Moscow '41 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• THE ARMIES
  • Unit Name Abbreviations
  • Abbreviations
• 1.0 INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1 GAME COMPONENTS
  • 1.2 STICKERING
  • 1.3 UNITS and BLOCKS
  • 1.4 SCALE
  • 1.5 FOG of WAR
    • 1.5.1 Revealing Blocks
  • 1.6 WEATHER
  • 1.7 HOW TO WIN THE GAME
• 2.0 MAPBOARD
  • 2.1 SUPPLY SOURCE
  • 2.2 OFF MAP BOXES
  • 2.3 ABSORB BONUS
  • 2.4 TERRAIN
    • 2.4.1 Green Area
    • 2.4.2 Yellow Area
    • 2.4.3 Victory Area
    • 2.4.4 German Staging Areas
    • 2.4.5 City
    • 2.4.6 River Crossing
  • 2.5 AREA CONTROL
    • 2.5.1 Marking Area Control
  • 2.6 MOVEMENT POINT COST
  • 2.7 STACKING
• 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 COLOURED 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
  • 8.1 DETERMINING the WEATHER
• 9.0 SUPPLY
  • 9.1 SUPPLY CHECK
  • 9.2 LINE of COMMUNICATION
  • 9.3 ISOLATION CHECK
• 10.0 TACTICAL IMPULSE
  • 10.1 HQ ACTIVATION SEGMENT
  • 10.2 TACTICAL HQ
  • 10.3 TACTICAL RANGE
  • 10.4 ARTILLERY FIRE
  • 10.5 EXHAUSTED HQ
  • 10.6 MARSHAL ZHUKOV
  • 10.7 COMMANDING ACTIONS
  • 10.8 MOVEMENT
    • 10.8.1 Movement Allowance
  • 10.9 ROAD TO LENINGRAD
    • 10.9.1 Supply
  • 10.10 LUFTWAFFE HQ
    • 10.10.1 German Bombers
    • 10.10.2 Soviet Anti-Air (AA)
  • 10.11 COMBAT
  • 10.12 COMBAT SEQUENCE
    • 10.12.1 Showdown
    • 10.12.2 Artillery Fire
    • 10.12.3 Anti-Air Fire
    • 10.12.4 Airstrike
    • 10.12.5 Ground Combat
      • 10.12.5.1 Engaging across Rivers
      • 10.12.5.2 Tank Attack!
  • 10.13 ABSORB BONUS
  • 10.14 APPLYING LOSSES
    • 10.14.1 Strongest Block(s)
    • 10.14.2 Allocating Excess Hits
    • 10.14.3 Destroyed Units
  • 10.15 ADDITIONAL COMBAT ROUNDS
  • 10.16 BLITZ SEGMENT
  • 10.17 HQ DEACTIVATION SEGMENT
  • 10.18 EXPLOITATION MOVE
• 11.0 STRATEGIC IMPULSE
• 12.0 PASS
• 13.0 FINAL PHASE
  • 13.1 BOMBERS
  • 13.2 KIEV
  • 13.3 LENINGRAD
    • 13.3.1 SHLISSELBURG
• 14.0 OPTIONAL RULES
  • OR 14.1 IGNORE ARMY COLOUR
  • OR 14.2 ZHUKOV/and HOEPNER
  • OR 14.3 MOSCOW
  • OR 14.4 RAIL MOVEMENT
  • OR 14.5 BLIZZARD
  • OR 14.6 CAVALRY Enhanced Mobility
  • OR 14.7 German Infantry Divisions
  • OR 14.8 Operation CRUSADER
• SCENARIO SETUP
• 1. BEYOND THE DNIEPER
• 2. OPERATION TYPHOON
  • SOVIETS
  • GERMANY
• 3. THE WEHRMACHT'S LAST GASP
  • SOVIETS
  • GERMANY
• CAMPAIGN GAME
  • THE ROAD TO MOSCOW: JULY - DECEMBER 1941
  • SOVIETS
  • GERMANY

THE ARMIES

The Germans, 50 Blocks

• Hitler
• 2nd Army - 6 Blocks (von Weichs) - Yellow
• 4th Army - 5 Blocks (von Kluge) - Light Blue
• 9th Army - 6 Blocks (Strauss) - Pink
• 16th Army - 3 Blocks (Busch) - Brown
• 2nd Panzer Gruppe - 7 Blocks (Guderian) - Red
• 3rd Panzer Gruppe - 4 Blocks (Hoth) - Green
• 4th Panzer Gruppe - 4 Blocks (Hoepner) - Blue
• German Reserves - 12 Blocks - White
• 2nd Fliekerkorps - (Loerzer) with 4 He-111
• 8th Fliegerkorps - (von Richtofen) with 2 He-111 and 2 Stuka

The Soviets, 70 Blocks

• Stalin
• Marshall Zhukov
• Bryansk Front - 8 Blocks (Yeremenko) - Green
• Central Front - 8 Blocks (Kuznetsov) - Light Blue
• Kalinin Front - 8 Blocks (Budyonny) - Red
• Western Front - 14 Blocks (Konev) - Blue
• Northwestern Front - 4 Blocks (Sobennikov) - Yellow
• Soviet Reserves - 26 Blocks - White

Unit Name Abbreviations

• Pg = Panzer Group
• FK = Fliegerkorps
• DR = Das Reich
• TT = Totenkopf
• GD = Großdeutschland Regiment
• D = Dovator Cavalry Group
• E = Ermakov Cavalry Group
• Sh = Shock Army
• G = Guard

Abbreviations

• (X.Y) = See rule chapter X.Y
• AA = Anti-Air
• AR = Air Range
• SF = Single Fire
• DF = Double Fire
• TF = Triple Fire
• DL = Defensive Line
• MP = Movement Point(s)
• OR = Optional Rules
• RM = Rail Movement
• SI = Strategic Impulse
• LV = Logistics Value
• TI = Tactical Impulse
• HQ = Headquarters
• LW HQ = Luftwaffe Headquarters
• VP = Victory Point(s)

1.0 INTRODUCTION

MOSCOW '41 is a wargame covering the German Army Group Centre's offensive toward Moscow, after having successfully defeated several Soviet armies in the great encirclement battles at the frontier and having established two bridgeheads on the Dnieper River.

Although based on a historical event, the two players can modify the course of the operations, with the German player trying to achieve a decisive victory before the winter comes, and the Soviet player playing a fighting withdrawal, while waiting for the best timing to strike a decisive blow at the invaders.

The game is recommended for two players, but has excellent solitaire suitability.

There is a Campaign Game, which covers the operations from July to December 1941, and three scenarios covering respectively the early, the middle and the final phase of the Army Group Centre 1941 war operations on the Eastern Front.

1.1 GAME COMPONENTS

The game includes:

• 1 mapboard (heavy stock, laminated 86 x 62 cm)
• 1 Rules Manual (24 pages)
• 2 Rules Summary and Player Aids
• 2 Order of Battles/Scenario Setup Aids
• 147 PVC Stickers
• 120 wooden blocks
• 8 Luftwaffe Bombers (8 black discs)
• 85 wooden markers: 1 Weather Forecast Marker (yellow cylinder); 1 Initiative Disc (large disc); 2 Weather markers (white discs); Shlisselburg, Leningrad and Kiev control discs (light blue, blue and orange); 13 Artillery Fire markers (wooden squares, 7 black and 6 red); 20 Area control cubes (10 red, 10 black); 5 River Crossing markers (blue cubes); 10 Out of Supply markers (white cubes); 30 Defensive Lines (wooden beams, 10 black and 20 red beams).

The Kickstarter Edition also includes two Set of Stickers instead of one (Standard + Icons) and two Draw Bags.

1.2 STICKERING

1. Apply the 14 circular stickers as follows:

   • the two large stickers to the large green disc;
   • the four Weather Markers to the two white discs;
   • the 8 Bombers to the 8 black discs.

2. Apply the 133 square stickers as follows:

   • the 7 Gray Artillery Markers to the 7 black squares;
   • the 6 Pink Artillery Markers to the 6 red squares;
   • and one sticker each to the 120 wooden blocks:
     • German: 50 stickers to the 50 black blocks;
     • Soviet: 70 stickers to the 70 red blocks.

