Proud Monster: The Barbarossa Campaign
Proud Monster: The Barbarossa Campaign Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Game Components
- 2.1 Game Contents
- 2.2 Game Map
- 2.3 Game Charts
- 2.4 Game Counters
- 2.4.1 Unit Description Chart
- 2.4.2 Unit Nationality
- 2.4.3 Unit Class
- 2.4.4 Unit Type Abbreviations
- 2.4.5 Unit Size
- 2.4.6 Unit Attack, Defense and Movement Factors
- 2.4.7 Unit Steps
- 2.4.8 Historical Names
- 2.4.9 Soviet Untried Units
- 2.4.10 Unit Reinforcement/Conversion Turn & Withdrawal/Conversion Turn
- 3.0 Glossary
- 4.0 How to Win
- 5.0 Sequence of Play
- 6.0 Stacking
- 7.0 Axis Minor Allies
- 8.0 Supply
- 8.1 Ultimate Supply Sources
- 8.2 Overland Supply
- 8.3 Checking Supply
- 8.4 Supply States
- 8.5 Supply Effects
- 8.6 Offensive Supply Markers
- 8.7 Axis Air Supply
- 8.8 German Attenuated Supply Line Effects (GAS)
- 8.9 Axis Supply Concentration Markers
- 8.10 Paulus Pause
- 8.11 Supply Effects of the Sivash & Kerch Strait
- 8.12 Other Port Supply Requirements & Effects
- 9.0 Reinforcement Phase and Refit Phase Activities
- 10.0 Sea Transport and Soviet Amphibious Invasions
- 11.0 Ground Movement
- 12.0 Weather
- 13.0 Prepared Assault
- 13.1 Close Combat
- 13.2 Combat Odds Calculation
- 13.3 Concentric PA
- 13.4 Hex Effects on Combat
- 13.5 Maximum CRT Odds Shift
- 13.6 Combat Resolution
- 13.7 Combat Results
- 13.8 Defender Retreat
- 13.9 Step Losses
- 13.10 Possible Attacker Loss Reduction
- 13.11 Normal Combat Loss Procedure
- 13.12 Close Combat Loss Procedure
- 13.13 Eliminated Axis Unit Handling
- 13.14 Eliminated Soviet Unit Handling
- 13.15 Advance After Combat
- 14.0 Mobile Assault (Overrun)
- 14.1 MA Unit Type Restrictions
- 14.2 MA Stacking
- 14.3 MA Procedure
- 14.4 MA Terrain and Weather Limitations
- 14.5 MA Supply
- 14.6 MA and Rivers
- 14.7 MA Success or Failure
- 14.8 Axis Seasonal Offensive 2-round MA
- 14.9 MA Within a Jointly-occupied Hex
- 14.10 MA From Off-map Areas
- 14.11 Moving Other Units into an MA Hex
- 15.0 Special Capability Units
- 15.1 German Regular Infantry Divisions - At Start
- 15.2 AFV Combat Bonus - At Start
- 15.3 German Flak Corps - At Start
- 15.4 Air Units - At Start
- 15.5 German Artillery HARKO - At Start
- 15.6 Cavalry Raid - At Start
- 15.7 Combat Engineers - Turn 124
- 15.8 4 Paratroop Corps & Partisans - Turn 201
- 15.9 Mech Upgrades - Turn 205 and Turn 301
- 15.10 German Long Range Artillery (LRA) - Turn 209 and Turn 216
- 15.11 Soviet Artillery - Turn 219
- 15.12 Soviet Pontoon Bridges - Turn 220
- 15.13 Leningrad Counter-Fire Corps - Turn 221
- 15.14 German Heavy Mech Units - Turn 223
- 15.15 Soviet Guards Rocket Divisions - Turn 223
- 15.16 Soviet Fortified Area - Turn 309
- 15.17 Blaupunkt East Paradrop - Turn 313
- 15.18 The 1943 Soviet Paradrop - Turn 313
- 15.19 German Korps Abteilung (KA) Units - Turn 314
- 15.20 German 19SS ID - Turn 318
- 15.21 German Mobile Artillery Division - Turn 319
- 15.22 German Assault Gun Brigades - Turn 319
- 15.23 German 11SS PGD Conversion - Turn 323
- 15.24 German 20SS ID - Turn 407
- 16.0 Game Notes
- Seasonal Offensive (SO) Record Chart
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Summary
Proud Monster Deluxe is a simulation of the Russo-German War from June 22, 1941 to April 15, 1944 (when the Soviets reached the western map edge). In this operational wargame of intermediate complexity the Axis player controls all Axis forces (Germans and Axis minor allies) and the Soviet player controls the armed forces of the Soviet Union. The Axis player is on the strategic offensive at first, attempting to crush the Soviet Union in a lightning campaign seizing key urban hexes (and perhaps oil centers) within the western part of the Soviet Union shown on the map. At first, the Soviet player is on the strategic defensive trying to thwart the Axis advance; assuming the Soviets survive, at some point they will go over to the strategic offensive and try to push the Axis forces out of the Soviet Union.
The original Proud Monster was published in Command magazine issue 27 in 1994 and the Death and Destruction expansion was published in issue 34 in 1995. This deluxe edition combines both with goals of adding more historicity, simplifying some complexity and keeping the fun of the originals. Do not assume a rule that was in the original is the same in this one unless it is found in these rules.
1.2 Game Scale
Each hex on the map represents about 20 miles from side to side. The units are mostly divisions, but there are also corps, brigades, regiments and battalions. Each turn except the first represents about 15 days (for simplicity this is called either the first 2 game weeks of the month or the last 2 game weeks); the first turn represents the first 8 days of the invasion (in game terms, the fourth week of June 1941).
1.3 Scenarios
The players decide between themselves the scenario to be played and which side each will command, this might be by side preference or by a die roll. As there is a free and an historical setup for each side in 1941, there are 5 possible game scenario combinations.
| Soviet | Axis |
|---|---|
| 1941 Historical | 1941 Historical |
| 1941 Historical | 1941 Free |
| 1941 Free | 1941 Historical |
| 1941 Free | 1941 Free |
| 1942 Free | 1942 Free |
If both players are new to the game, it is suggested that both '41 Historical setups be used. The '41 Free setups have more flexibility than the historical setups; this is an advantage to the side using it if the other side sets up historically, so if one player is more experienced, it may help to balance things to let the less experienced set up using the free setup. If both players want to explore setup redeployment possibilities, then both should use the Free setups. Finally, if one wants to explore the situation and options in 1942, there is that scenario.
Each takes their side's setup information and follows the instructions. At game start, the Axis player(s) should sit along the playing map's west edge and the Soviet players(s) along the east edge. As the action sweeps across the map; the players may need to move around.
The game can easily be played by four people, two on each side, by dividing the map area roughly in half, for example, at first along the North/South line. It is suggested that each player get about half of the expected action, so this initial partition can change. It is best to have one player on each side be the commander in chief as this allows for more rapid decision making concerning such matters as overall strategy, reinforcement allocation, and adjudication of any concerns near the command boundary. Teaming with a partner can also help mitigate mistakes in tactics and implementing the rules correctly. It is also possible to play with more than 2 people on a side, as a suggestion, the Axis can be divided into Army Groups North, Center and South and the Soviets can be divided into Northern, Southern and Interior commands.
1.4 Turn Notation
There are two ways to indicate a turn, the expanded form and the condensed form. The expanded form of a turn is given, for example, as 1941 Jun 3&4, which can be stated as "1941 June weeks 3 & 4." The condensed form of a turn is given as a three digit number where the first digit is the last digit of the year (1941, 1942, 1943, or 1944) and the other two digits are the turn number in that year (01 through 24), this is the form used on the counters.
The campaign game starts on the one week turn of 1941 Jun 4 (turn 112) and must end on 1944 Apr 1&2 (turn 407) but will usually end sooner; a campaign game will have at least 1 turn and at most 68 turns; if one side is doing substantially better or worse than history during a victory check turn the game will end at that point.
1.5 No Zone of Control
Unlike many other wargames, combat units in this game do not have a Zone of Control (ZOC) into adjacent hexes; however, there are some effects when adjacent to an enemy unit.
2.0 Game Components
2.1 Game Contents
A complete copy of Proud Monster Deluxe includes:
- 1 Rulesbook
- 4 22"x34" game maps which combine to form the playing map
- 8 cardstock charts 8.5" x 11"
- 4 cardstock charts 11" x 17"
- 10 die-cut counter sheets totalling 2280 counters
- 2 six-sided dice
- 1 box and lid set
2.2 Game Map
Before playing the game, prepare the 4 map sections for play by back-folding them along their seams. To create the actual playing map, overlap and align the edge hex rows on adjacent map sections and fasten them together temporarily, either with masking tape at the outer edges or with long strips of clear removable tape across the entire overlap boundary. Alternatively, clear Plexiglas can be used to cover the map. The assembled playing map fits in an area about 44 inches wide by 68 inches long and fits nicely on a 4 foot by 6 foot table.
The game map shows an assessment of the militarily significant terrain found in and near the western Soviet Union in 1941. A hexagonal (hex) grid is printed on the map to regulate the placement and movement of units. Each map hex has a unique four-digit number which helps in finding a location. A unit is considered to be in one hex at any one time. Each hex contains natural terrain and possibly man-made construction than can affect the movement of units and combat. The Soviet Frontier Zone consists of the area of the Soviet First Strategic Echelon and the Soviet Interior Zone consists of the areas of the Soviet Second and Third Strategic Echelons. There are also 1942 and 1943 start lines shown on the map, the latter is for historical information and is not used in this game.
In addition to the hex grid, there are the North and South OKH areas on the map where only Axis units may be placed and there are the North and South RVGK areas where only Soviet units may be placed. The game map also contains boxed areas that are locations for various piles of units that are not currently in play.
2.3 Game Charts
There are eight 8.5" x 11" play aid cards, as follows:
- 1 x Axis Close Combat Boxes (front only)
- 1 x Soviet Close Combat Boxes (front only)
- 1 x Axis Reserve Boxes (front only)
- 1 x Soviet Reserve Boxes (front only)
- 1 x Axis Combat Summary (front) and UDC (back)
- 1 x Soviet Combat Summary (front) and UDC (back)
- 1 x Axis CRT, TEC (front) and Axis SOP (back)
- 1 x Soviet CRT, TEC (front) and Soviet SOP (back)
There are four 11" x 17" play aid cards (all printed both sides), as follows:
- 1 x Soviet Set Up card with all 3 scenario set ups
- 1 x Axis Set Up card with all 3 scenario set ups, plus a UDC
- 1 x Axis TRT card
- 1 x Soviet TRT card
2.4 Game Counters
Most of the counters represent combat units, some others are informational markers. Carefully punch out the counters. Each combat unit displays several pieces of information: nationality, historical name, unit class, type and size, attack and defense strengths, movement allowance and turns of entry and withdrawal or conversion if appropriate. Reinforcements that have their entry tied to an earlier withdrawal, a conversion, or some requirement have a big dot under their turn of entry. Units that cannot be rebuilt have a small solid black square, usually to the left of the type box.
The number of units in the game is an absolute limit, players may not create more, the only markers that may be created if more are needed are OOS, ISO1, ISO2, ISO3 and Hedgehog. Some spare units (those without names and possibly attack and defense factors) are provided in case a unit is lost; they are not used otherwise.
Some markers have only a large letter on them, if a stack gets unwieldy due to the number of counters it contains it can be kept off the map as a pile of counters and marked with a letter counter; the counter with the same letter can then be used on the map in place of the stack.
2.4.1 Unit Description Chart
A full Unit Description Chart (UDC) is provided among the various player aid cards.
2.4.2 Unit Nationality
A unit's nationality is indicated by its color scheme (scheme is also shown on the UDC).
Axis Units (black, gray, blue, green)
- German Mech Units: black
- German Leg Units: gray green
- German Downgraded Infantry Divisions: light gray
- Hungarian Units: dark green
- Italian Units: light green
- Ost Units (Ost is German for East): bright green
- Romanian Units: light blue
Soviet Units (brown and red)
- Cavalry Divisions: light brown
- Infantry Brigades: light brown
- Infantry Divisions: brown
- Motorized Infantry Brigades: light red brown
- Motorized Infantry Divisions: red brown
- Tank Brigades: light red
- Tank Divisions: red brown
- Tank and Mechanized Corps: red
- Guards: dark red
2.4.3 Unit Class
There are 2 classes of ground combat units: Mech and Leg. Mech units are those whose primary means of movement is provided by wheeled and tracked vehicles. Leg units are those whose primary means of movement is provided by legs, human and animal. Mech class units have their attack, defense and movement factors in white print, the factors for Leg class units are in black print; this distinction is important for movement and combat.
A Mech unit and a Soviet Mechanized corps are different things; the latter is an example of the former.
2.4.4 Unit Type Abbreviations
Following are the various Type Abbreviations:
- A - Artillery
- AG - Assault Gun
- AL - Air Landing (Glider)
- BA - Breakthrough Artillery
- C - Cavalry
- E - Engineer
- F - Fortress
- G - Guards
- H - Heavy (as a prefix)
- HSPAT - Heavy Self-Propelled Anti-Tank
- I - Infantry (if no prefix, it is just normal infantry)
- KA - Korps Abteilung (Corps Detachments)
- LF - Luftwaffe Field (LFD = Luftwaffe Field Division)
- LI - Light Infantry (Jaeger/Hunter)
- M - Mechanized (as a Soviet type, not a class)
- MtI - Mountain Infantry
- MI - Motorized Infantry
- MR - Motorized Rifle
- N - Naval
- P - Panzer (Axis)
- Par - Parachute
- Part - Partisan
- PG - Panzergrenadier
- R - Rifle (Soviets)
- Rkt - Rocket
- Sec - Security
- StI - Static Infantry
- T – Tank (Soviets)
There are paradrop rules for some specific units, other units have a parachute symbol but cannot drop. However, a German or Soviet Guard parachute or air landing unit moves like a mountain unit, but has no special combat effect.
The Mixed type only applies to the Hungarian Fast Corps, which was an amalgam unit composed of various types of Mech subunits, treat it as Motorized Infantry for all purposes.
2.4.5 Unit Size
A unit's historical organizational size is shown by a unit size symbol as found in the following table. A bracket atop the size symbol means the unit is an ad hoc or irregular formation of that size. The size abbreviation is used as a suffix with a type abbreviation.
| Unit Size | Symbol | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Corps | XXX | C |
| Division | XX | D |
| Brigade | X | B |
| Regiment | III | R |
| Battalion | II | Bn |
Examples: GMC is the acronym for a Guards Mechanized Corps, TD is a Tank Division, MIB is a Motorized Infantry Brigade, and AGBn is an Assault Gun Battalion.
The German 1SS and 2SS Motorized Infantry Divisions and the 1SS and 2SS Motorized Infantry Brigades are 4 distinct units; that is, the 1SS MID is distinct from the 1SS MIB, etc.
2.4.6 Unit Attack, Defense and Movement Factors
Attack and Defense Factors measure a unit's ability to attack and defend, a unit with an attack factor of 0 may not attack in the normal way. The Movement Factor is a measure of a unit's ability to move across the hex grid printed on the map, a unit with a movement factor of 0 may not move in the normal way. Units pay varied movement costs to enter different hexes, based on the moving unit's type and the terrain in the hex and along the hexsides being crossed.
2.4.7 Unit Steps
Each ground unit has a number of steps: 1/2, 1, 2, 3 or 4. Steps show the ability of a unit to absorb combat losses before being eliminated. Half step units (all Soviet CD, RB (including tried ParB and NB), MRB (including tried MB) and TB) are designated as such by having combat factors with a color bar background. One step units are designated by having combat factors without a color bar on only one side. Two step units have combat factors on both sides with the one step side having reduced combat factors.
Formations containing 3 or 4 steps are represented by 2 counters; only one of each formation's counters should be in play at any one time, the lower-valued counter is substituted for the higher-valued counter as the formation takes losses. A player may wish to organize the alternate formation counters for 3 and 4 step units so that they can be easily found when needed.
If a half step or 1 step unit takes a loss, it is eliminated. If a 2-step unit takes a step loss, it is flipped over so that its reduced side (with lower combat and movement values) shows. If a 3 or 4 step unit takes a step loss, then either flip the unit to its reduced side or if the reduced side is already showing, replace it with the formation's weaker counter. Note that a step loss for a multi-step unit reduces not only the attack and defense factors, but also often reduces the movement factor.
2.4.8 Historical Names
Every unit has a number and/or abbreviation of its historical name.
Axis Name Abbreviations:
- Coss - Cossacks
- Cr - Croatian
- Dan - Danish
- Dora - the 2nd Krupp 800mm long range gun
- F - Fast
- FE - Fuhrer Escort
- FG - Fegelein
- FL - Flanders (Belgium)
- Fr - French Volunteer
- GD - Gross Deutschland
- GR - Grancieri
- HARKO - Heavy Artillery Kommand
- Heavy Gustav - the 1st Krupp 800mm long range gun
- HF - Hungarian Fast Corps (Gyorshadtest)
- HG - Hermann Goering
- Hun - Hungarian
- It - Italian
- J - Jaeger
- L - Lehr
- MG - Manstein's Gambit units
- MxdEth - Ost Mixed Ethnic unit
- Mod - Model
- Ndr - Nederland (Netherlands)
- Nor – Norwegian
- Ost – German for East, former Soviet troops
- Pil - Pilfousek (Slovak)
- Rom - Romanian
- SpL - Spanish Legion
- Slo - Slovak
- Sp - Spanish "Blue" Division
- SS - Schutzstaffel
- vShump - von Shumpfeld
- 3JN - 3 January Blackshirt Legion
Soviet Name Abbreviations:
- CB - Counter Battery
- CI - Chechen-Ingush
- CM - Crimean Militia
- D - Don
- FA - Fortified Area
- G - Guards
- GM - Guards Militia
- IM - Ivanovo Militia
- KB - Kuban
- KL - Kalmyk
- KM - Kiev Militia
- KRM - Kremenchug Militia
- LCFC - Leningrad Counter Fire Corps
- LM - Leningrad Militia
- M - Militia
- MM - Moscow Militia
- N - NKVD
- OM - Odessa Militia
- SM - Smolensk Militia
- STM - Stalino Militia
- VM - Voroshilovgrad Militia
- YM - Yaroslavl Militia
Note: The GM (Guards Militia) notation on some 1-step Soviet rifle divisions does not indicate a Guards unit for game purposes. The Guards Militia title was an honorific given to some units from their service in the Russian Civil War. For game purposes, Soviet Guards units are in Guards colors and are (1) Guards units converted from regular units and (2) Engineer Brigades.
2.4.9 Soviet Untried Units
Many Soviet units are untried units that contain 1 step with the reverse side showing a U (for untried) and a movement factor, a unit type and size. All untried Soviet units begin the game, or enter play as reinforcements or rebuilds, with their untried (U) side showing; neither player knows exactly what is on the reverse, although the unit type and size can be used to deduce possible values. When randomly selecting from a pool of untried units, mix them up to ensure that no one knows any of the tried values. If an untried unit is inadvertently flipped over revealing its combat factors, return it to the appropriate pool and draw again.
The first time an untried unit is in combat as an attacker or defender, it is flipped over revealing its combat strengths. Once revealed, the unit is considered tried and is not flipped back to its untried side while on the map. When a Soviet RD or CD with an untried side is rebuilt from the Replacement Army, it reappears as an untried unit. It must again have combat in order for its combat factors to be revealed to both players. A tried unit is one that either was untried and revealed or was never untried; all Axis units are tried and the Soviets get some tried units as reinforcements or conversions. Note that Soviet units that are flipped from tried to untried status in the 1942 scenario setup are shown to the Axis player before deployment, as previous combats done before the scenario begins are what revealed them.
Some Soviet untried RDs have a mountain type on their tried side; they are mountain units when tried, but not when untried.
Some Soviet untried RDs, RBs, and MRBs have an anchor symbol on their tried side which indicates amphibious assault capability; they can amphibious assault when tried, but not when untried.
Some Soviet untried RBs have a parachute or Naval type on their tried side, that is, when tried they are a ParB or an NB. The parachute type for an untried unit was an honorific and has no effect, treat it as rifle. The Naval type has an anchor on the unit and can amphibious assault when tried, but not when untried.
Some Soviet untried MRBs have a mechanized type on their tried side, that is, they are an MB; they are mechanized units when tried, but not when untried.
Note that the setup charts and reinforcement charts always refer to untried units in their untried state. For the 1942 scenario, even when untried units are on their tried side, use their untried side to meet placement restrictions; for example, if an MRB is chosen to be flipped and it flips to an MB, then it can be placed in a hex where an MRB can be placed.
2.4.10 Unit Reinforcement/Conversion Turn & Withdrawal/Conversion Turn
A tried unit that enters the campaign game as a reinforcement or conversion has the turn number of entry printed in its upper-left corner. For instance, the German Second Panzer Division (name on counter of 2) enters play during turn 118 (1941 Sep 3&4). A unit may have a turn of removal, withdrawal or conversion in its upper-right corner. For Soviet Corps that enter at varying strengths depending on the turn, the side with the correct strength for the turn of entry has an underlined turn, e.g., 209.
3.0 Glossary
- 1L - 1 Leftward CRT odds shift
- 1R - 1 Rightward CRT odds shift
- 2L - 2 Leftward CRT odds shift
- AF - Attack Factor
- AFV - Armed Fighting Vehicle, a unit that has an Axis type of Panzer, Heavy Panzer, Panzergrenadier, Assault Gun, or Heavy Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun; or a Soviet type of Tank or Mechanized unit.
- Armor - An Axis Panzer or Heavy Panzer unit or a Soviet Tank unit.
- Besieged port - a port that has enemy units on every adjacent land hex.
- CC - Close Combat (acronym)
- Close Combat - a special type of combat that uses a special method to determine and assign step losses and which may allow attacking units to advance even when the defender is not eliminated so that a jointly-occupied hex is the result.
- CRT - Combat Results Table
- D - Dry weather (on TEC and weather chit)
- DD - Death and Destruction, the extension to the original Proud Monster game
- Dead Pile - location for some eliminated German divisions which may be used to form KA units.
- DF - Defense Factor
- DRM - Dry, Rain, or Mud weather (on TEC)
- DRMF - Dry, Rain, Mud or Freeze weather (on TEC)
- DRMS - Dry, Rain, Mud or Snow weather (on TEC)
- ERMP - Enemy Reserve Movement Phase
- F - Freeze weather (on TEC and weather chit)
- Finnish Front - The northern map edge hexsides that have a gray border, which represents the advance of Finnish forces to the north of the map.
