Operation Barbarossa: A WW2 Roll & Write Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Important Concept: D3s
• Winning the Game
• Losing the Game
• Game Components
• The Gamesheet
• Game Setup
• The Game Turn
• The Timeline
• The Campaign Phase
  • Preparing your dice pool
  • Mark off a box on the timeline
  • Roll on the event chart
• The German Phase
  • Rolling your dice
  • Red dice (D3s)
  • Rolling sixes
  • Using command cubes to re-roll dice
  • Concentration of Panzers (using supplies to modify dice)
• Re-supplying
• German Attacks
  • Campaign Map and Army Group Paths
  • Attacking Cities
  • Encirclements
  • Capturing Cities and Gaining Victory Points (VPs)
  • Long Logistical Chains
• Ending the Game
  • Winning the game
  • Losing the game

Important Concept: D3s

The game uses D3s for red dice, represented by standard six-sided dice. To determine the result, halve the roll and round up:

Rolls of 1-2 = 1, Rolls of 3-4 = 2, Rolls of 5-6 = 3

Winning the Game

To win, finish the game with at least 14 victory points (VP). Achieve 19-20 VP for a triumphal victory.

Losing the Game

You lose if you finish the game with 13 or fewer victory points (VP).

Scoring 11-13 VP represents a historical outcome: enough to continue the war, but ultimately leading to defeat, as in history.

Game Components

1x Rulebook 1x Gamesheet 6x white six-sided dice 3x red six-sided dice 5x black wooden cubes 3x blue wooden cubes 1x dry-erasable marker or a pen/pencil

Note: the component list prints 6 white dice, while the setup section below places seven white dice. Both are reproduced as printed.

The Gamesheet

The gamesheet contains the following areas:

• The Timeline: tracks the campaign's 12 turns with a single box being marked each turn.
• The VP tracker: tracks Victory Points for captured Soviet cities on the map.
• The campaign event chart: determines a single event each turn that will modify your dice pool.
• The supply and command trackers: the supply tracker keeps track of your supply resources and the command tracker keeps track of your command resources.
• The dice pool box: the dice pool is used to keep track of your dice for the turn.
• The campaign map: is used to track your campaign progress as you advance into the Soviet Union and capture Soviet cities.

Game Setup

1. Set the game sheet in front of you.
2. Place four black cubes inside the "Supplies section" of the gamesheet.
3. Place two blue cubes inside the "command section" of the gamesheet.
4. Place the seven white dice, three red dice and the extra black and blue cubes at the very bottom of the gamesheet.

The Game Turn

Each game consists of a maximum of 12 turns, with each turn having the following phases:

Campaign Phase:

• Prepare your dice pool.
• Mark off a box on the timeline.
• Roll on the campaign event chart.

German Phase:

• Roll your dice from the dice pool.
• Use your dice to attack on the campaign map or to resupply.

The Timeline

The timeline tracks the campaign from late June 1941 to early December 1941. Mark off one box each turn during the Campaign Phase. When the 12th box is marked, the game ends at the conclusion of that turn.

Rasputitsa (mud season): Three boxes during the fall months of October and November contain one or more red die symbols. When crossing off any of these boxes, replace a white die in your dice pool with a red die equal to the number in the box for this turn only.

The Campaign Phase

Preparing your dice pool

At the beginning of each campaign phase, place five white dice inside your dice pool on the game sheet. Dice quantities or types (red/white) may change each turn depending on events or the timeline.

Mark off a box on the timeline

Starting with the left-most box, mark off a single empty box on the timeline each campaign phase.

After marking off the last box (the 12th box) on the timeline it means it is the last turn and the game ends at the end of this turn.

During the fall months, some timeline boxes show red die symbols. When you cross off one of these boxes, replace the indicated number of white dice in your pool with red dice for that turn only.

Roll on the event chart

Finally, roll a single die and consult the campaign event chart. Events will either add a die, remove a die or modify the color of a die in your dice pool for this turn only.

You may use a black cube or/and a blue cube to either add +1 to the roll or even re-roll the die when rolling on the event chart. See the German phase on page 4 for more info.

Example: in this example, you rolled a '2' on the event chart and get the "Soviet counter-attack" event. This event reduces your dice pool by one white die this turn only.

