AW Playbook

Absolute War!
PLAYBOOK
Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Campaign Game.....................................................................2 Soviet Player’s Notes.............................................................28
Scenarios..................................................................................4 German Player’s Notes.........................................................30
Extended Example of Play...................................................12 Historical Notes.....................................................................31
Designer’s Notes....................................................................26 Dedication..............................................................................32
GMT Games, LLC • P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232-1308 • www.GMTGames.com

2 Absolute War ~ Playbook
3. Event Cards
Campaign Game • The German player starts with the Offensive card #55,
Each of the Campaign Games uses its own Victory Conditions Operation Barbarossa, already in his hand.
(17.0). Refer to the Rulebook’s “Setting up the Game” rules • The Soviet player starts with no cards in hand.
section (4.0) for the components layout. • Shuffle all the other cards in their respective piles.
A. Regular Campaign Game • There are no War Goals cards (15.2) drawn yet.
The two Regular/Advanced Campaigns begin on Turn 1. B. Basic Campaign Game
• Short Campaign: Ends after Turn 22 is done. The Basic Campaign starts on Turn 1 and ends after Turn 20
• Long Campaign: Ends after Turn 26 is done. (July/Aug 1944).
Game Preparation Game Preparation

1. Markers: 1. Markers:
The Turn marker goes on the “Turn 1” (June 1941) The Turn marker goes on the “Turn 1” (June 1941)
space, German-side up. space, German-side up.
Place the two CP markers in the ”0” box of The two CP markers go in the ”0” box of
each player’s Combat Point track. This track each player’s Combat Point track.
is used to note your side’s CPs for each
Combat if needed.
Place the two WSP markers face up in the
Place the two WSP markers face up in the “8” box of each player’s War Status Points
“0” box of each player’s War Status Points Track.
Track.
The two RP markers go, face up, in the “2”
Place the two RP markers face up in the “2” box of each player’s Resource Points Track.
box of each player’s Resource Points Track.
The German player places next to
The German player places next to him on the table his 18 CMs; these
him on the table his 18 CMs; these are available for use as soon as
are available for use as soon as play commences.
play commences.
The Soviet player places next to
The Soviet player places next to him in a “used markers” cup 16 of
him, in a “used markers” cup, 16 his CMs; these are already spent
of his CMs; these are already spent and not available until his Player Turn. Two “Attack!” CMs
and not available until his Player Turn. Two “Attack!” CMs arrive as Reinforcements.
arrive as Reinforcements. The Initiative marker is placed, German-side up, in
The Initiative marker is placed, German-side up, in the map’s War Initiative box next to the Turn Track.
the map’s War Initiative box.
2. Unit Counters
2. Unit Counters Use the counter setup of the Regular Campaign Game.
Soviet Player first; set up on the map as shown on the next page’s
setup picture—plus the counters shown below which may be IMPORTANT! The “1+3 Hungarian”, “Army Group F”, all
set up in any Soviet-Controlled Area (not Hex). the small-sized units but four (see 18.10), and the two “Of-
fensive” card decks, are not used in the Basic Game.
3. Event Cards
Both players start with no cards in their hand.
Start the Game!

• You may put all the counters with a turn entry number in the
Begin the game, following the Sequence of Play, starting with
corresponding turn boxes on the turn track, but this is not
the Event Phase (6.0).
a must, as they are all listed in detail on the Event Play aid
card.
© 2021 GMT Games, LLC

Absolute War ~ Playbook 3
Campaign Game Setup

Scenarios The German player places next to

him on the table his 17 CMs; these
Each of the scenarios uses its own Victory Conditions and setup are all available. One German
instructions. You may use them as starting points for a shorter “Attack!” CM is not in play.
Campaign Game. The Soviet Player places next to
him in a “used markers” cup 12
Note: Basic Game setup instructions, where different, are CMs of his choice; these are coon-
printed in bold italics. sidered already spent. The remaining four CMs are available to
him at start. The two remaining “Attack!” CMs arrive as Rein-
A. Operation Barbarossa forcements.
The initial attack on the Soviet Union! Can German armies The Initiative marker is placed, German-side up, on
take Leningrad and Moscow before “General Winter” freezes the map’s War Initiative.
Hitler’s war machine dead in its tracks?
This scenario lasts six turns, from Turn 1 to Turn 6. It is recom- 2. Unit Counters
mended for a first try at the game.
• Soviet player first, set up on the map all the counters pictured
Game Preparation on the facing page’s setup diagram; adjust stacking if needed.
1. Setup • The German player must chose three German Large units to
each suffer a one-step loss (not Axis-allied).
• Use the same setup rules as for the Campaign Games.
• Place all Reinforcements in the boxes on the Turn track, for
• Use the same Unit Reinforcement and Event schedule as in
Turn 7 to Turn 12.
the (Regular or Basic) Campaign Game (21.0).
• In the Basic Game, the Soviet player places on the map the
2. Victory Conditions “Shock Armies” unit, brown-side up (shown below), in any
After Turn 6 is done, the German player wins if he controls Zone he Controls.
the Major City of Moscow plus one other Soviet War Aim Site
(2.1.1), or six Soviet Major Cities , or if he has at least a
sixteen WSP advantage over the Soviet player . Otherwise
the Soviet player wins.
B. Case Blue IMPORTANT! The “1+3 Hungarian”, “Army Group F”, all
The German “Fall Blau” offensive launched towards the Cau- the small-sized units but four (see 18.10), and the “Offensive”
casus Oil Fields, and the Nazis’ disastrous rendezvous with decks, are not used in the Basic Game.
destiny at Stalingrad. Or maybe the OKH will decide to strike
north, at the Soviet capital?
3. Event Cards
This Scenario lasts six turns, from Turn 7 to Turn 12. • The German player starts with the Offensive card #46, Case
Blue, already in his hand. Offensive cards are not used in
Game Preparation the Basic Game.
1. Markers • The Soviet player starts with no cards in hand.
The Turn marker goes on the “Turn 7” space (May/ • Shuffle all the other cards in their respective piles.
June 1942), German-side up. • There are no War Goals cards (15.2) drawn yet in this
scenario. War Goals cards are not used in the Basic Game.
The two CP markers go in the ”0” box on 4. Victory Conditions
each player’s Combat Point track. This track
is used to note your side CPs for each Com- After Turn 12 is completed, the German player wins if he Con-
bat if needed. trols the Major City of Stalingrad plus two other Soviet War
The German WSP marker goes, “+10” face Aim Sites (2.1.1), or if he has ≥ 19 WSPs and the Soviet player
up, in the “6” box of his War Status Points has ≥ 9 WSPs. Otherwise the Soviet player wins.
Track (i.e., he has 16 points). Start the Game!
The Soviet WSP marker goes, “+10” face Begin the game, following the Sequence of Play, starting with
up, in the “0” box of his War Status Points the Event Phase (6.0).
Track (i.e., he has 10 points).