1.3 UNITS and BLOCKS

Units are divided into:

• Defensive Lines (wooden beams without stickers);
• Blocks (wooden blocks with a sticker).

1.4 SCALE

In MOSCOW '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), a major combat formation (Combat Block) or the Supreme Leader (Leader).

Besides the Campaign Game (which lasts for six Turns, from July to December 1941, and is played in 1-3 hours) players can also choose one of the three Scenarios.

1.5 FOG of WAR

Place the mapboard in the centre of the table. The German 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 units are placed upright with the sticker facing the owning player so that the enemy player cannot see them.

During the game - at certain points - some Blocks may be revealed.

1.5.1 Revealing Blocks

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

1.6 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, whereas it must determined by a dice roll starting from the second German Impulse of October (8.0).

1.7 HOW TO WIN THE GAME

Each scenario has its own Victory Conditions.

Victory Conditions for the Campaign Game are described below.

There are 5 Victory Areas (Smolensk, Tula, Orel, Voronezh and Moscow) and 2 Victory Boxes (Leningrad and Kiev) marked with a large Star Icon. Each grants 1 Victory Point (VP) to the controlling player. The 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 7 Victory Points;

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

Example: at the game start the Germans have 1 VP (Smolensk) and the Soviets have 6 (Leningrad, Moscow, Tula, Voronezh, Kursk, Kiev), thus if the Soviets conquer Smolensk, the game ends immediately with a Soviet Decisive Victory.

2.0 MAPBOARD

The map is divided into 175 zones called Areas, each identified by a unique number (from 1 to 171) with a green circle (Green Area), a yellow circle (Yellow Area), a Star Icon (Victory Area) or by a special code: 16A, 9A, 4A and 2A (the four German Staging Areas).

Note: the Area with the company logo in the southern-east corner of the mapboard is not a playable Area.

2.1 SUPPLY SOURCE

The Soviet Supply Source is any Red Border of the mapboard (northern, eastern and southern).

The German Supply Source is any of the 4 German Staging Areas.

2.2 OFF MAP BOXES

Additionally there are 12 special off map Boxes. Units in these Boxes are considered always in Supply.

Rastenburg is the town in East Prussia where the Fuhrer's Headquarters (Wolf's Lair) was located. In the game it is represented as a Box where Hitler is deployed and it is forbidden to any other Unit.

Kiev, one of the targets of Army Group South, is represented as a Box on the Southern Map Border. No Unit may enter it. Controlling Kiev (13.2) gives the Germans several advantages: the orange disc is removed and the Southern Map Border (the 7 Areas marked with a Orange Supply Icon) ceases to be a Soviet Supply Source and the 48th Panzer Corps is added to the German Reinforcement Pool.

Road to Leningrad

The 10 Boxes on the Northern Border of the mapboard, are an abstract representation of the German Army Group North's path, led by Hoepner's 4th Panzer Group, with the aim of seizing the old Tsarist capital. The first Box is Pskov, where Hoepner is deployed at the game start, while the last one represents Leningrad itself.

If the Germans reach Shlisselburg, the light blue disc is removed and the western half of the Northern Map Border (the five Areas with a light blue Supply Icon) ceases to be a Soviet Supply Source.

If the Germans seize Leningrad, the blue disc is removed and the whole Northern Map Border (the five Areas with a blue Supply Icon) ceases to be a Soviet Supply Source.

At game start, Hoepner is deployed in the Pskov Box. During the game, only Hoepner - and eventually the three German Blocks accompanying him - may move over the Road to Leningrad and are exempt from Supply, but cannot enter any other Area/Box (see 10.9).

The four German Blocks above (Hoepner HQ, 41th and 56th Panzer Corps and the Totenkopf Motorized Division) represent the 4th Panzer Group.

2.3 ABSORB BONUS

The Absorb Bonus is the ability of the Defender to avoid hits (10.13). Cities, Victory Areas, Yellow Areas and Defensive Lines provide an Absorb Bonus.

2.4 TERRAIN

There are 4 different types of Areas: Green, Yellow, Victory and the German Staging Areas.

Note: roads, railroads, bridges, lakes (except Lake Ilmen) and towns - such as Demyansk - are reported only for historical accuracy, but have no impact on the game.

2.4.1 Green Area

A Green Area has a Green Circle and is considered open terrain, easy to attack and hard to defend, thus it provides no Absorb Bonus. A maximum of 4 Blocks per player may stack in a Green Area. Entering a Green Area costs 1 MP.

2.4.2 Yellow Area

A Yellow Area has a Yellow Circle and is considered rough terrain, usually either forested, swamped, or hilly. Such an Area would be hard to attack and easy to defend, thus it provides a Single Absorb Bonus. A maximum of 2 Blocks per player may stack in a Yellow Area. Entering a Yellow Area costs 2 MP.

2.4.3 Victory Area

A Victory Area has a Yellow Star and the player controlling it gains 1 Victory Point. A Victory Area is a highly populated urban Area with concrete buildings, very hard to attack and very easy to defend.

Entering a Victory Area costs 2 MP and the stacking is 2 Blocks per player. A Victory Area is considered Heavy Urban and provides a Double Absorb Bonus.

There are 5 Victory Areas in the game (Smolensk, Kursk, Tula, Voronezh and Moscow). Controlling all 5 Victory Areas plus Kiev and Leningrad is a Sudden Death result.

2.4.4 German Staging Areas

The four German Staging Areas: 16A, 9A, 4A and 2A are the German Supply Sources and the Areas where German Reinforcements enter the game. Stacking is ignored, entering costs 1 MP. Only the Germans may use them, while they are forbidden to the Soviets (no movement, no Supply nor Command Range may be traced through) and thus no Combat may happen.

2.4.5 City

Some Areas contain a City. A City has a white square and the name printed in white. A City has an Absorb Bonus.

Chernigov and Romny are two Special Cities, marked with a small Star Icon and have their names printed in red. Controlling Chernigov and Romny has an impact on controlling Kiev (13.2).

2.4.6 River Crossing

Rivers affect Combat (but not Movement). See 10.12.5.1. Blocks which have engaged across a River into a newly contested Area, are marked with a blue cube.

2.5 AREA CONTROL

• A player controls an Area if only Units belonging to that player are in the Area.
• 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 first (Original Defender).

At the game start, the Germans control: Rastenburg, the Pskov Box, the four German Staging Areas, and the five Areas marked with a Balkan Cross.

The other 166 Areas and 10 Boxes (Kiev + the other 9 Boxes of the Road to Leningrad) are Soviet controlled.

2.5.1 Marking Area Control

Players can use cubes of the appropriate colour (red for the Soviets; black for the Germans) to mark Area control.

2.6 MOVEMENT POINT COST

Entering an Area costs 1 or 2 Movement Points (MP):

• German Staging Areas: 1 MP (No Soviets);
• Green: clear terrain, 1 MP
• Yellow: rough terrain, 2 MP
• Victory Area: heavy urban terrain, 2 MP
• No Movement is allowed into Rastenburg/Kiev.
• Movement over the Road to Leningrad is described in 10.9.

2.7 STACKING

Except for the 4 German Staging Areas which have unlimited stacking for the Germans (but are forbidden to the Soviets), the maximum stacking per player in an Area is 4 Blocks (Green Area) or 2 Blocks (Yellow/Victory Area), plus 1 Defensive Line.

• German Staging Area: unlimited German Units
• Green Area: 4 Blocks
• Yellow Area: 2 Blocks
• Victory Area: 2 Blocks

Note: Stacking Limit is per player, so a Green Area may contain up to 8 Blocks - up to 4 per player - and 1 Defensive Line. Yellow and Victory Area provide Absorb Bonus (10.13).

The 12 Boxes have special Stacking rules:

• Defensive Line: Not Allowed
• Kiev: no Unit allowed;
• Rastenburg: Hitler only;
• Road to Leningard boxes: only the 4 Blocks of the 4th Panzer Group.

