through friendly-controlled and uncontested Areas, not overseas or across the Kerch Strait, from a Block/DL or from an Area to a valid Supply Source (2.1).

A LoC may neither cross nor finish – but may start in – a Contested Area (either friendly or enemy-controlled).

9.3 Isolation Check

At the end of any Impulse (Pass, Tactical or Strategic) the active player must Check Supply for his Isolated Units (those that have been marked with a white cube in the Initial Supply Check).

9.4 Attrition

Isolated Units that are still isolated at the end of the Impulse suffer Attrition as follows:

• Defensive Lines are destroyed if alone – without a friendly Block – in a contested Area.
• Blocks are reduced by rotating them counter-clockwise to the lower Strength (e.g. from 4 to 3, or from two Stars to the Heart Level) while those already at minimum strength automatically Surrender;
• Surrendered Blocks are permanently eliminated. The Axis player gains 1 extra Logistics Point for every 10 Surrendered Soviet Blocks, while the Soviet player gains 1 extra Logistics Point for every 10 destroyed Axis Blocks. DLs do not count toward this total for either side and may also be rebuilt.

Note: Soviet Blocks destroyed in Combat or deactivating exhausted HQs are added to the Soviet Reinforcements Pool and may re-enter game, while Soviet Blocks surrendered during Attrition are permanently eliminated and removed from the game. All Axis Blocks eliminated, either in Combat or by Attrition or deactivating exhausted HQs, are permanently eliminated: they cannot be rebuilt and they count for extra Soviet Logistics Points.

Example: the Soviets control the Black Sea, but not the Azov Sea (because there is a Rumanian Unit in Kerch). The two Fleets have been committed to defend Sevastopol in case the Axis would try to attack the Fortress.

During the Supply Check, all Soviet Units but two (one Block and one Defensive Line) are in supply as they either have a LoC with a valid Soviet Supply Source (red supply icon) or are in a controlled coastal Area of the Black Sea (blue supply icon). The two Units in Sevastopol are always in supply.

The two Isolated Units are marked with a white cube.

If in the Isolation Check at the end of the Soviet Impulse the situation has not changed, the Block will be reduced, and the DL eliminated (alone in a contested Area).

10.0 Tactical Impulse

To perform a Tactical Impulse, the active player must activate at least 1 Tactical HQ (a LW HQ is not a Tactical HQ, thus it may be activated only if another Tactical HQ has been activated before).

If the active player owns the Initiative Disc and he is playing a Tactical Impulse, then after having completed the Tactical Impulse, he may spend the Initiative Disc to play an Exploitation Movement (10.19).

10.1 HQ Activation Segment

The active player activates any number of his HQs, but at least one must be an unexhausted Tactical HQ.

Isolated HQs cannot be activated.

Activating an HQ means that the controlling player may first, move it up its full Movement Allowance and then Reveal it (lay the HQ flat so it is visible for his opponent).

Note: while activating, an HQ must move first and then be revealed, not the other way around, but can be revealed without moving at all.

An HQ may be Activated only during the Activation Segment of a Tactical Impulse.

An HQ cannot overstack in the Area where it is Revealed, nor be Revealed in an Area containing enemy Units.

If an HQ starts the Impulse in an Area containing enemy Units, it may be Activated provided it can disengage (+1 MP) and move into a full controlled (uncontested) Area. After, it may also continue moving, provided it may be Revealed in an uncontested Area, without exceeding its maximum Movement Allowance.

10.2 Tactical HQ

Each player has a number of Tactical HQs, each commanding specific Blocks:

• seven Tactical HQs for the Axis (remember, LW HQ are not "Tactical HQs");
• seven Tactical HQs for the Soviets.

Once activated, a Tactical HQ may:

1. command "white color-coded" Blocks and Blocks of its color in Tactical Range and
2. command any Block in the Area where it is revealed (other HQs included) and
3. add Artillery Fire into 1 Battle in an adjacent Area;
4. additionally, each activated Soviet unexhausted HQ may commit one Soviet Fleet to any Black Sea (not the Azov Sea) coastal Area (see 10.2.1)

Guderian can move along the Road to Tula only (2.2) and has no Artillery Fire capability.

Budyonny and Timoshenko have special command abilities (10.6 and 10.7).

10.2.1 Soviet Fleets

There are two Soviet Fleets in the game:

Damaged – 1x DF

The battleship Parizhskaya Kommuna (BB) and the Molotov and Voroshilov's heavy cruisers squadron (CA) provide gunfire support in combat, either when attacking or defending, by rolling respectively 1 die (TF) and 2 dice (DF) when at full strength, 1 die (DF) each if damaged.

Soviet Fleets may hit both Axis Bombers and Axis Ground Units in the coastal Area where they have been committed.

Only Axis Bombers may hit Soviet Fleets.

Each Fleet has one Shield Bonus per side, both when defending and when attacking.

Two Bomber hits are required to damage a Full Strength Fleet (flipping it to the Damaged Side), and another two hits are required to sink a Damaged Fleet.

These two Fleets are deployed during setup in the specific boxes close to the Fortress of Sevastopol, which is the Fleets Staging Area. If Sevastopol is not Soviet controlled, the Fleets are temporarily removed from the mapboard (evacuated to Batumi), and are not available until the Soviets reconquer Sevastopol.

During a Soviet Tactical impulse only, the Soviet player – for each activated unexhausted HQ – may commit one Fleet (of his choice) to any Black Sea (not Azov Sea) coastal Area.

A Fleet once committed to a coastal Area remains committed to that coastal Area until automatically de-committed and returns to its Staging Area (either after a Combat is concluded in that Area, or if the Soviets play a Pass, or if the Soviets play a Tactical Impulse without activating one unexhausted Tactical HQ per Fleet – then one Fleet must be returned to its Staging Area – whatever happens first) or if during a following Soviet Tactical Impulse an activated unexhausted HQ commits the Fleet to another coastal Area.

10.3 Tactical Range

An activated Tactical HQ may command only Blocks within its Tactical Range (TR).

The Tactical Range is a contiguous path that must be traced from the Tactical HQ to a Block, neither passing through enemy controlled nor contested Areas, but may end in contested Areas.

The length of the Tactical Range is its Strength:

• 4 Areas at 4 stars;
• 3 Areas at 3 stars;
• 2 Areas at 2 stars;
• 0 Areas once Exhausted – may command only units in the Area it occupies once revealed.

Example above: during a Tactical Impulse the Axis player activates two HQs: Kleist (3 stars) which moves disengaging (+1 MP) from an existing Battle in Area 35, crossing the Dnieper into Area 20 where it is revealed, and the 5th LW HQ (3 stars) in Area 33.

The LW HQ may commit three Bombers to Airstrike an Area containing both friendly and enemy units within a range of three (Area 6) but cannot command any Blocks (11.11).

Kleist may command any Block (HQs included) in Area 20, and any red Block in a range of three Areas, thus even the 29th Infantry in Area 34.

Kleist directs its Artillery Fire (10.4) into an adjacent Area containing both friendly and enemy units (Area 6).

Bad Weather reduces HQs Strength, thus Tactical Range (to 1 Area in Rain for all HQs; halved for Axis – but not for Soviet – HQs in Snow).