- Fortification - a generic term referring to a fort, a heavy fort, or a Stalin line.
- FRMP - Friendly Reserve Movement Phase
- FS - Freeze or Snow weather (on TEC)
- FW - fieldworks
- GAS line - German Attenuated Supply line
- GAST - German attenuated supply table, used when the Axis crosses the GAS line in 1941.
- Generic Withdrawal Pool - German units that have been withdrawn from play because of a generic withdrawal (which does not specify a named unit).
- HARKO - acronym for Heavy Artillery Kommand
- HH - Hedgehog (Axis urban defenses)
- ISO - Isolated (subject to supply attrition)
- Jointly-occupied hex - A hex that has units of both sides in it due to a close combat.
- KA - Korps Abteilung (Corps Detachment)
- LOC - Line of communications, a path of hexes free of enemy units.
- LRA - Long Range Artillery (Heavy Gustav or Dora)
- LRP - For Axis, Leg Replacement Points; for Soviets, Leg Rebuild Points
- M - Mud weather (on TEC and weather chit)
- MA - Mobile Assault, AKA overrun, an attack during a Movement Phase
- Mech non-inf. - A Mech unit that is not motorized infantry, panzergrenadier, nor mechanized.
4.0 How to Win
4.1 Victory Conditions Summary
There are 3 ways to win, in summary:
- Moscow
- Victory Points
- Oil Centers
4.2 Hex Control
At the start of the campaign game the Soviets control all urban hexes including Victory Point (VP) hexes, Oil Center hexes and port hexes on the map, except for the port of Memel, these are the only hexes for which hex control is important. The control of a hex switches from one side to the other whenever a ground unit from the opposing side occupies the hex and there are no enemy units in the hex; hex control switching (ownership) is immediate and may occur in the same hex any number of times during play. If the hex is jointly-occupied, the hex defender owns the hex. Control markers with a Soviet star on one side and a German cross on the other can be used to indicate which side controls a hex that is not occupied.
4.3 Map Edge Hexes
If an Axis unit that is not in ISO status is on an eastern map edge hex, then the Axis cannot lose on that turn by any method. If a Soviet unit that is not in ISO status is on a ZOMO hex, then the Soviets cannot lose on that turn by any method. If neither side can lose at the end of a game or if one side wins by some method below and the other side cannot lose because of this rule, then the game is a draw.
4.4 Moscow Victory
Before turn 205, the first moment the Axis owns both Moscow hexes, the Axis rolls one die. Subtract one from the die roll for each of the following Axis-owned cities: Leningrad, Kiev, Rostov, and Astrakhan. If the modified die roll is 1 or 2, the Axis wins immediately. If the modified die roll does not result in an Axis victory, the war goes on; the Axis gets 9 VPs for Moscow, which may be enough for a VP victory when a VP check is done. If Moscow changes hands more than once, no sudden death die roll is made after the first Axis seizure.
The Moscow Victory is no longer attainable after turn 204. On turn 205 and after, Moscow's capture by the Axis yields only 9 VPs, not a chance for automatic victory.
4.5 Victory Point Victory
Only the Axis gains and loses victory points (VPs). On a victory check turn, 2 numbers are listed, separated by a slash (/). If the place for a number is a - (a dash), then that type of victory is not possible that turn. The first number is what the Soviets need to win, the second number is what the Axis needs to win, if the number falls between, then the game continues.
Example #1: if at the end of turn 112 (1941 Jun 4) the Axis has at least 4 VP, the Axis wins; if they have fewer than 4, play continues until the next VP check; and there is no way for the Soviets to win on this turn.
Example #2: the VPs listed for judging victory on turn 124 (1941 Dec 3&4) are 27/36 which is read as Soviets Win: 27; Continue: 28-35; Axis Win: 36. That means when the victory check is made for that turn the Soviet player is declared the victor if the Axis has 27 or fewer VPs; play continues if the Axis VP total is between 28 and 35, inclusive; and the Axis player is declared the victor if they have 36 or more VP.
4.5.1 City & Large Town Victory Points
All cities and many large towns on the map have a VP value (from 1 to 9) enclosed in a small red hexagon. For example, Minsk (hex 1920) is worth 1 VP and Sevastopol (hex 2050) is worth 4 VP. Whenever Axis forces gain control of a VP hex, immediately award the Axis the indicated number of VPs. If the Soviets counterattack and regain a VP hex, immediately subtract that number of VPs from the Axis total. VPs for the same hex may be won and lost any number of times during the course of a game. Moscow is the only two-hex city in the game (hexes 4120 and 4219); the Axis must control both Moscow hexes to get 9 VPs, the Soviets need to take only one hex back to subtract 9 VPs from the Axis total. Use the VP markers to keep track of the current VP total.
4.5.2 Other Victory Points
There are other ways the Axis can gain or lose VP:
- During the Victory Check Phase at the end of every turn from turn 112 to turn 124, check the Germany ZOMO (but not the Hungary nor Romania ZOMO) for the presence of Soviet ground units. The Axis loses 1 VP for each Soviet ground unit in the Germany ZOMO at that time. (The severe penalty of 1 VP per unit is deliberate; the Axis should ensure that a 1941 Soviet incursion into the Germany ZOMO does not happen.)
- Starting on the last week of turn 117 (Sep 1&2, 1941) during the Soviet Cleanup Phase, Soviet failure to garrison the 8 Finnish front hexes (3303, 3402, 3803, 3904, 4003, 4104, 4203 and 4304) with at least one unit per hex gives the Axis 1 VP per week that the garrison requirement is not met. For all purposes, it is thereafter assumed that Axis units are adjacent to those 8 hexes. This Finnish front garrison requirement ceases if the Axis attacks Leningrad, hex 3403, any Finnish front hex, or if Leningrad is isolated; the requirement is in effect at the start of the 1942 scenario.
- Failure to make a withdrawal loses 1 VP per Axis unit not withdrawn and gains 1 VP per Soviet unit not withdrawn.
- Starting on turn 311, Axis failure to make the mandated anti-partisan warfare commitment for a turn loses 1 VP.
- Loss of an unit loses 1 VP.
- Axis failure to do a completed 1943 Summer 2 Week Attack loses 3 VPs. See those rules.
- Every ZOMO hex in Germany, Hungary or Romania occupied by one or more supplied Soviet units during the last victory check of the game (turn 407) subtracts 1 VP from the Axis total (1 VP per ZOMO hex, not one per Soviet unit).
Historically, only the last condition resulted in a change in VPs; at the end of turn 407 (1944 Apr 1&2) the Axis held Sevastopol, Kishinev, Minsk, Vitebsk, Vilnyus, Kaunus, Riga and Tallinn, for a total of 11 VP; but the Soviets controlled 7 hexes 0633-0938 in the Romania ZOMO, decreasing the Axis VP total by 7, for a final VP of 4 and a draw in terms of the game.
4.6 Oil Center Victory
During a Victory Check Phase, after the VP check assuming one side has not won by that method, then if the Axis controls all 5 oil centers, the Axis wins; otherwise one die is rolled for each Axis-controlled oil center until a 1 is rolled resulting in an Axis victory or the Axis no longer controls any oil centers. Note that all 5 oil centers are south of the Caucasus line and there are no victory point locations south of the Caucasus line.
4.7 Soviet Victory via Manstein Gambit
If the Axis invokes the Manstein Gambit, play stops at the end of turn 321. If the Axis has not won by then, then the Soviets win. See the Manstein Gambit rules.
5.0 Sequence of Play
5.1 Turn Summary
Each complete game turn has a Reinforcement Phase in which both sides do activities, followed by 2 weeks of movement and combat, followed on some turns by a Victory Check Phase. Every action taken by a player must be carried out in the appropriate phase.
Once a player has finished one phase and gone on to the next, they may not return to the previous phase to perform a forgotten action or redo a mistake unless their opponent graciously permits it. When first learning the game or if another is learning, be gracious; otherwise, agree beforehand what, if anything, will be allowed in terms of "do overs".
Note: The rest of the rules in the following sections are organized, as much as possible, to explain things in the order they are encountered through a turn.
5.2 Outline Sequence of Play
I. REINFORCEMENT PHASE (BOTH SIDES)
- Get reinforcing units & markers as noted on TRT
- Convert and/or return units from German Withdrawal Pool & Stalingrad Pool
- Calculate Mech and Leg Replacement Points
- Rebuild units in Replacement Army
- Withdraw units (Generic, Specific & Axis Anti-Partisan)
- Deploy offensive supply markers, Soviet then Axis
II. FIRST WEEK
A. Weather Phase
B. Axis Player Week
- Refit Phase
- Initial Movement Phase
- Combat Phase
- Enemy Reserve Movement Phase
- Friendly Reserve Movement Phase
- Cleanup Phase
C. Soviet Player Week (same as Axis Player week)
III. SECOND WEEK (same as First Week)
IV. VICTORY CHECK PHASE (TRT specified turns only)
A. Check VPs for player victory or game continuation
B. If Axis has 5 oil: Axis wins; else roll 1 die for each Axis owned oil hex: 1 on die: Axis wins; if no ones, then game continues.
During a Movement Phase or Combat Phase, a player may tilt units in the same way to show that they have moved or fought. For example, assume all units are aligned so that the top faces north, then tilt units to face northeast when they have moved, so a unit is not moved twice.
5.3 First Week Special Rules
- Turn 112 (1941 June week 4), as it represents only 8 days, has only 1 game week in it; all other turns have 2 game weeks.
- On turn 112, the Reinforcement Phase is skipped, as there are no reinforcements for either side; and the Axis Enemy Reserve Movement Phase is skipped, as no Soviet units can setup in reserve.
- On turn 112, Axis units in the Hungary or Romania ZOMO or the South OKH area may not move nor attack; starting on turn 113, they may do so.
- On turn 112, Soviet units may not move nor attack nor trace supply lines into Hungary or Romania; starting on turn 113 they may do so.
- On turn 112, Soviet units are not considered adjacent to Axis units that are not in Russia; for example, Axis units in Reserve markers adjacent to the border need not be immediately placed on the map.
- On turn 112, an Axis unit may not use strategic movement from one OKH Reserve area to the other; starting on turn 113 they may do so.
- On turn 112, an Axis Seasonal Offensive week is in effect. See those rules.
- On turn 112, all Axis units are considered to have a Reserve marker in their setup hex or area without the need to place a Reserve marker, although Reserve markers may be used to hide the units in them. Axis units come out of reserve when they either move or attack.
- On turn 112, the North OKH area is divided into 3 subareas: AGN, AGC, and AGS by army group boundaries; units in an army group subarea may only move into the ZOMO hexes of that corresponding army group if they move at all on turn 112. Note that this implies when using the Axis historical setup that only the units assigned to OKH North can be assigned to any Army Group sector of the Axis player's choice.
Furthermore, the AGN/AGC and AGC/AGS army group boundaries are extended straight east into Russia dividing alternate hexes; Axis units cannot move or MA so they cross such an extended army group boundary but may enter a divided hex. A German stack may PA an adjacent Soviet stack across an army group boundary, but may not advance after combat across an army group boundary.
Starting on turn 113, all army group boundaries are ignored.
- On turn 112, Axis units ignore rivers for movement. Soviet units treat rivers normally.
- On turn 112, the Soviets get no CRT shifts for any terrain except forts, heavy forts and Stalin line hexes; city combat is still resolved as a close combat and step losses are doubled as normal. An offensive or defensive AFV combat shift can still only be achieved in a clear or city hex.
5.4 Seasonal Offensive Week
A calendar year is divided into seasons, June to August is Summer, September to November is Fall, December to February is Winter and March to May is Spring. Each season, during their Refit Phase, a player may declare at most 1 week to be a Seasonal Offensive week.
The Axis start the 1941 game having declared a Seasonal Offensive week for the only week of turn 112, thereby using their Summer 1941 capability. The first the Soviets may declare a Seasonal Offensive week is December 1941 (which would be their 1941 Winter Seasonal Offensive) and the Axis may not declare a Seasonal Offensive week during the Winter of 1941-1942 or anytime after August 1943.
During an Axis Seasonal Offensive week, an MA costs only 6 MPs for German Mech units; the cost for German cavalry units remains 4 MPs. If a German MA fails to eliminate all defenders, the Axis player may choose to do a second MA on the same defending stack (only) using units from the original MA stack, assuming each unit doing the second MA has 6 remaining MPs to spend. Mech units that no longer have 12 MF and cavalry that no longer have 8 MF due to step losses cannot join in the second MA and must halt further movement in the MA launch hex.
During a Soviet Seasonal Offensive week, an MA costs only 6 MPs for Soviet Mech corps (only); the cost for Soviet Mech brigades, Mech divisions, and Cavalry divisions remains 4 MPs.
When a player declares a Seasonal Offensive week, his non-cavalry Leg units in reserve have both of the enhanced movement capabilities that cavalry in reserve normally have, see the Reserve marker rules.
There is a Soviet "Seasonal Offensive?" marker with a yellow background and an Axis one with a white background. These may be placed on the TRT as a reminder when the next Seasonal Offensive is possible, moving it forward to the next season when that season's offensive week has been selected.
5.5 Soviet First Winter Offensive Effects
Starting on the week the Soviet 1941-1942 winter seasonal offensive has been declared through the end of turn 204, there are special effects for Soviet attacks with all attacking units in offensive supply when the defending hex is north of the North/South line:
- A Soviet MA or PA gets a first winter bonus 1R CRT shift. This first winter bonus CRT shift is in addition to any terrain, construction, and unit CRT shifts; recall that terrain, construction and unit CRT shifts are limited to a maximum of 2 shifts total, but the winter bonus shift is above this.
- In a Soviet MA or PA, the Soviets may choose to subtract 1 from both attacker and defender combat loss results after the die roll is made, but before city doubling is done; treat a -1 loss as a 0.
- In a Soviet PA, if the final defending step loss result is at least 2, the Soviets may require that the final Axis step loss be satisfied as a retreat unless the defending hex has a city, hedgehog or fieldworks. The Axis may still choose to retreat if the Soviets did not require it.
5.6 Axis 1943 Summer 2 Week Attack
The Axis must use at least 15 Mech divisions each week in attacks (MA and/or PA) during 2 adjacent weeks of summer 1943 by the end of turn 314. If no mandatory Axis summer 1943 attack was completed by the end of turn 314, the Axis must:
A) Subtract 3 VPs and B) Remove all Axis Minor Ally units from play.
5.7 Manstein Gambit
The Manstein Gambit uses all available Axis forces to try to reach a decision in Russia in 1943. The Axis player must declare the Manstein Gambit on the same week as the Axis 1943 Summer Seasonal Offensive. At that time, they receive the following as special reinforcements, all deployed during the Refit Phase:
- Enough air units to total 6 active including VIII,
- All Mech units in the Generic and Specific Withdrawal Piles,
- Any 2 units in the Replacement Army or Stalingrad Pool (without paying for them),
- 8 Leg Replacement points,
- The 5 combat units and 4 2-Upgrade counters marked MG, and
- The 25 Panzer Division and 2 Parachute Division should be retrieved from the turn track (turns 323 and 321, respectively).
- An Offensive Supply-5 marker
If the Axis choose Manstein's Gambit, then the Axis needs to try to win the game by the end of turn 321; if they do not win by then, play stops and the Soviets win.
6.0 Stacking
6.1 Stacking Limits
Stacking is putting more than 1 unit in a hex. At most 5 non-artillery divisions may be in a non-city hex. At most 10 non-artillery divisions may be in a city hex, but only 5 non-artillery divisions may attack into or out of a city hex.
When playing a scenario that starts in 1941, the Soviets start out with an additional stacking restriction: they may only stack 3 non-artillery divisions in a non-city hex, except that a hex with a heavy fort may contain 5 non-artillery divisions and a city may contain 10 non-artillery divisions.
The Soviets may stack 4 non-artillery divisions in a non-city hex that does not have a heavy fort once the Soviets have earned their first Close Combat marker during an earlier turn. The Soviets may stack 5 non-artillery divisions in any non-city hex once the Soviets have earned 2 Close Combat markers during earlier turns.
See the Close Combat rules on how the Soviets may earn Close Combat markers.
In addition, the Soviets may have at most 5 artillery divisions and 5 bridge units in a hex and the Axis may have at most 1 flak unit, 1 artillery unit and 2 shell markers in a hex; these units do not count against the non-artillery division limits. 1 air unit may stack with a stack of land units; it moves, attacks and defends with those units; if a stack splits up, it remains with one of the resulting stacks.
For stacking purposes, a corps counts as a division, a brigade counts as half of a division, and an Axis regiment or battalion counts as a quarter of a division. Alternatively, a regiment or battalion may augment a division of the same national color at zero stacking cost (place the augmenting unit directly beneath the augmented division to indicate this); the augmented division has the class (Mech or Leg) and movement factor of the unit with the least MF of the 2 units and both units retain their unit types for all purposes.
Markers have no stacking value and may be added to any stack as called for by their specific rules.
All units in an OKH or RVGK area must be organized into legal stacks as if each stack was on a clear hex; each such stack is always considered to have a Reserve marker on it, whether it does or not. When entering the hex map from an OKH or RVGK area, move a stack or part of a stack onto the map.
6.2 Stacking Order
The order of stacking counters from top to bottom in a hex is as follows:
- Markers
- Air unit
- Ground units that are not artillery
- Artillery units
- Artillery shells
or
- Markers
- Air unit
- Reserve Marker
6.3 Stack Examination and Enforcement
A player may always examine their own stacks. For an enemy stack, a player may look under any markers and an air unit but may not look beneath the face up side of the top ground unit or beneath a Reserve marker until the time comes in the combat process for odds calculation.
If a hex is found to be overstacked (for example, by one's opponent during MA or PA resolution), the owning player must immediately (before examining any untried units) eliminate units of their choice so that stacking limits are met. It is specifically allowed to deliberately overstack, one simply pays the overstacking penalty.
There are no limits to the number of units that may move into and through a given hex over the course of a turn, except see the final Specific Minor Allied Unit Restriction.
6.4 Reserve Markers
Each side has 10 Reserve markers, numbered 1 to 10. During a player's Refit Phase, the player may place a stack in reserve on the map that is:
- In defensive supply and
- Has no unit with a Refit marker and
- Either (A) is in a city or (B) is not adjacent to an enemy unit via a land hexside nor in a jointly-occupied hex that is not a city.
To show a stack is in reserve, place the Reserve marker on the map and place the stack on the Reserve play aid sheet in the space for that Reserve marker; alternatively, for simplicity, place the Reserve marker on top of the stack.
A Reserve marker must contain at least 1 unit, when the last unit comes out of reserve for any reason, remove the Reserve marker from the map. A player may decide to reveal the contents in a Reserve marker voluntarily at any time, simply remove the marker, which is then available to use again.
When your opponent moves their units next to a Reserve stack, you must place the stack on the map under the Reserve marker; it is still in Reserve, but they can estimate the number of units in Reserve. If your opponent assaults a Reserve stack and the Reserve stack takes a step loss or retreats or if the final unit in reserve moves away, you must remove the Reserve marker; it is available for reuse on the next Refit Phase.
Units in reserve may move in 1 of 4 ways:
- Coming out of reserve in their Initial Movement Phase,
- Moving the Reserve marker in their Initial Movement Phase - tilt the marker to show it has moved and units in it cannot move until the next owning player week,
- Coming out of reserve in their Friendly Reserve Movement Phase,
- Coming out of reserve in the Enemy Reserve Movement Phase during their opponent's following week.
Whenever units in Reserve move, they use the normal rules for movement (including making an MA if capable).
Mech units and cavalry units (including Axis minor allied Mech units and cavalry units) that come out of reserve have 2 enhanced movement capabilities:
- During an Initial Movement Phase, they do not pay increased MP costs to move into a hex with an MA marker, they just pay terrain costs.
- During a Friendly Reserve Movement Phase or an Enemy Reserve Movement Phase, they can come out of reserve and move.
Leg units that are not cavalry may be in reserve, but do not gain any enhanced movement capabilities (except during a Seasonal Offensive week when they have both enhanced movement capabilities listed above); however, they are part of the reserve stack.
7.0 Axis Minor Allies
7.1 General Minor Allied Unit Restrictions
Romanian, Hungarian, Italian and Ost (German for East) units are Axis minor allies, each has its own distinct unit color and have the following general restrictions:
- A minor allied unit may only receive supply from the South OKH area.
- A minor allied unit may only stack with other units of that minor ally and German units.
- Minor allied Mech units may stack with any number of German units, up to the stacking limit; but minor allied Leg units may stack with only 1 German unit, up to the stacking limit.
- When a minor allied unit is in a stack, the top ground unit must be a minor allied unit. (Thus the Soviets will be able to know a stack contains minor allied units unless it is in Reserve.)
- A minor allied unit may not move into Russia north of the North/South line nor attack a hex in Russia north of the North/South line nor may it enter the North OKH area.
- The units of different minor allies may not attack the same unit.
- Minor allied Mech units may not MA nor ride along in a stack doing an MA.
- A defending stack with a minor allied unit may not retreat after combat. If all minor allied units in a stack are eliminated, then the remaining stack consisting of all German units may retreat.
- Most minor allied units have only one step, although some have 2 steps and none have more than 2 steps. For those few that have 2 steps, when a step is lost the attack factor, defense factor and movement factor reductions are often larger than for German units.
- A minor allied unit may not rebuild, any unit eliminations are permanent. A minor allied Leg unit with 2 steps that has taken a step loss may not refit. A minor allied Mech unit with 2 steps that has taken a step loss may refit normally using a German MRP. Minor allied units may reorganize if they meet the normal requirements.
- If the Axis does not complete the 1943 Summer 2 Week Attack, all remaining minor allied units are removed from the game.
7.2 Specific Minor Allied Unit Restrictions
- Romanian units may only enter the South OKH area, Romania and Russia.
- Hungarian units may only enter the South OKH area, Hungary and Russia; but cannot use the Black Sea port in the South OKH area.
- Italian units may enter the South OKH area, Hungary, Romania and Russia.
- Ost units may only enter hexes in Russia east of the GAS line.
- Romanian units in a hex may never be adjacent to Hungarian units in a hex; if this is found to be true at any time (and the Soviet player should be watching for it), treat it as an overstack condition with either the Romanian or the Hungarian units being totally eliminated as chosen by the Axis. (This may be ignored as too severe a penalty if playing a friendly "loose rules enforcement" game, but is recommended for serious play as it recreates the reality. At the least, it should earn a "Duh!" point.)