Area type summary

Area type	Absorb	Stacking	MP
Green	0	4	1
Yellow	1	2	2
Victory	2	2	2
German Staging	0	unlimited	1

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 which roughly represent 1 month of historical time. A Turn is divided into Impulses. During his own Impulse, a player may 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 1.7), 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, the Block will still roll 1 die.

Example: 7/2 = 3.5 rounded down to 3. Example: 1/2 = 0.5 rounded to 1

3.2 INITIATIVE

The player who holds the Initiative Disc is the player with the Initiative. Having the Initiative grants several privileges.

3.2.1 Initiative Disc

The player without the Initiative is the first to setup 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 to:

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

4.0 UNITS

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

Additionally, both players have Defensive Lines (wooden beams, ten black for the Germans and twenty red for the Soviets) and the Germans have eight Bombers (wooden black discs).

4.1 DEFENSIVE LINES

Defensive Lines (DL) are represented by wooden beams and have no sticker. Defensive Lines are fortification works - including trenches, minefields, anti-tank ditches and barbed wire - with machine guns, anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft guns attached.

DL are provided in a limited number in the game (20 red for the Soviets, 10 black for the Germans), but a player may - at anytime - voluntarily disband some to build new ones.

A DL may be built in any controlled and uncontested Area 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) once. A unit cannot be destroyed to build a Defensive Line. A Defensive Line:

• cannot move, nor attack. It can only defend;
• has a (Defensive) Single Fire (hits at 6);
• has an Absorb Bonus of 1, so 2 hits are required to eliminate it;
• if marked Out of Supply, a DL is not destroyed unless it is in a contested Area;
• but in Combat, no friendly Blocks may be hit before the DL is destroyed.

4.2 BLOCKS

Each Block has a sticker reporting the name, the type, the Strength, the Firepower, and the colour coding that tells Movement Allowance. A Block represents:

• the Supreme Leader (Hitler and Stalin);
• HQs (Front HQs for the Soviets plus Zhukov; Army, Panzer Group and Luftwaffe HQs for the Germans);
• Combat Blocks: a major military formation (Army or Corps for the Soviets, plus the NKVD Motorized Infantry Division; Corps, Divisions or Brigades for the Germans, plus the Großdeutschland Regiment).

Note: in the game, most Soviet Combat Blocks are Army (four dots) or Corps (three dots) size formations, plus three Tank and the NKVD Motorized Divisions (two dots), while German Combat Blocks are Corps (four dots), Division or Brigades (two dots) plus the Großdeutschland Regiment (single dot).

4.2.1 Movement Allowance

Defensive Lines and Leaders cannot move.

Blocks may be Fast or Slow:

• Fast Blocks (dark red sticker background colour for the Soviets, dark gray for the Germans) have 5 MP.
• Slow Blocks (pink sticker background colour for the Soviets and gray for the Germans) have 3 MP.

Note: all German HQs are Fast (except the two Luftwaffe HQs) and all Soviet HQs are Slow (except Zhukov). German Infantry Divisions gain 1 extra MP with OR 14.7.

4.2.2 Firepower

The Firepower (of a Unit) is its chances of scoring a hit in Combat and it is colour coded:

• Single Fire (SF), hits only at 6;
• Double Fire (DF), hits at 5 and 6;
• Triple Fire (TF), hits at 4, 5 and 6.

HQ Stars are considered White, thus they have DF. LW HQs have no Firepower in ground combat.

4.2.3 Strength

Defensive Lines have a Strength of 1.

Blocks 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 4 to a minimum of 1. Exhausted HQs (Heart Level) have no Strength.

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

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

Luftwaffe HQ Strength is used to determine how many Bombers the HQ may commit and their Air Range.

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.

Example: the 2nd Panzer Group led by Guderian commands three Panzer Corps (24th, 46th and 47th), the Das Reich Motorized Division, the Gross Deutschland Motorized Regiment and the 1st Cavalry Division.

Some Combat Blocks on each side are "White" and they do not belong to any HQ: they may be commanded by any Tactical HQ.

Tactical HQ are essential for moving Combat Blocks, building Defensive Lines, and providing Artillery Fire.

German Luftwaffe HQ (2FK and 8FK) cannot command Blocks, build DL, or provide Artillery Fire, but they provide Airstrike (10.12.4).

4.2.4 Leaders

Hitler and Stalin are the (Supreme) Leaders. They are restricted (cannot move) to Rastenburg and Moscow respectively and have no Firepower. Hitler cannot be eliminated. Stalin counts for stacking and if Moscow falls, Stalin dies and then no more Logistics Phase will be available for the Soviets.

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

4.2.5 Combat Blocks

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

Note: there is no distinction between Motorized Infantry and Cavalry, unless players use OR 14.6.

Note: the Soviet 4th and 5th Airborne Corps have no Airborne capability and act as regular Infantry in the game.

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 GERMAN player has nine HQ:

• seven Tactical HQ (2, 4, 9, 16, 2Pg, 3Pg, 4Pg)
• two Luftwaffe HQ (2 and 8 Fliegerkorps)

The SOVIET player has six Tactical HQ representing five Front HQ (Bryansk, Central, Kalinin, Northwestern and Western HQ) and Marshal Zhukov.

Each Army (for the Germans) and Front (for the Soviets) has a unique colour code identifying all the Combat Blocks which belong to the same Tactical HQ.

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.

German Reinforcements enter the game as follows:

1. the three "L" German Blocks (but no others) in the same Box occupied by Hoepner on the Road to Leningrad;
2. other German Blocks in the appropriate Staging Areas (White German Blocks in any of these four Areas), but never on the Road to Leningrad.

Soviet Reinforcements enter the game in a Victory Area or in an Area containing a City - maximum 1 Block per Area and without overstacking - provided that all the following conditions are met:

1. the Area is friendly controlled and uncontested;
2. the Area is in Supply.

An Area is in Supply if it can trace a Line of Communication to a valid Supply Source (9.0).

Note: if a Reinforcement cannot be deployed because it does not meet any of the conditions above it must be returned to the Reinforcement Pool (no other is selected).

5.1 COLOURED LETTER UNITS

Some units have a white letter inside a coloured circle on the lower right corner.

• Indicates the Panzer Bonus (48th Panzer Corps) available if Kiev is German controlled (13.2).
• Indicates the 4 German Blocks restricted to the Road to Leningrad.
• Indicates the 5 Soviet Blocks which become available at the beginning of November Turn.

Once a Block becomes available, it is immediately added to the appropriate 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 (the player with the Initiative first)
   • Bad Weather Check (from October, 2nd Impulse)
   • 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 Movement (by playing the 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 (not in the 1st). The player without the Initiative first, must choose to:

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

7.1 LOGISTICS PAUSE

If a player declares a Logistics Pause, his Leader is fully regenerated (turn it to Full Strength).

7.2 LEADER ACTIVATION

If a player activates his Leader, 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 Leader is reduced.

7.2.1 Logistics Value (LV)

The Logistics Value (LV) is 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 Logistics Value is calculated by adding:

1. the Strength of the Leader (Hitler/Stalin);
2. the number of non-exhausted HQ deployed over the map (LW HQ included);
3. the number of occupied VP Areas;
4. plus 1 for the Germans for every 10 surrendered Soviet Blocks, and plus 1 for the Soviets for every 10 destroyed or surrendered German Blocks.

You have to recalculate LV every time you are going to use it, not only in Logistics Phase.

Example: at the beginning of the Campaign Game, the Germans LV is 8, calculated by adding:

• Hitler's Strength (4);
• the number of German deployed and not exhausted HQs: Hoepner, Hoth and Guderian (3);
• the number of controlled Victory Areas: Smolensk (1).

7.2.1.1 Bad Weather affects Logistics

In Rain the Logistics Value is always halved.

In Snow the Logistics Value is halved if the player does not control both Moscow and Leningrad.

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 Leader. Block's Strength cannot be Replaced/Regenerated if it is in a contested Area (engaged), nor if it is Isolated.

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.

A number of Replacement Points, from 1 to 3 is spent per step, depending on the colour of the step: 1 Replacement Point, 2 Replacement Points, or 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.

Then, the Leader is reduced at the end of the Logistics Phase.