10.4 Artillery Fire

If a Battle occurs in the same Area occupied by a Tactical HQ, the HQ fires like any other Unit (Triple Fire for Timoshenko, Double Fire for other Tactical HQs). LW HQs has No Firepower (blue stars).

Otherwise, an activated and not exhausted Tactical HQ (except Guderian) may direct its Artillery Fire (Double Fire for all, TF for Timoshenko) into 1 adjacent Area containing Units of both players by deploying the appropriate Artillery Fire Marker in the Area.

Artillery Fire is resolved during the Artillery Fire Combat Segment.

If activated, Blitz HQs (Kleist, Budyonny and Timoshenko) may add their Artillery Fire in the Blitz Combat as well (see 10.13.3.1).

Bad Weather reduces HQ Strength, thus Artillery Fire (to 1 die in Rain, Axis halved in Snow).

10.5 Exhausted HQ

HQs reduced to the Heart Level are Exhausted and their Strength is "0".

Exhausted HQs are not taken into account for calculating the Logistics Value.

Once Exhausted it is still possible to activate an HQ, but it is destroyed in the HQ Deactivation Segment.

Additionally:

• an Exhausted Tactical HQ has no Tactical Range, no Artillery Fire and no Firepower (so no AA Fire) and may command only Blocks in the Area it occupies once Revealed;
• Exhausted Luftwaffe HQs and Guderian cannot be activated.

10.6 Marshal Budyonny

Marshal Budyonny (B) is a very powerful Tactical HQ. It has command over all Soviet Blocks (other HQs included), thus the Army color is irrelevant for it. It is a Fast HQ, and once activated it allows Blitz (see 10.17).

However, if the Axis controls Kiev, Budyonny is permanently eliminated and counts as an eliminated Soviet Block.

10.7 Marshal Timoshenko

Marshal Timoshenko (T) is a very powerful Tactical HQ. It has command over all Soviet Blocks (other HQs included), thus the Army color is irrelevant for it. It is a Fast HQ and allows Blitzing (see 10.17).

Timoshenko is the only HQ with Triple Fire (Artillery included).

10.8 Command Actions

During the Command Segment of a Pass, a Tactical Impulse or a Strategic Impulse, in-supply Blocks may be commanded to perform ONE of the following actions:

• Move
• Build a Defensive Line

10.9 Movement

Blocks may move if they are not Isolated (9.3):

• A. 1 Block in a Pass;
• B. a number of Blocks up to the LV during a Strategic Impulse;
• C. any Block in the Tactical Range of an appropriate activated HQ during a Tactical Impulse.

When a Block is moved, it must spend MPs for each Area it enters (1 for Green Area; 2 for Yellow/Victory Area; 3 for Red Area).

When engaging (entering an Area containing enemy units), the Block must stop. When disengaging, the Block must spend 1 extra MP and must first enter a friendly controlled uncontested Area, and then it may continue moving (even engaging again) up to its maximum Movement Allowance.

If a Block does not have enough MPs to perform a movement, it may not do so. Blocks can overstack during movement, but not at the end. Stacking is checked at the end of each Block's movement.

Alternatively, if a Combat Block is not already at Minimum Strength and starts the Impulse in a friendly controlled and uncontested Area (not already containing a Defensive Line), then instead of moving, it can be reduced to build a Defensive Line (4.1).

10.9.1 Movement Allowance

Each Block may move up to its maximum Movement Allowance, expressed as Movement Points (MPs):

• Slow Blocks (light background): 3 MPs
• Fast Blocks (dark background): 5 MPs

10.10 Road to Tula

During the Activation Segment of a Tactical Action, but not during a Pass, or during a Strategic Action, the Axis player may activate Guderian in the Box it occupies on the Road to Tula.

Then, during the Combat Segment, the Axis player rolls a number of dice equal to Guderian's Strength and for every hit (at 5 & 6) Guderian advances one Box.

If Guderian enter Nizhyn, the Yellow Control Disc is flipped to its inactive side:

1. the Areas numbered from 1 to 6 permanently cease to be a valid Soviet Supply Source;
2. the Soviets will not be able to add the corresponding Logistics Point any more.

If Guderian enter Tula, the Orange Control Disc is flipped to its inactive side:

3. the Areas numbered from 7 to 11 permanently cease to be a valid Soviet Supply Source;
4. the Soviets will not be able to add the corresponding Logistics Point any more.

Guderian may not provide Artillery Fire, can neither Blitz nor Exploit and its overall Strength is affected by Bad Weather. Thus, during rainy weather, Guderian's strength is reduced to 1 (rolls only 1 die), during snowy weather his strength is halved.

10.11 Luftwaffe HQ

The Axis player has two special HQs: the 4th FK and the 5th FK Luftwaffe HQ.

Luftwaffe (LW) HQs are Slow Blocks (3 MPs) and cannot command any Axis Block, nor can they be the only HQ activated to play a Tactical Impulse.

LW HQs have no Firepower (blue stars).

A LW HQ can be moved in a Tactical Impulse by Activating itself, or by another HQ activated in the Area the LW HQ occupies, or by a Pass, or by a Strategic Impulse. If Activated, a LW HQ can commit a number of Bombers – up to its current Strength – to Airstrike missions over any contested Area in its Air Range.

The Air Range is equal to the activated LW HQ Strength, and the Air Range may be traced over any Area.

Exhausted LW HQs cannot be activated.

Bad Weather reduces LW HQ Strength, thus Air Range (to 1 Area in Rain, halved in Snow) and the number of Bombers that may be committed (to 1 in Rain, halved in Snow).

10.11.1 Axis Bombers

Each Bomber rolls a number of dice equal to the commanding LW HQ Strength.

Bombers have DF (hits on 5 & 6).

Example: the German 4th FK is activated at full strength (4), thus it may commit up to four Bombers into any Battle (even into four different battles, one each) in an Air Range of four Areas, and each Bomber rolls four dice and hits on 5 & 6.

Axis Bombers are subject to both Soviet Fleets' (10.13.2) and ground units' (10.13.4) Anti-Air Fire.

10.12 Combat

Battles are resolved in the Combat Phase.

A Battle may occur only if an Area contains Units of both players (contested). Airstrike, Artillery and Fleet Fire may support a Battle in which friendly Blocks are involved, but they cannot attack alone.

A Battle is mandatory only when an Area is newly contested (new engagement) in the current Impulse.

It is at the Attacker's discretion whether to resolve the Battle or not if the Area was already contested at the beginning of the Impulse.

Isolated Blocks and Defensive Lines cannot attack.

There is no limit to the number of Battles that may be resolved during a Tactical or a Strategic Impulse.

No new engagements or Battles are allowed during a Pass/Exploitation.

When multiple Battles occur, players do not have to reveal Blocks until each Battle is begun.

In the Combat Segment, the Attacker chooses the order in which Battles are resolved, Area by Area, and Battles are resolved one by one as described in 10.13.

10.13 Combat Sequence

1. Showdown
2. Fleet Fire
3. Artillery Fire
4. Defender AA
5. Airstrike
6. Ground Combat

10.13.1 Showdown

Both players simultaneously reveal their Blocks in the Area (if not already, because the Area was already contested at the beginning of the Impulse) where the Battle is declared by the Attacker.