Case Blue Setup

C. Kursk Soviet player: set up in any Soviet-Controlled Zones:

The German “Zitadelle” offensive was Hitler’s last chance
of getting a victory of sorts after the unmitigated disaster at
Stalingrad. It’s a do-or-die proposition for the dictator before
the full might of the Western Allies is felt. Will Kursk be the
tombstone of the Panzers?
This scenario lasts five turns, from Turn 14 to Turn 18.
Game Preparation
1. Markers • The German player must chose four German Large units to
The “Turn” marker goes on the “Turn 14” space (July/ each suffer a one-step loss (not Axis-Allied).
Aug 1943), German-side up. • Place all Reinforcements in the boxes on the Turn track, for
Turn 14 to Turn 18.
The German WSP marker goes, “+10” face • In the Basic Game, the Soviet player places on the map the
up, in the “4” box of his War Status Points “Shock Armies” unit, brown-side up (shown below), in any
Track (i.e., he has 14 points). Zone he Controls.
• Remove from the game, and add as Upgrades available for
The Soviet WSP marker goes, “+10” face the Soviet, the following counters:
up, in the “6” box of his War Status Points
Track (i.e., he has 16 points). Axis and Soviet units out of game:

Russian upgrades:
him on the table his 16 CMs; these
are available for play. Two Ger-
man “Attack!” CMs are not in play.
him in a “used markers” cup six
CMs of his choice; these are con- IMPORTANT! The “1+3 Hungarian”, “Army Group F”, all
sidered already spent. Only the remaining 12 CMs are available the small-sized units but four (see 18.10), and the “Offensive”
at start. decks, are not used in the Basic Game.
The Initiative marker is placed, German-side up, in 3. Event Cards
the map’s War Initiative box.
• The German player starts with the Offensive card #44,
Citadel, already in his hand (Exception: The German player
The Soviet has for use the Order #277 marker. (Excep-
does not start with this card in the Basic Game).
tion: Not in the Basic Game).
• The Soviet player draws two Event cards. He discards and
redraws any “Play Immediately” card without effect.
2. Unit Counters
• There are no War Goals cards drawn yet in this scenario
German player first,set up on the map all the counters shown (15.2). War Goals cards are not used in the Basic Game.
in the facing page’s setup diagram; adjust stacking if needed.
Additionally, each player sets up the following units: 4. Victory Conditions
German player: set up in any German-Controlled Zones: After Turn 19 is completed, the German player wins if he has
equal or more WSPs than the Soviet player has, or ≥ 2 Soviet
War Aim Sites, and the Soviet player does not control his six
War Aim sites. Otherwise the Soviet player wins.
Start the Game!

Begin the game, following the Sequence of Play, starting with
the Event Phase (6.0).

Kursk Setup

D. Bagration The German may use the “Directive #53” marker.

This is the Soviet “Bagration” offensive, which finally broke (Exception: Not in the Basic Game).
the back of the Wehrmacht in the East and made the Normandy All the square markers not shown on the setup map
landings look like a mere scuffle. Can you expel the hated foe or on this page are out of the scenario.
from their last foothold in the USSR?
German player: set up in any German-Controlled Zones:
This scenario lasts four turns, from Soviet Player Turn 19 to
Turn 22.
Game Preparation
1. Markers
The Turn marker goes on the “Turn 19” space (May/ Soviet player: set up in any Soviet-Controlled Zones:
June 1944), Soviet-side up.
The two CP markers go in the ”0” box each

player’s Combat Point track.
The German WSP marker goes, “+10” face

The Soviet WSP marker goes, “+10” face

The two RP markers go, face up, in the “2” IMPORTANT! The “1+3 Hungarian”, “Army Group F”, all
box of each player’s Resource Points Track. the small-sized units but four (see 18.10), and the “Offensive”
decks, are not used in the Basic Game.
him, in a “used markers” cup, nine Add as Upgrades available for the Soviet, the following counters:
CMs of his choice. these are al-
ready spent. The remaining six CMs are available at start. Note
that three “Attack!” CMs have been withdrawn from play.
him on the table his 18 CMs. 3. Event Cards:
These are available for use at start
of play. • The Soviet player starts with the Offensive card #51
“Bagration” already in his hand (Exception: The Soviet
The Initiative marker is placed, Soviet-side up, in the
player does not start with this card in the Basic Game).
map’s War Initiative box.
• The German player draws two Event cards. He discards and
2. Unit Counters redraws any “Play Immediately” card without effect.
• There are no War Goals cards (15.2) drawn yet in this
German player first, set up on the map all the counters pictured
on the facing page’s setup diagram, as well as the below-listed
units. Adjust stacking if needed. 4. Victory Conditions:
Place the “Panzer AK III” unit on the Turn track; The Soviet player wins if he has ≥ 15 more WSP than the German
it’s the only Reinforcement of the game. player, or controls all Soviet Union Zones east of the Partisan/
Winter line and Controls ≥ 1 Greater Germany Zone. Otherwise
the German player wins.
In the Basic Game, the Soviet player places on the
map the “Shock Armies” unit, brown-side up (as Start the Game!
shown here), in any Zone he Controls. Begin the game, following the Sequence of Play, starting with
the Soviet Player Turn Supply Phase (7.0). The German Player
Turn of Turn 19 has already been completed.

Bagration Setup

E. Stalingrad Mini-Game 2. Unit Counters:

This scenario simulates Soviet Operation“Uranus” that en- Soviet player first, set up on the map all the counters pictured
circled the 6th Army at Stalingrad. Can Stalin’s troops press on the next page’s setup picture, adjust stacking if needed. All
on to Kharkov? the other counters, except for the Reinforcements, are not used
This scenario lasts four turns, from Soviet Player Turn 10 to in the Scenario.
Turn 13. Place Reinforcements for Turns 11 through 13 in their respective
boxes on the Turn track (Turn 10 Reinforcements are already
IMPORTANT! In the setup illustration at right (page 11), included in the scenario setup).
only non-shaded Zones are in play; all shaded Zones of the
map are out of play. Supply can be traced through them—from In the Basic Game, the Soviet player places on the
the Orel Area going west by the German player, and from the map the “Shock Armies” unit, on its reverse side,
Tula Zone going east by the Soviet player. in any Zone he Controls.
Game Preparation: Soviet player: set up in any Soviet-Controlled Zones:

1. Markers:
The Turn marker goes on the “Turn 10” square (Nov/
Dec 1942), Soviet-side up.
The German WSP marker goes, “+10” face German player: set up in any German-Controlled Zones:
The Soviet WSP marker goes, “+10” face
Track (i.e.; he has 16 points). 3. Event Cards:
The two RP markers go, face up, in the “0” • The Soviet player starts with the Offensive card #47, Uranus-
box of each player’s Resource Points Track. Saturn, already in his hand (Exception: The Soviet player
does not start with this card in the Basic Game).
The German player places next to him on the table, in a “used • The German player starts with no cards in hand.
markers” cup, the following nine CMs; these are considered
• Shuffle all the other cards into their respective piles.
already spent. All remaining German CMs are not used in this
scenario. • There are no War Goals cards (15.2) drawn yet in this
IMPORTANT! Each player only draws three Event Cards

per turn instead of the usual four.
x3 x4 x2
The Soviet player places next to him on the table the following 4. Victory Conditions:
nine CMs; these are available for play. The remaining Soviet After Turn 13 is completed, the Soviet player wins if he Controls
CMs are not used in this scenario. or Isolates (i.e., unable to trace a land Supply line) the Major
Cities of Kharkov and Sevastopol, or if he has ≥ 10 more WSPs
than the German player. Otherwise the German player wins.
x3 x4 x2 Start the Game!

The Initiative marker is placed, Soviet-side up, in the Begin the game, following the Sequence of Play, starting with
map’s War Initiative box. the Soviet Player Turn Supply Phase (7.0). The German Player
Turn of Turn 10 has already been completed.