Example: at the beginning of the November Turn, the Germans have the Initiative, thus the Soviets must take the first decision in the Logistics Phase and they choose the Logistics Pause. Stalin is automatically fully regenerated and nothing else happens. Then the Germans choose to play the Logistics Phase. They calculate their LV: Hitler's Strength (0, as he is at Heart Level) plus the number of German HQs deployed over the mapboard and not exhausted (4) plus Victory Points (3) plus 2 extra Logistics Points for 21 surrendered Soviet Blocks, thus 9 divided by 2 (as it is Snowy and they do not control both Moscow and Leningrad) = 4.

The Germans then have:

1. 4 Regeneration Points: they bring an HQ from 3 to 4 (1), and another HQ from Heart Level to 4 (3);
2. 4 Replacement Points: they replace a Red step (3) and a Black step (1);
3. and finally they draw 4 Reinforcements.

8.0 WEATHER CHECK

The Weather is Sunny (good weather) in July, August, September and during the first Impulse of October.

Later it may change to Rainy, and then afterwards to Snow (both Snow and Rainy are considered Bad Weather).

Bad Weather affects Movement, Combat and Logistics.

Rain

• Entering an Area costs 3 MP;
• All Attacking Blocks have their Strength and Range (Air/Command) reduced to 1;
• The Logistics Value is halved.

Snow

• Entering an Area costs 2 MP;
• All Attacking German Blocks have their Strength and Range (Air/Command) halved;
• Rivers are Frozen (no effect on combat);
• The Logistics Value is halved, unless the player controls both Leningrad and Moscow.

8.1 DETERMINING the WEATHER

On the first Impulse of October, the Soviet player deploys the Weather Forecast Marker (Yellow Cylinder) over the "--" box of the Weather Forecast Track. During the first Impulse of October the Weather is always good and there is no die roll.

During the second German Impulse of October, the Soviet player moves the Weather Forecast Marker right by 1 space (over the "1" result) and rolls a die:

A. on a die roll of 1, the Weather changes to Rainy. If this is the case, then the Weather Forecast Marker is moved back to the "--" box; B. on a die roll of 2-6, the Weather remains unchanged and, on the next German Impulse, the Soviet player repeats the procedure, by moving the Weather Marker 1 box to the right and rolling a die (but now the weather changes on a die roll of 1-2, and so on).

In other words, once the Weather has changed to Rainy, it will be Rainy for the next Impulse as well.

Starting from the next Impulse, the Weather may change to Snowy, following the same procedure as described above. Once changed to Snowy, the Weather remains Snowy for the remainder of the game!

9.0 SUPPLY

At the beginning of any Impulse, the active player checks all of his Units for Supply and marks with a white cube those Units unable to trace a Line of Communication to a Supply Source.

Units on The Road to Leningrad are always in Supply.

At the end of the Impulse, he checks Supply for his Isolated Units only and applies Isolation Attrition.

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.

Isolated Units cannot:

• build Defensive Lines;
• move;
• attack;
• be activated;
• receive replacements;
• be restored;

until they can trace a LOC in any future Isolation Check (9.3). Isolated units can defend if attacked.

9.2 LINE of COMMUNICATION

A Line of Communication (LOC) is a path of unlimited length, traceable through friendly-controlled and uncontested Areas, from a Unit or from an Area to a valid Supply Source (2.1).

Under specific circumstances, the northern and the southern edge of the mapboard may cease to be a valid Supply Source for the Soviets.

If the Germans control Kiev, the whole southern border of the map ceases to be a Supply Source for the Soviets.

If the Germans control Schlisselburg, the western half of the northern border ceases to be a Supply Source for the Soviets.

If the Germans control Leningrad, the whole northern border ceases to be a Supply Source for the Soviets.

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

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

• 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 Surrender;
• Defensive Lines are destroyed if alone - without a friendly Block - in a contested Area.
• Surrendered Blocks are permanently eliminated.

The German 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 German Blocks. Defensive Lines do not count toward this total for either side and may also be rebuilt.

Note: Soviet Blocks destroyed in Combat may be rebuilt, while Soviet Blocks Surrendered-eliminated during Attrition are permanently removed from the game. All German Blocks eliminated are considered destroyed: cannot be rebuilt and they count for extra Soviet Logistics Points.

Example: at the beginning of the Soviet Impulse, two Soviet Units and four Soviet Defensive Lines are unable to trace a valid LOC and thus are marked as Isolated (white cube):

1. a DL in Kursk with a German Tank (engaged);
2. a DL alone in Area 20 (not engaged);
3. a DL and a Soviet Infantry (at 1 step) in Area 30 with a German Cavalry (engaged);
4. a DL alone with a German Infantry in Area 40 (engaged);
5. the NKVD Motorized Infantry (at 1 step) with a German DL in Area 50 (engaged).

During the Impulse, the Soviet player succeeds in restoring the LOC to Kursk, thus in the Final Isolation Check the situation is:

1. the DL in Kursk is now back in Supply, and thus the white cube is removed;
2. the DL in Area 20 remains in play (with the white cube);
3. in Area 30 the Soviet Infantry is permanently eliminated, but the DL remains in play (with the white cube);
4. in Area 40 the DL is destroyed, but it can be rebuilt;
5. in Area 50 the NKVD is permanently eliminated.

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 is playing a Tactical Impulse, then after having completed the Tactical Impulse, he may spend the Initiative Disc to play an Exploitation Movement (10.18).

Note: You can activate Hoepner to do a Tactical Impulse, even if there are no 4th PzG Blocks available yet.

10.1 HQ ACTIVATION SEGMENT

The active player activates any number of his HQs, but at least one must be a 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.

German HQs (not the Soviet HQs) may be activated in a German Staging Area.

In Boxes, HQs cannot be activated with the exception that Hoepner may be activated in any Box of the Road to Leningrad (but not anywhere else).

If an HQ starts the Impulse in an Area containing enemy Units, it may be Activated provided it can disengage (+1MP) and move into a friendly, 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:

• 7 Tactical HQs for the Germans;
• 6 Tactical HQs (including Zhukov) for the Soviets.

Once activated, a Tactical HQ may:

1. command White Blocks and Blocks of its colour, if they are in its Tactical Range and
2. command any Block in the Area where it is revealed (other HQs included) and
3. provide Artillery Fire into 1 Battle in an adjacent Area.

Hoepner has no Artillery Fire capability (unless using OR 14.2).

Zhukov has special command abilities (10.6).

10.3 TACTICAL RANGE

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

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

Bad Weather reduces HQ Strength, thus Tactical Range (to 1 Area in Rain, German halved in Snow).

Example: during a Tactical Impulse, the German player activates Guderian (at 2 stars) which moves disengaging (+1 MP) from an existing Battle in Area 95 to Area 100 where it is revealed. Guderian may command any Red and White Blocks in a range of two Areas from Area 100 and any Block (HQs included) in Area 100.

10.4 ARTILLERY FIRE

If a Battle occurs in the same Area occupied by a Tactical HQ (not the LW HQ), the HQ fires like any other Unit and has Double Fire.

Otherwise, an activated Tactical HQ may direct his Artillery Fire (Double Fire) 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.

Exhausted HQs have neither Firepower, Artillery Fire nor AA Fire.

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

Hoepner has no Artillery Fire capability (unless using OR 14.2).

10.5 EXHAUSTED HQ

HQs reduced to the Heart Level are Exhausted and have no Strength.

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 and counts for eliminated Blocks.

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 HQ cannot be activated.

10.6 MARSHAL ZHUKOV

Marshal Zhukov (Z) is a very powerful Tactical HQ. It has command over all Soviet Blocks (other HQs included) - thus the Army colour is irrelevant for it. It is the only Fast HQ and Blitz HQ the Soviets have.

10.7 COMMANDING 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

10.8 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 MP for each Area it enters (1 for Green/German Staging Area; 2 for Yellow/Victory Area).

When engaging (entering an Area containing enemy units), the Block must stop.

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

If a Block doesn't have enough MP to perform a movement, it may not do so. Blocks can overstack during movement, but not at the end. The stacking limitations are 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).