10.13.2 Fleet Naval-Air Battle and Gunfire

If a Combat occurs in a coastal Area where a Soviet Fleet has been committed, then each Fleet may either participate in a Naval-Air battle or in Gunfire against enemy ground units:

• A. if there are any Axis Bombers, then at least one Bomber must be committed to engage each Fleet in a Naval-Air battle. The engaged Fleet fires first with its AA (one hit is an Abort, two hits are a Destroyed result versus the Bomber), and then the Bomber – if it has survived the AA fire of the Fleet – may return fire rolling as many dice as its LW HQ Strength. Neither the Fleet or the Bomber engaged in the Naval-Air battle may support the ground Combat;
• B. if there are no Axis Bombers, then the Fleet may support the Ground Combat with its Gunfire. Hits are immediately applied to enemy ground units after any Defensive DAB as usual.

Then, all the Fleets and the Bombers which have participated in either the Naval-Air battle or have supported the ground combat must return to the Soviet Fleet Staging Areas adjacent to Sevastopol and to either the Axis Available Bombers Box on the Axis Order of Battle or the Destroyed Axis Bombers on the Soviet Order of Battle respectively.

10.13.3 Artillery Fire

If there is an Artillery Fire marker in the Area, the Attacker rolls a number of dice equal to the HQ Strength and every die hits on 5/6. Timoshenko's Artillery Firepower is stronger (red stars) and it hits on 4/5/6.

Bad Weather affects the number of Artillery Fire dice rolled.

10.13.3.1 Blitz Artillery Fire

If activated during the Activation Segment, Blitz HQs may freely provide additional Artillery Fire in the Blitz Segment as well, but this extra Artillery Fire must target a Combat in one adjacent Area.

10.13.4 Anti-Air Fire

If there are Axis Bombers committed to the Battle in the Area, the Defender rolls AA. Every Soviet Block/Defensive Line rolls 1 die.

The AA Firepower is defined by dot/star color. DLs have SF. Soviet AA is not affected by Bad Weather.

Every hit is an Abort result. Two hits is a Destroyed result. The Axis player can choose to accept any two hits as two Aborted or one Destroyed result.

Aborted/Destroyed Bombers are not available for this Airstrike: Aborted Bombers will become available in the next Impulse; Destroyed Bombers will become available in the next Turn.

10.13.5 Airstrike

Bombers that have survived AA fire can now attack enemy units on ground. Each Bomber rolls a number of dice equal to its LW HQ Strength.

All Axis Bombers have DF.

Example: the Axis activates the 4th Rumanian Army (at three stars) in an Area adjacent to Odessa, and both his LW HQs (the 4th at four stars and the 5th at three-star) to commit seven Bombers.

The Axis player moves and attacks Odessa with two Rumanian Infantry (three steps each) and commits all of his seven Bombers to Airstrike Odessa. He also adds the 4th Rumanian Army Artillery Strike Marker on Odessa.

The Soviets have two Blocks (one Tank and one Infantry, both at three-step) and one Defensive Line, plus both his Fleets at full strength.

First the Rumanian Artillery fires, which scores one hit, and is absorbed by the rough terrain (Yellow Area).

The Axis must commit two of his seven Bombers to attack the Fleets, as each Fleet must be targeted. The Axis player chooses two of his 4th FK Bombers as they roll more dice and have a higher chance to sink the Fleets.

The BB rolls 1 die and scores no hit. The Bomber then can roll 4 dice, scoring 3 hits. The BB is flipped on the damaged side (the third is ignored). The CA rolls two dice and scores a hit, aborting the Axis Bomber. The two Fleets are put on the Fleets Staging Area, the two Bombers in the German Available Bombers Box on the Axis Order of Battle. Neither the Fleets, nor the two Bombers, will participate in any next Combat step of this Impulse.

Then the Soviet Units roll for Anti-Air:

• the DL rolls 1 die (SF);
• the Tank rolls 1 die (DF);
• the Infantry rolls 1 die (SF).

They score two hits. The Axis player decides to take two hits as a Destroyed result on a Bomber committed by the 5th LW HQ, as it would have rolled less dice. The remaining four Bombers (two from each LW HQ) perform an Airstrike.

10.13.6 Ground Combat

The Defender always rolls before the Attacker, unless the Defender is under Tank Attack.

10.13.6.1 Engaging across Rivers and Kerch

If the Area is newly contested during this Impulse, any attacking Block which has engaged the Area by crossing a River/double white arrow (marked with a blue cube) rolls only 1 die.

Airstrikes, Artillery, and Fleet Fire are not affected (nor are Blocks that have engaged without crossing a River/white double arrows, or if the Area is not newly engaged this Impulse).

10.13.6.2 Tank Attack

The Defender is under Tank Attack if all the following four conditions are met:

1. the Weather is Good;
2. the Battle takes place in a Green Area;
3. the Defender has no Defensive Line/City;
4. the Attacker has at least one Tank and the Defender has no Tank;

Effect: the Attacker rolls before the Defender.

Note: Tank Attack does not apply if the Area is newly contested this Impulse and all attacking Tank blocks have engaged across a River. If at least one Tank Block avoids this situation, then the Tank Attack occurs normally.

10.14 Defensive Absorb Bonus

The Defensive Absorb Bonus (DAB) is the ability of the Defender to absorb hits without being damaged, either because of rough terrain (Yellow and Red Areas), a controlled City/Victory Area or a friendly DL.

The Defensive Absorb Bonus is cumulative and the Defender may have up to 3 DABs per Area.

The Attacker never gets any kind of DAB.

The Defender automatically gets at least 1 DAB in:

• a Yellow/Red Area (controlled or not);
• an Area (controlled or not) with a friendly DL;
• a controlled Area with a City (2 DABs in a controlled Victory Area).

No DAB is granted along the Road to Tula.

Note: the total hits obtained in one battle are applied to this DAB. Therefore, if an attack includes Fleets, Bombers, Artillery, and then Ground Combat, the DAB is applied against the total number of hits rolled by the attacker.

10.15 Applying Losses

No friendly Defender Blocks may be hit before the DL is destroyed.

Damage reduces the strongest Blocks first. If two or more Blocks have the same Strength, then the controlling player chooses how to apply Losses to his own Blocks.

The Attacker may never claim a Defensive Absorb Bonus, thus every Hit suffered is a Damage.

Instead, for the Defender, Hits must be absorbed in the order listed in 10.14 and only after, Defender Blocks may be damaged, 1 Damage/Hit.

10.15.1 Strongest Block(s)

If one Block has more dots (or stars) than the others, this Block is the strongest and the hits are applied to this Block until it is reduced. The check is then performed again to see which Block is the strongest.

When multiple Blocks have the same strength, the hits can be spread amongst the Blocks.

Example: continuing the battle for Odessa initiated in the previous example, the two Bombers committed by the 5th LW HQ (3 stars) roll 3 dice each (DF) while the two Bombers committed by the 4th LW HQ (4 stars) roll four dice each (DF). In total they roll 14 dice and score 5 hits.