Stalingrad Mini-Game Setup

Extended Example of Play

Operation Barbarossa Scenario
It’s the start of the first game turn of the Operation Barbarossa
scenario (Game Turn #1). The examples will use the Regular
Game rules and references will be made to the Basic Game rules
when play would differ greatly.
I played this scenario without tweaking anything. I drew the
cards and rolled the dice “as is”. Feel free to set-up your game
to follow the action, and continue the Scenario by yourselves
when this comprehensive example ends.
Map Setup: The Soviet player has three extra units to put in
the map’s Areas (only the two Fortified in the Basic game).
He decides to put one Fortified unit in the “Kishinev” Area to The #11, “Pacification” Campaign, and #41, Bottom of the
protect the city of Odessa in the south, the other in the “Pinsk” Barrel, cards are not playable for their Events or Support Points
marshy Area, and stack Tank Group I with the Southwest Front (which are negative anyway) because of card timing restrictions
in the “Lvov” Area. (2.4.3), so the German player decides to discard them at the end
of the Phase to get two extra RPs: His “Resources” marker will
The German player has no extra units to place on the map, but be moved up to “4” on the RP track.
decides to change some of the initial units’ stacking (in the Basic
Game, stacking is one unit). The Offensive Card drawn is #44,
Citadel. The card’s effects are only
The German units in the South are under “Disrupted” markers useable in 1943, so it should probably
to represent the fact that they stayed in a defensive stance at also be discarded for its RPs.
the start of the Barbarossa offensive. Alas, the German player is at his
RP limit of four (9.3), but since
Starting Cards: In the Regular Game,
he has the Initiative, he can dis-
the German player has Offensive card
card and redraw the first non-
#55, Operation Barbarossa, already
“Play Immediately” Offensive
in hand. Since it is a “Play Immediately”
card drawn (9.1), which he does.
card, it must be played as soon as the
The replacement is #51, Hitler
turn starts. The German player uses it to
Orders Attack. It’s a “Play Im-
declare a “Major Offensive” in his Stra-
mediately” card, so must be en-
tegic Phase. It is put in front of him, and
acted right away. Offensive card
is not considered part of his card hand.
#55, Operation Barbarossa, is already played and not in hand,
so card #51’s Event text only affects itself. It is put aside in front
of the player to be used during the next Game Turn.
Game Turn Event Phase
The Turn’s Event is “Surprise Attack” (21.1.1), which limits Ger- German Strategic Phase
man units’ move to one Zone only and which units may Support. The German player has no Reinforcements or Withdrawals,
The German Player Turn now starts. cannot do Upgrades this turn, and decides not to put any units
in his Strategic Reserve. At this early stage of the game he does
German Supply Phase not envision having any sudden holes in his lines to plug after
All units on the map can trace Supply, so no “Unsupplied” the Combat phase.
markers are needed He must use his played Operation Barbarossa card to
declare a Major Offensive; it is kept in front of him, as
German Combat Markers Phase it may score WSPs in the Objective Phase (15.0). The
The German has all of his 18 markers in hand ready for use. The two awarded “Major Offensive” markers are put in the
Soviet has none; they are all considered used already. As per Soviet-Controlled Areas of Bialystok and Lvov at the start of the
scenario instructions, he will get new ones in his Player Turn. Combat Phase. These are needed if a Pincer Maneuver is attempt-
ed (12.6.2), and also to perhaps give an extra CP bonus (12.6.1).
German Card Phase
The German player draws four Event and one Offensive card. Offensive cards are not used in the Basic Game. Major Of-
Event cards 01, 11, 36, and 41 are drawn first. fensive markers are awarded automatically each turn instead:
two in this case (German Initiative).

German Movement Phase

The player is limited to a move of one Zone per stack
because of the “Surprise Attack” Event (21.1.1); very
little maneuvering is needed in the first Game Turn
anyway. A few units are moved in the Soviet-Con-
trolled “Brest” zone. The three Luftflotte Air units are moved to
the stacks they will support in the upcoming Combat Phase. The This shows the
stacking order is important as the top unit of a stack usually situation north
takes the first step loss in Combat, and must also be an Armor of Leningrad,
unit to attempt a Pincer Maneuver. on the Finnish
Front.
The below illustration shows the situation at the start of the
German Combat Phase. German Combat Phase
The player has six “Attack!” markers and will initiate that many
attacks during this Phase, with “Support”, “Armor” and “Major
Offensive” markers helping those attacks. At my discretion, we’ll
resolve the attacks from north to south.
Since the Soviet player does not have any Event cards or CMs
at the start of the scenario, the German player’s job will be
much easier, but this won’t last!
First German Combat: The two Finnish Armies engage the
Karelian Front. Since it’s difficult terrain, it will be resolved as
an Assault (12.3).
+2
The German player decides to use his

#36 Soviet C3i Failures card for its 1
CP value (2.4.4). The stack attacking is
worth 2 CP, the adjacent stack’s support
Strength is worth 1 CP (the yellow ex-
plosion icon), for a total of 4 CP. The
Soviet stack is worth only 1 CP, while
the 2 CP defensive terrain bonus of its
Zone is not useable (Finns only, see
TEC).
Both players draw the top card from their respective Event decks
and add the CPs of the cards to their total. Drawn are German
card #17 and Soviet card #13. The German card is worth +0 CP
points, and the Soviet +1 CP (there are no timing restrictions
for random draws; see 2.4.3).

tions are fulfilled (see 22.1). A “Pincers” marker is placed on

the defending stack and an available “Armor” marker is placed
on the attacking stack, which is worth 4 CP (18th Army in the
stack adds only 1 CP, see 12.5.2); the supporting stack is worth
3 CP (1 CP extra because of card #01) for a total of 7 CP. The
Soviet stack is worth 2 CP, plus 1 CP for the River, for a total
of 3 CP. Neither player has further cards to play.
Final Combat Total is 7 CP – 3 CP = +4 CP. The German player
randomly draws from his deck card #14, Walther Model, and
checks its Battle Results table for the Combat’s outcome.
German card #17 Soviet card #13

Note that if the Soviets had available “Support” markers, and if
the Leningrad unit had a yellow Support CP, it could be added
to the Karelian Front CPs, as stacks in “Hex” Zones may give German card #14
defensive support to adjacent Zones (12.2.2).
Under “4”, the result is “DE” = Defender Eliminated.
Final Combat total is 4 CP – 2 CP = +2 CP. On the Assault
CRT this gives a result of “A+2” = Assault Successful. The
defender must retreat one Zone, or both sides lose a step (de-
fender’s choice). Since the Soviet unit has only one step and All Soviet stacks in the Area (even those not participating un the
cannot stop the Finns from entering the Zone even if it takes a Combat) must retreat two hexes and defenders are Disrupted,
loss, the owning player decides to retreat to Petrozavodsk. The then the target of the attack is Eliminated. The Northwest Front
brown explosion result on the table means that the defender is is put into the Soviet Destroyed Units box (face-up as it is Sup-
also Disrupted (12.7.3) and gets a round “Disrupted” marker plied; 12.7.6), the “Disrupted” markers are not carried over. The
to indicate the status. Both Finnish units advance into Vyborg Attackers may now advance.
and their CM markers are flipped to their “Done” sides (12.10).
Note that the dark-circled CPs on a player’s units are consid-
There is also a Pincer Successful icon on that CRT line, which
ered to be yellow colored only if that player has the Strategic
does not change the result much as the Defender was destroyed
Initiative. Otherwise they are considered gray. It affects
by the combat already, but if the result would have been a Retreat
Combat Support (2.3.4).
only, the unit would have been Eliminated (12.7.4).
Second German Combat: The 4th Panzer + 18th Army stack
attacks the Northwest Front, with the 16th Army in Support. This
isn’t difficult terrain, so it will be resolved as a Battle (12.3).
+4
Note that I have added a few “Control” markers, as a re-

minder of the ownership of a few unoccupied Zones.
The German player gets to put one of his “Pocket”
markers in the Area, to represent Soviet troops sur-
rounded in the Battle. This marker might award one
WSP to the German player in his next Game Turn’s Supply
The German player has a Mobile Armor unit on top of the “Lead Phase, or perhaps one RP to the Soviet if “rescued” (7.0.D). The
Attacker” stack, but the attack is coming from only one Zone, three German units advance into Kaunas, and the 4th Panzer
thus a Pincer Maneuver cannot be attempted (12.6.2, fourth continues on to Riga using “Mobile Exploitation”, as it has an
bullet). So he decides to use his #01 card Von Manstein for its “Armor” marker and is a “Mobile” unit (12.9). The other two
Event, which will add +1 CP to a Supporting unit (16th Army) units, being “Leg” units, are not fast enough, and are stacked
and allows a Pincer Maneuver attempt even if not all the condi- together, trailing behind the Panzers.