10.8.1 Movement Allowance

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

• Slow Blocks: 3 MPs
• Fast Blocks: 5 MPs

10.9 ROAD TO LENINGRAD

During the Activation Segment of a Tactical Action - not during a Pass, nor during a Strategic Action - the German player may activate Hoepner in the Box it occupies on the Road to Leningrad.

Then, during the Combat Segment, the German player rolls a number of dice equal to Hoepner's Strength and for every hit (at 5/6) Hoepner advances by a number of Boxes, up to the number of Blocks deployed with it (maximum three: 41st and 56th Panzer Corps, TT Motorized Division).

Hoepner may not provide Artillery Fire, can neither Blitz, nor Exploit, and overall Strength is affected by Bad Weather.

Once Hoepner reaches the Leningrad Box, Leningrad will automatically fall in the next Final Phase.

Example: Hoepner (at full strength) is in Novgorod, accompanied by the TT Motorized Division. The German player declares a Tactical Impulse and activates Hoepner. The Weather is Snowy. During the Combat Segment, he rolls two dice (DF) and scores two hits (5 and 6). However, Hoepner is accompanied by one Block only, thus the maximum advance is 1 Box. Hoepner and the TT are moved into Pushkin. Afterwards, Hoepner is deactivated and reduced to 3 stars.

10.9.1 Supply

Once deployed over The Road to Leningrad, the four German 4th Panzer Group Blocks are considered always in Supply.

10.10 LUFTWAFFE HQ

The German player may receive two special HQs as Reinforcement: the 2nd FK and the 8th FK Luftwaffe HQ.

Luftwaffe (LW) HQs are Slow Blocks (3 MP) with no Firepower in Ground Combat. They cannot command any German Block, nor be the only HQ activated to play a Tactical Impulse. 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 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, including enemy controlled Areas.

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 which may be committed (to 1 in Rain, halved in Snow).

10.10.1 German Bombers

There are two types of German Bombers: Heinkel He-111 and Junkers Ju-87 "Stuka".

Stuka may be called into action only by the 8th FK.

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

Heinkel He-111 (6x) have DF (hits at 5/6). Stuka (2x) have TF (hits at 4/5/6) and can Blitz.

Example: the German 2nd FK is activated at full strength (4), thus it may commit up to 4 Bombers (all must be He-111) into any Battle in an Air Range of 4 Areas and each Bomber rolls 4 dice and hits at 5 & 6.

German Bombers are subject to Soviet Anti-Air.

10.10.2 Soviet Anti-Air (AA)

Every Soviet Unit (DL included) has Anti-Air (AA) capabilities. Soviet AA is not affected by Bad Weather.

Soviet AA may Abort or Destroy German Bombers.

10.11 COMBAT

Battles are resolved in the Combat Phase.

A Battle may occur only if an Area contains Units of both players (contested). Artillery Fire/Airstrike 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 (active player) 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. An engaged Block don't need to be in Command Range to attack, only need to be in Supply.

There is no limit to the number of Battles which may be resolved during a Tactical or a Strategic Impulse. 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 must be resolved, Area by Area, and Battles are resolved one by one as described below.

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

10.12 COMBAT SEQUENCE

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

10.12.1 Showdown

Both players simultaneously reveal their Blocks in the Area where the Battle is declared by the Attacker.

10.12.2 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 at 5/6.

Artillery Fire is affected by Bad Weather. If activated during the Activation Segment, Blitz HQs may provide Artillery Fire in the Blitz Segment as well.

10.12.3 Anti-Air Fire

If there are Bombers committed to the Battle in the Area, the Defender rolls AA. Each Unit (Defensive Line included) rolls ONE die.

The Firepower is defined by the colour the dots (HQ have DF). Defensive Line has SF.

Every hit is an Abort result. Two hits is a Destroyed result. It is up to the German player choice to convert two hits into two Aborted or into one Destroyed result.

Aborted/Destroyed Bombers are not available for Airstrike and are removed from the mapboard.

Aborted Bombers will become available from the next Impulse, Destroyed Bombers will become available from the next Turn.

Example: the Germans send 4 He-111 and 2 Stuka to Airstrike an Area attacked by two German Blocks. The Soviets have two Blocks (one Tank and one Infantry, both Corps at full strength) and 1 Defensive Line. They roll for Anti-Air:

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

They score 3 hits in total. The German player decides to take 2 hits as a Destroyed result (on one He-111), and to Abort one He-111. The remaining 4 Bombers (2 He-111 and 2 Stuka) then perform Airstrike (He-111 has DF, Stuka have TF).

10.12.4 Airstrike

Bombers which have survived the AA, can now attack enemy units on ground. Each Bomber rolls a number of dice equal to its commanding LW HQ Strength. He-111 have DF, Stuka have TF.

10.12.5 Ground Combat

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

10.12.5.1 Engaging across Rivers

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

Artillery Fire and Airstrike are not affected (nor are Blocks which have engaged without crossing a River, or if the Area is not newly engaged this Impulse).

10.12.5.2 Tank Attack!

The Defender is under Tank Attack if, after the Airstrike step, 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.

Tank Attack does not apply if the Area is newly contested this Impulse and all attacking Tanks have engaged across a River.

10.13 ABSORB BONUS

The Absorb Bonus is the ability of the Defender to absorb hits without being damaged, either because of rough terrain, a controlled City/Victory Area or a friendly Defensive Line.

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

The Attacker never gets any Absorb Bonus.

The Defender automatically gets at least 1 Absorb Bonus in:

1. a Yellow Area (controlled or not);
2. a controlled Area with a City (2 Absorb Bonus in a controlled Victory Area);
3. a controlled Area with a DL.

No Absorb Bonus is granted in any of the 12 Boxes.

Note: the total hits obtained in one battle are applied to this Absorb Bonus. So if an attack includes bombers, artillery, and then ground combat, the Absorb is applied against the total number of hits rolled by the attacker.

10.14 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 an Absorb Bonus, thus every Hit suffered is a Damage.

Instead, for the Defender, Hits may be absorbed in the order listed above from point 1 to point 3 and only after, Defender Blocks may be damaged, 1 Damage/Hit.

10.14.1 Strongest Block(s)

If one Block has more dots (or stars) than the others, this Block is the strongest and 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: Two German 4-dots Tanks enter Vyazma (a Yellow Area with a City = 1+1 Absorb Bonus) defended by one Soviet Block and a Defensive Line (1 Absorb Bonus) for a total Absorb Bonus of 3.

In the Combat Phase the Germans discover that the Soviet block is an HQ at Heart Level. The Soviets roll 1 die (for the DL) and score 1 hit reducing one of the two German Tanks to 3 (at owner choice). Then the Germans roll 7 dice and score 3 hits: the first is absorbed by the Terrain, the second one is absorbed by the City, the third one is absorbed by the Defensive Line.

In the eventuality of a fourth hit, this would have destroyed the Defensive Line, while a further (fifth!) hit would have been needed to eliminate the Soviet HQ.

10.14.2 Allocating Excess Hits

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

10.14.3 Destroyed Units

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

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

Aborted German 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 German 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 German Blocks.

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

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

10.15 ADDITIONAL COMBAT ROUNDS

The Battle in an Area lasts for 1 round only.

If all Units of a player have been destroyed, conceal all the remaining Blocks.

Exception: Attacking Fast Blocks that have cleared a Green Area remain visible to mark that they may Blitz.

If the Area is still contested, then the original attacking Blocks remain visible, while all original defending Blocks are concealed.

10.16 BLITZ SEGMENT

During a Tactical Impulse - not during a Pass or during a Strategic Impulse - and after all Battles have been resolved, Fast Combat Blocks (not HQs) may move and attack again (Blitz) under specific circumstances.

A block can't blitz twice in same impulse.

In the Blitz Segment, any Fast Combat Block (not HQ) may move by 1 MP to enter an uncontested Green Area, regardless whether it is friendly or enemy controlled, 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. the Block is in range of an activated Blitzing Capable and appropriate HQ.

There are only three Blitz HQs, marked with a Yellow Bolt Icon: Zhukov, Guderian and Hoth.