7.3 Non-German Units in German Colors
Non-German nationality units in German colors stack, attack and defend exactly as if they were German nationality units and may move and attack on the entire map. No such units may be rebuilt except the 250 Spanish Division; note that on turn 323 the 250 Spanish division must convert into the Spanish Legion (regiment size), which cannot be rebuilt; it converts where ever the 250 division happens to be, e.g., on the map or in the Replacement Army. If such units have multiple steps, they can refit using a German Replacement point.
8.0 Supply
8.1 Ultimate Supply Sources
Axis Ultimate Supply Sources are the North and South OKH areas. Soviet Ultimate Supply Sources are the North and South RVGK areas, including the red border on the north and south map edges.
8.2 Overland Supply
Overland supply is the normal method to put units in defensive supply, all the other methods are special cases. Overland supply is "pushed" from an ultimate supply source via a line of communications (hexes not occupied by enemy units) to an owned urban hex (city, large town or small town, but not village) which then traces 14 Mech MPs to reach a unit, except that rivers can be crossed at no additional cost. Supply can also be traced directly to a unit from an ultimate supply source. (Note that if a stack is anywhere near an owned urban hex with an LOC to the rear, it will be in supply; if a stack heads for the hinterlands without caring about owning nearby urban hexes it can find itself beyond supply.)
An Offensive Supply marker may be used to create a temporary urban hex within a certain range of an actual urban hex if it is not used to put units in offensive supply, rotate the revealed supply marker 180 degrees when using it for this. The maximum supply trace in MP from an actual urban hex to the rotated marker is as follows:
| Marker Value | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply Trace | 5 MPs | 7 MPs | 9 MPs |
The rotated supply marker may then be used as a temporary urban hex with a normal line of supply being able to be traced from it.
Supply lines may not enter hexes occupied by enemy units, nor may they be traced across unfrozen all-sea hexes or hexsides. Leg units (only) may exchange Mech unit MPs for Leg unit MPs in the supply trace at the rate of 2 Mech unit MPs for 1 Leg unit MP (representing wagons that allow supply in mountain hexes without roads). A supply path crossing an unfrozen Kerch strait crossing arrow costs 12 Mech MPs. The Soviets may trace supply paths across all-lake hexes or hexsides in any weather at a cost of 1 MP per hex and 0 per hexside; the Axis may only do this in Snow weather (when the lake is frozen).
8.3 Checking Supply
Supply is traced at the start of each phase and applies throughout that phase. For example, for a defending unit to be out of supply (OOS) during the Combat Phase, it must have had its supply line cut in the previous Initial Movement Phase or earlier. A unit may move to a hex where it will be OOS when the next supply check is made.
During a player's Cleanup Phase, if a unit or group of units is unable to trace a line of communications to an urban hex or port hex that is in supply, increment the ISO marker number by one, if there is no ISO marker, place an ISO 1 marker. ISO units are subject to supply attrition and have a MF of 1, in addition to being OOS.
8.4 Supply States
An Axis unit is in defensive supply if it has overland supply or if it can trace a supply line no more than two hexes in length to any Baltic Sea coast hex or Black Sea coast hex (assuming the Axis has sea transport capability on the Black Sea). To be in sea supply on the Sea of Azov, the 4 Kerch Strait hexes must be Axis controlled. For Axis air supply, see those rules. An Axis unit unable to trace a supply line is unsupplied, place an OOS (out of supply) marker on it.
Before turn 117, an Axis unit that is in defensive supply is also in offensive supply. Starting with turn 117, an Axis unit that has defensive supply is in offensive supply if it is also within the radius of an active offensive supply marker; an OOS unit cannot have offensive supply. Axis air supply is special, see those rules.
A Soviet unit is in defensive supply if it has overland supply or if it is on or adjacent to a Soviet owned Black Sea or Caspian Sea port; for Black Sea port supply, the Soviets must own another port on the Black Sea which has overland supply. A Soviet unit is unsupplied if it cannot trace defensive supply, place an OOS (out of supply) marker on it. Note that there is no Soviet supply via a port on the Baltic Sea, except that the hexside between Oranienbaum and Leningrad (hexside 3203/3304) can be considered a land hexside for Soviet supply purposes only.
Before turn 203, a Soviet unit that is in defensive supply is also in offensive supply. Starting with turn 203, if a Soviet unit is in defensive supply, it is in offensive supply if it is also within the radius of an active offensive supply marker; an OOS unit cannot have offensive supply.
Either side's units may be marked with an OOS (out of supply) marker or with an ISO 1, ISO 2, or ISO 3 marker which indicates 1, 2, or at least 3 weeks of isolation.
8.5 Supply Effects
Units require supply to use their full printed attack, defense and movement factors. A unit with defensive supply has its full defense factor and movement factor; see the air supply rules below for the effects of air supply. If it is also in offensive supply it has its full attack factor, otherwise its attack factor is halved rounded up.
OOS units have their attack, defense, and movement factors halved, rounded up. For example, half rounded up of 5 is 3. When halving more than one unit in a stack in a given battle, total all the factors of all units in a stack to be halved, then make one division. They retain any special properties (AFV, Flak, etc.) but may not be placed under a Reserve marker.
Note that almost all Axis units cannot be rebuilt if eliminated when OOS, but this is not true for Soviet units, see the eliminated unit handling rules. Units that are only OOS do not suffer supply attrition.
ISO units have their attack and defense factors halved and their movement factor reduced to one (which means it can move 1 hex into a hex not otherwise prohibited to it as a unit with MPs can always move 1 hex into a hex not otherwise prohibited to it). ISO units lose any special properties (AFV, Flak, etc.) they may have.
There are at first 2 Axis air supply markers, later there is 1, when a stack using air supply has an ISO marker, such a stack has 2 weeks of extra supply. A Soviet stack that can trace a path of 3 hexes (or less) to an active heavy fort has 2 weeks of extra supply and a Soviet stack that can trace a path of 3 hexes (or less) to an active fort or active Stalin line hex has 1 week of extra supply before supply attrition. Extra supply is used to extend the number of weeks before supply attrition occurs.
During a player's Cleanup Phase, if a friendly group already has an ISO 1 marker (ISO 2 for fort/Stalin line extra supply, ISO 3 for heavy fort extra supply) and the units still cannot trace a supply line of any length via any method, then each unit suffers supply attrition and loses 1 step. This gives a unit 2 full player weeks (3 if using a fort/Stalin line and 4 weeks if using a heavy fort) to try to get back into at least OOS status before suffering supply attrition. Supply attrition continues week after week thereafter until all units so marked are eliminated or the isolation is broken.
8.6 Offensive Supply Markers
During the Reinforcement Phase of a 2-week turn, an offensive supply marker (active or dummy) is placed inverted (that is, the number is hidden) on any hex on the map, including water or enemy-occupied land. It is always placed as the top counter in a hex, the location is never hidden.
When a unit wants to use an offensive supply marker for offensive supply, flip the marker to show it is active (and not a dummy with a value of 0) and its range. For a Mech unit to be able to MA, it must start that Movement Phase in offensive supply; therefore when doing an MA, the units are always at full strength. To PA at full strength, a unit must be in offensive supply at the start of the Combat Phase; if a stack is not in offensive supply, it will PA at half strength, round up.
8.7 Axis Air Supply
At the start of turn 205, the GAS line disappears for supply effects (but continues to have other effects).
Air supply markers may be deployed by the Axis during the Air Phase of each week, each Air Supply marker used is temporarily exchanged for an Air Corps which cannot be used for combat support that week; the VIII Air Corps must be the first one exchanged, if it is available. Divisions that are only air supplied when eliminated are put in the Dead Pile, not the Replacement army.
Before turn 211, the Axis has two air supply markers which can be used to provide supply for one or two hexes of units. An air supply marker may only be committed to hexes within 15 hexes of an Axis controlled small town, large town, or city in defensive supply. Only one air supply counter may be used per hex.
A Leg unit with air supply has full movement and combat abilities, including offensive supply. A Mech unit with air supply has full combat capabilities including offensive supply but has only a movement factor of 6. This is a way to have offensive supply outside the range of active offensive supply markers.
When moving, air-supplied stacks must stay together with the marker; any units left behind or dropped off have their supply state instantly assume whatever supply state they have without the air supply. Air supply does not allow refit. Axis units attacking using air supply while east of the GAS line still consult the GAST.
Before turn 211, it is permitted to preemptively assign air supply markers to Axis units in supply at the start of their movement. Such units continue to operate using defensive supply capacities until such time as circumstances call on them to draw on their air supply. Once they start using air supply, the affected units operate under air supply restrictions until the start of the next Axis player turn.
On turn 211, remove from play one German air supply marker. The remaining marker then changes its effect to provide air supply to all Axis units in its hex of placement and in the six surrounding hexes, the marker does not move from its placement hex when units under it move. It may be placed in any non-city non-mountain hex that is not Soviet controlled. If the hex becomes Soviet controlled, then the air supply marker is removed until the next bi-weekly turn. Units receiving air supply on turn 211 and after are in defensive supply only for defense purposes (not for attack, movement or MAs) and the marker does not move after placement that bi-weekly turn.
8.8 German Attenuated Supply Line Effects (GAS)
Before turn 205, Axis units that have a supply line but which attack a hex which is east of the GAS line consult the German Attenuated Supply Table (GAST) before rolling the combat resolution die. The effect of the GAST is to either shift the Axis attack odds to the left or leave it unaffected. Note that several cumulative die roll modifiers are listed beneath the chart. Axis unsupplied units do not consult the GAST when attacking, the Axis player may declare that units that are within range of supply are unsupplied.
The GAST CRT shift is in addition to any terrain, construction, and unit CRT shifts; recall that terrain, construction and unit CRT shifts are limited to a maximum of 2 shifts total, but GAST shifts are above this.
8.9 Axis Supply Concentration Markers
One way the Axis can avoid using the GAST is to declare a supply concentration. That means all available supply is concentrated to support 18 units for offensive operations. The Axis can declare a supply concentration during their Refit Phase; and it can be rescinded or reaffirmed at the start of all later Axis player weeks any number of times during play. Air supply is not available during a supply concentration week.
When declared, the Axis places a Supply Concentration marker on top of each of the 18 units they want to get full supply. The selected units are not automatically in supply; they must still be in defensive supply, but they are freed from all GAS line considerations. The Axis is not required to select Mech units to receive this supply, nor are they required to keep selecting the same units when they redeploy the markers during their Refit Phase. The effect on all unselected Axis units is that they may not MA nor PA nor may they move more than one hex. Their defense strength is still determined by normal supply tracing requirements.
At the start of turn 205, remove the 18 supply concentration markers, as they are no longer used.
8.10 Paulus Pause
The Axis can also reduce the effects of the GAST by choosing to declare a Paulus Pause during any week of turns 114 or 115, this gives 4 opportunities to declare the Pause. The Paulus Pause lasts for 1, 2 or 3 weeks at the choice of the Axis. During a Paulus Pause, Axis units continue to function normally in all ways except they cannot MA nor PA; Soviet units are not affected.
After a 1 turn Paulus Pause, the Axis may choose to resume fighting with the effect that 1 is subtracted from every GAST die roll, in addition to all other die roll modifications.
After a 2 turn Paulus Pause, the Axis may resume fighting with the effect that 3 is subtracted from every GAST die roll, in addition to all other die roll modifications.
After a 3 turn pause, the Axis resumes fighting and the GAS line ceases to exist for supply purposes and no GAST die rolls are made.
8.11 Supply Effects of the Sivash & Kerch Strait
The Sivash crossing arrow consists of the all-sea hexside shared by 2446/2347. The Kerch Strait crossing arrows consist of the two all-sea hexsides shared by 2850/2951 and 2950/2951. These are the only all-sea hexsides across which supply lines of both sides may be traced.
The Sivash hexsides indicated on the map are frozen in Snow weather and the crossing arrow is ignored. The Kerch Strait hexsides become frozen in January (turns 201, 301, and 401) and remain frozen in Snow weather and the crossing arrows are ignored. Frozen hexsides are treated as clear terrain.
8.12 Other Port Supply Requirements & Effects
Note that 2-hex Moscow has the capacity to enter at most 60 divisions per turn.
Units in a Sea of Azov port are in port supply if all 4 hexes of the Kerch strait are friendly controlled and, for Rostov, it can trace to the sea via the river (that is, no enemy units are next to the river). If either Odessa or Rostov is only on Port supply, it does not function as a military district HQ (starred hex) for production. Any city or large town on Port supply does not function for placement of reinforcements.
9.0 Reinforcement Phase and Refit Phase Activities
9.1 Reinforcements
Reinforcements are new units that enter play during the Reinforcement Phase. A Soviet untried reinforcement unit is randomly drawn from the Soviet Untried Reinforcement pool of the correct type, so that neither player knows the tried values of the unit.
9.1.1 German Unit Reinforcements
A German reinforcement unit (including non-German nationality units in German colors) enters via the North OKH area. From there they move into play via any hexes of the northern ZOMO, paying normal terrain costs from the first hex entered, or by using strategic movement. The Axis may also hold them in the North OKH area or they may move them into the South OKH area via Axis strategic movement.
9.1.2 Axis Minor Allied Unit Reinforcements
A Romanian, Hungarian or Italian reinforcement unit enters via the South OKH area. It pays normal terrain costs for the first hex of the southern ZOMO entered. The Axis may hold them in the South OKH area, but cannot move them into the North OKH area.
An Ost reinforcement unit enters in Russia in a hex south of the North/South line and east of the GAS line that is occupied by a sole German unit (not a stack).
9.1.3 Soviet Reinforcements
A Soviet reinforcement unit enters via a Soviet-owned city or large town hex in overland supply, a north, east or south map edge hex with a red/pink border or in an RVGK area. A Soviet-owned Military District HQ (shown with a star on the map) in overland supply without going through a jointly-occupied hex allows for units to enter through that hex and all hexes that are adjacent via a land hexside; no star means units can only enter on that hex. Stacking limits must be met during placement. Reinforcements may be placed in a jointly-occupied hex if the Soviets are the hex defender. If a reinforcing unit is placed in a stack already in reserve (from a previous Refit phase), the reinforcing unit is in reserve also.
As a special case, a vacant Axis-owned Military District HQ (starred) hex allows the entry of one Soviet Leg unit (representing partisans).
For Example: the Soviets could enter at Astrakhan at most 10 divisions in one turn, since that city is not a Military District HQ. The Soviets can enter at Minsk at most 40 divisions during any one turn; 10 divisions in the city hex itself, and up to 5 more in each of the 6 surrounding hexes.
If the supply line to Leningrad crosses an unfrozen lake, then Leningrad is on Lake Supply, with the following effects:
- Leningrad does not function as a Military District HQ city, it functions only as a city, so it does not contribute to the Soviet replacement point process.
- Arriving units cannot be deployed adjacent to Leningrad, they can only be deployed in Leningrad itself.
- Only Leg units may be deployed in Leningrad.
- The die roll for the Soviet TB reinforcement pool is affected by subtracting 3.
A reinforcement unit enters at full strength except for Soviet tank and mechanized corps (TC and MC) which begin entering play on turn 207 when they contain at most 2 steps each; on turn 213 this limit is 3 steps each; on turn 221 it is 4 steps each. A tank and mechanized corps enters play at the maximum step strength for its turn of entry. Rebuilt TC and MC must be rebuilt to the maximum step size on the turn of rebuilding.
9.1.4 Soviet Tank Brigade Pool - Turn 114
At the start of a 1941 scenario, the Soviets set aside a group of 48 TB, this is called the TB Reinforcement pool. They roll 2 dice each Reinforcement Phase starting with turn 114 and modify it so a dice roll of 2 or 3 becomes a 4 and a dice roll of 11 or 12 becomes a 10. Subtract 3 from the modified dice roll if Leningrad is Axis owned, on lake supply, or OOS. Subtract 3 from the modified dice roll if at least one Moscow hex is Axis owned or OOS.
Receive that final modified number of reinforcement TB from the TB pool until all 48 TB enter. A dice roll modified to zero or less means that no reinforcements arrive from the TB pool that turn, there is no further penalty. In the 1942 scenario, the TB Reinforcement pool is empty.
9.2 Reorganizations
Units of the same nationality and type that have multiple steps when at maximum strength and that are stacked together during a Refit Phase may reorganize the units in any way desired, moving steps (including upgrade markers) from one unit to another, including the elimination of a unit or units in the stack. If a unit is eliminated due to a reorganization, follow the eliminated unit procedure for combat. For example, 2 GRD with 1 step each can reorganize into 1 GRD with 2 steps during the Refit Phase, the other GRD is placed in the Tried Units Replacement Army.
A Leg unit reorganization may be done when adjacent to an enemy unit and the units can be used that week normally; A Mech unit reorganization cannot be done when adjacent via a land hexside to an enemy unit and need a Refit marker placed to show that the reorganized Mech units cannot move nor fight that week. Soviet Guard corps may contribute steps to non-Guard corps but not vice versa. Reorganizations can never be done in a jointly-occupied hex.
9.3 Off-Map Conversions (Reinforcement Phase)
During specified turns during a Reinforcement Phase some German Mech units off the map may be converted from one configuration to another. These conversions can take place in the Generic Withdrawal Pile, the Stalingrad Pool, the Specific Withdrawal Pile, or the Replacement Army. When a conversion takes place, remove from play the unit's old formation and substitute the new formation. When a unit specified for conversion is found in the Replacement Army, make the conversion there until such time as the Axis rebuilds the unit. When a unit specified for conversion is in the Dead Pile or removed from the game, that unit does not convert and all later formations are not available.
For Example: the 2SS Motorized Infantry Division (MID) makes a specific withdrawal on turn 211 (1942 Jun 1&2) and on turn 302 (1943 Jan 3&4) it is converted to its panzer division configuration in the Specific Withdrawal Pile and returned to play. Since it was withdrawn, it returns at full strength.
9.4 On-Map Conversions (Refit Phase)
9.4.1 German Mech Unit Conversions
During specified turns during a Refit Phase some German Mech units on the map may be converted from one configuration to another. These conversions can take place on the hex map or the OKH areas. When a conversion takes place, remove from play the unit's old formation and substitute the new formation.
When a Mech unit conversion takes place on the hex map, the unit to be converted must start a Refit Phase in defensive supply and must not be adjacent to an enemy unit. Make the counter substitution in place of whatever step strength the unit was at in its old configuration. Units converted in the field may not move nor attack during the first week after the conversion, place a Refit marker to indicate this. The unit may also be refit, if refit conditions are met. Axis conversions may be delayed and made on any subsequent turn.
9.4.2 Soviet Conversions
If a turn says Guards Convert, during a Refit Phase the Soviets may substitute the indicated number and type of Guards units for that number and type of non-Guards units on the map or RVGK area, subject to the following restrictions:
- A Guards conversion cannot be delayed, it is done that turn or not at all. If a conversion is not done, remove a Guards unit for that turn from the game;
- The unit to be converted must be tried and if a rifle division cannot be militia (with a letter in its name);
- The converted unit must be in overland supply (not lake supply or port supply), and;
- If the resulting unit is Mech class, the input unit must not be adjacent to an Axis unit, an OKH area or the Finnish front; if the resulting unit is Leg class, it may be adjacent.
- Select the unit to be converted, replace it in the same hex with the Guards unit, and remove the converted unit from the game.
If an RD, CD or MRD is converted to a Guards unit, the resulting GRD, GCD, or GMRD has 2 steps and the resulting GMC has 4 steps; otherwise, the Guards unit has the same number of steps as the unit being converted.
If a turn says (just) Convert, then the input unit and the resulting unit is as specified and the same restrictions apply.
Note that for any Soviet normal conversion or Guard conversion either the input unit or the conversion candidate will be removed from the game.
9.5 Replacements (Rebuilds and Refits)
9.5.1 Axis Replacement Points
Axis Replacement points can be used to rebuild German units in the Replacement Army and to refit Axis ground units that have taken step losses but are not eliminated. Refit refers to units on the map and rebuild refers to eliminated units, e.g. in the Replacement Army. Axis replacement points may be saved until used. Each replacement point may rebuild or refit one step of an eligible combat unit. Replacement points may never be used to refit units in a jointly-occupied hex.
An LRP may only be used to rebuild or refit an eligible German Leg unit, an MRP may be used to rebuild or refit any eligible unit (Mech or Leg class). All German units and minor allied Mech units that have more than one step are eligible for refit and may refit any number of times.
To be able to refit an Axis unit using one or more replacement points, the reduced unit must:
- Be in overland supply
- Not be in reserve and
- In 1941 not be east of the GAS line and in 1942 not be south of the Caucasus line (in 1943 and 1944 it can be anywhere).
To be able to receive one or more replacement steps, a reduced Mech unit must also not be adjacent across a land hexside to an enemy stack. Increase the unit to its new step strength during a Refit Phase. An Axis depleted unit in an OKH area is always able to refit.
Mech units may not move nor attack during the week of refit, place a Refit marker to indicate this, remove the marker during the Cleanup Phase. Mech refit may take place with a conversion and more than one step may be absorbed during refit.
To be able to receive a replacement point, a reduced Leg unit must meet the normal requirements to refit; if it does, then add steps to the unit during a Refit Phase. Leg units suffer no movement or combat penalties for being refit (no Refit marker is placed) and may refit when adjacent to an enemy unit.
Only German heavy tank battalions with factors of 2-2-9, artillery shells, and divisions (excluding artillery and Luftwaffe Field divisions) are eligible for rebuild from the Replacement Army. A rebuilt German unit may be rebuilt to any number of steps, by spending 1 point per step. Treat the German-colored 250 Spanish Infantry Division and the Slovak units as German units for replacement purposes.
9.5.2 German Rear Area Comb Outs - Turn 206
Starting on turn 206, the Axis may make one die roll once each calendar year to comb out personnel from rear echelons. A die roll of 1 is modified to 2 and a die roll of 6 is modified to 5. The modified die roll indicates the number of bonus LRPs immediately received. In the 1942 scenario, the Axis has already done this for 1942.
9.5.3 Soviet Rebuild Points - Turn 114
The Soviets have 2 different Rebuild point production systems, they start with the West system and at some point will change to the East system. The Soviets cannot refit units that have taken step losses but are not eliminated, they can only rebuild eliminated units.