The used “Combat” markers on the stacks are flipped to their into the Soviet Captured Units box. As indicated in that box,
“Done” sides to indicate that the stacks have completed their the Soviet player should immediately lose –1 WSP (–1 WOP
Combat Phase activation. Basic Game), but his WSP total is already zero, thus the WSP
In the Basic Game, card #01, Von Manstein (not useable for marker cannot go lower on the track. The Pincer Maneuver also
the Event), would have been worth +3 CP instead (2.4.4), for a succeeds, and a German “Pocket” marker is put in the Area.
“DC” result and no Pocket.
Third German Combat: The 3rd Panzer + 9th Army attack the
Western Front, with the 2nd Panzer in Support. It is not difficult
terrain, so will be resolved as a Battle (12.3). The German player
has a Mobile Armor unit on top of the attacking stack, the attack
is coming from two Zones, it is not difficult terrain, and there
is a Major Offensive marker in the attacked Area, therefore a
Pincer Maneuver can be attempted (12.6.2).
+6
The German units advance into Bialystok, and the 3rd Panzer
continues on to Lepel using Mobile Exploitation, as it has an
“Armor” marker and is a Mobile unit. A “Mobile” marker is
also put on the 2nd Panzer, allowing it to also advance one
extra Zone, capturing the Major City of Minsk. This capture
immediately gives the German player +1 WSP; see 15.1.4. The
CMs are flipped to their “Done” sides; since there are now three
German stacks instead of the original two, one available CM
must be put on the new stack (12.10), so a “Support” marker
is used and flipped.
Since the enemy Area was captured, the “Major Of-
fensive” marker located there is put on Offensive card
#55, Operation Barbarossa, in front of the German
player (exception: not in the Basic Game), to indicate
A “Pincers” marker is put on top of the targeted stack, it may score WSPs in the Objective phase (12.11).
An “Armor” marker is put on top of the attacking
stack, which is worth 6 CP (3 CP for the 3rd Panzer, The 2nd Panzer cannot Mobile Advance into the Marsh Area,
2 CP for the 9th Army, 1 CP for the Luftflotte), and the support- not because it contains a Soviet Stack, but because the Zone’s
ing 2nd Panzer adds another 2 CP—for a total of 8 CP. The terrain forbids it (see 12.9, first bullet). Note that the Mobile
Soviet stack is only worth 2 CP. CMs are shown on the map for the example of play, but in an
actual game they are just discarded when used (12.9).
Note that an RP could have been spent to flip the “Major
Offensive” marker and gain 1 CP (12.1). Fourth German Combat: The 4th Army + Luftflotte III at-
tack the Fortified I unit in Pinsk. It’s difficult terrain, and will
Final Combat Total is 8 CP – 2 CP = +6 CP. To resolve the thus be resolved as an Assault (see TEC). The stack attacking
combat, the German player randomly draws card #28, Tiger is worth 4 CP; the stack defending is worth 1 CP, and adds the
Tanks, and checks the Battle Results table at the bottom of the 1 CP defensive terrain bonus of the Marsh, for a total of 2 CP.
card for the Combat’s outcome.
German card #28

Under “6”, the result is “DC” = Defender Captured.
All Soviet stacks in the Area must retreat two hexes and are
+1
Disrupted, then the target of the attack (Western Front) goes

Both players now draw the top card from their respective decks
and add their card’s CP to their total. The German player draws
card #22, and Soviet card is #26. The German card is worth +1
CP, and the Soviet card is worth +2 CP.
+5
German card #22 Soviet card #26

Final Combat Total is 5 CP – 4 CP = +1 CP in favor of the
Attacker. The Assault CRT gives a result of “A+2” = Assault
Successful (Attacker has a +1 or +2 CP superiority).
The defender must retreat one Zone or both sides
must lose a step (defender’s choice). Attackers may
advance. Since the Fortified I unit has a circle-R icon
(indicating it is Eliminated if it Retreats), and a
circle-2 icon (indicating it will come back for free in two turns
In the above illustration, adjacent Soviet Southern Front cannot
if Eliminated; 18.1), the Soviet player decides to take the loss.
give defensive Support as it is not an Air unit, or in a “Hex”,
Consequently, the Attacker must also take a loss. The Soviet
or Supporting a “Contested” Area (12.2.2). The 3rd Romanian
unit is put on the “Turn 3” box of the Turn Track (it will reenter
cannot give attacking Support either, as it is Disrupted (see TEC).
as Reinforcements on that turn).
Final Combat Total is 8 CP – 3 CP = +5 CP. To resolve the
Since his units cannot be upgraded for a while, as
combat, the German player draws card #13, Shock troops.
per the “No Upgrades” Event (21.2.4), the German
player decides to take his loss with the Air unit in-
stead of flipping his infantry. The Air unit has no
step dots (2.3.7), thus only one step even if the counter has two
sides. Therefore it is Eliminated and goes into the German
Destroyed Units box (see 18.5, first bullet). The 4th Army ad- German card #13
vances into the Pinsk Area, and the German player flips that Under “5”, the result is “AA” = Attacker Advances.
battle’s CM to its “Done” side.
The Lead Attacker may advance in the Target Zone; no Mobile
Note that some Combat results force losses to be taken by the Exploitation is allowed. Not the best of results for such high
Attacking/Defending stacks. Not in this case—any stack could odds. Note that if the Soviet player had split the defenders into
have taken the loss. The point is moot here, as there is only two stacks at the start of the scenario, the German advance would
one stack on each side. have been blocked as it would exceed the Area’s stacking limit
of two (11.5.1). Since the German player does not control the
Fifth German Combat: The 1st Panzer attacks the Southwest- Lvov Area, the “Major Offensive ” marker stays on the map;
ern Front + Tank Group I stack, with the 6th Army and 17th the German player will lose -1 WSP because of it at the end of
Army in Support. It’s not difficult terrain, so will be resolved as a the Combat Phase (12.11). If the Soviet units stay in place
Battle. The Soviet player has a Mobile Armor unit on top of the until next turn, the Soviet stack in the Area must attack the 1
defending stack, so a Pincer Maneuver cannot be attempted (see st Panzer as it is now “Contested” by the two sides (12.2).
12.6.2, third bullet). The Attacking stack is worth 4 CP, the two
supporting stacks 2 CP each, for a total of 8 CP. The Defenders While Marshal Von Rundstedt curses his bad luck, Stalin has
are worth 3 CP (the tank’s CP is red, not valid in defense). Note his Front commander shot by the NKVD.
that at the start of the Phase, the German player did not spent one
RP to flip over the “Major Offensive” marker; doing so would
have given him a +1 CP Attack Bonus (12.1).