The campaign event chart shows three events:

• Soviet counter-attack: reduce your dice pool by one white die this turn only.
• Logistical failure: replace a white die with a red die in your dice pool this turn only.
• Luftwaffe support: increase your dice pool by one white die this turn only.

The German Phase

Rolling your dice

Roll all the dice in your dice pool. You may use the abilities below, in any order, to modify your dice either before or after allocating them to attack or re-supply.

Red dice (D3s)

Red dice act as D3s when rolled (see page 1 for details).

Rolling sixes

For each white die that rolls a natural six, add one blue cube to the command tracker. The command tracker can hold a maximum of three blue cubes.

Using command cubes to re-roll dice

Discard one blue cube from the command tracker to re-roll a single die (white or red). This can be done at any time, including for rolls on the event chart.

Example: your dice pool contains five dice, including one red die due to the "logistical failure" event. You roll: 6, 5, 2, 3, and a red 6. Since the red die is a D3, it becomes a 3 (halved and rounded up). The roll of 6 allows you to add a blue cube to your command tracker. However, since you already have the maximum of three, you spend one blue cube to re-roll the 2, resulting in a 4. By adjusting the order of your actions, you maintain three blue cubes in your tracker.

Concentration of Panzers (using supplies to modify dice)

Discard one or more black cubes from the supply tracker to increase the value of a single die by +1 per cube discarded.

This ability cannot be used to gain a blue cube by modifying a die to a '6'.

*Example: to perform an encirclement action requiring a roll of 6, you discard a black cube from the supply tracker to modify the 5 to a 6.

Re-supplying

You can allocate any die roll of 2 or higher to the supply tracker to gain black cubes. The number of black cubes gained is the die value's D3 result (see page 1). The supply tracker can hold a maximum of five black cubes.

Example: if you allocate a white die roll of 3, you gain 2 black cubes. If you allocate a red die roll of 2, you gain 1 black cube.

Example: before allocating dice to attacks, you use your two 3s (one white and one red) to resupply your armies. Each 3 provides two black cubes, adding a total of four to your supply tracker, which now reaches its maximum of five cubes.

German Attacks

Campaign Map and Army Group Paths

The campaign map features three army groups (North, Center, and South), each with arrows indicating their paths of progression. To advance along a path, you must unlock each city by marking off all the boxes above the previous city in that path.

Example: Army Group Center starts the game with the Soviet city of Bialystok being unlocked. By attacking and marking off all 3 boxes above and the city of Bialystok, you unlock the city of Minsk. While Army Group South starts at Brody and once captured, can move on to Uman.

Attacking Cities

To attack a Soviet city, assign one die at a time to a city that is already unlocked. If the die value matches or exceeds the number in the current box above the city, mark the box off.

You may attack the same city multiple times during a turn or divide your dice to attack evenly along all three army group's paths. The choice is yours!

Encirclements

When allocating a die to attack a Soviet city: If the die value is at least double the number in the Soviet box, mark off that box and the next box to its right.

Example: this turn, you roll 6, 5, 3, 2, and a red 6 (converted to 3). You focus on the Soviet center and allocate the 5 and 2 to Bialystok. Use the 5 to double the value of the 2 in the first box, allowing you to encircle and mark off the 5 box as well. Then, activate the 2 to mark off the final 2 box in Bialystok. The Bialystok sector is now fully marked off. Next, you assign the 6 to Minsk. The 6 doubles the 3 in the first box, allowing you to encircle and mark off the adjacent 5 box. Discard one supply cube to mark off the second box above Minsk, as indicated by the supply icon.

Capturing Cities and Gaining Victory Points (VPs)

Once all boxes above a city are marked off, the city is captured. Mark off the red box of that city and mark one box on the VP tracker for each red star in the captured city. The next city in the army group's path is now unlocked.

Long Logistical Chains

Before marking off a box with a supply icon, discard one black cube. If you cannot discard a black cube, the box cannot be marked off.

This rule also applies to encirclements (see above).

Ending the Game

After marking off the last box (the 12th box) on the timeline it means it is the last turn and the game ends at the end of this turn.

Winning the game

Count up all your marked off VPs on the VP tracker. If you have at least 14 victory points (VP), you win the game. Achieve 19-20 VP for a triumphal victory.

Losing the game

You lose if you finish the game with 13 or fewer victory points (VP). For reference: scoring 11-13 VP represents a historical outcome: enough to continue the war, but ultimately leading to defeat, as in history.