The West system has the following characteristics:
- It is based solely on Soviet-owned Military District HQ centers on the map, the western part of the USSR.
- It produces only LRPs and only RD and CD in the Replacement Army may be rebuilt.
The East system has the following characteristics:
- Most production is from factories in the Urals (to the east of the game map).
- It produces both LRPs and MRPs and any unit in the Replacement Army may be rebuilt.
The West system starts on turn 114, the Soviets receive 1 LRP for each Military District HQ (starred) city and Military District HQ large town hex that is in overland supply that does not pass through a jointly-occupied hex and is Soviet-owned. (The Axis own a hex in Russia if they are the only occupants or when the hex is jointly-occupied, they are the hex defender.) On turn 115, the rebuild rate rises to 2 LRPs per starred hex; on turn 117, it rises to 3 LRPs per starred hex; on turn 119, it rises to 4 LRPs per starred hex; on turn 121, it rises to 5 LRPs per starred hex; and on turn 123 it rises to 6 LRPs per starred hex. The rebuilt units are selected from the RD and CD Replacement Army and entered as if they were reinforcements.
A Soviet Military District HQ city or Military District HQ large town begins generating points at the start of the first turn after Soviet recapture at a rate of half (round up) the normal allotment for that period. That halving remains for the rest of the game, but no additional halvings take place if a given replacement center is captured and recaptured more than once.
Moscow has two hexes, it acts as one District HQ for producing rebuild points but as two (adjacent) District HQs for placing reinforcements. For the Axis to stop Moscow's rebuild point ability they must either capture both hexes or cut both off from overland supply.
At some point, the Soviets will change to the East system with the following changes:
- The rebuild rate is a base of 16 points, to which are added 2 points for each Military District HQ that was always in Soviet control and 1 point for each retaken one.
- Half (round up) of the total Soviet rebuild points are MRPs and half (round down) are LRPs.
- The Soviets may rebuild any eligible unit in the Replacement Army.
The Soviet rebuild rate must change to use the East production system on turn 207. Between turns 124 and 206 inclusive, the Soviet player may choose to change to the East system; they announce this decision to the Axis player at the start of a Reinforcement Phase.
Soviet LRPs and MRPs must be used on the turn received or they are lost. A Soviet Mech unit is rebuilt using MRPs equal to its steps, a Leg unit may be rebuilt using either LRPs and/or MRPs equal to its steps. A Soviet artillery division has no steps and costs 2 MRPs to rebuild. A Soviet unit that is rebuilt must be rebuilt to full strength; for TC and MC, full strength is specified by the maximum for that turn; if there are not enough points to fully build all the steps of a unit, a different unit with fewer steps may be rebuilt. Any Soviet unit with a black box (including militia RD, MRD, RB, MRB, TB, TD, and EB) may not be rebuilt.
9.6 Removals (Reinforcement Phase)
Units that are removed are simply removed from the game permanently. Removals take place before any withdrawals. There is no VP penalty associated with removals, but all specified units must be removed from the game.
9.7 Withdrawals (Reinforcement Phase)
9.7.1 Withdrawal Conditions
Both sides are required to withdraw units during the Reinforcement Phase. The unit types to be withdrawn are on the turn record track. A unit to be withdrawn may be at reduced step strength but it cannot be a removed unit or in the Dead Pile. To be eligible for withdrawal a unit must be in overland supply on a map hex or in an OKH or RVGK area.
9.7.2 Axis Specific Withdrawals
Some Axis withdrawals specify a unit by historical name, this is a specific withdrawal, e.g., Withdraw 2SS PGD. If a specific withdrawal is missed because that specific unit is already removed from the game or already withdrawn, subtract 1 VP from the German total.
If a specific unit to be withdrawn is in the Replacement Army or Stalingrad pool when called to be withdrawn, no substitution takes place and no VP subtraction is made. That unit remains in the Replacement Army or Stalingrad pool (undergoing any scheduled conversions there).
A unit doing a specific withdrawal may return at full strength by a specific return instruction (example: Return 2SS PGD), it may not return to satisfy a generic return instruction (example: Return PGD).
9.7.3 Generic Withdrawals
If a withdrawal does not specify a unit's name, then it is generic, for example, "Withdraw TB" (that is, Withdraw a Tank Brigade). A withdrawn unit may have step losses as long as it is not eliminated.
A better (e.g., Guards or Heavy) and/or larger (size order is Bn, R, B, D) unit may be withdrawn instead of the specified unit; also the Soviets may choose to expend an MRP instead of withdrawing a TB or MRB. For example, the Soviets may choose to withdraw a GTB when a TB is to be withdrawn and the Axis may withdraw a PR when a PBn is to be withdrawn. HBn refers to any Heavy Mech battalion.
Every Soviet withdrawal is a generic withdrawal, it may be either tried or untried, and every Soviet combat unit withdrawn is removed from play.
Place generic withdrawn Axis units into the Generic Withdrawal Pile. All units returned to play from the Axis Generic Withdrawal pile reappear at their full step strength; any replacement steps are free. If a generic unit return is called for (e.g., Return PD) and no units of that type is available due to an earlier decline or inability to withdraw, then no return is made.
Note that it is possible to make a generic withdrawal using a unit that will later be called to do a specific withdrawal, this is allowed but means that the VP cost will be paid when the specific withdrawal is required, a turn number in the upper right indicates the unit will do a specific withdrawal or conversion.
9.7.4 Declining Withdrawals
A player may decline to make a withdrawal called for by the TRT except that no one may decline to withdraw air units or Offensive Supply markers. For land units, decline the withdrawal, on a unit by unit basis, and then subtract 1 VP for each Axis unit not withdrawn and add 1 VP for each Soviet unit not withdrawn.
9.7.5 German Anti-Partisan Withdrawals - Turn 311
On turn 311 and after, the Axis need to do anti-partisan operations or suffer consequences. Roll one die during the Reinforcement Phase and consult the Anti-Partisan Warfare Table. Immediately withdraw maximum strength regular divisions of the numbers and types indicated by the die roll or subtract 1 VP from the Axis total; an ID must be a regular infantry division, a PD must be a panzer division. The selected units are withdrawn from the map (per generic withdrawal rules) and kept in the Anti-Partisan box. If a subsequent anti-partisan warfare roll requires a smaller force for that turn, the excess are immediately returned as reinforcements via any friendly town or city that is in defensive supply. If a greater force is required, the Axis must make the needed withdrawals or subtract 1 VP from the Axis total.
9.8 Voluntary Reduction & Elimination (Refit Phase)
The active player may voluntarily eliminate steps in any of their units during their Refit Phase, for example, to allow it to move at less cost via strategic movement or to rebuild it in a later turn so it can be brought on elsewhere on the map. Process a voluntarily eliminated unit as if it was destroyed in combat.
10.0 Sea Transport and Soviet Amphibious Invasions
10.1 Seas
There are 4 seas in the game: the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Caspian Sea. The North OKH area has a port on the Baltic Sea that German units may use, the South OKH area has a port on the Black Sea that German, Romanian and Italian units may use (but not Hungarian nor Ost units) and the South RVGK has a port on the Caspian Sea; these ports cannot be controlled by the opponent. The Sea of Azov is part of the Black Sea but ports there can only be used if all 4 hexes of the Kerch Strait are owned by the side wishing to move to and/or from a port on the Sea of Azov.
10.2 Sea Transport
Do all sea transport before any land movement in an Initial Movement Phase. A unit to be sea transported must begin the Initial Movement Phase in a port hex and may be moved to any other friendly-controlled port; note that an Axis unit must occupy a port in Russia for it to be friendly. Not all sea movement during a given turn need start nor end in the same hex as long as the weekly Axis step limit or Soviet point limit is respected. Units using sea transport cannot move further that same week. Artillery may not use sea transport.
If a friendly owned port hex has enemy units in sole control of every adjacent land hex, then the port is besieged. Units in a besieged port may not use sea transport to move to another besieged port, but may move to a port that is not besieged.
10.3 Axis Sea Transport Limits
Each week at most 5 steps of any German units can use sea transport between controlled Baltic Sea ports. Axis Black Sea sea transport begins the bi-weekly turn after the Axis controls both Odessa and Sevastopol and remains possible for the rest of the game, even if these places become Soviet controlled. Each week at most 10 steps of Axis units may be sea transported between controlled Black Sea ports.
10.4 Soviet Sea Transport Limits
Each week the Soviet can transport up to 4 sea transport points of units on the Baltic Sea, 5 sea transport points of units in the Black Sea, and 5 sea transport points of units in the Caspian Sea. Each RD or GRD costs 2 sea transport points and each RB, MB (revealed from an MRB), GRB, GParB, GALB or GMRB costs 1 sea point; these are the only Soviet units that can use sea transport. As long as they retain their Baltic Fleet, the Soviets may ALWAYS sea transport between Leningrad and Oranienbaum, even if both hexes are besieged or jointly-occupied.
If the Axis controls all Baltic Sea ports during one whole week, then the Soviets lose their sea transport capability there remove the Soviet "Amph Yes/Amph No" marker in the Baltic Sea to indicate the loss of the Soviet Baltic Sea fleet. If the Axis controls all Black Sea and Sea of Azov ports during one whole week, then the Soviets lose their sea transport capability there, remove the Soviet "Amph Yes/Amph No" marker in the Black Sea to indicate the loss of the Soviet Black Sea fleet.
10.5 Soviet Amphibious Invasions
Each turn, the Soviets may make one amphibious invasion into one land hex next to the Black Sea (and Sea of Azov if the Kerch Strait is owned), one amphibious invasion into one land hex next to the Caspian Sea and one amphibious invasion from Leningrad to Oranienbaum or vice versa. The Axis cannot make amphibious invasions. Assuming they still have the Baltic Fleet, the Soviets may ALWAYS make an amphibious assault between Leningrad and Oranienbaum, even if both hexes are besieged or jointly-occupied.
Sea transport on a specific sea is not allowed the week of an amphibious assault nor the week before an amphibious assault. "Amph YES/Amph NO" markers are provided for each sea, if sea transport or an amphibious assault was done during this week, flip the marker to show the "Amph NO" side as a reminder for the following week. If no sea transport nor amphibious movement assault was done on a specific sea on the current week, flip the marker to show the "Amph YES" side as a reminder for the following week, note that retreat after combat is not considered movement.
An invasion can use all sea transport capability of the sea, but must use tried RD, RB, MB (revealed from untried MRB), GRD, GRB, GParB, GALB or GMRB units that are marked as being amphibious capable with an anchor symbol (only), paying sea transport costs. To be amphibious capable, an RD cannot be militia (with a letter in its name) and must have the sum of AF and DF being at least 8 and a brigade must have the sum of AF and DF being at least 4. All units making an amphibious invasion in a sea must start the player week in a stack, either on a port hex or in the RVGK South area.
The range of an amphibious invasion is at most 11 hexes from the port where the invading forces start to the landing hex. The starting port cannot be adjacent to enemy units via a land hexside (that is, opposing units with only an unfrozen crossing arrow between them are not adjacent for this purpose) and the amphibious units must have offensive supply in either the starting port or landing hex. Any of the 4 hexes defining the Kerch Strait may be amphibiously invaded from the Black Sea, but an invasion cannot go further (that is, into the Sea of Azov) unless all 4 Kerch Strait hexes are owned by the Soviets.
If the landing hex is not enemy occupied, place the invaders on the hex, they may not move further nor attack this week. If the landing hex is enemy occupied, place the invaders in the (partial) sea hex closest to the landing hex and resolve the invasion PA first in the Soviet Combat Phase. It suffers a one column leftward odds shift (1L) in addition to any other odds modifiers that apply, unless the defending hex is also attacked by non-invading units. The Soviets can amphibiously invade a jointly-occupied hex.
All invading units are considered supplied throughout the Soviet player turn of their landing; after that they must trace normally, either directly over land or by getting adjacent to (or being in) a friendly owned port hex. Invading units that cannot advance into the invaded hex for any reason are eliminated. As sea transport must start in a port, it is not possible to evacuate from an amphibious landing hex without a port.
| Sea Transport | Baltic Sea | Black Sea | Caspian Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axis | 5 steps | 10 steps | 0 steps |
| Soviet | 4 points | 5 points | 5 points |
11.0 Ground Movement
11.1 Normal Ground Movement
Each ground Unit has a Movement Factor printed in its bottom-right corner. This factor is the number of Movement Points (MPs) available to the unit to use to move across the hex grid. Units move from hex to adjacent hex, paying varied costs to do so, depending on the type of unit moving and the terrain in and along the hex being entered. The movement of a side's ground units takes place only during a Movement Phase of that side, note that retreat after combat is not considered movement.
MPs may not be accumulated from turn to turn, nor may they be loaned or given from one unit to another. A player may choose to move all, some, or none of their units in each of their Movement Phases throughout the game. Units that move are not required to expend all their MPs before stopping.
The movement of each individual unit or stack must be completed before that of another is begun. A player may only adjust the position of an already moved unit or stack if their opponent agrees. When a stack is done moving, tilt the stack in the final hex to show it has already moved; next week use a different tilt to show a stack has moved.
To move units together as a stack, units must begin the Movement Phase already stacked together. Units are not required to move together because they start a Movement Phase in the same hex, such units might be moved together, in smaller sub-stacks, or each by itself. Moving Mech units and Leg units together will mean keeping track of both Mech MP and Leg MP cost totals for that stack.
When moving a stack you may drop off units, but the dropped off units can make no further movement, they must remain in the hex in which they were dropped off. As slower units exhaust their MPs, you may leave them behind and continue on with the faster ones.
The total movement cost for entering any hex is always the sum of the cost to enter the hex and to cross the hexside. For example, a Mech unit crossing a river hexside into a rough hex would pay 5 MP, calculated as 3 MP to enter the rough hex and 2 extra to cross the river hexside.
Each ground unit with a movement factor greater than 0 can always move 1 hex by expending all MPs, even if out of supply or isolated. This does not allow units to enter hexes or cross hexsides that are otherwise impassable to them. Friendly ground units may not enter hexes containing enemy ground units unless doing an MA.
All terrain features on the map are classified into two broad categories: Natural and man-made. Both of those categories are divided into several different types, their effects are explained below and on the Terrain Effects Chart. There is only one type of natural terrain in any one hex. More than one type of manmade terrain may exist in one hex along with the natural terrain.
There are 6 types of natural terrain on the map: Clear, Forest, Rough, Marsh, Mountain and Rivers. The effect these have on the movement of ground units are summarized on the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC). Terrain costs and combat effects are affected by weather (see section 13.0).
International Borders are lines drawn on the map between the Soviet Union and adjacent countries. Turkey is neutral and its territory may not be entered or flown over by any unit of either side.
There are eight types of construction on the map: Highway, Road, Small Town, Large Town, City, Fort, Heavy Fort, and the Stalin Line. Constructions other than the highway and roads have no effect on movement. The movement costs for entering a hex containing construction without a highway or road is determined by the natural terrain in it. A city has clear natural terrain, note that this means an MA may be done in a city hex.
The Minsk-Moscow Highway runs between 1920 and 4120 and allows units moving along it to enter hexes for only 1 MP each, negating any terrain effects. The highway ceases to exist on turn 120, the 3rd week of October 1941.
A Mech unit may enter a mountain hex along a road for 3 MPs, this is the only way a Mech unit may enter a mountain hex.
11.2 Axis Strategic Movement
Axis strategic movement is any of the following during an Axis Initial Movement Phase:
- Movement from the North OKH to the South OKH or vice versa.
- Movement from an urban hex (city, large town, small town, not village) on the map to an OKH area.
- Movement from an OKH area to an urban hex on the map.
Note: That an Axis unit cannot use strategic movement to directly move from one urban hex to another urban hex.
The Axis strategic movement capacity is 8 steps per week; for this purpose, an artillery unit is considered 3 steps and a regiment or an artillery shell marker is considered 1 step. To be eligible for strategic movement, an Axis unit must begin an Initial Movement Phase either in one of the OKH Reserve Areas or in an urban hex (city, large town, or small town) that is in overland supply. Strategic movement may be of any length but cannot cross the north/south boundary on the hex map, one must cross the north/south boundary using the OKH areas. For example, to strategically move a division from Sevastopol to Novgorod takes 3 weeks: from Sevastopol to South OKH, from South OKH to North OKH and from North OKH to Novgorod.
Axis strategic movement cannot be used east of the GAS line until turn 205. Axis strategic movement cannot be used south of the Caucasus line until turn 301.
Axis strategic movement may not begin nor end in a hex adjacent to an enemy unit. A unit may not use strategic movement through a hex that is adjacent to an enemy unit.
11.3 Soviet Strategic Movement
Soviet units may be put into the North or South RVGK areas instead of being put on a map hex. RVGK is the Russian acronym for Reserve of the Supreme High Command.
Before turn 124, the Soviet player may hold a maximum of 10 points total of any types and sizes in both RVGK areas and units may only go into an RVGK area during the Reinforcement Phase, when they are selected from arriving reinforcements and rebuilt RDs. For RVGK purposes, a CD counts as a point, an RB, MRB or TB counts as a half point, a Soviet artillery unit counts as 2 points and all other units have points equal to their number of steps. Units may then leave the RVGK area during a Soviet Refit Phase using normal reinforcement entry hexes (Soviet owned cities, large towns, and hexes adjacent to a Military District HQ (starred hex) or during a Soviet Movement Phase using map edge hexes with a red border) associated with that RVGK area, either north or south of the North/South line. Before turn 203, a unit cannot move between RVGK areas. (These limitations simulate that most of the rail capacity in 1941 was moving Russian industry east.)
Starting turn 124, Soviet units may also be moved from the map to go into an RVGK area. To be eligible to go from the map into an RVGK area, from then on, any number of Soviet units may remain in both RVGK areas, though there are limits on the total number of steps that may go into and/or come out of the RVGK per turn. Starting with turn 203, the maximum is 28 points, total, that may go into and/or come out of the RVGK per turn. For example, if 20 points go into the RVGK on a turn, at most 8 points can come out from the RVGK that turn. Beginning with turn 217 that limit is raised to 36 points. On turn 221 it goes to 48 points. To move a unit from the North RVGK to the South RVGK or vice versa starting on turn 201 costs towards the turn point limit. Keep a running total of RVGK activity each turn on the Points track by using the RVGK x1 and x10 markers.
11.4 Volga River Interdiction
The Axis interdict the Volga when an Axis unit is adjacent to the South Volga such that river traffic has no alternate route to use that avoids passing by the Axis unit (such as near Astrakhan). When the Volga is interdicted the following restrictions apply:
- Soviet attacks south of the Caucasus line suffer a 1L column shift;
- Soviet units south of the Caucasus line may not enter the RVGK; and
- Soviet units in the RVGK or reinforcements entering south of the Caucasus line may not move during the week of their arrival, they enter at a large town or map edge and are considered to have moved. Tilt the unit in the arriving hex to show it has already moved for that week.
12.0 Weather
12.1 Weather Zones
There are two weather zones on the map, a Northern Zone (NZ) and a Southern Zone (SZ). The NZ is much larger than the SZ. The NZ/SZ border hexsides are considered to be in the SZ, so the Sivash hexsides are in the SZ.
Starting on turn 112 use the southernmost weather line for the boundary between the NZ and SZ. Starting on turn 218 (1942 Sep 3&4) use the middle weather line as the boundary. Starting on turn 318 (1943 Sep 3&4) use the northernmost weather line as the boundary for the remainder of the game.
12.2 Weather Chits
This is the only optional rule in the game, note that using it will mean the players know more about the weather ahead of time than the generals did; it is mainly intended for use by those wanting to use the game to recreate history as a learning exercise. When playing competitively, this option should be used only when all players agree to use it.
Examine the 12 weather chits. There are 3 groups on the front: 4 "A" chits, 6 "B" chit and 2 "C" chits and 3 groups on the back 4 "X" chits, 4 "Y" chits and 4 "Z" chits. There are also a pair of weather indicators on each chit using the letters "DRMFS" the first is the weather for the NZ and the second is the weather for the SZ, for example, MR means Mud in the NZ and Rain in the SZ. There is also a date which is only used if using optional historical weather. Finally, there is a WA#, which is a Winter Attrition step loss number, for example, WA3 means that there are 3 Winter Attrition step losses to allocate when appropriate, see the Winter Attrition rules.
The Fall weather chits work as follows:
Starting on the 2nd half of September, put the 4 "A" chits in a cup and draw one, indicating the weather for that week in the 2 weather zones. Continue to draw a chit until the cup is empty. Ignore the date and WA# on the chit.
Then starting on the 2nd half of October put the 4 "B" chits that do not have an "F" in a cup and draw one each week (for 2 weeks) and apply the weather associated with each letter until the cup is again empty, ignoring the date and WA# on the chit. On the first half of November, put the 2 "B" chits with an "F" in the cup with the 2 remaining "B" chits. Draw a chit each week until the cup is empty, ignoring the date and WA# on the chit.
Then, starting on the 1st half of December, put the 2 "C" chits in a cup and draw one each week. Use the weather and the WA# (Winter Attrition Step Loss Number) on the "C" chits.
Finally, for the Winter Snow weather from the 2nd half of December 1941 to the end of February, put all 10 of the "A" and "B" chits back into the cup, and select one each week to determine the WA# (Winter Attrition Step Loss Number), ignoring the weather results (as it is always Snow).
The Spring weather chits work as follows:
In the beginning of March, put the 4 "X" chits in a cup and draw one, indicating the weather for that week. Continue to draw a chit until the cup is empty. The WA# is for that chit's week.
Then, for April, put the 4 "Y" chits in a cup and draw one each week until the cup is again empty.
Finally, for May, put the 4 "Z" chits in a cup and draw one each week.
12.3 Optional Historical Weather
On each chit is found the week in Fall 1941 or Spring 1942 for which the specified weather applies when using the historical weather option. The normal random weather chit pick rule is still used for all later Fall and Spring weather determination.
12.4 Weather Effects
The letters "DRMFS" (or a portion of them) appear on the TEC and the weather chits and indicate the following types of weather, as follows:
- D = Dry. No effect on movement or combat.
- R = Rain. All Axis Leg units subtract one MP from their MF and all Axis Mech units subtract 2 MP from their MF for movement purposes only; there is no effect on Soviet units.
- M = Mud. Use M terrain effects, hexside terrain costs remain unchanged. MA is not allowed.
- F = Freeze. Use F terrain effects, ignore frozen rivers for movement and combat.