German card #38

Under “0”, the result is “DR” = Defender Retreat.
The defending stack must Retreat one Zone. The
Fortified II unit is Eliminated (as it cannot Retreat,
as per the circle-R icon on the counter), and thus
goes into the Turn 3 box as a future Reinforcement,
not unlike its brother-in-arms up in Pinsk earlier in this Phase.
In the above illustration, the dotted arrow represents a “Mobile

The combat result line also has an airplane symbol.
Exploitation” advance the German player could have done with
Therefore the German Air unit is Damaged and
his 1st Panzer (using a “Mobile” marker; 12.9), if allowed to
flipped over to its Damaged side (without a CP
“Mobile Advance”. In Advancing this way into the Area held
value). The unit still has one step (18.5), and can be
by the Soviet Southern Front, a “Pincers” marker could be put
repaired in the next German Strategic Phase (10.2.4).
on it to help following German attacks this Phase (see 12.6,
“Important Exceptions” box), but this is not to be… The German stack advances in the captured Area and flips its
CM to “Done”. If you kept count, you know that the German
Sixth German Combat player still has one “Mobile/Armor” and two “Support” markers
Since the planned “Pocket” of the Southern Front available. You can never have too many of these!
didn’t succeed, the 11th Army + Luftflotte I attack the
This Battle was a lucky break for the German player, and
weak Soviet Fortified II unit. It’s not difficult terrain,
will unhinge the Soviet Army’s southern flank. However, the
and it will be resolved as a Battle. The Attacking stack is worth
vaunted German air force has taken serious casualties.
3 CP, minus 1 CP for the “Disrupted” marker (see TEC), for a
total of 2 CP. The Defender is worth 1 CP, +1 CP for the River
bonus. No other stacks can give Attack or Defense Support.
German Reserve Phase
There are no units in the German player’s Strategic Reserve box
to be put on the map.
German Used Marker Phase

The German player removes all
the “Disrupted”, “Armor” and
“Done” markers from his units
on the map; the Soviet player would remove any “Done” mark-
+0 ers too, but there are none.
German Objective Phase

The in-play German Offensive card #55,
Operation Barbarossa has a “Major
Offensive” marker on it and scores
WSPs for Controlled Locations on the
card:
The left one (USSR)
is checked first; the
German player con-
trols one Zone in Russia, so gets +1
Final Combat Total is 2 CP – 2 CP = +0 CP. The German player WSP. Since that location scored, he
randomly draws from his deck card #38, Mobile Battle—an checks the second one, Gorky. It is not
excellent card for the circumstances. German Controlled, so no additional WSP scoring. There was
no German “War Goals” card in play at the start of the game,

This illustration shows the situation at the end of

the German Player Turn. The dashed black arrows
indicate possible future German advances.
The German player now randomly draws

his War Goals Event card, which is card
#09, Blitzkrieg. That card is kept hid-
den face-down on the table next to the
#51, Hitler Orders Attack Offensive
card, and is revealed for scoring in the
next German Player Turn. If he captures
Smolensk, then perhaps Leningrad, he
will score +1 WSP for each; and score
+1 WSP immediately when entering in
Leningrad, as it is a Major City (15.1.4).
The Turn marker now is flipped to indicate it’s the

Soviet player’s turn.
Not a bad start for the German player, but not a great one
either. The Air units will need to be rebuilt, but these are less
expensive than other German square units. The Axis advance
in the South was not good, but the Soviets are outflanked
on both sides so will probably need to withdraw. The two
so none can score. The WSP total score on the player’s War
“Pocket” markers should both score +1WSP next Game
Status tracks:
Turn. The War Goals on the active cards are nice and partly
• German = 1 WSPs (+1 for the Offensive card, +1 for attainable (Smolensk, USSR). Next turn should see the Ger-
Minsk, -1 for the failed German “Major Offensive” ) man WSP total increase substantially.
• Soviet = 0 WSP ( -1 for the Captured unit )

Soviet Supply Phase He does get a few Reinforcements, how-

All units on the map can trace Supply, so no “Unsupplied” ever, namely a Forts unit and the Maritime
markers are needed. unit (but not if playing the Basic Game,
since it is a “small” unit). He places the
Soviet Combat Markers Phase Forts, Construction-side up (18.3), in Leningrad, to protect the
The Soviet player gets 16 markers in hand, ready for use. Two city from the Finns (they cannot attack outside their original
of the “Attack!” markers are Reinforcements in later turns, thus 1939 territory, see 18.6), and the Maritime unit in Odessa.
are not available yet. Replacements: The Northwest Front is
in the Destroyed Units box, and the
Soviet Card Phase
Western Front in the Captured Units box.
The Soviet player draws four Event cards and one Offensive The latter costs 2RPs to be rebuilt, so
card. The Event cards drawn are 01, 07, 29, and 32. card #01, Fresh Troops, is discarded for its event. The Bryansk
Front in Smolensk is put into the Strategic Reserve box, and the
Western Front takes its place in the Soviet’s Captured Units box.
1RP is spent to also move the destroyed Northwest Front into
the Strategic Reserve (Soviet RP total is at +3).
Just then the Soviet player has a change of heart; “I
need this unit on the board now, in Kiev!” He spends
one Mobile “Combat” marker for this purpose, even
if it means that the unit will be “Disrupted” on arrival (see 10.4.1,
Accelerated Replacements).
The two Fortified units cannot be built
back, and will be available as free Rein-
forcements on Turn 3 (indicated by the
circle-2 icon on their counter; see 18.1).
But next Turn’s Event is “Stalin Line”; this means those two
units will be available to be Deployed in any Soviet-Controlled
Area adjacent to the Partisan/Winter line at the start of the next
Cards #01, Fresh Troops, and #32, Indecisive Füh- Game Turn (21.1.2), before the German Player Turn starts. This
rer, will be useful and are kept; cards #07, Show No is an important fact for him to remember, as we shall soon see.
Mercy!, and #29, Five-Year Plan, are not playable
this game year. Therefore card #07 is discarded for +1RP (the Reserves: The aptly named Reserve Front in Mos-
Soviet Resource total is now 3RPs on the track); the other card cow goes to the Reserve, at the cost of one CM—a
(#29) for now is kept as a bluff—let the German player sweat “Mobile” one again, as he does not need these for
it out! other purposes. No “Major Offensive” to declare, so
this concludes the Strategic Phase. The Soviet has some extra
Note that the German player has no cards left in his hand, as troops coming next turn, a few RPs “in the bank”, and some
he earlier discarded the two unusable ones to get more RPs. units in Reserve to plus any holes, so intends to do a few spoil-
In retrospect, he could have kept either (or both) as a bluff ing attacks, just for fun—and to placate Stalin’s sour mood.
to make the Soviet player wonder about his capabilities, and
discard for the RP’s next Game Turn. Soviet Movement Phase
(Refer to illustration on next page.) No units are “Mobile”, so
The Offensive card drawn is #51, Bagra- all have 2 Movement Points. The line is tidied up in the South,
tion, and is useable in 1944-45 only, so moving units away from the Lvov Contested Area. Any Soviet
is also discarded for +1RP. The Soviet units remaining there must attack the 1st Panzer, and the odds
RP total now stands at four. of victory are almost nil, as the German player still has two
Thus the Soviet player will not be able “Support” CMs that he could use on his two adjacent Armies
to get “Major Offensive” markers (he to help the defense of this Contested Area; 12.2.2. Stacks form
would automatically get one in the a frontline in the Center, the Mogilev marshy Area is left empty
Basic Game, replacing the Offensive for now, but as mentioned previously the two Fortified units will
cards). be back as the start of next turn.
One “Attack!” CM is spent to move the Central Front up to
Soviet Strategic Phase Dvinsk for a spoiling attack on the 4th Panzer. Otherwise—since
it moved two Zones (its maximum movement)—it would be
The Soviet player can’t do any unit Upgrades yet (i.e., units
“Disrupted” (11.1).
cannot be flipped to their stronger front sides), as he is under a
“No Upgrades” Game Turn Event (21.1.1).