The first two hits are absorbed (remember that one previous hit from the Rumanian Artillery had already been absorbed by the rough terrain): one by the City, and one by the DL. The third hit destroys the DL, the fourth and the fifth are taken one each by the two Blocks, as they have the same Strength (3) and are now reduced to 2 each.

They roll two dice each and score one hit, taken – at the blocks' controlling player choice – on one of the two Infantry Blocks as both have the same Strength (3). Finally, the Rumanian Infantry roll 5 dice, but score no hits.

In Odessa the battle is over. The two Soviet Blocks are concealed, while the two Rumanian Infantry remain visible. The three activated Axis HQs are deactivated (reduced and concealed) and surviving German Bombers are put in the German Available Bombers box on the German Order of Battle.

Commentary: the Axis player should have committed his top German Infantry and Artillery to such an important battle, and the best Bombers in seizing the city, instead of chasing the Soviet Fleets.

10.15.2 Allocating Excess Hits

If all the player's Units in the Area have been destroyed, but not all Hits placed, excess Hits are lost.

10.15.3 Destroyed Units

Units destroyed in Combat or eliminated during the Final Attrition Phase are removed from the mapboard.

Destroyed Axis Bombers are deployed in the specific box of the Soviet Order of Battle (OoB), and they are not available until the next Turn.

Aborted Axis Bombers are deployed in the specific box of the German OoB and they are available from the next German Impulse.

Destroyed Defensive Lines can always be rebuilt.

Destroyed Axis Blocks are permanently eliminated and deployed in the specific box of the Soviet OoB. The Soviet player receives 1 extra Logistics Point for every 10 eliminated Axis Blocks.

Destroyed Soviet Blocks are added to the Soviet Reinforcements Pool and may re-enter the game as Reinforcements.

Surrendered Soviet Blocks and destroyed Soviet Fleets are instead permanently eliminated and deployed in the specific box of the Axis OoB. The Axis player receives one extra Logistics Point for every 10 eliminated Soviet Blocks/Fleets.

10.16 Additional Combat Rounds

Battles last for only ONE round.

If all Units of a player have been destroyed, the other player may conceal.

Exceptions:

• a. Attacking Fast Blocks that have cleared a Green Area (all enemy Units have been destroyed) remain visible to mark that they may Blitz.
• b. If the Area is still contested, the player controlling the Area conceals his Blocks, while the other player's Blocks remain visible.

10.17 Blitz Segment

During a Tactical Impulse, not during a Pass or during a Strategic Impulse, and after all Battles have been resolved, a Fast Combat Block (not HQs) may move to enter an uncontested Green Area – regardless whether it is friendly or enemy controlled – and even attack again (Blitzing) if all the following three conditions are met:

1. it has participated in a Battle in a Green Area;
2. the Area has been cleared of enemy Units;
3. it is in range of an activated Blitzing Capable and appropriate HQ.

There are only three Blitz HQs, marked with a Yellow Bolt Icon: Budyonny, Timoshenko, and Kleist.

Blitzing is not allowed in Bad Weather, in the Pass/Strategic Impulse, in Exploitation, over the Road to Tula, into a Yellow/Red Area nor into a Victory Area.

If a Blitzing Block moves into an enemy Area occupied by enemy Units, then Combat is mandatory.

If this Area is adjacent to an activated Blitz HQ, this HQ may support the Combat with its Artillery Fire, even if it has already provided Artillery Fire in the Combat Segment.

Soviet Fleets (if any are committed) may support the Blitz Combat in a coastal Area.

Note: in the Blitz Segment, a Fast Combat Block may not move into an Area that was already contested at the beginning of the Blitz Segment.

10.18 HQ Deactivation Segment

When all Battles (Blitz included) have been resolved, every activated HQ must be reduced (rotate it counter-clockwise by 90°) and deactivated by turning it upright in order to conceal it.

Exhausted HQs are destroyed while deactivating.

Note: Yes, you can activate that HQ showing a heart, but only once! Soviet HQ can be rebuilt, Axis cannot and do count as eliminated Axis Blocks. Remember that Guderian and LW HQs – once exhausted – cannot be activated.

10.19 Exploitation Move

After a Tactical Impulse only, (thus after the HQ Deactivation Segment) the active player may spend the Initiative Disc to play an Exploitation Move.

During the Exploitation Move, the active player may move a number of Fast Blocks (HQs included) up to his Logistics Value and up to their maximum Movement Allowance, if they are not Isolated (marked with a white cube).

During the Exploitation Move no engagement or disengagement is allowed, no Defensive Line may be built, and no Battle may be resolved.

The Axis may play the Exploitation in Good Weather only; the Soviets may play the Exploitation in any Weather, except in Rain.

11.0 Strategic Impulse

If the active player has the Initiative Disc, then instead of playing a Pass or a Tactical Impulse, he can spend the Initiative Disc to play a Strategic Impulse.

In a Strategic Impulse, the player may choose between one of the following two options:

Option A: command a number of non-Isolated Blocks up to his Logistics Value to move or build a DL, and then in the Combat Segment resolve any number of Battles. Fleets cannot be moved, but if previously committed into a coastal Area, they can support combat. HQs may NOT be activated during a Strategic Impulse, thus they cannot provide Artillery/Air Support, but they may move and even engage.

Example: the Soviets play a Strategic Impulse, Option A. He spends the Initiative Disc by deploying it onto the mapboard. HQs may NOT be activated (but they can move). First, he checks Supply for all of his Blocks. Isolated Blocks cannot take any action. Then he calculates his Logistics Value: Stalin is exhausted (counts as 0), he has three HQs deployed on the mapboard (but two are exhausted), controls four Victory Areas, and all four Supply and Control Discs are on the active side: thus his LV is nine: up to nine Blocks may make an action:

• one HQ and three Combat Blocks move to engage an enemy controlled Green Area (new engagement);
• three Infantry in three different friendly controlled and uncontested Areas are reduced by one step to build a Defensive Line in each Area;
• two HQs disengage and move to the rear.

During the Combat Phase, he must resolve the mandatory Battle and he chooses not to resolve any other. Then, the Initiative Disc goes to the Axis player.

or

Option B: call for Reinforcements, by randomly selecting a number of Blocks from his Reinforcement Pool up to his Logistics Value and deploying them at full strength (Soviet Remnants at Minimum Strength) as follows:

• Axis Reinforcements are deployed the Axis Staging Area (without stacking limits);
• Soviet Reinforcements are deployed in any full controlled and supplied Area in the Soviet Union that contains a City or is a Victory Area (max one Block per Area, without overstacking) or in any of the three Soviet Staging Areas without stacking limit.

If a Reinforcement cannot be deployed, then it must return to the Reinforcement Pool, and no other is drawn. Blocks are randomly drawn, except the last one if the Soviet player controls Kiev (2.6).

No Blocks/Fleets may be moved, nor DL built, nor HQs activated. No Combat is allowed.

Afterwards, the Initiative Disc goes to the other player.

12.0 Pass

When a player plays a Pass, he may command ONE Block to perform one of the two following actions:

• A. move up to its maximum Movement Allowance without engaging (may disengage);
• B. be reduced to build a Defensive Line.