- S = Snow. Use S terrain effects, ignore frozen rivers for movement and combat. Lakes are frozen, both sides may move units and trace supply across all-lake hexes and hexsides, but units may not end their move in an all-lake hex, nor may they attack across an all-lake hexside. The Axis may not MA into a hex with Snow weather during the first winter of 1941-1942. Also see Sivash and Kerch strait rules.
In addition, there are 2 special weather effects:
- Axis First Winter Attrition: During the Weather Phase of each week of Snow in the '41-'42 winter, the WA# on the chit determines the number of Winter Attrition (WA) German step losses to be taken; for example, WA3 means 3 step losses need to be allocated to German combat units (not minor allied units).
WA losses are selected alternating between the players, with the Soviets going first each week. A specific unit may take at most 1 step loss due to WA each week. When the Axis player needs to allocate a WA loss, they may select any German unit on the map where the weather is Snow. When the Soviet player needs to allocate a WA step loss, they may select any Axis stack that is north of the North/South line and adjacent to a Soviet stack; the Soviets then examine that stack and select which unit in it that will take the loss. A stack may continue to be selected if it has units that have not yet taken a loss that week; if the Soviets run out of adjacent German units to select, then the Axis selects a German unit per his method.
- Mountain Road Closure: The roads in mountain hexes heading generally north across the mountains from Tuapse (3456), Sukhumi (3860), Samtredia (4062) and Tblisi (4665) are closed during Snow weather and considered to not exist. Mech units cannot move at all and supply tracing is affected on a closed road. Roads in mountain hexes on the coasts of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea are not affected by Snow closure.
13.0 Prepared Assault
A Prepared Assault (PA) takes place between adjacent opposing units during the Combat Phase. Attacking is usually voluntary; the mere fact that opposing units are adjacent does not mandate combat, except for Paradrops and Amphibious Invasions. The phasing player is the attacker and the other is the defender.
A Prepared Assault must be against all enemy units in exactly one hex. An enemy occupied hex may be attacked in one PA by as many units as can assault from one, some, or all the surrounding hexes. A PA may not be done from an OKH area or RVGK (but an MA can, see MA rules). No attacking unit may have its attack factor divided and applied to more than one battle. No attacking unit may attack more than once per Combat Phase and no defending unit may be attacked more than once per Combat Phase. Supply for a PA for attacking and defending units is determined at the start of the Combat Phase.
The resolution of one attack must be completed before the next is begun. The attacker need not declare their attacks beforehand, and they may resolve them in any order they wish, except that amphibious invasions and paradrops must be resolved first.
It is not necessary for all units stacked in a given hex to participate in the same attack. Some of the units might attack one defending hex, while others attack into another, or do not attack at all. An attacker always reveals all selected attacking units; if there is a unit they do not want to reveal, then it should not attack.
The defender usually reveals all their units in the hex but is not always required to do so. The defender is only required to reveal enough units for the attack on those revealed units to be less than 1:3. For example, the Axis player attacks a stack of 5 Soviet untried units with a unit having 2 attack points; once the Soviets have revealed at least 7 defense strength points they are not required to reveal any more, although they may reveal more if they wish. If an untried unit is not revealed, it may not be flipped to tried status.
13.1 Close Combat
A player may use each Close Combat marker that they have available for placement once during each 2-week turn in one of 3 possible ways, as follows:
- During a Combat Phase, an available Close Combat marker may be used to allow a PA into a hex empty of enemy units resulting in an automatic advance after combat; after the advance the Close Combat marker is then used for that 2-week turn. Advancing Soviet untried units may become tried or remain untried. A stack of Soviet untried units can also become tried in an RVGK area by using an available Close Combat marker.
- During a Movement or Combat Phase, the attacker may choose to place an available Close Combat marker when they designate the defending hex for the next combat (either MA or PA) to be resolved (this is the most common use). The attacker must advance at least one unit in order to maintain the Close Combat marker in a hex beyond the combat in which it was placed; if they either cannot advance or choose not to advance, then the Close Combat marker is removed and placed on the TRT for arrival on the next 2-week turn. While a hex is jointly-occupied, the Close Combat marker must remain on the hex; once the hex is no longer jointly-occupied (for whatever reason), then it must be removed from the map and placed on the TRT for arrival on the next 2-week turn.
- During a Movement or Combat Phase, the defender may choose to place an available Close Combat marker if the attacker declined to do so. This means the combat will be resolved as a close combat, but does not allow an attacker advance to form a jointly-occupied hex; however it will allow the hex defender to use the Close Combat advance after combat rules if they attack.
It is possible that both sides may end up deciding to place a Close Combat marker in a hex so that each side's units may advance after combat into the jointly-occupied hex.
The Axis has 6 Close Combat markers in 1941, 4 markers in 1942, 2 markers in 1943 and none in 1944. The Axis chooses which markers to remove during the first Reinforcement Phase of each new year; if a Close Combat marker is removed while on the map, the Axis eliminates all Axis units in that hex.
The Soviets start with no Close Combat markers in June 1941 but may earn up to 2 markers each war year from June to May, that is, on each of turns 112, 211 and 311 two markers become available to earn.
For each war year from June to the following May, the Soviets earn their first yearly Close Combat marker on the turn following earning a total of 6 qualifying points that war year; they earn their second yearly Close Combat marker on the turn following earning a total of 12 qualifying points that war year. The Soviets earn a qualifying point when the Soviets attack and:
A) A German-colored division was destroyed or B) CRT odds of at least 2:1 on a stack with a German division equivalent.
A single Soviet attack may earn more than one qualifying point if both conditions are met.
An attack on a city hex is always resolved as a Close Combat, no Close Combat marker is needed for this; but note that an advance to form a jointly-occupied city hex requires that the attacker commit a Close Combat marker.
When attacking a non-city hex (or a city hex when the attacker wishes to advance after combat and form a jointly-occupied hex), the attacker may place a Close Combat marker, if they have one available, before examination of the defending stack, except across a crossing arrow. A Soviet amphibious invasion may use a Close Combat marker if one is available.
The effects of a Close Combat marker are as follows:
A) The close combat loss procedure must be followed, not the normal loss procedure. See those rules. B) Even when enemy units remain in the defender's hex, when the attacker uses a Close Combat marker, German-colored units or Soviet Guard-colored units (only) may be able to advance if certain criteria are met. See the advance after combat rules.
A Close Combat marker is only removed from the hex when the hex is not jointly-occupied at the end of that combat or when the hex is no longer jointly-occupied. This may be due to the attacker declining or being unable to move into the hex, elimination of the attacker or defender or the moving of all attackers or defenders away from the hex. The removed marker may be reused starting with the following 2-week turn.
13.2 Combat Odds Calculation
Normally the attacking player should strive to have more attack factors involved in a given battle than the defender has defense factors. Such battles are called high odds attacks. To resolve such combats, the attacking player calculates the combat odds. Total the attack factors of all attacking units involved in the battle; then total the defense factors of the enemy units defending in the battle. An unsupplied stack is halved (round up). Divide that defender total into the attacker total and round down any remainder to an odds on the CRT, note that a 1.5-1 combat column exists. A stack in the game never has its combat factors reduced to below 1 for any combination of reasons.
High Odds Example: 26 attacker factors versus 7 defense factors yields an odds ratio of 3:1. That is, 26÷7=3.71, which rounds down to 3. To turn that 3 into a ratio, put a :1 next to it on the right. Thus 3 becomes 3:1 (which is read 3-to-1), which corresponds to a column heading on the Combat Results Table (CRT).
Battles in which the attacking force has fewer combat factors than the defender are called poor odds attacks. The procedure is modified in that now you divide the defender's total by the attacker's; round up remainders, and set the 1: on the left side.
Poor Odds Example: A force with 5 attack factors is attacking a force with 11 defense factors. Divide 11 by 5 (11÷5=2.2), and round up (2.2 becomes 3), then set the 1: on the left of that 3, yielding odds of 1:3 (1-to-3).
Note that the column headings on the CRT range from 1:3 to 7:1. Odds greater than 7:1 are resolved without a die roll; the result is always 1/5. Odds less than 1:3 are resolved without a die roll; the result is always 2/0.
The odds obtained in the odds calculation process may be shifted by the terrain in the defender's hex and/or around its perimeter. All applicable combat modifiers are cumulative in their effects and are taken into account before the final odds ratio is determined and the die is rolled to get a combat result.
13.3 Concentric PA
If a defending hex is attacked using a PA by offensively supplied units in opposite hexes, or by offensively supplied units in three hexes with one hex between each and the next, then that attack gains a one column rightward (1R) odds shift. The concentric assault bonus is not available when Soviets defend in a fort, heavy fort, or Stalin line hex, when Axis units defend in a hex with a Hedgehog marker or when defending in a Fieldworks.
13.4 Hex Effects on Combat
Defending units always get the terrain effects on combat for the hex they are in and for an unfrozen river hexside if enemy units are assaulting across it. They may also choose the defensive benefit of one (and only one) construction (either on map or marker) in the hex.
13.4.1 Terrain Effects on Combat
- A clear hex has the following effects: A) Doubles the attack strength of Soviet Rocket artillery firing into it, B) If an AFV unit attacks into a clear hex, the attacking player may declare an AFV CRT shift, which is 1R unless a Flak unit is in the defending hex, and C) If an AFV unit defends in a clear hex, the defender may declare an AFV shift and the CRT is shifted 1L.
- An MA into a forest hex gets a 1L odds shift
- An MA is not allowed into a rough hex. In a PA, units defending in rough hexes receive a 1L odds shift. Mountain Infantry units doing a PA into a rough hex may use their defense factor as their attack factor.
- An MA is not allowed into a marsh hex. Units defending in march hexes get a 1L odds shift. Non-infantry Mech units have the sum of their attack factors halved (round up) when doing a PA into a marsh hex.
- An MA is not allowed into a mountain hex, not even on roads. For a PA, the defensive combat bonus of mountains is 2L. A Mech unit may only attack from or into such terrain through a road hexside.
- An MA or PA is allowed across a Minor River. In 1941, all units attacking through a minor river hexside during D, R and M weather use 3/4 (round up) of their totaled attack factors. Beginning with the first non-F, non-S weather in the spring of 1942, and extending for the rest of the game during D, R and M weathers, the combat effect of rivers is changed as follows: all units attacking through minor river hexsides during D, R and M weather use half (round up) of their totaled attack factors.
- An MA is not allowed across a Major River. In a PA, units attacking across a major river during D, R, and M weather are halved (round up). The South Volga river is treated as a major river except that a PA may only be made across a hexside adjacent to an urban hex (on either side of the river) and by the Soviets when using pontoon bridges.
- An MA is not allowed across a non-frozen crossing arrow. If all the attacking units in a given PA are attacking across Kerch Strait or Sivash crossing arrow hexsides, the defenders in that battle receive a 2L odds shift. If at least one attacking unit is coming in across a non-crossing arrow hexside, no defender shift is received. Tank, panzer, and assault gun units have their individual attack factors reduced to just one (1) when attacking across a crossing arrow hexside. A Close Combat marker may not be placed if only attacking across a non-frozen crossing arrow.
Weather modifies the combat effects of terrain, see those rules.
13.4.2 Construction Effects on Combat
Small towns and villages by themselves do not generate any odds shifts.
Units defending in a large town receive a 1L odds shift.
A city has clear terrain and has space for 10 divisions total from both sides and an attack on a defender declared construction of a city always uses the close combat loss procedure. Units defending in a city receive a 2L odds shift and both the attacker's and the defender's CRT loss points are doubled; with a 0 result becoming a 1 unless the odds were less than 1:3, then a 0 remains a 0 unless the attacker fully suffers 4 step losses. If the city is jointly-occupied then the city effects apply for any units defending in a city, either the city defender or the city attacker (see the advance after combat rules for close combat). Note that if units are on a city, but do not use the city construction on defense, then stacking limits immediately apply for the defending units (note that Axis use of a Hedgehog marker on a city means city stacking rules apply for Axis units).
A Soviet fort hex has one of 2 possible states: inactive or active. At the start of the game, the North Luga, South Luga, Leningrad, Vyazma, Mozhaisk, and Moscow fort lines are inactive; all other forts are active at the start of the game; these include the fort at Przemysl (hex 0327) and the heavy forts at Brest Litovsk (hex 0922), Oranienbaum (hex 3203), Perekop (hex 2347) and Sevastopol (hex 2050).
The Leningrad fort line consists of 3 hexes and activates on turn 114. The Luga fort line has two portions, a northern portion (hexes 2904-3406), and a southern portion (hexes 3106-3208); both activate on turn 114. The Vyazma fort line and the Mozhaisk fort line (including Tula in hex 4024) activate on turn 117. The Moscow fort line activates on turn 120.
A fort hex is active when a Soviet unit occupies the hex and the turn is equal to or later than the turn it activates. It is inactive when a Soviet unit does not occupy the hex or if the turn is before the turn it activates; an inactive fort hex has no effect on the game.
The Axis cannot MA into an active Soviet fort or heavy fort hex. Soviet units defending in an active fort hex receive a 1L odds shift. Soviet units defending in an active heavy fort hex receive a 2L odds shift and the attacker combat loss result is increased by 1. The attacker may not receive a concentric PA odds shift when attacking a fort or heavy fort. Note that an Axis attacker will always take at least 1 step loss in a PA on an active fort and at least 2 step losses in a PA on a heavy fort.
All Stalin line hexes start in an active state in the 1941 scenarios and all are destroyed in the 1942 scenario. A Soviet stack gets a 1L shift when defending in an active Stalin line hex. The attacker may not receive a concentric PA odds shift. The Axis cannot MA into an active Stalin line hex.
A Stalin line hex is destroyed when an Axis unit enters the hex, remove the marker, it cannot be repaired. An Axis attacker will always take at least 1 step loss when attacking an occupied Stalin line hex. Once all 48 Stalin line hexes are destroyed (which is the case in the 1942 scenario), the markers may be reused to indicate fort or heavy fort hexes elsewhere.
Starting on turn 123 during the Initial Movement phase, the Axis may place or remove a Hedgehog (HH) marker on top of a German-colored unit in a hex with a small town, a large town or a city. Supply state and Soviet unit adjacency have no effect on the ability to form a hedgehog. When an Hedgehog is placed, the Axis must use this construction when defending the hex, they may not decline to use it and may not use another construction in the hex. Units in a Hedgehog cannot retreat after combat and cannot attack, but on defense get a two column leftward (2L) odds shift and the Soviets cannot get the concentric odds shift and cannot MA the hex. If placed on a city, city stacking rules still apply.
Both sides receive Fieldworks (FW) markers starting on turn 201. When received, an FW marker may be placed during a Reinforcement phase in an occupied hex (including a jointly-occupied hex) that is in defensive supply or it may be saved to be deployed later by placing it in an OKH or RVGK area, where it may be deployed during a later Reinforcement Phase.
A Fieldworks cannot move once placed and it is destroyed by enemy ownership of the hex. A FW gives defenders a 1L combat odds shift in a PA and no MA may be done against a defender in a FW. No concentric PA shift is possible against units in a FW. An attacker will always take at least one step loss when making a PA against an occupied fieldworks.
For example, Odessa (hex 1643) is a city with a Stalin line fort, and the city has clear terrain in it (as all cities do). Normally one can MA the units in a city, but the Stalin line fort means the Axis cannot MA until the Stalin line fort is destroyed. In a PA the Soviet defenders may choose to use the city construction, the Stalin line fort construction, or they may choose to use no construction. If they stack more than 5 divisions in the hex, they will need to choose the city construction to avoid losses due to overstacking. If they choose to use the city, then the city combat rules are used (including doubling CRT losses); if they choose to use the Stalin line fort, then those rules are used (including no doubling of CRT losses); and if they decline to use either, then there is no construction effect on the combat.
13.5 Maximum CRT Odds Shift
The maximum CRT odds shift is 2 left or 2 right, after all terrain, construction and unit shifts are combined. Note that GAST CRT odds shifts and Soviet first winter odds shift are in addition to these.
13.6 Combat Resolution
After all applicable modifiers have been applied and a final odds column determined, the attacker rolls one six-sided die and consults the CRT to get a combat result.
For Example: a die roll of 5 at 7:1 yields a result of 1/5. If the attack is at 10:1 odds and there are modifiers operating that give a 2L shift, the actual attack is at 8:1, which resolves without a die roll as a 1/5 result.
13.7 Combat Results
The number to the left of the slash is the number of attacking step losses and the number to the right is the number of defender step losses. A 0 (zero) combat result means the units of that side are not affected in any way - no retreat and no step loss, but see city effects. A player may choose to take more step losses than the CRT loss result.
13.8 Defender Retreat
A player has the option of retreating a stack consisting of all German-colored defending units (without HARKO, Heavy Gustav or Dora) or all Soviet Guards units one hex in order to satisfy the final step (or final half step) of their combat loss result, when defending against a PA in a non-city hex, the retreat is taken as the last step of any required losses and the check to see whether the stack contains only units that can retreat is made at that time.
If a Soviet non-Guards unit, or an Axis minor ally unit, HARKO, Heavy Gustav or Dora is in the defending stack or if defending in a city hex or defending against an MA, or if Axis units are in a Hedgehog, then the stack cannot retreat.
The stack may split up and retreat into different hexes or retreat to the same hex but there can be no enemy units in any retreat hex and stacking enforcement will apply at the start of the next phase. A retreat may be into an empty active fort, heavy fort or Stalin line hex.
Retreat after combat does not cost any MPs and has nothing to do with the movement costs involved in moving during a Movement Phase. Retreating units still observe normal movement prohibitions and may not retreat off the hex map. For example, retreating units may not retreat into all-sea hexes, nor may units retreat across Sivash or Kerch Strait crossing arrow hexsides unless they are frozen.
Retreating is an all or nothing option for the defending units involved. All retreat or all stay, and the retreat of the entire stack (no matter how many steps or units it contains) satisfies one step of the combat result.
If defending units from one PA retreat into a hex containing other units and that new hex comes under attack that same Combat Phase, the units that retreated into the new hex in no way contribute to the defense of the new hex. If the defenders in that new hex receive any final combat result other than 0, the just-retreated units from the earlier battle are automatically eliminated and their elimination does not serve to satisfy any of the current combat's defender result.
13.9 Step Losses
Every strength step lost from involved units satisfies one increment of combat loss result, except that a Soviet CD, RB, MRB or TB counts as only a half step for purposes of satisfying step losses, this is indicated by the color bar through their factors. For example, flipping a two-step unit to its reverse side satisfies one increment of a combat result of a 2; eliminating the unit would satisfy the full result. For example, if 2 Soviet non-Guards brigades are defending and the combat result is 1, both brigades are eliminated.
13.10 Possible Attacker Loss Reduction
The attacker's step loss (in either a normal or close combat) is reduced by 1 if all the following are true:
- All attacking units are in offensive supply.
- The defending hex terrain is either clear or forest without a Fort, Heavy Fort, Stalin line, Fieldworks or Fortified Area hex.
- The weather for the defending hex is Dry, Rain, or Freeze.
- The defender's step loss result was at least 3.
- After any Axis artillery caused step losses, the defender lacked sufficient units to take 2.5 step losses if they did not retreat or 2 step losses if they retreated.
This implies that all attacks on an occupied active Soviet Fort, Stalin line, or Fortified Area hex; an attack on either side's occupied Fieldworks; an attack when some attackers are not in offensive supply; and an attack without Axis artillery with at least 2.5 steps of defending units will take at least 1 step loss; and all attacks against an occupied heavy fort will take at least 2 step losses.
For Example: the result is 1/3 on a clear hex: if the defending units cannot retreat only and have just 2 steps to lose, the attacker takes no losses; but if the defending units have at least 2.5 steps to lose (or loses 2 steps and retreats), then the attacking units lose a step.
13.11 Normal Combat Loss Procedure
In a normal combat (not a Close Combat) losses are taken as specified below. (Engineer units and Mech Upgrade markers arrive in 1942.)
The defender selects their own units to take losses, then the attacker selects their own units to take losses, strictly following this normal combat loss order, whenever possible:
- If the Engineer CRT shift was declared, then one Engineer step is lost.
- If the AFV CRT shift was declared by this side, then one AFV step is lost, losing a Mech Upgrade step if possible. A Soviet TB or MB counts as only a half step, if an AFV loss is called for, it must be fulfilled by taking a full step of AFV losses, if possible.
- Then lose Mech Upgrade steps.
- When the last defending step or half step loss in a PA remains to be lost, if the remaining stack in a non-city hex consists only of German-colored units (without HARKO, Heavy Gustav or Dora) or Soviet Guards-colored units, the stack may retreat one hex to absorb the final step loss. Defending units in a city or in an MA or with HARKO, Heavy Gustav or Dora and attacking units in all cases may not retreat, they must lose all step losses called for, if possible.
- If the last loss to be taken is a half step, a full step unit may be lost instead and this may be required in some cases.
- Heavy Gustav, Dora or Soviet artillery (which have no steps) are eliminated when all other ground units in the combat are eliminated.
13.12 Close Combat Loss Procedure
In a Close Combat, combat losses are determined using a special procedure, as follows:
- All Defender losses are taken first, with the attacker selecting the specific unit to take the first, third, etc. losses and the defender selecting the second, fourth, etc. losses in an alternating fashion. When the defenders in a PA are not in a city and the last step (or half step) loss remains to be lost, if the remaining stack consists only of German-colored units without HARKO, Heavy Gustav, or Dora or only of Soviet Guards-colored units, the defender may choose to retreat the stack 1 hex to absorb the final step loss; if the defender chooses not to retreat, then the loss is assigned by the appropriate alternating side.
- Attacker losses is the the larger number from: a) the attacker CRT result (possibly reduced), b) half the defender's actual non-artillery-caused step losses (round down).
| Non-Arty Defender Losses | Minimum Attacker CC Loss |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1.5 steps | 0 steps |
| 2 to 3.5 steps | 1 step |
| 4 to 5.5 steps | 2 steps |
| 6 to 7.5 steps | 3 steps |
| 8 to 9.5 steps | 4 steps |
| 10 steps | 5 steps |
(Defending unit losses above 5 are only possible in city combat.)
Attacking unit losses are taken with the defender selecting the specific unit to take the first, third, etc. losses and the attacker selecting the second, fourth, etc. losses in an alternating fashion.
- Any non-artillery unit may be selected to take a loss and any non-artillery unit may be eliminated even when there are other units in the combat that have more than one step. The German HARKO or artillery division may only be chosen for loss after all other ground steps are lost; Heavy Gustav, Dora or Soviet artillery (which have no steps) are automatically eliminated when all other ground units have been lost.