Reinforcement
Rebuilt
by Event
to Reserve
Rebuilt
Reinforcement
Soviet Combat Phase Northwest Front in the Kiev Major City Hex cannot Support as
The Soviet player has three “Attack!” markers left (one was used it is Disrupted (see TEC).
in the previous Phase) and will initiate two attacks in this Phase. The German player decides to use one of his two re-
The two “Pockets” are almost impossible to rescue and will maining “Support” CMs on the stack in Bialystok,
score the German player +2 WSP in next turn’s Supply Phase. allowing Luftlotte II to add +1 CP to the defense
(12.2.2). The attackers are worth 4 CP; the defenders have 3 CP,
Since the Soviet player cannot score WSPs this turn, he’ll try +1 CP from the Supporting stack, and +1 CP for the Terrain, for
to get “BB” and “EQ” Combat results to make the German a total of 5 CP. The Soviet player could use his #32, Indecisive
player lose some precious steps. Führer, event for its +1 CP value (2.4.4), but feels lucky and
decides not to, as the card’s Event is very powerful (i.e., it
First Soviet Combat: The Southwest Front + Tank Group I en-
cancels a just-played card).
gage the German 4th Army in the Pinsk marsh area. It’s difficult
terrain, and will be resolved as an Assault (12.3). The adjacent

The attack failed, but Assault Combat can be very fickle, and
even at bad odds you can sometimes eke out a good result if
the two random draws are favorable to you.
Second Soviet Combat: Another long shot. Wishing for a “BB”
result, the Central Front attacks the 4th Panzer. This is not dif-
ficult terrain, and will thus be resolved as a Battle.
+0
–2
The Soviet stack is worth 3 CP, the German also 3 CP. No Sup-
port can be given and no cards are played. Final Combat Total
is 3 CP – 3 CP = +0 CP. The Soviet player randomly draws
from his deck card #05, For The Motherland!, and checks
its Battle Results table for the Combat’s outcome.
Both players draw the top card from their respective Event decks Soviet card #05
and add to their CP total the SP of the card. Soviet card #37 is
drawn, as is German card #26. The Soviet card is worth +0 CP Under “0”, result is “AB” = Attacker Broken.
points, the German +1 CP. The Lead Attacker retreats one Zone or loses one step. Thus,
the Central Front retreats to Velikiye Luki and gets an “Unsup-
plied” marker. The Soviet CM is turned to its “Done” side. This
concludes the Soviet Combat Phase.
Soviet Reserve Phase

There are two units in the Soviet player’s Strategic Reserve
Soviet card #37 German card #26 box; they are put on the map to plug some holes. The Bryansk
Front and the Reserve Front are deployed between the main
Final Combat Total is 4 CP – 6 CP = –2 CP. On the Assault CRT German Army Groups and Moscow, keeping in mind that the
this gives a result of “D+2” = Assault Repulsed. two Fortified units will come back on the map during next turn’s
Event Phase (21.1.2).
Since the Lead Attacker is not in a Contested Zone,

Soviet Used Marker Phase
the Assault has no effect. That said, the Soviet attack- The Soviet player removes all the “Disrupted” and “Done”
ers are marked with an “Unsupplied” marker (due to markers from his units on the map, (he will also flis his two “
the Oil Drum icon in the CRT result). The CM markers are Unsupplied ” markers to their “Disrupted ” sides in the next
flipped to their “Done” sides. German Supply Phase ) . The German player removes his “
Done” markers as well.

Soviet Objective Phase End of Turn Phase

There are no War Goals nor Major Offensive cards for the Soviet Victory Conditions are checked (17.0), obviously no victor yet.
to score this Player Turn. He now randomly draws his future War The situation looks just fine for the Soviet, but Turn 2 will see
Goals Event card from the Event card deck, card #20, Soviet a full and unrestricted German offensive going full tilt. Scoring
Steamroller. That card is kept hidden, face-down on the table, is German 1 WSP, Soviet 0 WSP.
and will be revealed for scoring in the next Soviet Player Turn:
Since the “Partisans” special location War Status Goal cannot Start of Turn 2 Event Phase
score before Game Turn 4 (15.1.3), this automatically stops the I’m playing the Turn’s Event Phase right away (Stalin Line,
second location, Kharkov, from scoring. So this is a dud card, see 21.1.2) to show the two Soviet Fortified units on the map.
but it is still kept hidden to mislead the Germans, and it can’t Neither side can make unit Upgrades yet (10.2).
be discarded for RPs (15.2). The below illustration shows the board after the Event Phase,
just before the start of German Player Turn 2.
German-made
Pockets will be
removed for WSP
scoring during the
next Supply Phase
Reserves and
“Stalin Line” Event

German Supply Phase The Offensive card drawn is #53, Expert

All units on the map can trace Supply, so no “Unsupplied” mark- Staff Work. It is kept (the German
ers are needed. The isolated Liepaja Soviet-Controlled Zone on player could have discarded and re-
the shores of the Baltic Sea becomes German Controlled as it drawn it, as he has Game Initia-
cannot trace supply (7.0), and the two German “Pocket” markers tive), to be played next Strate-
are removed. Since they are both in German-Controlled Zones, gic Phase for its event, and will
each earns +1 WSP, raising the German total to 6 WSPs. be available for WSP scoring
in the Objective Phase (15.0),
German Combat Markers Phase as is card #51, Hitler Orders
The German player has all of his 18 CM in hand, ready for use. Attack.
The Soviets still have a good number too; later in the game both
sides will rarely have enough.
German Card Phase

I’ll do the German card Phase in detail, discuss the possible German Strategic Phase
strategies for that player, but then fast-forward the remainder The German player moves Air units on the
of the Player Turn. map to their Holding Box (10.1.3). He uses
a “Support” CM to repair the Damaged
Luftflotte I Air unit, flipping it over.
Note that the “No Upgrades” Event applies only to units
upgraded with RPs, not by CMs. So Air units and Forts can
still be Upgraded and flipped over (see 21.2.4).
One German unit (the 2nd Army) is re-
ceived as Reinforcements this Game Turn.
It can be placed in the Strategic Reserve
box at the cost of one CM, or placed for free in a
city in Greater Germany. It’s put in the Reserve, paying one
“Support” CM.
The German player is husbanding his “Attack!” and “Mo-
bile” CMs, using “Support” CMs instead, as the latter will
be less useful during his Player Turn.
One RP is spent to rebuild the damaged Luftflotte III
unit in the German Destroyed Units box. As per the
The German player draws four Event cards and one Offensive box’s instructions, it’s moved to the Strategic Re-
card. The German Event cards are 16, 08, 24, and 34. The first serve (10.4.B).
two are potentially very playable Combat cards and retained.
Card #16, Heavy Ordnance, is especially useful if a move is The Air unit could be deployed onto the map by Accelerated
done against a Fortified Major City, such as Leningrad or Sev- Replacement (10.4.1) but would get a “Disrupted” marker,
astopol. Card #24, Götterdämmerung, is a Play Immediately rendering it almost useless. So it’ll be redeployed on the map
card, so the card’s Event is acted upon right away (in the Basic later, during the Reserve Phase (10.5).
Game the card is kept in hand, as Event text is not used). The As the last step in the Strategic Phase,
Soviet player doesn’t control at least four Zones outside the the German plays his card #53, Expert
USSR, so no German WSPs are lost. War Initiative will be Staff Work. This enables him to pick
checked in next Game Turn’s Event Phase (6.4). up a new Offensive card of his choice.
As a reminder of the check, you can put the unused
Basic Game “Objectives” marker of the Initiative
player on next turn’s Turn Track box.
Card #34, Counterattack!, is another nice one that will be
kept, as it can spring a very nasty surprise during the Soviet
Combat Phase, allowing the free movement of one German in
that same Phase.