No Combat is allowed.

Any committed Soviet Fleet is automatically de-committed at the end of any Soviet Pass.

After two consecutive Passes, the Impulse Phase is finished, and players perform the Final Phase.

13.0 Final Phase

The Final Phase is performed at the end of each Turn.

Return all Destroyed Axis Bombers from the Soviet Order of Battle to the Available Axis Bombers Box on the Axis Order of Battle.

Move the Turn Tracker forward to the next month.

14.0 Optional Rules

Optional Rules (OR)s add historical details and flavour. They can be used to balance the game between players with different experience or to enhance realism when playing the Campaign.

It is recommended that ORs should not picked individually, but added by the sequence they are listed, thus OR 14.3 should not be used if both OR 14.1 and 14.2 are not.

OR 14.1 Rail Movement

Who: Blocks (no DL) in Supply.

When: during a Pass, or a Strategic Impulse (not during a Tactical Impulse).

How long: any distance from, across and to a friendly uncontested Area (no engage/disengage).

How many: during a Pass only ONE. During a Strategic Impulse, a number of Blocks up to the LV may be Rail Moved. Other Blocks may be moved normally, up to the above limit and in any combination.

Exceptions: the two Areas (129 and 144) of the Kerch Strait are not rail connected to each other.

Note: Railways depicted on the map are depicted only for historical interest and have nothing to do with this rule.

OR 14.2 Agility

Agility grants more mobility to some units.

1. Soviet Cavalry always pays two MPs when entering an Area that would cost three MPs for any other Block (Rainy Weather included).
2. The two German Jäger and the LuftLande Infantry Divisions are still considered Slow Blocks for any purpose, but now have four MPs instead of three.
3. The three Axis and the two Soviet Mountain Units are still considered Slow Blocks for any purpose, but now pay two MPs when entering a Red Area (Rainy Weather included), and they receive a hit Bonus in any ground Combat in a Yellow/Red Area. Additionally, the three Axis Mountain Units do not suffer any combat penalty in Snow.

OR 14.3 AFVs Restrictions

Tanks and Motorized Infantry cannot cross the Kerch Strait, nor enter any Red Area.

OR 14.4 Sea Supply

Sevastopol loses its special always in supply status and rule 2.1.1 is cancelled: Soviet Units in coastal Areas of a controlled Sea are not automatically in Supply, neither is any engaged Soviet Unit in Sevastopol.

There are 13 Ports in the game, eight in the Black Sea, and five in the Azov Sea.

During the Initial Supply Check and the Final Supply Check of each Soviet Impulse a Soviet Unit must be able to trace a path of unlimited length – across Full Controlled Areas (2.5) – to a Full Controlled Supply Source Area, or overseas through:

• Black Sea Ports, if the Soviets control the Black Sea;
• Azov and Black Sea Ports, if the Soviets control both the Azov and the Black Sea.

A Line of Communication (LOC) is a path of unlimited length, traceable through friendly-controlled and uncontested Areas, and for the Soviets only even overseas but not via land across the Kerch Strait, from a Block/DL or from an Area (this relates to where a reinforcement may be deployed) to a valid Supply Source (2.1).

A LOC may neither cross nor finish – but may start in – a Contested Area or Port (either friendly or enemy-controlled).

Example: the Soviets control the Black Sea, but not the Azov Sea (because there is a Rumanian Unit in Kerch). The two Fleets have been committed to defend Sevastopol in case the Axis would try to attack the Fortress.

During the Supply Check, all Soviet Units but three (one Block and two DLs) are in supply as they either have a LoC with a valid Soviet Supply Source by land (red supply icon) or overseas (blue supply icon). The two Units in Sevastopol are in Sea Supply.

The three Isolated Units are marked with a white cube.

If in the Isolation Check at the end of the Soviet Impulse the situation has not changed, the Block will be reduced, and the DL alone in a contested Area will be destroyed.

Note: if either Sevastopol or Novorossiysk contains an Axis ground Unit, then the Soviets lose the control of the Black Sea, and – as a consequence – also of the Azov Sea.

If any Soviet Block/DL in Sevastopol has been marked as Isolated with a white cube during the Supply Check, it does not automatically suffer Attrition during the Isolation Check. Instead, the Soviet player calculates the sum of Blocks' steps and DL (DL and HQ Heart count as one for this purpose) and rolls ONE die to determine Attrition:

• A. If the die roll is greater or equal to the sum, then no Unit suffers Attrition;
• B. If the die roll is lower, then the strongest Unit is reduced, and lastly the DL is eliminated.

Example: in the Final Supply Check, there are three units in Sevastopol marked as Isolated with a white cube each: an HQ at heart level, the Marine at full strength, and a DL. A die roll of 4 or lower would cause the Marine to be reduced one step.

OR 14.5 Blizzard

Starting from the 1st Axis Impulse of December, the Weather automatically turns into Blizzard and remains Blizzard till the end of the game.

The effects are the same as for Snow, plus:

• A. Soviet Fleets and Axis Bombers cannot perform any mission;
• B. Soviet Units and the three Axis Mountain Units Blocks' Strength (the number of dice rolled and the Soviet Tactical Range) is reduced to 1/2 when attacking and it is normal when defending;
• C. Other Axis Blocks' Strength (the number of dice rolled and the Tactical Range) is reduced to 1/2 when defending and to 1/4 when attacking.

Note: the printed manual has no OR 14.6; the optional rules run from OR 14.5 to OR 14.7 as printed.

OR 14.7 Sea Transport

The Soviet player may Sea Transport an Infantry between two fully controlled Ports belonging to controlled Seas, either during a Pass (one) or a Strategic Impulse (up to his LV limit).

OR 14.8 Seaborne Operations

During a Soviet Strategic Impulse only, the Soviet player up to his LV limit can command his Marine Infantry – if it is at full strength and in an uncontested Port of a Sea he controls – to make a Seaborne Assault against any enemy controlled coastal Area in any controlled Sea.

Example: the Soviet LV is ten. In a Strategic Impulse, the Soviet player may command two Blocks to move, two Blocks to rail-move, four Blocks to sea-move, one Block to build a Defensive Line, and the Marine to a Seaborne Assault.

OR 14.9 Airborne Operations

During an Axis Strategic Impulse only, the Axis player up to his LV limit can command the Luftlande Infantry – if it is at full Strength and in an uncontested Area – to make an Airborne Assault against any enemy controlled Green Area in an Air Range of three Areas.

Setup

The two players take a seat in front of each other, in such a way the Axis player can see the Axis Units, but not the Soviet ones (except for the rear of the Blocks) and vice versa (Fog of War).

In Solitaire gaming, the same player takes alternative seats on the two sides of the table, without watching the enemy units, and playing the best moves for each side.

Setup is performed first by the Soviets, and afterwards by the Axis. For setup, Blocks are first grouped by nationality (block color), then by Army/Front Color, then – unless specified – randomly selected and deployed onto the map in Areas, as specified in the Setup Rules.

Blocks are deployed at maximum strength unless:

• A. specified in the Setup instructions with a number from "1" to "4" in brackets;
• B. those Soviet Blocks whose first step is marked with (Remnants) which are deployed at minimum Strength.