- Selection of a Soviet CD, RB, MRB, or TB counts as a unit selected for loss in the above procedure, but only counts as half a step towards the total loss.
- When the final loss to be taken consists of a half step, whichever side makes this last loss choice may choose a unit with full steps to satisfy the loss.
Combat Loss Example #1: The Axis do a close combat PA on a clear hex with Dry weather without using any artillery and the CRT result is 1/4; if the Soviets have only 1.5 steps and lose them, the Axis loses no steps (due to the lose reduction of 1 to 0 and because the close combat minimum loss is also 0 as half (rounded down) of 1.5 is 0); if the Soviets have 2 steps and lose them, then the Axis loses 1 step, due to the minimum close combat attacker loss when the defender has lost 2 steps.
Combat Loss Example #2: The Axis do a PA on a city hex (which resolves using close combat) without using artillery and the CRT result is 1/4, this is doubled to 2/8 due to the city effect; if the Soviets have only a half step unit and loses it, the Axis loses 1 step (as the defenders did not lose at least 2.5 steps, the attacker's loss of 2 is reduced by 1); if the Soviets lose 2.5 steps, the Axis loses 2 steps (due to attacker CRT result of 2 not being reduced); if the Soviets lose 7.5 steps, the Axis loses 3 steps (due to Close Combat minimum loss); and if the Soviets lose 8 steps, the Axis loses 4 steps (due to Close Combat minimum loss).
Combat Loss Example #3: The Soviets have a TB and 2 RD defending in a normal combat and the Soviets declared an AFV shift and get a 2 loss result, because of the way losses are taken all 3 units are lost; the TB must be lost first for a half step (as the AFV CRT shift was declared), an RD is lost for 1 step and the second RD is lost to satisfy the last half step loss. Note that if the defender was a TB and a 2-step GRD and an AFV CRT shift was declared, then the TB would be lost, the GRD would take a step loss and the reduced GRD would be able to retreat to avoid taking another loss and if no AFV shift was declared, the GRD could be lost allowing the TB to survive (but then the resulting CRT odds would have been different).
13.13 Eliminated Axis Unit Handling
When an Axis unit is eliminated, the handling is as follows:
- A unit with a black box is removed from the game, this includes all minor ally units, all German brigades, regiments, non-2-2-9 battalions, corps, and artillery and some German divisions.
- A German 2-2-9 HPBn is put in the Replacement Army, regardless of supply.
- A defensive supplied German division without a black box is put in the Replacement Army, except the first 6 Mech divisions and the first 6 Leg divisions eliminated in supply anywhere on the map after turn 210 (1942 May 3&4) are put in the Stalingrad Pool, a special subset of the Replacement Army.
- An OOS/ISO or (only) air-supplied German division without a black box is put in the Dead Pile (where it may later be used to form KA units).
Note: The Stalingrad pool is used to show that 12 of the units lost in that time frame were rebuilt and sent to fronts other than Russia. Such units are not available through the normal rebuild process, but 3 divisions may be returned, see the Axis TRT.
13.14 Eliminated Soviet Unit Handling
Supply status has no effect on handling eliminated Soviet units. When a Soviet unit is eliminated the handling is as follows:
- A unit with a black box (MRD, TD, RB, ParB, NB, MRB, MB, TB, EB, Mech Upgrades, LCFC, Partisans, 4th Para Corps, the 4 and 6 GAD (with automatic counter-battery (CB) effects), or an RD with a letter in its name (for example, KRM, 1GM, 1M, etc.; these latter are the Soviet Militia, which total 36 units)) is permanently removed from the game.
- An RD with no letters in its name is put in the Replacement Army RD pool on its untried side.
- A CD is put in the Replacement Army CD Pool on its untried side.
- Any other unit (TC, MC, AD, HAD, GRD, GMRD, GParD, GParB, GALB, GCD, GTB, GTC, GMC, non-CB GAD, and GRktD) is put in the Replacement Army Tried Units Pool.
13.15 Advance After Combat
13.15.1 Normal Advance
When a PA results in a defender's hex becoming empty, whether by elimination or retreat, attacking units able to advance after combat may advance after combat into that hex, observing stacking limits. Advance after combat is not considered part of normal movement and does not cost MPs, but advancing units must observe normal terrain prohibitions. The decision to advance or not must be made immediately after the battle is resolved and before another PA. There is no defender advance after combat.
13.15.2 Close Combat Advance
When attacking a hex with a Close Combat marker (of either side), German-colored units with at least 6 MPs (only) and Soviet Guards-colored units with at least 6 MPs (only) may be able to advance into the hex even if the hex is not cleared of defenders if the following requirements are met:
- The defending hex must have room for stacking the advancing units (10 divisions for a city and 5 divisions for a non-city hex).
- The number of advancing divisional equivalents is 1 if defender loss was 1 and 2 if defender loss was 2 or more.
Subsequent attacks may advance more units into a jointly-occupied hex subject to this per-attack limit.
13.15.3 Jointly-occupied hex
If units from both sides occupy a hex, it is called a jointly-occupied hex. Advancing units are placed on top of the defending stack; this indicates which side is the hex attacker in a jointly-occupied hex. All units in the jointly-occupied hex may be examined at any time by either side, but untried units are not revealed until in a combat. The Close Combat chart may be used; put the units involved on the chart and put the Close Combat marker in the combat hex.
Friendly units in a jointly-occupied hex are not considered adjacent to enemy units in adjacent hexes for purposes of Reserve markers and amphibious capability.
The hex defender can move units into the hex without necessarily doing an assault (as long as there is stacking room for the units); the hex attacker may not and must assault to be able to move more units into the hex; even if the hex defender decides to assault (e.g., in order to try to reduce the hex attacker units), it remains the hex defender until all its units in the hex are eliminated. During any one specific Movement Phase, the hex defender may either move units out of the hex or move units into the hex, they cannot do both in the same Movement Phase.
When a Soviet amphibious assault results in a jointly-occupied hex, any port in the hex is considered to be owned by the Soviet player. The Axis needs to be the hex owner to get VPs or to control the oil for the hex. However, the following restrictions apply:
- Friendly units in a jointly-occupied hex may only attack the enemy units in that hex.
- Replacement points can not be used to refit units in a jointly-occupied hex; nor may reorganizations be done. If the Soviets are the hex defender, Soviet reinforcements and rebuilds may arrive normally.
- Either side may trace supply into a jointly-occupied hex, and may trace through it to another friendly-occupied or jointly-occupied hex, but not to an empty adjacent hex.
- The hex defender always benefits from any natural terrain and choice of constructions in the hex. The hex attacker benefits by having crossed any river hexside when assaulting with the hex attacker units and from any natural terrain, city or fort in the hex when defending.
- A unit leaving a jointly-occupied hex must move to a friendly-occupied hex as its first hex of movement. It may not first move to another jointly-occupied hex, nor to an empty hex, nor to an enemy-occupied hex.
- Note that if the jointly-occupied hex is a city, then both sides can choose to place a Reserve marker on their units during their Refit phase, but if the jointly-occupied hex is not a city, then no units can be placed in Reserve.
14.0 Mobile Assault (Overrun)
14.1 MA Unit Type Restrictions
German Mech units, German cavalry units, Soviet Mech units, and Soviet cavalry units may participate in a Mobile Assault (MA) during a Movement Phase.
German Panzer, Heavy Panzer, Assault Gun, Heavy Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun, and Panzergrenadier units and Soviet Tank and Mechanized units may MA on their own. Motorized infantry/rifle and cavalry units must be assisted by at least one Panzer/Tank, Heavy Panzer, Assault Gun, or HSPAT unit in that MA. Artillery, non-motorized infantry of any type, and Axis minor allied units cannot be part of an MA.
Once Soviet cavalry units have contributed their attack factors to the MA odds computation, the Soviet player immediately selects 1 Soviet cavalry step to lose (if only 1 Soviet CD, then lose it); this additional loss does not satisfy any of the Soviet loss results from the MA. German cavalry do not take any additional losses to participate in an MA.
| Unit Type | Overrun Capability |
|---|---|
| P, HP, AG, HSPAT, T | Can overrun and assist others |
| PG, M | Can overrun but not assist |
| MI, MR, ME, C | Can overrun when assisted |
| I, R, N, Par, AL, E, Art, Minor Allies | Cannot overrun |
14.2 MA Stacking
MA-capable units must start the Movement Phase stacked together in offensive supply in order to MA. This does not require all such units starting a Movement Phase stacked together to move and MA together; some could be left behind and/or move separately; note that artillery units and Axis allies stacked with MA-capable units must be left behind in order for the remaining units to be able to MA. A stack may have air support when doing an MA. See Overrun Capability table above.
14.3 MA Procedure
To conduct an MA, an offensive-supplied stack enters an enemy occupied hex, German Mech units pay 7 MPs, German cavalry units pay 4 MPs, Soviet corps pay 7 MPs and Soviet divisions (including cavalry) or brigades pay 4 MPs, ignoring the in-hex terrain cost. Hexside costs must also be paid if crossing an unfrozen river. Artillery cannot MA. An MA allows placing a Close Combat marker if one is available.
Within the limits and exceptions given above, an MA is resolved in the same way as a PA. Within the above constraints, Mech units and cavalry can both MA and PA during the same week. Not all units in the MA stack need be revealed, just those that want to be considered for their combat strength and properties, any unrevealed units do not take any losses but retreat if the MA is not a success.
14.4 MA Terrain and Weather Limitations
An MA may not be launched into a rough, marsh, or mountain hex; nor across a major river or South Volga river hexside without a pontoon bridge in place, nor into a Stalin line, fort, heavy fort, hedgehog, nor fieldworks hex. An MA may not be launched across an unfrozen Sivash or Kerch Strait crossing arrow hexside. An MA may never be done during M (Mud) weather. The Axis may not MA into a hex with Snow weather during the first winter of 1941-1942 (which will always be true for the entire map for turns 124-204).
14.5 MA Supply
A stack doing an MA must have been in offensive supply at the start of that Movement Phase. The supply state of the defenders in an MA is determined at the start of that Movement Phase.
14.6 MA and Rivers
When the defender is not in a jointly-occupied hex and the attacker enters the defending hex by crossing a river, the attacker suffers the river effect on combat. The Axis ignore rivers for all purposes during turn 112.
When the defender is in a jointly-occupied hex marked by a Close Combat marker and the attacker enters the defending hex by crossing a river, the attacker's units already in the jointly-occupied hex form a bridgehead and negate the effect of the river on the MA.
14.7 MA Success or Failure
An MA is a success if all enemy units are eliminated, and a failure if any enemy units remain in the hex.
Successful MA units may continue moving if they have MPs remaining; note that if a stack doing an MA takes step losses, movement factors of units may be reduced. Mark the MA hex with an MA marker. The MA marker is removed at the end of the Movement Phase in which it was placed.
If the MA is a failure, then the assaulting units must retreat to their launch hex and stop moving, except if a friendly Close Combat marker is in the MA hex, then those rules apply.
14.8 Axis Seasonal Offensive 2-round MA
A 2-round MA may only be done by the Axis during the week of an Axis Seasonal Offensive, when an MA costs only 6 MP for Mech units and 4 MP for cavalry. If an MA does not succeed in clearing a hex of all defending units, the Axis may either:
- Run another MA with units in the assaulting stack that have 6 MP if Mech unit or 4 MP if cavalry unit remaining (recalculate the odds before resolving the combat); or
- Place the assaulting force back in the hex it left before the MA and end its movement there.
14.9 MA Within a Jointly-occupied Hex
Mech units and cavalry units in a jointly-occupied hex that have not yet moved may do an MA in their own hex by paying the MP cost; if it is not an MA success, they simply stay in the hex after taking losses.
14.10 MA From Off-map Areas
An MA may be done from the North or South OKH area into an adjacent ZOMO hex or from an RVGK area into a hex with a red/pink hexside on the north, east or south map edge hex. The normal requirement still applies that the MA hex must be clear or forest terrain. If the MA succeeds, the MA stack remains in the hex and may continue moving if it has MPs remaining; if it fails, the MA stack stays in the OKH or RVGK area.
14.11 Moving Other Units into an MA Hex
A player may move other units during the same Movement Phase into and through a hex that has had a successful MA clear the hex of enemy units, this is done as follows:
- During an Initial Movement Phase: A) A stack composed solely of Mech units and/or cavalry units that was in Reserve pays only terrain costs to enter a hex with an MA marker. B) All other stacks have Leg units pay 4 MPs total (no terrain cost) and Mech units pay 6 MPs total to enter a hex with an MA marker.
- During either type of Reserve Movement Phase, a Leg unit (only cavalry except on a Seasonal Offensive week) pays 4 MPs total and a Mech unit pays 6 MPs total to enter a hex with an MA marker.
15.0 Special Capability Units
The rules in this section modify the normal rules for some specific units, the rules in this section take precedence over earlier rules. This section is organized by the turn a special capability unit arrives.
15.1 German Regular Infantry Divisions - At Start
For the purposes of this rule, German regular infantry divisions are those that have factors of 6-8-6 and 5-7-6 (only) on their full strength sides; they have only 3 steps until turn 313 when their 4th step becomes active, before then the first step loss flips the counter, the second loss replaces that counter with a 3-5-5 and the last step loss removes the 3-5-5; note that the reverse side of the 3-5-5 is not used until turn 313.
In 1942 a German regular infantry division may not refit or rebuild to its full strength, although it may remain at full strength as long as it does not take losses. In 1943 a German regular infantry division may not refit or rebuild to a green step strength, once it becomes gray it remains gray; although it may remain at a higher (green) step strength as long as it does not take losses.
The German 10-6-8 ID has 4 total steps from the start of the game; it and 7-9-6 ParID can always be rebuilt or refit to 4 steps. The German 3-5-6 ID, 2-4-2 StID, 4-6-8 LID and 4-6-8 MtID can always be rebuilt or refit to 2 steps. The 22 ALD gains it's fourth step on turn 313, but can always be rebuilt to full strength.
15.2 AFV Combat Bonus - At Start
An AFV (Armed Fighting Vehicle) unit is a Panzer/Tank, Heavy Panzer, Panzergrenadier/Mechanized, Assault Gun, or Heavy Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Gun unit; minor allied units that are of the appropriate type are AFV. A Motorized Infantry, Motorized Rifle, Flak, Artillery, Bridge, or the Hungarian Mixed unit is not an AFV unit.
When the attacker attacks (MA or PA) with a declared AFV into a clear hex with Dry, Rain, or Freeze weather the CRT is shifted 1 Right, this is the AFV bonus. When a stack defends in a clear hex with a declared AFV in Dry, Rain, or Freeze weather, the CRT is shifted 1 Left. Such a declaration may increase the possibility of losing an AFV step. To be able to declare an AFV shift, the AFV unit cannot be in ISO status but it can be in OOS status.
| Unit Type | AFV Odds Shift Possible? |
|---|---|
| P, HP, AG, HSPAT, T | Yes, including minor allies |
| PG, M | Yes |
| MI, MR, ME, Mixed, C | No |
| I, R, N, Par, AL, E, Art | No |
15.3 German Flak Corps - At Start
The 3 German Flak Corps are Mech units and may be part of an MA or PA. One Flak unit (only) may be added to a stack and not count for divisional stacking. When a non-ISO flak unit is in a stack it additionally affects combat as follows:
- All Soviet Mech units attacking that hex halve their total attack factors (round up).
- Any declared Soviet attacking AFV Odds shift is negated.
15.4 Air Units - At Start
An available air unit may be committed to a friendly stack in defensive supply at any time during one of that player's Movement Phases or Combat Phase; it acts as a combat strength bonus; the most effective time is often when an assault is declared, whether MA or PA.
When air units arrive during a Reinforcement Phase, they may be committed to a friendly stack immediately. Air units must always be withdrawn when called for on the TRT.
Committed air units must be picked up from the stack they are on during the player's Refit Phase, they then become available for placement. An Axis stack must contain at least one German unit for an air unit to be placed on it, if the stack loses all German units, then the air unit is temporarily removed until next week.
An air unit stays with the selected stack, supporting the stack's combat operations on offense and defense. An air unit's air factors are added to the total of attack and defense factors in the supported stack in an MA or PA; air factors are not affected by rivers. If a supported stack splits up, the owning player picks one portion of the stack to continue receiving the support while the other units move off. If 2 stacks with air are in the same hex, the owner temporarily removes the air unit of their choice. No combat may have more air factors added than there are combat factors being contributed by ground units in the supported stack. Air units may not be used to satisfy step losses, if all the ground units with them are eliminated, the air unit is temporarily removed.
Each German aircraft unit is worth a variable number of combat factors each week in 1941, see the turn record. After 1941 they have a strength of 6. The Soviet 6th Interceptor Corps has an attack and defense strength of 5; it arrives on turn 123 and is withdrawn on turn 203. Soviet Air Armies begin entering as specific reinforcements on turn 210 and have an attack and defense strength on each unit.
The pilots of the VIII Flieger Korps (Air Corps) were the best; it was moved to give support to the crucial schwerpunkt (concentration point). In addition to contributing its normal ground support factors to combat, the VIII also generates a one-column CRT shift in the supported Axis stack's favor in both attack and defense.
15.5 German Artillery HARKO - At Start
HARKO is an acronym for Heavy Artillery Kommand, it contains heavy siege guns as well as Thor and Odin which were 600mm (24 inch) self propelled howitzers, the use of these big guns is represented by the HARKO shell marker rules.
Normal Effect
If the HARKO unit is stacked with other unit(s) that are making a PA in offensive supply in Dry weather at any odds (including off the chart), the effect is to increase the defender's CRT step loss result by 1 (not the die roll, the result), although HARKO does not itself participate in the PA directly and suffers no combat result; this result of 1 is doubled to 2 when attacking a city. Before turn 205, HARKO has its special effect only on a defending hex to the west of the GAS line. It may not advance or retreat after combat; this means units stacked with it may not retreat. HARKO may not be rebuilt; if it is destroyed, remove its 2 shell markers from the game. HARKO must be in offensive supply to have the normal effect.
Enhanced Effect
HARKO may have an enhanced effect in Dry weather by using shell markers but the firing platforms for Thor and Odin need to be assembled for 1 week; mark it with an inverted Refit marker and flip the counter to show it now cannot move but can fire shells once the Refit marker comes off. If HARKO wants to move once assembled it must spend 1 week to disassemble, not firing shells and not being refit; to show that it is disassembling use an inverted Refit marker again.
There are 2 HARKO shell markers, a shell marker costs 1 MRP to build or rebuild. When rebuilt it arrives in the OKH North area like any German unit; it moves using strategic movement or by being stacked with HARKO. Any shell markers are placed under HARKO and move with HARKO.
At the start of an Axis Combat Phase before any PA is resolved, exactly one shell marker may be expended by HARKO, resulting in a Thor and Odin bombardment with the following effects: the defender chooses 1 step in the stack to lose, this is not doubled in a city. Untried units are not flipped due to a shell attack and units under the top unit are not revealed to the Axis by a Thor and Odin Bombardment; the defender may select an untried unit for the loss, revealing it after it is selected before placing it in the appropriate replacement pool or dead pile. Using a shell marker is an additional effect from any subsequent PA on the hex.
When HARKO fires a first shell, place a "1 Fired" marker on it, when it fires a second shell, flip the marker to "2 Fired".
The first time HARKO fires a shell, if the Axis wants it to be able to fire more shells, it needs to refit for one week using 1 MRP. After that first time, after HARKO fires 2 shells, if the Axis wants to fire more shells, it needs to refit using 1 MRP, it then can fire 2 more shells. Place a Refit marker (the unit cannot move while being refit) and remove the "Fired" marker.
15.6 Cavalry Raid - At Start
At least 1 step of cavalry (only) in offensive supply may raid in non-Mud weather into an enemy-occupied forest, rough, or marsh hex by paying 4 MPs to enter that hex plus river crossing costs, if any. If the Soviets use non-Guard cavalry, they will need 2 divisions to do this but they do not need to start in the same hex.
The cavalry stack is placed on top of the enemy stack to indicate the raid took place and does not count for stacking once placed. An MA or PA against a stack with a raiding cavalry stack gets a 1R CRT shift and the raiding cavalry stack loses 1 step as part of the MA or PA which does not count for combat losses. A stack may be raided as many times in a turn as desired; for example, if an MA and then a PA is done against the same hex, each may be preceded by a cavalry raid so each gets the benefit.
If a 2-step cavalry unit is used for a raid, then it loses 1 step to aid the first assault and 1 step to aid a second assault, if the hex is cleared of defending units by the first assault, it takes no additional losses. Any raiding cavalry unit remaining on top of an enemy stack during the player's Cleanup Phase is eliminated.
15.7 Combat Engineers - Turn 124
The Soviets receive combat engineer units starting on turn 124 and the Axis receive combat engineer units starting on turn 218, these represent strategic assets not contained in other units already. An engineer shift declared in a PA or MA gives the owning player a one column CRT shift in their favor; however, declaring an engineer shift will often mean an engineer is the first step lost in combat, see the combat loss procedure.
The engineers must not be in ISO status to generate the defending shift and in offensive supply to generate the attacking shift. No more than one shift is generated for engineers per battle no matter how many engineers are participating. Engineers on both sides cancel each other out on a unit to unit basis, whichever side has the most engineers gets the shift.
For game purposes Soviet engineers are in Guards colors and act as Guards units in all ways, except not being called that in their name. The Axis have 1 motorized engineer battalion, it may MA when stacked with a Mech unit that can assist other units with overrun. The Soviet engineer units were called armies, but were of brigade size, so this is what is on the counter.
15.8 4 Paratroop Corps & Partisans - Turn 201
On turn 201, the Soviet 4-step 4 Paratroop Corps and the 2-step Partisan unit are received; each must be placed that turn in a forest or rough hex within 8 hexes of a Soviet-owned military district HQ hex (starred hex) that is in overland supply, the landing hex must be empty of enemy units at the time of placement. They may be placed in the same hex or different hexes. Neither unit moves once placed, but both are considered to always be in full defensive and offensive supply and they do give the Soviet player control of the hex until eliminated.
They may each attack contributing 1 strength point and may help achieve a concentric combat shift, but they must be the last units used to satisfy any attacker step loss and they may not advance after combat.
When the Soviet player first moves a land unit into a hex containing the partisans and/or the 4 Paratroop Corps, they immediately remove it and at the start of the next turn the Soviets are credited with the number of LRPs that was in the unit at the time of its removal, put the removed unit on the TRT for the next turn as a reminder.