The Soviet player wants none of it, and Offensive card #51, Hitler Orders Attack!, left out of a pos-
plays his card #32, Indecisive Führer, sible three cards, awarding just one “Major Offensive” marker
to cancel the German Expert Staff (2.4.12), and less scoring opportunities. The Soviet has no more
Work. The Soviet player gleefully reads cards he can play, with a “Dummy” one in hand.
the card’s WW2 quote aloud, just to rub
some extra salt into the wound: “I do Let’s do a “historical” narrative out of this card play. Hitler
not expect my generals to understand decided to change war plans (card #32) and all the German
me!” (Hitler). His opponent is not Army’s staff work (card #53) goes down the drain. Initial
happy. The card also instructs the Ger- Barbarossa Plans (card #55) are scrapped, to be replaced
man player to draw one extra Event by maneuvers of rapid exploitation aimed at creating enemy
card, which turns out to be card #21, pockets (card #21).
Panzerblitz!. It’s a good 41/42 card, so not a terrible trade-off
if you don’t count the missed WSP scoring opportunities of the
canceled card(s).
The German player still has a powerful hand of four playable
Event cards; this will help compensate for the weak Major
EQ
1 RP spent
DB
Mobile Exploitation
= Pincers
DB
D1
DB

The maps on pages 24 and 25 show, in broad strokes, the German There are two possible strategies for these moves:
Movement and Combat Phases. Effort was made to surround • Exploit to Dnepropetrovsk in the south, and Smolensk in the
and pocket as many Soviet units as possible. middle, to get closer to Moscow. As there is a Soviet unit
Note that German Event card #08, Counterblow, is played to in the latter Area it would become “Contested” (you may
remove a Soviet “Support” marker, and even if the defender has advance into an Area occupied by only one enemy stack).
a Tank unit, it does not have the “Armor Icon” condition, since • Exploit to surround as many Soviet units as possible all over
it’s not the Attacker (see 22.1). the map.
Not shown here, the German player used three “Mobile” markers
to have his Panzer Armies Mobile Exploit after Combat (12.9).
New Pockets
Unsupplied
The second strategy was used. The German Com-

bat results were not great, but with the help of the
formed “Pockets” it stopped two Soviet units from
retreating away, and they were able to surround
two more units; these will get an “Unsupplied”
marker in the Soviet Player Turn’s Supply Phase.
These Pockets will most likely die next Game Turn
from Reserve
(7.0.A). The Germans are poised to score big
next turn: two Pockets (+2 WSPs), Kiev falling (
+ 1 WSP ) — at least 3 WSP next turn , plus
probably some War Goals (15.1.1). The Soviet
will lose -1 WSP for his Large Captured unit.
This concludes the Extended Example of Play.

successor, Khrushchev, wrote in his memoirs that without the

military rations provided by the Allies their army would not have
been properly fed. Make no mistake, WW2 was won in great part
on the Eastern Front. Although victory was an all-Allied effort,
it was largely paid for in Russian blood. Soviet infantry paid the
highest price (almost eight million deaths), but other arms also
suffered: out of the 400,000 tankers trained by the Red Army,
over 300,000 were killed outright, with almost 100,000 AFVs
lost. It was a war of maneuver, but also a terrible war of attrition.
Let’s Play!
“It is not heroes that make history, but history that makes
heroes.” ~ Joseph Stalin
As with my previous design, I hope that this small game will
entice you into learning more about this decisive military cam-
paign, show how close a fight it was, explain the why’s of the
strategies used by both sides, and hopefully give you many hours
of enjoyable challenges and gaming fun.
I tried to simulate as closely as possible, without any artificial
rules, both sides’ historical capabilities and advance rates. With
a little experience, players will be able—barring extremely bad
luck—to achieve success with the Germans in the early game,
but the Russian “bear” will be licking its wounds, and the later
payback will be terrible!
Designer’s Notes This game is not overly difficult to play, even if at first the learn-
ing might feel daunting to a person not well-versed in conflict
This is my second designer’s take of the critical struggle between simulation games. The mechanics have been streamlined so to
the WW2 Soviet and Nazi war machines. The other, No Retreat! let the player make the big strategic decisions without being
The Russian Front, published over ten years ago, was my first muddled in an endless series of computations and bothersome
commercial wargame. Both share the same design philosophy procedures. Have no fear, there is a full section about tactics
and scale. and strategies in this Playbook, combined with the extensive
examples of play to help you make sense of it all. It should
This is Absolute War! make the initial experience a breeze, especially if you try the
Reporter: “How do you explain the USSR not surrendering in “no-frills” Basic game first.
1941/42?” After a few practice runs, you should be able to go through a
Russian Veteran: “We flooded the Germans with our cadavers, campaign or scenario at a brisk pace. The game will not play
we drowned them in our blood.” you, you’ll play the game! Enjoy.
While doing research for these games, many of my beliefs about
Orders of Battle
this campaign in Russia were debunked. I learned that, right up
to the end of war, the Wehrmacht was able to field a powerful “The Pope? How many divisions has he got?” ~ Joseph Stalin
army despite having taken staggering losses, to the Allies dis- For a relatively small wargame, a large amount of research was
may during the Battle of the Bulge! I was flabbergasted to find involved, the undertaking taking over eight years of off-and-on
that, during each year of this grueling contest, the Soviet army work, from the first concept to the final product. I studied the
suffered casualties amounting to more than their total front line actual performance and locations of all the armies and Fronts
strength (well over 30 times more casualties than the US Army of this campaign, and this in one-month steps from 1941 to
suffered in the war), yet the Russians never gave up, extracting 1945. A system to show the relative strengths, weaknesses, and
their revenge in 1945 and taking Berlin against a fanatic enemy. peculiarities of the two sides in presence was created. This was
I also discovered that Lend-Lease supplied more than 25% of a huge challenge, as I wanted to portray without too much fuss
all Russian war resources. Especially critical were the deliveries the gradual upgrade of the Soviet armies during the war, and
of trucks, sophisticated machine-tools to make Stalin’s industry also the degradation of the German infantry arm and operational
run, rails, steam engines, half of all the explosives, half of the capabilities, all this at an even better level than No Retreat!
aluminum (the T-34 tanks’ diesel engines were made of that achieved. You should find the game able to represent most his-
metal), uniforms, weapons, tanks, airplanes, radios, clothes, torical situations with a good degree of accuracy.
foodstuffs, etc. Stalin famously said at the Yalta Conference in Speaking of accuracy, some of the smaller military units present
1945 that “Without Western aid we could not have done it”, his were added-in to get more granularity, yet without getting the

players into slavishly moving hundreds of counters on a huge erything else: attacks, support, exploitations, strategic moves,
game map. The map of this game and its predecessor have com- repairing air units, etc. Usually you should have just enough to
mon origin, but instead of using hexes, this game’s map mostly go around, but not when there is a lot of action on the map, so
uses “Areas” of a much bigger size, the morphology of which use these carefully! Which brings us to the Support CMs—their
was inspired by the hexagon-based map. This helped to make the use can be critical to the game. You can save a few by stacking
said Areas look natural, better conforming to the geographical large units together, but it comes at a cost, as then you may not
constraints of the land. Keeping some of the “traditional” hexes be able to cover your frontline as effectively against enemy
in use, I got a nice hybrid map that simulates without fuss the armor, as these will be able to exploit after combat in an Area
important cities and their rail hubs. that does not contain two friendly stacks, getting an automatic
I also tried to give it a better “you are there” feeling by putting Pincer Maneuver marker! A large concentrated stack is also
on the counters actual military symbols used used by both sides, more vulnerable to bad combat results compared to two smaller
and also by adding some historical quotes to the cards, tailored stacks in the same Area.
to the various events. I hope you like it. You must have noticed that defensive Support is more demand-
ing; you can’t support an adjacent non-contested Area from
another adjacent Area, unless with an Air unit. You may always
give support from a Hex location, because of the better trans-
portation network this smaller Zone represents. The attacker
does not have this constraint: adjacent stacks in all terrain may
help (maximum of one per Zone). Too, the non-Initiative player
places his markers first. Plan your frontline accordingly!
Armor & Pincers