Scenarios

There are four Scenarios (Les Preludes, The River, The Pocket, The Snow) and one Campaign Game (The Southern Struggle) included in this game.

While the four scenarios are relatively easy to play and can be finished in 30-60 minutes, the full campaign game requires a bigger investment in terms of skill, experience and time.

1. Les Preludes

In the first week of Barbarossa, despite the LW nearly having swept the Soviet Airforce from the skies, Army Group South had some difficulties in creating a major breakthrough in Soviet defences along the constrained front line in between the Pripet Marshes in the north and the Hungarian border in the south.

In July, Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk are still far out of reach, and Hitler calls for Operation Munich, releasing the German 11th Army and the two Rumanian Armies to seize Odessa. Can you make it faster than the Axis did?

• Scenario Start: July Impulses Phase.
• Weather: Good.
• Initiative: Axis.
• Scenario Setup: as in the Campaign Game.
• Scenario Length: the scenario lasts until the July Final Phase, unless a Sudden Death result occurs first.
• Special Victory Conditions: the game immediately ends if either Kiev, Odessa, or Dnepropetrovsk is Axis controlled (Decisive Victory). Any other result is a Soviet Decisive Victory.
• Special Rules: each player may use the Initiative Disc only once. The ten "S" and the two "N" Blocks are not available. Do not use any Optional Rule.

2. The River

After the destruction of the frontier armies and masses of Soviet armor, the Soviets were pushed back to the Dnieper River, where they are preparing defences to halt the Axis. Odessa, supported by the Soviet Fleets, still resists along the coast.

A breach in the river defences, or worse a bridgehead, may cause a crack in the whole river line, exposing both Kiev and the Donets Basin to the Axis advance.

Can you save the Motherland? Or will this be an easy Axis victory?

• Scenario Start: August Impulses Phase.
• Weather: Good.
• Initiative: Axis.
• Scenario Setup: along the Green Dashed Line. The Soviets control Odessa and all the Areas east of the front line. The Axis controls all the Areas west.
• Scenario Length: the scenario starts in the middle of the August Impulses Phase, with the Axis playing the 1st Impulse, and ends in the Final Phase of September.
• Scenario Victory Conditions: the player controlling four or more Victory Areas at the end of September, unless a Sudden Death result occurs first, wins the game.
• Special Rules: each player may use the Initiative Disc only once. Do not use any Optional Rule.

Scenario 2 (The River) Setup

The printed manual gives the setup for this scenario on the page after the scenario text, without a separate heading; it is placed here because it follows The River's rules and precedes The Pocket.

SOVIETS

LV=18 (Stalin: 3; deployed not exhausted HQs: 5; Supply & Sea Control Markers: ALL 4; Victory Areas: Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Rostov, Maykop and Sevastopol, 6; eliminated Axis Blocks: 0, 0).

Reinforcements Pool: 11 Blocks (all the 12 Blocks with a Green Dot except Budyonny) are in the Soviet Reinforcements Pool. The two "N" Blocks are not available.

Eliminated Soviet Blocks: one "yellow" and one "light blue" Infantry, and two Soviet "yellow" Tanks – randomly drawn – surrendered and are permanently eliminated.

Available Defensive Lines: six.

The Soviets deploy:

• Stalin (3) in Moscow;
• The Soviet Fleets in Odessa;
• 14 DLs, one each in any of: the six controlled Victory Areas, Odessa, Kerch, Novorossiysk, Area 5, 20, 21, 37, and 121;
• The five HQs (all reduced by one step): B in Area 7, SW in 38, S in 72, K in 25, and NC in 94;
• the "light blue" Cavalry in Area 70;
• the "yellow" Cavalry in Area 37;
• the "light blue" Mountain Corps in Area 120;
• the "yellow" Mountain Corps in Area 39;
• the "white" Airborne in Area 121;
• the "green" Airborne in Area 9;
• the two "green" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 10 and 25;
• the two "orange" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 94 and 148;
• five "white" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area FS, 4, 55, 108, and 124;
• four "light blue" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 86, 87, 70, and 108;
• five "yellow" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 4, 5, 20, 21, and 37;
• three "white" Tanks – one each randomly drawn – in Area 7, 74, and 92;
• three "light blue" Tanks – one each randomly drawn – in Area 71, 72, and 90;
• three "yellow" Tanks – one each randomly drawn – in Area 7, 38, and 55.

AXIS

LV=13 (Hitler: 3; deployed not exhausted HQs: 9; controlled Victory Areas: Tarnopol, 1; eliminated Soviet Blocks: 4, 0).

Eliminated Axis Blocks: none.

Luftwaffe: All Bombers Available.

Reinforcements Pool: none.

Available DLs: five.

The Axis deploys:

• Hitler (3) in Rastenburg;
• Guderian in Gomel;
• five Axis Defensive Lines – one each – in Area 100, 101, 107, 109, and 119;
• the Slovak Infantry in Tarnopol;
• the three "yellow" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 3, 18, and 19;
• the "green" German Mountain and Infantry Corps – one each randomly drawn – in Area 35, 36, and 54;
• one Jäger randomly drawn, the 17th Army HQ (3), and the Mountain Division in Area 53;
• one Jäger randomly drawn, the 6th Army HQ, and the Hungarian Tank in Area 17;
• one "red" Tank randomly drawn, the LAHSS, the K HQ, and the 5th LW HQ in Area 52;
• two "red" Tanks randomly drawn, the "red" Infantry, and the 4th LW HQ (3) in Area 68;
• one "light blue" Infantry randomly drawn, the Luftlande, and the 11th HQ in Area 84;
• three "light blue" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 69, 85, and 102;
• the 4th Army Rumanian HQ in Area 99;
• the four "pink" Rumanian Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 100, 101, 109 and 119;
• the 3rd Army Rumanian HQ and its three Corps in Area 66;
• the "white" Rumanian Infantry in Area 107;
• the remaining seven Blocks in the Axis Staging Area.

3. The Pocket

At the beginning of September, the Axis forces have crossed the Dnieper, pocketed several Soviet Armies around Kiev, and are threatening the Crimea and Rostov.

However, they are still far from the real objectives of the campaign, and soon the weather will turn the battlefields into a muddy marsh. Can the Axis win before it is too late?

• Scenario Start: September Impulses Phase.
• Weather: Good. Weather die roll from October.
• Initiative: Axis.
• Scenario Setup: along the Yellow Dashed Line. The Soviets control Odessa all the Areas east of the line, including Crimea, and Area 4, 5, 6, and 20 (Kiev Pocket).
• Scenario Length: the scenario starts in the September Impulses Phase and ends in October, as soon as the Weather turns bad.
• Scenario Victory Conditions: the game is won if – once the bad weather has come – the Axis controls six Victory Areas, unless a Sudden Death occurs first. Any other result is a Soviet Victory.
• Scenario Special Rules: during this short scenario, each player may use the Initiative Disc only once. Do not use any Optional Rule.

SOVIETS (The Pocket)

LV=16 (Stalin: 2; deployed not exhausted HQs: 6; Victory Areas: Kiev, Kharkov, Rostov, Sevastopol, and Maykop, 5; Supply & Sea Control Markers: Tula, Black and Azov Sea, 3; eliminated German Blocks: 0, 0).