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

If by Blitzing a Fast Block moves into an enemy controlled Area, then a Combat is mandatory and if this Area is adjacent to an activated Blitz HQ, the HQ may support the Combat with its Artillery Fire, even if it has already provided Artillery Fire in the Combat Segment.

Additionally, Stuka (not He-111) which have survived the previous Combat, may follow friendly Fast Blocks and support the Blitz Combat as well.

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

10.17 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, Germans can not and do count as eliminated German Blocks.

10.18 EXPLOITATION MOVE

After a Tactical Impulse only, (thus after the HQ Deactivation Segment) the active player may spend the Initiative Disc (by deploying it on the mapboard) to perform an Exploitation Move.

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

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

The German player may play the Exploitation in Good Weather only, not in Bad Weather.

The Soviet player may play the Exploitation in Good Weather and in Snow as well, but not 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: move a number of non-Isolated Blocks up to his Logistics Value and then, in the Combat Segment, resolve any number of Battles. Blocks may move (and Combat Blocks may be reduced to build a DL).

HQs may be moved, but NOT be revealed, during a Strategic Impulse, thus they cannot provide Artillery/Air Support, but they may move and even engage.

Note: for the above reason, it may happen that an HQ moves into an Area occupied by enemy units and may then be involved in a Battle.

Example: the Soviet player chooses 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 Units (Blocks and Defensive Lines). Isolated Units cannot make any action. Then he calculates his Logistics Value: Stalin is exhausted (counts as 0), he has three HQs deployed over the map (but one is exhausted and two are at 2 Stars), controls 4 Victory Areas, and has eliminated 12 German units: thus his LV is 7. Then 7 Blocks may make an action:

• the 2-stars HQ and three Combat Blocks move to engage three enemy Blocks in Area 1 (Green);
• an Infantry in a friendly controlled and uncontested Area does not move and is reduced to build a Defensive Line;
• one of his exhausted HQs disengages from Area 4;
• a Tank moves into the already contested Area 4;

Then, during the Combat Phase, he must resolve the mandatory Battle in Area 1 (while he chooses not to resolve the one in Area 4). Afterwards, the Initiative Disc goes to the German 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:

• German Blocks in an appropriate German Staging Area, German "L" Combat Blocks only in the Box occupied by Hoepner;
• Soviet Blocks in any friendly controlled, supplied and uncontested Area which contains a City or is a Victory Area (max 1 unit/Area, without overstacking).

If a Reinforcement cannot be deployed, then it must return to the Reinforcement Pool.

No Blocks may be moved, nor DL built, nor HQs activated. Any number of Battles may be resolved.

Afterwards, the Initiative Disc goes to the other player.

12.0 PASS

When a player plays a Pass, he may move a maximum of 1 Block up to its maximum Movement Allowance without engaging (may disengage) and no Combat is allowed.

Alternatively a Combat Block (not an HQ), instead of moving, may be reduced to build a Defensive Line.

If playing with OR 14.4, a Block may be Rail Moved.

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 every Turn in the following order:

1. Return German Bombers;
2. Check control for Kiev;
3. Check Control for Leningrad.

13.1 BOMBERS

All Destroyed German Bombers return to available.

13.2 KIEV

If during the Final Phase the Germans control both Chernigov and Romny, then Kiev becomes German controlled (permanent effect) and the German player:

• permanently gains 1 Victory Point;
• adds the 48th Panzer Corps to his Reinforcement Pool;
• removes the orange disc: the Southern Map Border permanently ceases to be a valid Soviet Supply Source.

13.3 LENINGRAD

If during the Final Phase the Germans control Leningrad, then Leningrad becomes German controlled (permanent effect) and the German player:

• permanently gains 1 Victory Point;
• removes the blue disc: the Northern Map Border permanently ceases to be a valid Soviet Supply Source;
• the four Blocks of the 4th Panzer Group are added to the German Reinforcement Pool.

13.3.1 SHLISSELBURG

Note that if the German player controls Shlisselburg, he immediately (not in the Final Phase) removes the light blue disc and immediately the Western part of the Northern Map Border ceases to be a Soviet Supply Source.

14.0 OPTIONAL RULES

OR 14.1 is helpful while learning the game, the others add realism and historical flavour and may be selectively used to balance the game between players with different experience.

OR 14.1 IGNORE ARMY COLOUR

Any Tactical HQ (not a LW HQ) - once activated - may command any friendly Combat Blocks (of any colours) in its Tactical Range.

Zhukov maintains his special command function even over other Soviet HQ.

OR 14.2 ZHUKOV/and HOEPNER

With this rule, two major changes happen in the game:

1. Hoepner may be deployed onto the map and is no longer restricted to the Road to Leningrad. Additionally it may now provide Artillery Fire and allows Blitz (on the map only);
2. Zhukov may be deployed in the Leningrad Box.

Hitler calls off Leningrad operations.

During a Pass or during a Strategic Impulse, the German player may move 4th Panzer Group Blocks (Hoepner, the Tottenkopf SS Division, the 41st and 56th Panzer Corps) to any German controlled, uncontested and supplied Area on the map, if both the following conditions are met:

1. all the four above mentioned Blocks have been already deployed over the Road to Leningrad;
2. they do no overstack.

The German player may choose which Block is deployed and where. Once Hoepner is deployed on the map - maintaining his Strength - he becomes able to provide Artillery Fire/Blitz/Exploit like any other Fast Blitz HQ.

Once deployed on the map, the 4th Panzer Group Blocks may not be deployed back to the Road to Leningrad.

Stalin sends Zhukov to defend Leningrad.

If Zhukov is drawn from the Soviet Reinforcement Pool, instead of being deployed over the map, he can be deployed over the Leningrad Box. This is the only way for Zhukov to be deployed on the Leningrad Box. Zhukov cannot move out from the Leningrad Box and he is considered in Supply while in Leningrad.

While Zhukov is in the Leningrad Box, the HQ has no Blitz/Exploitation/Artillery Fire function in the game and has no command over any other Soviet Blocks, but the German 4th Panzer Group Firepower is reduced to Single Fire while trying to advance along the Road to Leningrad.

During a Pass or a Strategic Impulse, Zhukov may be recalled back to the map and is deployed - maintaining his Strength - in any Soviet controlled, uncontested and supplied Area adjacent to Moscow. Once this happens, he may never be deployed back in the Leningrad Box, however, he regains all his special abilities.

OR 14.3 MOSCOW

If Moscow (Area 63) is Soviet controlled and uncontested, then Moscow is a valid Soviet Supply Source. This is in addition to the other Soviet Supply Sources.

OR 14.4 RAIL MOVEMENT

During a Pass or a Strategic Impulse only (not during a Tactical Impulse) the active player may Rail-move a non-Isolated Block (not a Defensive Line) any distance from, across and to a friendly uncontested Area (cannot engage, nor disengage).

During a Pass, only one Block may be Rail-moved, whereas 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.

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

Example: the German LV is Seven. In a Strategic Impulse, the German player may command four Blocks to rail-move, two Blocks to move and one Block to build a Defensive Line.

OR 14.5 BLIZZARD

Starting from the 2nd German Impulse of December, the Weather turns into Blizzard. Blizzard is treated as Snow, except that:

German Blocks' Strength is reduced to: 1/2 when defending, to 1/4 when attacking.

OR 14.6 CAVALRY Enhanced Mobility

Cavalry pays 2 MP instead of 3 MP per any Area entered in Rainy Weather. All seven Soviet Cavalry and the German 1st Cavalry Division get this special ability.

OR 14.7 German Infantry Divisions

The six German Infantry Divisions are still considered Slow Blocks for any purpose, but now have 4 MP instead of 3.

Additionally, the Azul Division does not suffer any penalty in Snow (and it is only halved if attacking in Blizzard).

OR 14.8 Operation CRUSADER

In the Final Phase of November, both the two LW HQs and the eight German Bombers are permanently removed.

Note: historically, from November 1941, the 2nd and the 8th Fliegerkorps of the 2nd Luftflotte were withdrawn from Russia and sent to the Mediterranean to counter the renewed British offensive in North Africa which has forced the Rommel's Afrika Korps back to El Algeila.