15.9 Mech Upgrades - Turn 205 and Turn 301
Both sides receive Mech Upgrade markers as reinforcements starting on turn 205 for the Axis and turn 301 for the Soviets. During a Reinforcement Phase, a Mech Upgrade marker may be used to provide extra strength to an on-map unit or it may be exchanged on a one for one basis to produce bonus German or Soviet MRPs. Only one Mech Upgrade marker may be assigned to a particular unit. A German division may have a Mech Upgrade marker and also be augmented with a battalion or regiment.
Any German division (Mech or Leg) or a Soviet GRD, TC, MC, GTC, or GMC is eligible for a Mech Upgrade marker using the same procedure as Leg unit refit or Mech unit refit, depending on the class of the unit. Soviet Mech Upgrade markers must be used the turn they arrive or they are lost; the Axis may save theirs to use later. Soviet Mech Upgrade markers are Guards-colored markers. Note that use of a Mech Upgrade marker is the only way Soviet units can "refit" when reduced; on a subsequent Refit Phase, the unit may reorganize, having the corps gain the step(s) and reducing or removing the Mech Upgrade marker.
Place the Mech Upgrade marker under the unit receiving it. The Mech Upgrade marker is then an organic part of the unit; the stacking value remains the same, the effect is that the upgraded unit's steps, attack strength and defense strength are increased by the value on the upgrade counter (either 1 or 2). Mech Upgrade steps are considered to be the same type as the division to which they are assigned.
15.10 German Long Range Artillery (LRA) - Turn 209 and Turn 216
Heavy Gustav and Dora were 800mm (31.5 inch caliber) long range railway siege guns built by Krupp.
On turn 209, the Heavy Gustav gun arrives along with 2 shell markers. It has unit factors of 0-0-RR (the RR indicates it can only move by railroad, that is, by strategic movement) but can fire a distance of 2 hexes using a shell marker (only). It may only move by strategic movement to an urban hex. After being moved, it takes 5 weeks to assemble, once assembled if one desires to move it, it takes 5 weeks to disassemble; once assembly or disassembly starts, note the completion week on a piece of paper and place an inverted Refit marker while assembling or disassembling. Dora arrives on turn 216 and takes 4 weeks to assemble and 4 weeks to disassemble.
Heavy Gustav and Dora have no defense factor and no steps and work like Soviet artillery in this regard. They may not retreat after combat even when they can move.
If you halt the assembly process in the middle and want to reverse it, it takes the same number of weeks to disassemble as it has already been assembled.
There are 2 shell markers that may be used for either Heavy Gustav or Dora, each shell marker costs 1 Mech replacement point to rebuild and the intended gun is indicated at the time the shell is rebuilt (and cannot be used for the other unit), the shell marker must be strategically moved to the location of either Heavy Gustav or Dora. Heavy Gustav or Dora is fired at the start of an Axis Combat Phase and has the same restrictions and effect as an HARKO Odin and Thor bombardment. They may not advance or retreat after combat; this means units stacked with Heavy Gustav or Dora may not retreat after combat. Heavy Gustav or Dora may not be rebuilt; if both are destroyed, remove the 2 shell markers from the game.
After firing 2 shells, Heavy Gustav or Dora must be refit, this costs a MRP; while refitting, they cannot fire, move, assemble or disassemble, place a Refit marker to indicate this.
Note: Some accounts say it was Heavy Gustav at Sevastopol and some say it was Dora.
15.11 Soviet Artillery - Turn 219
Starting on turn 219, the Soviets get artillery divisions. A Soviet artillery is a Mech unit, but it may not participate in an MA. They may never PA alone, but can support Soviet non-artillery units launching a PA from their hex provided the PA has offensive supply.
There may never be more artillery factors contributed to a PA than there are non-artillery ground attack factors participating in that PA; any excess is ignored. Soviet artillery units have no defense factor, and if caught alone in a hex by moving or attacking Axis units they are destroyed (even an Axis Leg unit can destroy artillery alone by moving into the hex, as it is not considered an MA). In combat, Soviet artillery units in a hex are lost when the last non-artillery step is lost. Soviet artillery units do not have any steps to satisfy combat losses.
A Soviet artillery unit (including rocket) affects the defense by firing a counter-preparation barrage at an Axis PA. Each Soviet artillery unit in offensive supply in a hex being assaulted makes a counter-preparation barrage die roll immediately after the final Axis attack odds have been determined but before the combat resolution die is rolled. Each artillery scores a hit on a die roll of 1 and each hit means the Axis attack odds are shifted one column left (1L). The Soviet 4 and 6 Guards Artillery Divisions (arriving by conversion on turn 301) are marked CB as they were given special training and equipment for counter battery operations; for these 2 units the 1L column shift effect is automatic. The Soviet 4 and 6 Guards Artillery cannot be rebuilt if lost. There can be at most 2 shifts due to counter-preparation barrages in any combat.
15.12 Soviet Pontoon Bridges - Turn 220
The Soviets get 10 pontoon bridges on turn 220. They are Mech units with 0 strength and no steps. They may flip to their bridge sides if they do not move, the Soviet may request the Axis to step away from the table for a minute to allow this flip to be done in secret once the pontoon bridges arrive.
When flipped, it acts as a bridge over the river hexside it points to with the effect that the river movement cost is negated and the combat effect is that of a minor river in 1941. A pontoon bridge is eliminated when the last combat step in a hex is eliminated in combat; it may be rebuilt using an MRP. The Axis cannot capture or use a Soviet pontoon bridge, rather it is eliminated, but may be rebuilt.
15.13 Leningrad Counter-Fire Corps - Turn 221
On turn 221, the Leningrad Counter Fire Corps marker appears in that city, place it on top of the stack. If Leningrad is not Soviet controlled at that time, the LCFC is removed from the game. The LCFC marker has no stacking, combat or step values of its own; the only effect is that once it is placed all Axis attacks into Leningrad or an adjacent hex suffer a one column left (1L) odds shift. The LCFC shares the fate of the last regular Soviet step in Leningrad; once eliminated it may not be rebuilt. The LCFC cannot be in ISO status to have its effect.
15.14 German Heavy Mech Units - Turn 223
A German Heavy Mech unit is treated as a normal Mech unit with a bonus as their participation in combat (offensive and defensive, MA or PA) yields the Axis a one-column CRT shift in their favor. Using more than one Heavy Mech unit does not increase the shift.
A Heavy Mech unit must not be in ISO status for a defending shift and must be in offensive supply for an attacking shift, and stacked with and attacking or defending with at least 1 PD, PGD or MID in order to generate the shift. Note that the seven 2-2-9 Heavy Panzer battalions may always be rebuilt, even if eliminated while out of supply, while the other Heavy Mech units may never be rebuilt.
15.15 Soviet Guards Rocket Divisions - Turn 223
Starting on turn 223, the Soviets get rocket divisions. These units are treated exactly as Soviet artillery divisions except when aiding a PA in non-Mud weather into a hex containing only clear terrain (that is, no city, large town, Fort, Heavy Fort, Stalin line nor Fieldworks marker) the attack factor of rocket units is doubled.
15.16 Soviet Fortified Area - Turn 309
The Soviet Fortified Area marker is received on turn 309 and must immediately be placed in any Soviet-controlled and defensive-supplied hex. During May its combat effects are that all defensive-supplied hexes within 2 hexes of it (including the placement hex itself, but excluding city hexes), gain a 1L odds shift against enemy PAs and MAs. During June and all later turns this effect is increased to 2L. An attacker will always take at least one step loss. If any hexes within that radius are captured by the Axis and then retaken by the Soviets, the prevailing combat effect immediately returns to those hexes. The marker has no stacking, combat or step values on its own and is only removed from play if its hex and all hexes within its two hex radius come under simultaneous Axis control.
15.17 Blaupunkt East Paradrop - Turn 313
If the Manstein Gambit is chosen, the Axis may launch Operation Blaupunkt East. They may use the 1 and/or 2 Parachute Divisions in an air drop. If two divisions are used they must both be dropped into the same hex at the same time. The Axis may select any hex on the map that doesn't contain mountains or a city, fieldwork, fortified area, active fort or heavy fort, and that lies within 15 hexes of an Axis controlled and defensive-supplied city, large town, or small town. The hex may or may not contain Soviet units.
The Axis may also add the 22 Airlanding Division (ALD) to the drop with the same restrictions as above, but the landing hex must then be on a clear hex as they used gliders.
The drop is made at the start of any Axis Movement Phase in June, July or August. The units to be dropped must start the turn in either German OKH Reserve Areas or in an offensive-supplied population center not adjacent to any Soviet units. If the drop hex contains any Soviet units, the parachutists immediately run an unassisted one-round MA in that hex. If their attack fails to clear the hex, the paratroopers are immediately eliminated. If they do land safely they may not move or attack during the week of their landing. If the units are dropped into a hex empty of Soviet units, they still may not move farther that week, but they may then PA into an adjacent hex but may not advance after combat. They are considered fully supplied during their drop turn, but must trace supply normally after that. The German air supply marker is not available during the turn of the drop, as those planes are involved in the drop. There may never be more than one drop per game, and the Axis is not required to make one; they may use the paratroopers as regular infantry.
15.18 The 1943 Soviet Paradrop - Turn 313
On turn 313, the Soviets receive 5 Guard Parachute/Air Landing Brigades (GParB and GALB) which can be paradropped. A Soviet paradrop is made under the same general restrictions as the Axis in Blaupunkt, and is done at the start of any Soviet Movement Phase during turns 313 to 318, inclusive.
The brigades being dropped are dropped together in the same hex within 15 hexes of a Soviet controlled and offensive-supplied city, large town or small town, but not into an Axis occupied hex. The Soviets roll a die for each brigade. If no Axis units are adjacent, the unit survives on a roll of 1, 2 or 3; if an Axis unit is adjacent, the unit survives on a roll of 1 or 2. Once dropped they are in defensive supply for the rest of that player week, but may not move or attack that turn. Afterward, they trace supply normally. A destroyed parachute/air landing brigade is eligible to be rebuilt via replacements, but it may not be airdropped again. GParB and GALB that are not dropped come on normally as reinforcements and may not later be airdropped.
15.19 German Korps Abteilung (KA) Units - Turn 314
On turn 314, the Axis get 6 German Korps Abteilung (KA) units as possible reinforcements. A KA unit does not enter automatically like a normal reinforcement; it is formed from units in the German Dead Pile by removing them from play. During a Reinforcement Phase, for each KA unit desired, remove 3 divisions from the Dead Pile permanently. If not enough divisions are in the Dead Pile, the Axis may select divisions in the Replacement Army to remove from play permanently. A KA unit enters play via the North OKH area. When a KA unit is destroyed, it is removed from play.
15.20 German 19SS ID - Turn 318
On turn 318, the German 19SS ID (Latvian) is received as a reinforcement and may enter only at Riga (hex 1808). If Riga is not Axis controlled on that turn, the 19SS ID is removed from play. After entry, it follows normal rules and reenters play when rebuilt in the North OKH area.
15.21 German Mobile Artillery Division - Turn 319
The German Mobile Artillery Division (MAD) is a 1-step Mech unit arriving on turn 319. It may not MA. It may PA and defend alone; but then uses its defense factor for attack and defense.
When it PAs in offensive supply with at least one other German division participating from its hex, it generates a 1R odds shift and adds 1 to the step loss result for the defender, which is doubled when the defender is in a city. If eliminated, it may not be replaced. It has 2 shell markers which cost one MRP each and work the same as HARKO shells except the MAD does not need to be assembled, it does need to refit for one MRP after using 2 shells. It has an automatic counter-battery effect of 1L odds shift and may advance after combat and may retreat after combat. It may not be rebuilt; if it is destroyed, remove its 2 shell markers from the game.
15.22 German Assault Gun Brigades - Turn 319
German Assault Gun Brigades start arriving on turn 319, they arrive as reinforcement in depleted (flipped) state as 2-1-11 units unless one of the following happens:
- An MRP is spent to flip them to full strength side; or
- They are used to convert an Assault Gun Battalion on the map, in this case they replace the battalion on the map and the AGB arrives full strength. The Battalion may not be adjacent to an enemy unit, but no Refit marker need be placed.
15.23 German 11SS PGD Conversion - Turn 323
The 11SS PGD converts from 3 withdrawn units (NdrSS MIB, DanSS MIB and NorSS ID), if one has been destroyed then the unit cannot convert. If any of the 3 units have taken a step loss, then subtract those step losses from the full strength 4 step 11SS PGD when it arrives.
15.24 German 20SS ID - Turn 407
On turn 407, the German 20SS ID (Estonian) is received as a reinforcement and may enter only at Tallinn (hex 2302). If Tallinn is not Axis controlled on that turn, the 20SS ID is removed from play. After entry, it follows normal rules and reenters play when rebuilt in the North OKH area.
16.0 Game Notes
16.2 Developer's Notes
This is a monstergame meant to be played.
Players familiar with Command Magazine's Proud Monster game and its expansion Death and Destruction will notice that the values of some units have been tweaked and that the map shows more of the Soviet Union.
The game is very much a teeter-totter with cumulative effects. Things that might seem at first to be a reasonable compromise decision can be seen to be wrong a few turns later when you figure out you are a day late in getting the outcome desired. The game system also gives the players lots of choices, so there are many, many ways to make mistakes, so one should try to treat each mistake as a learning experience.
The northern map edge between the Leningrad area and Lake Onega represents the limit of the advance of the Finns in the Continuation War. The Svir river is along the northern map edge between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega. One way to show this Finnish advance without many special rules was to shape the north edge of the map so that neither side can use hexes north of it for any purpose, including tracing supply lines. In other words, if the Germans reach the Svir river, then Leningrad is out of supply and if they do not, then Leningrad will have at least lake supply.
The use of the David Glantz information on the Stalin line means that the Stalin line in PMD is very different from PM. Classifying rivers into 3 types helps the game proceed along historical lines as the Axis should be able to advance into the Dnieper and Donets basins fairly easily in 1941 but find crossing those rivers themselves, for example around Kiev, more of a challenge; this may tempt the Soviets to hold Kiev longer than they should, as in history.
The close combat rules allow for protracted meatgrinder battles, given the level of granularity of this game; for example, the Germans took 5 weeks to take Stalingrad. Surrounding a city will cut if off from reinforcements, but this is easier to do for some cities than others as ports allow sea supply and transport. The Close Combat markers allow for the gradual taking of a hex as some advances in non-city hexes were less than 20 miles in a week, for example, the Germans took 2 weeks to take Perekop. The lack of Soviet Close Combat markers at the start of the campaign game as well as the need to have tried units for conversions gives them an incentive to attack.
The following are methods used to simulate the fog of war in the game:
A) Many Soviet units are untried until revealed in combat with neither side sure what strengths they have, B) Both sides have 10 Reserve markers which can cloak units, C) A player may not look beneath the top land unit of an enemy stack until the time comes in the combat odds computation, D) The North and South OKH and RVGK areas and Reserve Marker holding boxes should be covered so their contents remain secret to the opponent.
Because of the fog of war rules, there is an aspect of a "shell game" to playing the game well, for both sides; when ever there are at least 2 units in a hex, your opponent may not know what is there other than the top unit, and if the top unit is a Soviet untried unit, even that knowledge is open to a range of possibilities. Are those unknown units the weakest they might be or are they the strongest? If you can "psych out" your opponent and make him believe that a weak part of your line is actually strong and make a strong part of your line look weak, you are well on your way to mastery of the game.
Your opponent does not know what is in a stack in reserve, it might be a lowly battalion or 5 augmented divisions, so there is fake out potential. Your opponent may know you have strong forces somewhere, but are they concentrated here or there or spread out evenly?
Pay careful attention to the Mobile Assault rules. If players never do any overruns, then the game degenerates into something like the Eastern Front of the First World War; overruns are THE key factor in the game that allows simulation of the blitzkrieg and creates the potential for encirclements. The players will need to take judicious chances and not insist on only doing overruns that are sure things. Also, make sure you understand the Reserve marker and Air unit rules, especially how they interact with overruns.
The Friendly Reserve Movement Phase allows for possible exploitation movement after the Combat Phase. This helps simulate the potential for the huge encirclements that happened, for example, if you have units in reserve to run through a hole in your opponent's line created in the Combat Phase and your opponent does not have reserves that can fill the hole.
The really fancy stuff can happen when you have reserves and your opponent does not, as examples:
- Have some of your front line forces just been encircled? If you have reserves you can try to open a gap in the encircling forces via overrun during your Enemy Reserve Movement so your forces can run away during their Initial Movement Phase. This is like a Back Hand Blow tactic. If you do not have reserves, you get to watch.
- You can use your reserves during your ERMP to soften up your opponent's defenses via overruns before your player week. If he has reserves, he gets to fill in the weak spots you just made; if he does not, he gets to watch.
- When you make a PA, you might take losses and so be weaker than desired in that area of the front line. If you have reserves, you can put them into the line to make your defenses as strong as possible; if you do not, you get to watch.
Whether to use a Close Combat marker is often a question. If you can figure out that you will win the battle to your satisfaction without using a CC marker, that is probably what you want to do, doing otherwise uses the CC marker for that 2-week turn and might result in taking more losses. When attacking a city or fort, the use is often automatic, to ensure your units can advance and reduce the defender's ability to defend the position.
Since most Soviet units are untried and stacks are not revealed until combat, deciding on use of a CC marker is often a judgment call. Some questions to ask are whether this is a crucial battle, must the attacker advance at all costs, or must the attacker pick some critical defending unit to be lost.
For example, the best expected defensive strength Soviet units in early 1941 are the MRDs plus they can convert to GMRDs which can be rebuilt, but there is no loss priority for them, so the Soviets will almost always choose for them to be lost last. It can make sense for the Axis to go on an MRD hunting mission when found, but the only way to be sure to take them out is to use a Close Combat marker and get a defender step loss.
The degradation of the German army over time is shown by many things, but some of the major ones are the yearly removal of 2 Close Combat markers and the reduction in the ability to rebuild and refit infantry divisions to full strength. General Mud and especially General Winter also have their effects.
The first week of a game starting in 1941 is a unique week, the Germans can do things this week that they can never do again, so it behooves the Axis player to learn how to wring as much out of this special turn as possible. It is worthwhile gaining some experience with the first week all by itself by playing it a few times, trying to do better each time for both sides.
Historically, the Romanians refit their Panzer division in 1942 using German assistance, so this capability was made general so that any minor allied Mech unit could refit, but cannot rebuild if destroyed.
Every unit in the game has at least one best use, try to figure out the best uses for each unit, as using them in those best ways goes a long way towards mastering the game.
One possibility I resisted was to put in rail lines (as suggested by some playtesters), as the original PM did not have them. This adds another level of complexity as then one needs to be able to repair them and use them and then the design incrementally becomes a more detailed operational treatment. As there already ARE systems out there with this level of detail, I decided to try to remain in the PM niche in this case. Ty had designed in PM a simple way to show operational limitations using offensive supply markers with a range, I kept this idea and extended it to the Axis where I thought it was appropriate.
Another suggestion from some playtesters was to get rid of all the units below division level. However, I thought that these added some nice color to PM and also increased the ways one might choose to defend or attack a hex. Some wanted an even larger map, but I decided that if the Axis ever got to the east edge they were in a winning position anyway and just needed to prove it on the map provided, I did make getting to the map edge a way to avoid losing, for both sides.
Another point is that the 2 armies are distinct, something that works for the Axis may NOT work for the Soviets and vice versa. Discover the advantages and disadvantages associated with your army and work to promote the former and mitigate the latter.
I dislike rules that mandate actions by players, rather I like to craft rules so that players find it in their best interest to do some action. In PM it was entirely possible for the Soviets to go the entire game without attacking; this is also possible in PMD, but is much more unlikely because of the incentives for the Soviets to attack to earn Close Combat markers and in 1941 stack more than 3 divisions in a hex. If the Soviets wish to defend the gates of Moscow with only 3 divisions in each hex, they can certainly choose to do so, but if they want to increase the stacking potential (and therefore the defense strength), they will need to do some attacking.
Contrasted with the Axis decline, the rise in the capabilities of the Soviet army means they will be going through some phase transitions. The initial Soviet stacking limitations represent their use of corps which proved limiting in 1941 and were therefore disbanded. But in order to learn how to use their forces more effectively, they need to learn some lessons from seeing how the Germans did it correctly. Soviet defenses when they can only stack 3 division are simply different and weaker to those when they can stack 4 divisions and similar when comparing stacking 4 divisions with stacking 5 divisions. Earning the first Close Combat marker is crucial to the chances of Soviet survival and makes earning the second one even easier. This desire means the Soviets should always be on the lookout for a weak spot in the Axis line that can be pounced on.
The GAS line is even more important in PMD than it was in PM. West of the GAS line, it is very challenging in 1941 for the Soviets to thwart the Axis advance, but east of it is another matter.
The weather chits allow some variation in the weather in terms of when a certain weather will occur or the exact number of step losses to take for that week of first winter attrition, but it avoids the potential for widely swinging weather effects. The Axis will take 64 First Winter Attrition step losses and there will be exactly 2 weeks with Freeze weather in 1941, they may not happen when they did historically, but they will happen sometime within a range of possibilities. What will not happen is either more or less weeks of Freeze weather, as this could easily be a major factor in determining the outcome of a game and I did not want that. I do not think there is a perfect solution to the weather design challenge in wargames and what you find here is one compromise solution.
Both sides will face dilemmas of concentration and dispersal, as a maximum stack sitting by itself can be cut off from supply and made much less effective. The Axis cannot plunge deep into Russia without watching their supply lines. Units can suffer supply attrition once encircled, something that happened all too often at the start of the war.
If both players are learning the game, it is suggested to not play competitively, rather have one player play AGN and AGC and the other play AGS and OKH South with the Soviet defenses being played by the opposite player. Let all Axis reinforcements be owned by the AGS player and all Soviet reinforcements be owned by the Northern player to distribute as they wish, remembering this is a learning game. This will allow both players to learn the techniques of attacking and defending more quickly.
With new players, someone can make a mistake that proves fatal after a few game weeks. During a playtest, I once saw a Russian setup lose on week 1. I have also seen the Axis get totally shut down just a few hexes into Russia. Part of the goal at first is to learn how to get further and further into the game as either side. The early games can be seen as discovering where you need forces and when, in order to do what you want to do. That is, planning will help your play, but you really have no idea what to plan for until you see what is possible. So you fake it (do something that seems reasonable) and see what happens and learn from that.