Reinforcements Pool: 20 Blocks (see Soviet Order of Battle for details). The two "N" Blocks are not available.

Available Defensive Lines: six.

Eliminated Soviet Blocks: one "yellow" and one "light blue" Infantry, and two Soviet "yellow" Tanks – randomly drawn – surrendered and are permanently eliminated.

The Soviets deploy:

• Stalin (2) in Moscow;
• the Soviet Fleets in Area 121;
• 14 DLs, one each in any of: the five controlled Victory Areas, and Area 5, 20, 37, 56, 72, 108, 129, 145, and 121;
• the six HQs: B (2) in Area 6, C (3) in 130, SW (3) in 9, S (3) in 74, K (3) in 25, and NC (3) in 145;
• the Marine in FS;
• the "light blue" Cavalry in Area 89;
• the "yellow" Cavalry in Area 20;
• the "white" Airborne in Area 60;
• the "green" Airborne in Area 40;
• the three "green" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 10, 24, and 25;
• the two "orange" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 129 and 148;
• the two "blue" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 121 and 122;
• three "white" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 58, 93, and 94;
• five "light blue" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 56, 72, 90, 108, and 124;
• six "yellow" Infantry – one each randomly drawn – in Area 8, 22, 37 and 38; two in Area 4;
• three "white" Tanks – one each randomly drawn – in Area 6, 127, and 142;
• two "light blue" Tanks – one each randomly drawn – in Area 74 and 92;
• two "yellow" Tanks – one each randomly drawn – in Area 5 and 9;

AXIS (The Pocket)

LV=13 (Hitler: 2; deployed not exhausted HQs: 9; Victory Areas: Tarnopol and Dnepropetrovsk, 2; eliminated Soviet Blocks: 4, 0).

Eliminated Axis Blocks: none.

Luftwaffe: All Bombers Available.

Reinforcements Pool: none.

Available Defensive Lines: five.

The Axis deploys:

• Hitler (2) in Rastenburg;
• Guderian (2) in Nizhyn;
• five Axis Defensive Lines – one each – in Area 100, 101, 107, 109, and 119;
• the 60th Motorized Division in Tarnopol;
• the two Jäger and the Mountain Divisions in Area 54;
• the three "yellow" Infantry (3) – one each randomly drawn – in Area 3, 18, and 19;
• the three "red" Tanks (3) in Area 7;
• the "red" Infantry (3) in Area 21;
• the two "green" German Infantry in Area 55;
• the other three "green" Axis Blocks in Area 71;
• the two SS Motorized Brigades, the 6th Army HQ (3), and the Hungarian Tank in Area 35;
• two "white" Infantry Corps randomly drawn, the LAHSS, and the K HQ (3) in Area 36;
• the 5th FK and the 17th Army HQ – both at three steps – in Area 53;
• two "light blue" and one "white" Infantry randomly drawn in Area 123;
• two "light blue" Infantry randomly drawn and the Luftlande in Area 88;
• the 4th Rumanian HQ in Area 99;
• the four "pink" Rumanian Infantry (2) – one each randomly drawn – in Area 100, 101, 109, and 119;
• the 4th FK, the 11th German, and the 3rd Rum. HQs in Area 87, all at three steps;
• the three "orange" Rumanian Units in Area 70;
• the "white" Rumanian Infantry in Area 107.

4. The Snow

November 20. The Axis control a vast area including all the main objectives, except Sevastopol and the Caucasus. The Soviets seem defeated. However, the Snow and the harsh weather conditions may play against the invader...

Will the Axis be able to seize the last objectives, or at least hold on against a predicted Soviet winter counteroffensive?

• Scenario Start: November Impulses Phase.
• Weather: Snow.
• Initiative: Soviets.
• Scenario Setup: along the Red Dashed Line. The Soviets control Sevastopol and all the Areas east of the front line, the Axis controls all the Areas west.
• Scenario Length: the scenario starts with the November Impulses Phase and ends in the Final Phase of December, unless a Sudden Death result occurs first.
• Special Rules: during this short scenario, each player may use the Initiative Disc only once. Do not use any Optional Rule.
• Special Victory Conditions: the game is won by the player controlling four or more Victory Areas at the end of December, unless a Sudden Death result occurs first.

SOVIETS (The Snow)

LV=10 (Stalin: 0; deployed not exhausted HQs: 6; Victory Areas: Sevastopol and Maykop, 2; Supply & Sea Control Markers: Tula and Black Sea, 2; eliminated German Blocks: 0, 0).

Eliminated Soviet Blocks: 16 Blocks (see Axis Order of Battle for details) surrendered.

Reinforcements Pool: ten Blocks (see Soviet Order of Battle for details).

Available Defensive Lines: eight.

The Soviets deploy:

• Stalin (0) in Moscow;
• the Soviet Fleets in Sevastopol;
• 12 DLs, one each in any of: the two controlled Victory Areas, and Areas 11, 26, 41, 42, 43, 59, 60, 77, 144, and 145;
• the five HQs: C (2) in FS, SW (2) in 12, S (2) in 136, K (2) in 27, NC (2) in 145, and T (3) in S3;
• the Marine in 145;
• the "blue" Infantry in FS;
• two "orange" Infantry – randomly drawn – in Area 144;
• one "orange" Infantry – randomly drawn – in Area 140 and one in Area 148;
• the "green" Airborne with a randomly drawn green Infantry in Area 11;
• one "green" Infantry, one "white" Tank, and one "white" Cavalry – randomly drawn – in Area 26;
• one "white" Infantry and one "white" Cavalry – randomly drawn – in Area 41;
• two "yellow" Infantry and one "yellow" Tank – randomly drawn – in Area 42;
• two "yellow" Infantry and one "white" Cavalry – randomly drawn – in Area 43;
• two "white" Infantry and one "white" Tank – randomly drawn – in Area 59;
• two "white" Infantry and one "white" Tank – randomly drawn – in Area 60;
• three "light blue" Infantry and one "light blue" Tank – randomly drawn – in Area 77;
• three "light blue" Infantry and one "light blue" Tank – randomly drawn – in Area 133.

AXIS (The Snow)

LV=15/2 (Hitler: 0; deployed not exhausted HQs: 9; Victory Areas: Tarnopol, Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev, Kharkov, and Rostov, 5; eliminated Soviet Blocks: 16, 1).

Eliminated Axis Blocks: none.

Luftwaffe: one Bomber available for each FK.

Reinforcements Pool: none.

Available Defensive Lines: none.