SCENARIO SETUP

There are three Scenarios (Beyond The Dnieper, Operation Typhoon and The Wehrmacht's Last Gasp) and one Campaign Game (The Road to Moscow) included in this game.

While the three 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 skills, experience and time.

For setup, Blocks are first grouped by nationality (block colour), then by Army/Front Colour, then - unless specified - randomly selected and deployed onto the map in Areas, as specified in the Scenario Setup Rules.

Blocks are deployed, without overstacking, at the Strength indicated in each scenario (usually it is a number in brackets from 1 to 3, unless at full strength and for those Soviet Blocks whose first step is marked with Remnants which must be deployed at Minimum Strength).

Maximum one Defensive Line may be deployed in each controlled Area.

1. BEYOND THE DNIEPER

In July 1941 the OKW ordered Army Group Centre, which at various times comprised 51 to 62 divisions and which was commanded by Field Marshal F. Bock, to encircle the Soviet troops defending the line of the Zapadnaia, Dvina and Dnieper, to seize Vitebsk, Orsha and Smolensk, and open a path to Moscow.

Scenario Start: July Impulses Phase.

Weather: Good.

Initiative: Germany.

Scenario Setup: as described in the Campaign Game.

Scenario Length: the scenario starts with the July Impulses Phase and ends in the Final Phase of July, unless a Sudden Death result occurs first.

Special Rules: during this short scenario, each player may use the Initiative Disc only once.

Special Victory Conditions: the game immediately ends (Sudden Death) with a German Victory if any of the following two conditions are met:

a. two German Defensive Lines are deployed in Yelnia and Yartsevo (one each); b. the Germans control both Chernigov and Romny.

Any other result is a Soviet Victory.

2. OPERATION TYPHOON

After having seized Kiev and encircled Leningrad, Hitler concentrated all his best divisions, including three full Armies and three Panzer Groups, to inflict the final and decisive blow on the Soviets. The natural goal set for the last great 1941 offensive was Moscow, which Stalin refused to leave and ordered his best Generals to defend at all costs.

Scenario Start: October Logistics Phase.

Weather: Good. Die roll from the 2nd German Impulse of October.

Logistics Value: halved in Mud; halved in Snow for the Germans.

Initiative: Germany.

Scenario Setup: along the White Dashed Line, the Soviets control all the Areas east of the frontline, the Germans control all the Areas west, plus Rastenburg and the four German Staging Areas.

The Soviets setup first, the Germans play the first Impulse.

Soviet Supply: Kiev and Shlisselburg are German controlled, thus the western half of the northern map border and the southern map border are no longer a valid Soviet Supply Source. Leningrad is Soviet controlled (deploy the blue disc over Leningrad), but the Road to Leningrad is not in play and the German player cannot conquer Leningrad.

Scenario Length: the scenario starts with the October Logistics Phase and ends in the Final Phase of December, unless a German Victory occurs first.

Special Victory Conditions: the game immediately ends with a German Victory if the Germans control Moscow. Any other result is a Soviet Victory.

Special Rules: the four German 4th Panzer Group Blocks plus the 48th Panzer Corps are deployed on the map. Hoepner has Artillery Firepower.

SOVIETS

LV=12 (Stalin=2; deployed not exhausted HQ=5; Victory Points= Leningrad, Moscow, Tula, Kursk and Voronezh, 5; eliminated German Blocks=0, 0).

Reinforcement Pool: ten Combat Blocks (five Blue, four White and 1 Red - randomly taken) are destroyed (but can be rebuilt) and are in the Soviet Reinforcement Pool.

In November, add the five "N" marked Blocks to the Soviet Reinforcement Pool.

Eliminated Blocks: 12 Soviet Blocks (all the eight Central Front Blocks - HQ included - plus four White Combat Blocks, randomly drawn) surrendered and cannot be rebuilt.

Setup: the Soviets deploy, all at "2" strength:

• Stalin and Zhukov in Moscow;
• NorthWestern (NW) Front in Area 18;
• Kalinin (K) Front in Area 45;
• Western (W) Front in Area 70;
• Bryansk (B) Front in Area 117.

The following Blocks are randomly drawn.

White Blocks are deployed at minimum strength if Remnants, or at maximum strength if not.

Yellow, Red, Blue and Green Blocks are all deployed at minimum strength:

• the three Yellow Blocks: one each in Area 4, 15 and 17;
• the six Red Blocks: one in the Area occupied by the "K" HQ and the other five - one each - in any adjacent Area;
• the seven Blue Blocks: one in the Area occupied by the "W" HQ and the other six - one each - in any adjacent Area;
• the six Green Blocks: one in the Area occupied by the "B" HQ and the other five - one each - in any adjacent Area;
• 15 White Blocks (some may be Remnants, the others at full strength): nine in any Area along the frontline, the other six - one each - in Tula, Kursk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kalinin and Naro Forminsk.
• finally, 10 red Defensive Lines in any Soviet controlled Area, whether it is occupied by a Block or not.

GERMANY

LV=14 (Hitler=2; deployed not exhausted HQ=9; controlled Victory Areas= Kiev and Smolensk, 2; eliminated Soviet Blocks=12, 1).

Setup: the Germans deploy Hitler (at "2" strength) in Rastenburg, the nine HQ as follows:

• 2nd LW HQ (2) in Area 53;
• 8th LW HQ (2) in Area 127;
• 16th Army (2) in Area 28;
• 9th Army (2) in Area 42;
• 4th Army (2) in Area 90;
• 2nd Army (2) in Area 114;
• 3rd Panzer Group (3) in Area 67;
• 4th Panzer Group (3) in Area 101;
• 2nd Panzer Group (3) in Area 154;
• All Brown, Pink, Light Blue and Yellow Infantry are deployed - randomly drawn - one (at maximum strength in the Area occupied by its HQ) and the others - one each - in any adjacent Area (at "2" strength).
• All Blue, Green and Red Blocks are deployed - randomly drawn and at maximum strength - in the Area occupied by their HQ, or in any adjacent Area.
• nine White Blocks - randomly drawn - are deployed at "2" strength in any Area along the frontline.

Eliminated Blocks: none.

Luftwaffe: all the eight Bombers are available.

Reinforcement Pool: three randomly drawn White Blocks.

Defensive Lines: deploy five black Defensive Lines in any German controlled Area along the frontline.

3. THE WEHRMACHT'S LAST GASP

In the middle of November, the German army is looming at the gates of Moscow, but General Winter is coming - one of the coldest in the century. The Germans have established jump-off points and hope to encircle Moscow and end the war before Christmas.

However, the Soviets may now count on huge reserves massed along the front line and they are ready to launch a tremendous winter counteroffensive.

Scenario Start: November Impulses Phase

Weather: Snow

Logistics Value: halved in Snow for the Germans

Initiative: Germany

Scenario Setup: along the Red Dashed Line, the Soviets control all the Areas east of the frontline, the Germans control all the Areas west, plus Rastenburg and the four German Staging Areas.

Note that the four Areas marked with a Red Star Icon are Soviet controlled and contain each a red Defensive Line - but are contested, thus each must contain at least one German Block.

Soviet Supply: Kiev and Shlisselburg are German controlled, thus the western half of the northern map border and the southern map border are no longer a valid Soviet Supply Source. Leningrad is Soviet controlled (deploy the blue disc over Leningrad), but the Road to Leningrad is not in play and the German player cannot conquer Leningrad.

Scenario Length: the scenario starts with the November Impulses Phase and ends in the Final Phase of December, unless a German Victory result occurs first.

Special Victory Conditions: the game immediately ends with a German Victory if the Germans control Moscow. Any other result is a Soviet Victory.

Special Rules: during this short scenario each player may use the Initiative Disc only once per month. The four German 4th Panzer Group Blocks plus the 48th Panzer Corps are deployed on the map. Hoepner has Artillery Firepower.

SOVIETS

LV=13 (Stalin=4; deployed not exhausted HQ=5; Victory Points= Leningrad, Moscow, Tula and Voronezh, 4; eliminated German Blocks=0, 0).

Eliminated Blocks: 19 Soviet Blocks (all the eight Central Front Blocks - HQ included - plus 11 White Combat Blocks, randomly drawn) surrendered and cannot be rebuilt.