For example, isolation: the difference between making a pocket of Russians and ALMOST making a pocket is huge and doing it right takes some competence which comes from experience. Making a small pocket versus making a large pocket can result in a huge difference in outcomes. Also, there is sometimes an exploitation potential that can be countered if your opponent is prepared with units in reserve, but when it is NOT countered, the exploitation can be deadly and possibly game winning.
There are some implications of the rules that reward diligent analysis, they are not spelled out here so players can enjoy finding them. If you want more ideas on how to play the game, study Sun Tzu. This game is a gestalt, a painting, if you will, in broad brush strokes of what happened and might have happened in the War in Russia. If some technique does not work offensively or defensively, one suggestion is to try doing something different; there is a lot of space to explore.
Most of all, have fun and may the most ruthless in the game win.
16.3 Player's Notes
Soviets
As Stalin said, "Quantity has a quality all its own." The Soviets have production capability that is many times that of the Axis, the challenge is to survive long enough so that the full weight of Soviet production is felt. The basics of Soviet strategy in 1941 is to not lose in the early turns while retreating in good form and at some point get most of your forces east of the GAS line with sufficient strength to contest further Axis advances.
The first test for the Soviets is to not lose the game on the first turn by losing the 4 closest VP hexes, this is entirely possible with a poor Soviet set up. Brest Litovsk and Przemysl are possible hexes to concentrate in, especially if one wants to threaten an excursion into the Germany ZOMO. Expect dead Soviet units to pile up at first, but remember that losses do not affect victory points except when a required withdrawal cannot be made.
Each turn in 1941 presents a puzzle for the Soviets regarding how to thwart the possibility of an immediate Axis win through victory points, yet how to avoid defending the VP hexes too strongly so that too many units are lost in forward positions so that a viable defense line cannot be formed the next turn. The Soviets need to create a "Goldilocks" defense that is "just right," neither too weak (and losing by VPs), nor too strong (and losing later due to lack of units). They will often find that optimal choices cannot be made, and learn the art of satisficing, the ability to do good enough, even when far from perfect.
The Soviets should almost always defend terrain that is not clear or forest with at least a brigade, as this ensures the Axis takes a full step loss to take it. This is also true for Stalin line and fort hexes that the Axis find they must take.
Except on a week with a Seasonal Offensive, an MA takes 7 movement points, so this means a full strength German Mech unit stack can expend at most 5 movement points before attempting an MA, and if losses have been taken, even less. This means a defense line 6 MPs away from Axis units can only be assaulted by the Axis using a PA.
The key driver in 1941 is the potential for an Axis early victory either by accumulating sufficient victory points in a turn to win or by taking Moscow. The Soviets need to plan which VP hexes they can allow to be lost each turn and which they must hold, but Moscow must be held at all costs due to the potential for an immediate victory. Due to the continuously increasing Axis VP requirements to win, it can easily be the case that a VP hex that absolutely must be held one turn can be mostly abandoned with no regrets the very next turn.
The eventual Soviet goal is to accumulate survivors and reinforcements without immediately losing so that every hex of the front line is strong, the challenge is in accomplishing this. There is nothing like running away to achieve force preservation, but the ability to do this is limited by the potential for an Axis immediate victory. The goal is to keep extending the game turn by turn by not losing until GAS line effects and bad weather (General Mud and then General Snow) show up.
Do not make the mistake of dividing reinforcements equally between the fronts, see what each front needs and see how close your opponent is to possibly winning the game (hint: Moscow!) and allocate forces appropriately. One rough estimate on Axis potential is the number of Panzer armies in the immediate area. With the historical allocation of 3 Panzer armies north of the Pripyet and 1 south of it, expect to need at least 3/4 of the reinforcing units in the north and even more as the threat to Moscow materializes. It does the Soviets no good to be holding strongly in the south only to lose Moscow and the game.
There is a lot of terrain that prohibits an MA, it is possible to defend such a hex using only a single unit, e.g., a brigade, and know that the Axis will at best simply take that hex using a PA, assuming they cannot go around it. Sometimes a good defense line can almost be made, except for some clear and/or forest hexes; for those hexes a strong defense in the gaps with secondary or even perhaps tertiary lines may work in keeping the Axis from advancing as fast as they might wish.
The preferred Soviet defense combines all these ideas. The game is very cumulative, a mistake that allows an advance that could have been stopped, allows for further advances in later turns that would not have been even possible if the first mistake had not happened. Some specific ideas for defenses are given for consideration below.
Besides defending, the Soviets will want to attack sometimes, in order to earn Close Combat markers, and in order to turn untried units into tried units, including finding those units with special capabilities. As the minor allies are weaker and cannot retreat, attacking them can pay dividends even if it does not immediately help earn a Close Combat marker.
Compare what a panzer stack in supply can do with one that is made OOS by a ring of Soviet brigades; if an Axis force is exposed to encirclement, cut them off from supply as you will lose much less in the long run.
Each type of unit has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses, figuring these out allows one to get the most from each, for example, bad terrain is a natural place to deploy cavalry.
The Soviets will also want to extract some tried units from the front lines to convert into Corps and Guards units when the time comes, this can be easier said than done when constantly on the run.
In the AGN area, an initial goal is to slow down the Axis advance so that the Luga and Leningrad fort lines activate fully. The Stalin line hexes near Narva can thwart an advance past them for a week. Lake Peipus is a natural barrier which can be extended by using the marsh hexes south of it. The defense of Leningrad proper is aided by the many defense lines and marshes near it.
In the AGC area, the first week main goals are to hold Minsk at all costs and delay the Axis advance towards Moscow as much as possible. The Pripyet marshes are a natural obstacle, any advances there will be limited by the terrain costs, but watch out for a flying column of light and mountain troops. When moving on the first week it is often wise to abandon Minsk except for a lone defender (ideally a brigade) to ensure the Axis takes a step loss to take it. Another idea is to put some forces into Minsk with the goal of holding it for 2 weeks or more and slowing the Axis advance, this is especially useful if Brest Litovsk is also holding out.
In the AGS area, there is a line of Stalin Line hexes near Lvov with a one hex gap, the Stalin Line hexes can be held with one unit and the gap can be maximally stacked with some known good units, such as 2 TDs and an MRD. The following week, the defense line can be based on the Stalin Line hexes that go from Cernauti to hex 1128. On week 3, the Cernauti line can be safely abandoned and a line formed on the Bug and Dnestr rivers. The eventual goal is to get behind the Dnieper river and form a strong defense line there. Forming successive defense lines takes planning, especially as Soviet units move slower than Axis units.
What to do in defending each of the 4 heavy forts, Leningrad and Odessa make interesting mini-puzzles, it is worthwhile to explore what your options are with each before facing an opponent in a competitive game. Coming up with acceptable answers will help in figuring out the puzzles of defending Moscow, Rostov and even Stalingrad.
The arrival of the Soviet Guards takes planning to fully exploit. Having 2 steps in a guards division and later 3 or 4 steps in a corps are game changers in terms of the Soviet ability to defend hexes, use them wisely. Another major decision is when to change from the West Rebuild point production system to the East one, but sometimes it will be obvious. When General Winter arrives it is time to go over to the strategic offensive and push the Axis line back from Moscow, Leningrad and Rostov, for example. You really do not want the summer of '42 to start with Axis forces just a few hexes from victory.
Axis
The basics of Axis strategy in 1941 are the mirror image of the Soviet basic strategy; the Axis wants to either obtain an early win via victory points or destroy enough of the Soviet army west of the GAS line so that any Soviet defense attempted east of the GAS line is in shambles before it starts and the Axis then get to do a mop up operation as they advance east in an unstoppable fashion.
The Axis setup and initial move MUST thwart any Soviet attempt to get into the Germany ZOMO on turn 1, if this happens for even one hex, the Axis have probably lost, as the shift in VPs allows the Soviets some VP room to retreat further and faster than would otherwise be the case.
The Axis should try to advance as fast as possible, without risking getting their Mech forces cut OOS. This can be tricky. A Mech stack that is OOS cannot overrun and attacks at half strength, so this tames it significantly. About the only thing certain in the game is that due to the Moscow victory possibility and its 9 VPs, the Axis should be trying to advance along the landbridge to Moscow in the area of the Minsk-Moscow highway and the Soviets should be trying to stop them as best they can. But everything else is up for grabs.
As the Axis, one wants to make a pocket as big as possible to catch and eliminate as many Russian units as efficiently as possible, but if one tries for too big a pocket, then the closing of the pocket becomes problematic. It takes some experience with the game to figure out what is the largest size one can expect to make a pocket from a given configuration of forces on the map. Avoid the mistake of thinking too hard about how one is going to encircle the Soviets and forgetting about what your opponent might do to your forces in return once they get their chance.
This is especially true for the first week of the 1941 game. Expect that it will take a few attempts to get the results of this first week into a reasonably good shape just in terms of what to expect from each side. The Russians will take losses, as will the Axis, but do the encirclements close up during the Initial Movement Phase or during the Combat Phase or later or not at all, as it makes a big difference as to what is possible in later turns.
As in the original PM, the Axis needs to force the Soviets to defend some urban hexes in 1941 when they would rather flee by threatening to gain an immediate victory point win. Ideally, the Soviets will create a detailed plan specifying for each turn in 1941 which urban hexes may be abandoned as untenable and which must be held to the last man.
The actions and commitments that are made every turn are critical to how the game will play out, even though they may not appear critical at the time. Bad weather is a friend of the Soviets and the increasing number of rifle division rebuilds as well as the appearance of Guards mean that Axis objectives (e.g., Moscow) that seemed within reach may be just beyond their grasp.
The Axis need to have a plan, but the way they execute the plan can have a lot of opportunism in it, e.g., when a weak spot develops, go for it. In contrast, the Soviets need to plan, but their plan needs to be pretty detailed, their slower and weaker units need to be in place on the turn they are needed and a line with a weakness in it perhaps should not be there at all. It can make a huge difference if your strong forces are between 2 VP hexes and you need to take both or just need to take 1 to win. In the latter the Soviets need to defend both strongly and in the former just one strongly.
At the start of each bi-weekly turn the Axis needs to assess whether to go for a VP win in the next 2 weeks or not; if not, then elimination of Soviet forces and capture of Military District HQ hexes becomes a priority.
Think of each air unit as a strength enhancer, the way to get the most from one is to use it in both an MA and a PA, which usually means putting them with Mech units. One should need a very good reason to NOT use an air unit to assist an MA and a vital reason to not use an air unit to assist a PA, as in losing this hex loses the game.
While no side will know what they are doing at first when learning the rules, the Axis has an easier time of it in that they can do respectably well simply by keeping the pressure on by taking VP hexes. The Soviets meanwhile need to figure out a way, each and every turn, to thwart the Axis from getting enough VPs for a automatic win.
The way to kill Soviet units wholesale is through the effects of isolation, the challenge is deciding whether one can afford to take the time to accomplish this once encirclements are made, it may be better to simply attack them at half strength to get rid of them so your forces can keep moving. Some historical Axis encirclements were around the Soviet forces near Bialystok, Brest Litovsk, Minsk, Uman, Smolensk, Kiev and Izyum and it was the main goal of the battle of Kursk.
Watch out for the possibility of a Soviet amphibious invasion flanking a river defense line. Also, ports the Axis takes that are in range of amphibious invasions will need to be garrisoned if you do not want Soviet forces arriving there when least desired.
Be careful in using units that you do not want to lose to a close combat (such as units that will be withdrawn or cannot be rebuilt) as your opponent can pick them for losses.
Historically, the Axis organized the minor allied forces going from north to south as Hungarian, Italian, Romanian, and Ost. Mixing them up will limit your options, so do something similar. Be sure to keep the Hungarians and Romanians away from each other.
1942 Scenario
The Soviet player should take a hint on how to setup from history, the way to lose quickly is in the north while in the south they might lose eventually. The Soviets do have some offensive capability, but should restrain themselves from trying to get too fancy until they see what the Axis is up to. The Axis Mech units move faster than yours, so take into account that they can outrun you.
The Axis is under time pressure to do something decisive in 1942 before the weather turns bad. The original plan of going for Voronezh has some advantages in not tipping your hand on the first week of the scenario. It is strongly recommended to finish the job at Sevastopol by taking it and to use enough resources to achieve this outcome without delay, as this will free up the forces and Offensive Supply marker in this area for use elsewhere. Expect the Soviets to fight for the remaining Military District HQs, but remember that even the Axis taking the 3 southernmost ones was not enough to win historically.
There are no VPs south of the Caucasus line. If you do cross the Caucasus line in force, you will need to meet VP requirements elsewhere; it would be a shame to capture oil centers but lose by VPs before the oil center victory check.
16.4 Soviet Untried Units by Don Johnson
The Soviet player starts the 1941 scenarios will all untried units and these will be the majority of Soviet forces throughout the game. It is not the case that all untried units are created equal, this short article discusses some things to keep in mind for each type.
RD - Rifle Division
With a total of 374 counters that are always able to be rebuilt (except for the 36 militia), RDs are by far the most numerous type of unit and therefore form the backbone of the Soviet forces. The median RD is a 3-3-5, and they range from 1-1-5 to 6-7-5. Once tried, 5 RDs are mountain capable and many are amphibious capable. In effect, an untried RD is the default Soviet unit, so put them on the top of as many stacks as feasible to cloak as much information as possible about Soviet dispositions.
There are 126 Guards Rifle Divisions (GRDs) and 2 Guards Mechanized Corps (GMCs) waiting to be converted from tried RDs, you really do not want to fail to do many of these. Of course, the best RDs to use as input to the conversion process are the weakest ones, 1-1-5 RDs are ideal; not only does using the weakest units "pay" for the Guards units cheaply, it also removes such weak units from ever going into the RD Replacement pool, thereby indirectly increasing the average strength of rebuilt RDs.
RB - Rifle Brigade
There are 171 RBs in the game, this makes them the second most numerous Soviet unit, but they cannot be rebuilt. Their attack and defense strengths are either 1 or 2, so the challenge is to find ways to use them that are meaningful, as they are so weak. They are the least way to occupy a hex. As a brigade, they stack as half a division but also only have a half step. 2 RBs form a "poor man's RD," but are decidedly inferior in this role. As an RB is lost permanently, at some point it can make sense to not use them in the front line, rather send them to the rear where they will be less exposed to loss.
An RB can also be used as an unknown counter under others, the Axis will not know that the stack components are as weak as they are until the stack is in combat. 24 untried RBs reveal to be Naval Brigades (NBs), which can participate in an amphibious assault on the Black Sea as the fifth point with 2 strength points, if nothing better is available. They do stop a further advance by the units that start in Hungary and Romania, as those units do not have much overrun capability until AGS moves some mech units south. They can also be used as units on the Finnish front, where a unit is a unit. They can also be used in bad terrain, expect to lose them if they are the lone defender, but in such terrain they will stop the Axis advance until at least the combat phase and will cause an Axis loss.
CD - Cavalry Division
There are 63 CDs in the game and they can always be rebuilt. Their defense is either 1 or 2 and their attack ranges from 1 to 4, so even though they can be rebuilt, most often the Soviet will choose to rebuild an RD as it is almost always stronger for the cost of an LRP. CDs, especially, should be used in ways that exploit their special capabilities and avoid their weaknesses. They stack as a division but only are a half step and cannot use sea transport.
There are 19 Guards Cavalry Divisions (GCDs) that can be created by conversion, make sure that tried CDs are available at the times specified by the TRT, as a GCD has 2 full steps, gaining 1.5 steps thru conversion; again, weaker is better in terms of CDs to convert. They move faster than most other units in rough terrain, so take advantage of this. They can also move in the Reserve Movement phases and can overrun when assisted by a tank unit (albeit taking losses), so in some sense they are a "poor man's mech unit." They can also raid and improve the odds of a combat, but it takes 2 of them. It is better to plug that hole in your line with a CD or achieve that 2:1 odds by using them in a assault than to decline to use them.
TD - Tank Division
There are 57 TDs with median values of 5-4-7 and a maximum of 10-5-7 with overrun assist and AFV capability, so these are the best attacking units and the second best defending units in the Soviet arsenal at the start of 1941. They cannot be rebuilt and all will be removed in April 1942, so make sure to use the ones remaining in the Soviet winter offensive. As their attack strength is greater than their defense strength, probably the best use of a TD is in attacking to try to achieve at least 2-1 odds by using its AFV shift against German infantry, but try to watch out for those 3 nasty Axis Flak units. A TD cannot convert, so feel free to use them all up to good effect.
TB - Tank Brigade
There are 147 TBs, but once a TD is destroyed, it cannot be rebuilt. Their defense strength is always just 1 but their attack strength ranges from 1 to 4 and they have overrun and AFV assist capability. As a brigade, they stack as half a division but also only have a half step. A tried TB can convert into one of the 23 GTBs when called for on the TRT and 2 GTBs will need to be be withdrawn. 32 TBs will be called upon to be withdrawn, as these are only a half step, you really do not want to pay the MRP alternative, as that is a full mech step.
MRD - Motorized Rifle Division
There are only 28 precious MRDs in the game, with median values of 4-5-7 and a maximum of 5-10-7 these are by far the strongest defending units in the game and are the second strongest attacking units. They can be used as part of an overrun but only when assisted by a TD or TB. These are the best units to use when you really want to hold a hex, but there are simply not enough to go around. Still, when the Axis finds a 10 strength MRD at the wrong time, it can be a surprise. They are also nice to put into Reserve status.
A destroyed MRD cannot be rebuilt and all will be removed in April 1942, but 3 of them can convert to a Guards Motorized Rifle Division (GMRD), which can be rebuilt; for this reason the Axis may go on a MRD hunting mission trying to kill all of them. As tempting as it is to keep all MRD at the front for their strong defense, it is prudent to pull some back so they can convert to GMRDs; if you do not, you may find that there are none left to convert when the time comes. Prefer converting the weaker ones, but given that there are so few, do not get too picky about this, be willing to convert even the strongest MRD if needed.
MRB - Motorized Rifle Brigade
There are only 12 untried MRBs with 4 of them being revealed as 2-2-7 MBs. As a brigade, they stack as half a division but also only have a half step and cannot be rebuilt. Their attack and defense strengths are either 1 or 2, but do not think of them as just a poor man's MRD when untried as those 4 MBs are very special as they are the only way to move AFV capability by sea, including amphibious assault. MRBs can also be used as part of an overrun when assisted by a TD or TB. 1 MRB will need to be withdrawn, if you want to ensure having all 4 MBs to use for their special capability, plan to pay a MRP to avoid withdrawing it. 2 MRBs can be converted to Guards Motorized Rifle Brigades (GMRBs), which can be rebuilt.
Stacking Untried Units
When stacking untried units, there are a few things to consider. The Axis will only know the top unit in a stack and any unit not on top might have a large defense strength, including the dreaded 10 defense of an MRD. But given that RDs are so plentiful, a more accurate assessment is that an unknown unit is about 3, unless there is a reason to think differently. You want to deceive the Axis about which stack is stronger and which is weaker, so mix things up and try not to be too predictable. Once the Axis get burned a few times with a surprisingly large defense strength, they may become more cautious, especially with mobile assaults.
A city is a great hex in which to stack, at the stacking limit is 10 divisions, they are reinforcement entry hexes and units in a city can always be put into Reserve status. The Axis will not be able to be sure whether there is a huge stack of mech units on the hunt or a "paper tiger" of a bunch of brigades.
At the beginning of 1941 when the stacking limit is 3 divisions on most hexes, to stack 4 units on such a hex means that at least 2 of them are brigades, each with a defense strength of at most 2; the point is that a stack of 4 units might easily be weaker than a stack of 3 in this case, and to stack 5 units in such a hex is simply to telegraph to your opponent that the stack contains 4 brigades and might therefore be easier to attack than a smaller stack. Part of the game is an information war, do not make this aspect easier on your opponent than required.
Consider a clear hex, probably one would like to have a tank unit in it for the AFV effect and would prefer that this be a TD rather than a TB, but over time TD attrition will result in a lack of TDs so a TB will have to do, but it only has a defense of 1. Due to the rule on possible reduction of attacker losses, one will usually want to have the main line of defense (whether it is the front line or the second line or even the third line, depending) to have at least 2.5 steps, so the most obvious and probably most common stack in the main line of resistance for clear terrain hexes in early 1941 will have at least 2 RDs and a TB, the question is whether this is enough or should an RB be added; in either case such a defense of an expected 7 to 9 strength points should be expected to only slow a determined Axis down, not stop them, and cause them some attrition which hopefully will accumulate over time.
Seasonal Offensive (SO) Record Chart
| Season | Dates | Turns | Axis SO week | Soviet SO week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Jun 1941-Aug 1941 | (112-116) | 112.4 | None |
| Fall | Sep 1941-Nov 1941 | (117-122) | None | |
| Winter | Dec 1941-Feb 1942 | (123-204) | None | |
| Spring | Mar 1942-May 1942 | (205-210) | ||
| Summer | Jun 1942-Aug 1942 | (211-216) | ||
| Fall | Sep 1942-Nov 1942 | (217-222) | ||
| Winter | Dec 1942-Feb 1943 | (223-304) | ||
| Spring | Mar 1943-May 1943 | (305-310) | ||
| Summer | Jun 1943-Aug 1943 | (311-316) | ||
| Fall | Sep 1943-Nov 1943 | (317-322) | None | |
| Winter | Dec 1943-Feb 1944 | (323-404) | None | |
| Spring | Mar 1944-Apr 1944 | (405-407) | None |
Soviet Qualifying Point Record (to earn Close Combat markers)
| June 41-May 42: CC 1 marker | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| June 41-May 42: CC 2 marker | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| June 42-May 43: CC 3 marker | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| June 42-May 43: CC 4 marker | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| June 43-Apr 44: CC 5 marker | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| June 43-Apr 44: CC 6 marker | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
German Rear Area Comb Out
| 1942 | 1943 | 1944 |
|---|---|---|
- Paulus Pause start on turns 214 or 215?
- Other VPs: ZOMO, Finn Front, Withdrawal, Anti-partisan, Axis Arty, Axis 43 2-week attack
- HARKO: 1 week to assemble (to fire Thor and Odin) or to disassemble (to move)
- Heavy Gustav: 5 weeks to assemble (to fire) or to disassemble (to move)
- Dora: 4 weeks to assemble (to fire) or to disassemble (to move)