The Axis deploys:

• Hitler (0) in Rastenburg;
• Guderian HQ (2) in Kaluga;
• ten Axis Defensive Lines – one each – in Areas 10, 25, 40, 57, 58, 75, 76, 93, 108, and 119;
• the Slovak Corps (1) in Tarnopol;
• one "yellow" Infantry (3) randomly drawn and the 60th Motorized Division in Area 10;
• one "yellow" Infantry (3) and one Jäger – randomly drawn – in Area 25;
• one "yellow" (3) and one "white" (3) Infantry Corps – randomly drawn – in Area 40;
• one "white" (3) Infantry Corps randomly drawn and the Hungarian Tank in Area 57;
• the "red" (3) Infantry and one Jäger randomly drawn in Area 58;
• one "red" (3) Tank randomly drawn and the CSIR (2) in Area 75;
• one "red" (3) Tank and one "green" (3) Infantry – randomly drawn – in Area 76;
• one "red" (3) Tank randomly drawn and the "green" Mountain Corps (3) in Area 73;
• one "green" (3) Infantry randomly drawn and the LAHSS in Area 94;
• the 6th Army HQ (2) in Area 24;
• K HQ (2) in Area 73;
• the two SS Motorized Brigades – one each – in Area 4 and 55;
• the 17th Army HQ (3) in Area 74;
• the 4th FK (2) in Area 91, the 5th FK (2) in Area 38;
• the 11th Army HQ (2) and one light blue Infantry randomly drawn in Area 127;
• one "light blue" and one "white" Infantry Corps randomly drawn in Area 129;
• the 4th Mountain Division and the Rumanian Mountain Corps (2) in Area 131;
• the Rumanian "orange" Infantry (2) in Area 128;

The Southern Struggle (Campaign Game), July – December 1941

"Trade Space for Time" has long been the maxim of Mother Russia's defenders. In KIEV '41 the Russians have plenty of space, but the Germans do not have a great deal of time. Kiev itself is important to both sides, but for the Germans, unlike Moscow or Leningrad, it is just a marker along the way. Other objectives lie far beyond it.

The challenge facing the Wehrmacht is made all the greater because they initially face a daunting amount of Soviet strength. This is quite capable of wrecking the plans of any German player who mistakes rash impetuosity for measured aggression. Early errors by the Germans can end the game quickly, whereas the right moves, that is, those that lead to the permanent removal of Soviet forces, simply set the stage for the next range of options.

In truth, both sides are dealing with a range of operational subtleties that will take some plays to master. The Wehrmacht will not benefit overmuch by impulsive lunges into whatever space the Soviets are willing to give it. Rather, the Germans should aim to create their own space by thrusting deep into regions with the purpose of causing the irrecovable loss of clutches of Soviet formations.

By contrast, the Soviets need to keep the German clock ticking at an ever-swifter rate. And this will often involve creating distractions the Wehrmacht cannot afford to ignore, looking for chances to complicate the on-map situation, and simply keeping enough of an army in being that they are still in the fight as the year is coming to an end.

• Weather: Good. Weather die roll from October.
• Initiative: Axis.
• Campaign Start: July Impulses Phase.
• Campaign Setup: along the white/red Dashed Line.

Players can either use the "partially randomly drawn" setup, or refer to Historical Setup as shown on the map, close to each unit icon symbol. In the latter case, as an example, instead of randomly drawing two "yellow" Infantry and two "red" Tanks to be deployed in the Axis Staging Area, the Axis player specifically deploys the 44th and 55th Infantry and the 3rd and 14th Panzer Corps. The asterisk close to some Soviet Icons denotes Units to be deployed at minimum strength ("R" as "Remnant").

• Area Control: the Axis controls the Axis staging Area, Tarnopol, and all the Areas in Rumania; Guderian is deployed on the first box of the Road to Tula. The Soviets control all the other Areas east of the front line.
• Campaign Length: the Campaign starts with the July Impulses Phase and ends in the Final Phase of December, unless a Sudden Death Victory (2.4.4.2) result happens first.

SOVIETS (Campaign)

LV=18 (Stalin: 4; deployed not exhausted HQs: 4; Supply & Sea Control Markers: ALL 4; Victory Areas: Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Rostov, Maykop and Sevastopol, 6; eliminated Axis Blocks: 0, 0).

Eliminated Soviet Blocks: none.

Reinforcements Pool: all the 12 Blocks with a Green Dot are in the Soviet Reinforcements Pool; the ten Blocks with "S" will be available in September; the two Blocks with "N" will be available in November.

Available Defensive Lines: 15.

The Soviets deploy:

• Stalin in Moscow;
• The Fleets in the Fleets Staging Area;
• Five Soviet Defensive Lines – one each – in Area 4, 108, 129, 145, and "FS";
• The Soviet HQ "SW" in Area 4, "S" in Area 108, "K" in Area 25, and "NC" in Area 142;
• The "white" Airborne Corps in Area 108;
• The "green" Airborne Corps in Area 9;
• The "yellow" Cavalry Corps in Area 1;
• The "light blue" Cavalry Corps in Area 105;
• The "yellow" Mountain Corps in Area 29;
• The "light blue" Mountain Corps in Area 46;
• 20 Infantry (five "white", six "yellow", five "light blue", two "orange", and two "green") randomly drawn on the corresponding colored Infantry Icon on the mapboard – some may be Remnants;
• 11 Tank Corps (three "white", five "yellow", and three "light blue") randomly drawn on the corresponding colored Infantry Icon on the mapboard – some may be Remnants.

AXIS (Campaign)

LV=12 (Hitler: 4; deployed not exhausted HQs: 7; Victory Areas: Tarnopol, 1; eliminated Soviet Blocks: 0, 0).

Eliminated Axis Blocks: none.

Luftwaffe: four Bombers Available.

Reinforcements Pool: 19 Blocks are in the Reinforcements Pool: the 5th LW HQ with its four Bombers; the 17th Army HQ and all its five "green" Infantry; one randomly drawn "red" tank, the LAHSS [printed as "LASHH" in this list; corrected here to match the unit's usual abbreviation], and the "red" infantry; the Hungarian Tank, and one randomly drawn "yellow" Infantry; one randomly drawn Jäger Division; the three Motorized Infantry, and the three white Infantry Corps (34th, 42nd, 51st).

Available Defensive Lines: seven.

The Axis deploy (all at maximum strength):

• Hitler in Rastenburg;
• Guderian in Minsk (Road to Tula's First Box);
• three Axis Defensive Lines – one each – in Area 97, 104, 119;
• The 6th Army and 1st Panzer Group HQs, two randomly drawn "yellow" Infantry, and two randomly drawn "red" Tanks in the Axis Staging Area;
• the 4th Mountain Division and a randomly drawn Jäger Division in Tarnopol;
• the 4th Rumanian Army and the 4th FK HQs in Area 103;
• the Luftlande Division, the 3rd Rumanian and the 11th German Army HQs in Area 78;
• the Rumanian Mountain Corps in Area 61;
• the Rumanian Tank, the Rumanian "orange" Infantry and one German randomly drawn "light blue" Infantry in Area 62;
• one German randomly drawn "light blue" Infantry in Area 79 and one in Area 110;
• two Rumanian randomly drawn "pink" Infantry and one German randomly drawn "light blue" Infantry in Area 97;
• one Rumanian randomly drawn "pink" Infantry in Area 104;
• one Rumanian randomly drawn "pink" Infantry in Area 111;
• the Rumanian "white" Infantry in Area 113.

Note: in total, of 66 Soviet Blocks, 42 are in play, 12 are in the Reinforcements Pool (10 will become available in September, two in November); of 46 Axis Blocks, 27 are in play, 19 are in the Axis Reinforcements Pool.