Reinforcement Pool: five White Combat Blocks - randomly drawn - are in the Reinforcement Pool on the Soviet Order of Battle.

Setup:

1. Stalin in Moscow at full strength;
2. NorthWestern (NW) Front (2) in Area 32;
3. Kalinin (K) Front in (2) Area 36;
4. Western (W) Front (2) in Area 74;
5. Bryansk (B) Front (2) in Area 137; Zhukov and the five "N" marked Blocks are deployed after all the other Blocks are deployed, as described in point 8.
6. The following Combat Blocks are randomly drawn and deployed at minimum Strength as follows:
   • the three Yellow Blocks: one each in Area 4, 15 and 17;
   • the seven Red Blocks: one each in Area 20, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37;
   • the twelve Blue Blocks: one each in Area 49, 50, 61, 62, 73, 74, 75, 76, 85, 96, 108 and 121;
   • the six Green Blocks: one each in Area 122, 135, 147, 159, 170 and 171.
7. Four Defensive Lines are deployed in the four contested Areas (4, 15, 17, 31) and six in any other Soviet controlled Area;
8. Finally the Soviet player deploys at his choice, in any controlled Area (even in any of the four contested Areas), whether it is occupied by a Block or not:
   • Zhukov and the five "N" marked Blocks, all six at full strength;
   • the seven White Blocks: at minimum strength if Remnants, at full strength if not.

GERMANY

LV=11/2 (Hitler exhausted in Rastenburg; deployed not exhausted HQ=7; controlled Victory Areas= Kiev, Kursk and Smolensk, 3; eliminated Soviet Blocks=19, 1).

Eliminated Blocks: none.

Luftwaffe: available (but both LW HQs exhausted).

Reinforcement Pool: none.

Setup: the Germans deploy Hitler (minimum strength) in Rastenburg, the 7 HQ as follows:

• 16th Army (2) in Area 14;
• 9th Army (3) in Area 58;
• 4th Army (3) in Area 84;
• 2nd Army (3) in Area 117;
• 3rd Panzer Group (3) in Area 59;
• 4th Panzer Group (3) in Area 71;
• 2nd Panzer Group (4) in Area 134;
• 2nd LW HQ (0) in Area 71;
• 8th LW HQ (0) in Area 93;
• all Brown, Pink, Light Blue and Yellow Infantry are deployed - randomly drawn - one (at "3" strength in the Area occupied by its HQ) and the others in any adjacent Area (at "2" strength);
• all Blue, Green and Red Blocks are deployed - at the German player choice and at "3" strength (the DR, the Cav, the Lehr and the TT at "2" strength, the GD at "1" strength) - in the Area occupied by their HQ, or in any adjacent Area;
• four White Blocks - randomly drawn - must be deployed at "2" strength, one each and face up (as the Soviet is the Area owner) in Area 4, 15, 17 and 31;
• the remaining eight White Blocks - at the German player choice - are deployed at "2" strength in any controlled Area.

Defensive Lines: deploy five black Defensive Lines in any German controlled Area along the frontline (not in any of the four contested Areas, as they are Soviet controlled).

CAMPAIGN GAME

THE ROAD TO MOSCOW: JULY - DECEMBER 1941

In July 1941 Hitler had not made Moscow an actual priority and felt that destroying the Soviet armies would lead to victory, so von Bock's forces spent precious time supporting the other army group's efforts against Leningrad and Kiev, with encirclement manoeuvres which captured tens of thousands of prisoners.

By the time his attention turned back to Moscow, the city had become a fortress, the Russian weather had delivered the infamous Rasputitsa and then came a winter unusually cold, even by Russian standards.

Added to this, Stalin's spy network produced outstanding intelligence that would free 50 divisions from the Far East. They would arrive just in time.

In game terms, the Soviets must buy time throughout the summer without losing too many units or VP. If they can hold on to enough through the German summer fury, in the last turns they will make the German task very difficult.

For the Germans, they must decide whether they go entirely for Moscow or take advantage of the benefits of side efforts, while facing the randomness of their reinforcements that challenges them to be flexible and make the best out of what comes.

The Campaign starts in the July Impulses Phase and lasts till the Final Phase of December, unless a Sudden Death Victory (1.7) result happens first.

Setup is performed first by the Soviets, and afterwards by the Germans.

Blocks are first grouped by nationality (block colour: Soviet/red and German/black), then by Army/Front Colour, then - unless specified - randomly selected and deployed onto the map in Areas with the appropriate colour and type of icon, one unit per icon.

Blocks are deployed at Full Strength, except for those Soviet Blocks whose first step is marked with (Remnants) which are deployed at Minimum Strength.

Weather: Good. Die roll from the 2nd German Impulse of October.

Initiative: Germany

Area Control: the Germans control Rastenburg, Pskov, the four German Staging Areas plus Area 66, 67, 89, 90 and 100. All the other Areas/Boxes are Soviet controlled and the Soviets deploy the three supply discs on Shlisselburg (light blue), Leningrad (blue) and Kiev (orange).

SOVIETS

LV=12 (Stalin=4; deployed not exhausted HQ=2; Victory Points= Kiev, Kursk, Leningrad, Moscow, Tula and Voronezh, 6; eliminated German Blocks=0, 0).

Eliminated Blocks: none.

Reinforcement Pool: 29 Blocks (all the Blue, Red, and Green Blocks - HQs included - plus Zhukov) are in the Soviet Reinforcement Pool; the five Blocks marked with "N" will become available from November.

The Soviets deploy:

1. The five Soviet Blocks marked with an "N" on the appropriate space in the Order of Battle;
2. Zukhov, the Blue (12 Combat Blocks plus the "W" HQ), Green (six Combat Blocks plus the "B" HQ) and Red (seven Combat Blocks plus the "K" HQ) units in the Soviet Reinforcement Pool on the Order of Battle.
3. The five Soviet Defensive Lines - one each - in Area 68, 70, 80, 88 and 81;
4. Stalin in Moscow;
5. The two Soviet HQ "NW" and "C" in Area 28 and 128 respectively.
6. The three Soviet White Armies Blocks (4 dotted) in Area 46, 63 and 73.
7. The two Airborne Corps in Area 41 and 91 (at minimum strength - Remnants).
8. The three Yellow, the seven Light Blue and the 18 White Corps (20 Infantry and eight Tanks) over the specific icon on the mapboard. Of these 28 Blocks, 14 (eleven Infantry and three Tanks) are Remnants, which are randomly selected and deployed.

GERMANY

LV=8 (Hitler=4; deployed not exhausted HQ=3; Victory Points= Smolensk, 1; eliminated Soviet Blocks=0, 0).

Eliminated Blocks: none.

Reinforcement Pool: 28 Blocks are in the Reinforcement Pool (the Brown HQ, the two LW HQs, eleven White Combat Blocks, three Pink Combat Blocks plus the HQ, three Yellow Combat Blocks plus the HQ, two Light Blue Combat Blocks plus the HQ, and the three Blue Combat Blocks); 1 (the 48th Panzer Corps) will become available if Kiev is German controlled.

The Germans deploy (all at maximum strength):

1. Hitler in Rastenburg;
2. Hoepner in Pskov (Road to Leningrad);
3. A Green Tank, a Motorized Infantry in Area 66;
4. Hoth in Area 67 with a Green Tank;
5. Guderian in Area 89 with a Red Tank and a Red Motorized Infantry;
6. A Red Tank and a Motorized Infantry in Area 90;
7. The Red Cavalry and a Red Tank in Area 100;
8. The two Brown Infantry in the 16A Staging Area
9. Two Pink Infantry in the 9A Staging Area;
10. Two Light Blue Infantry in the 4A Staging Area;
11. Two Yellow Infantry in the 2A Staging Area;
12. The 48th Panzer Corps onto the specific icon adjacent to the Kiev Box;
13. All the other 28 German Blocks go in the German Reinforcement Pool.

In total, of 70 Soviet Blocks, 36 are in play, 29 are in the Reinforcement Pool (5 will become available from November); of 50 German Blocks, 21 are in play, 28 are in the German Reinforcement Pool (1 becomes available if Kiev is German controlled).