“The engine of a Panzer is a weapon.” ~ Heinz Guderian
Knowing how to use armor is a critical skill. The large map
Zones do not allow for operational maneuvers, as it is the case
on a hex-only map. So an Armor-Pincer-Pocket rule combo was
designed to simulate the same effect within the game’s Areas:
it stops engaged enemy stacks from retreating, causing losses,
Romanian soldiers serving on the Eastern Front. but even more importantly creating Pockets that will earn you
WSPs. Your precious Panzers and Tanks will be needed to
Battles & Assaults spearhead major offensives! Speaking of tanks, don’t forget
that those Soviet units do not become Mobile until later in the
“Strength lies not in the defense, but in the attack!”
game (e.g., the red-color AFVs); before you get these, either you
~ Adolf Hitler
must use the rare Event cards that allow Pincer Maneuvers to be
There are two different Combat Results Tables, a regular “Battle” done even if conditions are not met, or must make larger stra-
one, and the “Assault” table used for difficult terrain. Most card tegic encirclements of whole Areas, like historically happened.
Events do not apply to Assault Combat (or at all in the Basic The Soviet strategy will be one of “deep battle” and attrition
Game); you use the cards’ Support value instead. Those Assault offensives, more than one of fancy maneuvers the Wehrmacht
battles will probably end up being costly “Attrition” fights with was known to use.
losses on both sides when part of a Major Offensive, a decisive
“Clash of Wills” contest! The Event card’s CRT was adjusted for Event & Offensive Cards
the distortion caused by the linear strength comparison between “Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat.”
both foes, and will reward concentration of force, with a greater ~ Hermann Göring
variety of results and granularity compared to ordinary dice-
driven tables. This makes for a very different player experience, The cards are another important element of the design. Their
as you can’t “factor count” to death to get that perfect “3:1” play is very similar to those of No Retreat! with extra uses.
attack. You may instead get a very bad surprise—or very good They give you RPs to replace your losses, award Support Points
result—now and then. You will certainly not win by staying on (Basic Game and Assault Combats), are used for their powerful
the defensive—you must attack back. Don’t grow complacent, Events, or to declare Major Offensives that gain WSPs, or even
take some risks! an Instant Win! A good combination of cards can be devastating
in certain circumstances. Knowing when to discard them for
Combat Markers & Support RPs or for other means is an important skill, and don’t forget
that the Initiative player uses his cards last in all cases. Given
“The battle is fought and decided by the quartermasters, long
the relatively large play decks, you will not always get the right
before the shooting begins.” ~ Erwin Rommel
cards at the right time, especially because of timing restrictions:
While your Resource Points will rebuild your losses, the CMs opportunities for “killer” combinations will be fleeting, don’t
(Combat Markers) are your game money for pretty much ev- waste them, your opponent will do his utmost to pay your back

with his own devilish card play! If you start a year’s summer
months with a full hand of playable cards, including a couple
of major offensives, and a maxed-out RP track, then things are
rosy, even if the situation on the ground is not: you have very
effective tools to reverse or enhance the game’s general tempo.
Surprise the enemy!
The end of WW2 in Europe is celebrated

in Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, 1945.
Victory!
“Germany will either be a world power or will not be at all.”
~ Adolf Hitler
You should carefully read and understand rule 17.0, “How to
Win”. While the scenarios have their own, defined victory condi-
tions, rules section 17.0 details how to win the Campaign Games.
There are two main ways to win these: Instant victory and Game
End victory. The Game End conditions are straightforward; you
pretty much have to control some significant parts of the map-
board. The Instant victory conditions are more concerned with Soviet Player’s Notes
the control of the War Aim sites, yet one is more interesting:
the War Status Point victory. It can be won by having a +19SP Here are my own guidelines on how to play the Soviets. It is not
advantage on the WSP scoring and controlling three enemy War a difficult game to learn, but it can take time to master fully,
Aim sites. It’s harder to win this way against the Soviets as they as there are lots of variables in play at all times. The first few
play last and have one Player Turn to score points over Zero. It’s years are critical.
also harder against the Germans in the late game as the Soviets
lose many WSP in the last game turn Events. This kind of WSP Stalin’s Orders
Victory is not easy to get, but just the threat could goad your “It takes a very brave man not to be a hero in the Red Army.”
opponent to make substandard plays. If you are trailing badly ~ Joseph Stalin
in the “WSP war”, you too might have to change your strategy • Most of the time you will have enough RPs to rebuild most of
and win some extra WSPs. your army every turn, just don’t get units killed “Unsupplied”
Speaking about WSPs, it will be quite difficult to plan the or over-extend yourself by having tank country Areas of
objectives you have to take, as the cards indicating these are easy terrain not covered by two stacks each if possible, to
mostly random draws, albeit you have some options with the foil German mobile exploitation. This will be difficult to do
“Offensive” cards. Check the map of the WSP locations at the as you initially have barely enough units to cover the whole
end of the Rulebook; it’ll give you some pointers about the criti- front. Try to funnel the Panzers into the defenses of your
cal areas to control. And yes, a Western Allies’ Victory is very choice!
possible if both sides play indifferently; you’ll argue about who • The Major Cities of Leningrad and Sevastopol are a very
won and claim a “Moral Victory” in your memoirs after the war! good anchoring points. Try not to lose both.

• Clear and Wooded terrain is almost impossible to defend with “Red” units have not arrived yet. Continue the attrition war:
“Leg” stacks against a competent German player’s Panzer make them pay for every Major City hex taken; they can be
Armies, so be aware that you’ll most certainly get your line supported by nearby troops, Not a Step Back! At the end of the
breached. Bring in some Tanks! year, when winter comes, you can mount bigger attacks against
• You have to start wearing down the Germans as soon as weak parts of the enemy line. You must by now have a dozen
possible. But don’t overdo it and create holes in your lines! improved units: You did remember to have lots of Tank Armies
The “BB” combat result is your friend: small-scale counter- built in that lot, right? These, even if not yet “Mobile”, will very
attacks are good, even at weak odds. Don’t forget that using effectively protect your troops from the deadly Panzers.
a “Major Offensive” marker makes the Germans lose a WSP 1943: The tide starts turning. Now the fun begins, Soviet Army
in the ensuing Bloodbath result. style. You get a lot more playable maneuver-oriented Event
• Always keep a minimum of one or two units in the Strategic cards, and good Major Offensive cards. Use them! Late in the
Reserve box if you intend to attack in your turn, so as to plug year, if you chewed through enough of the Wehrmacht, you’ll
any holes created by bad Combat results. have the capability of making large territorial gains; a lot of the
• Attrition up north, maneuver down south. If you ever have Germans will be at half-strength by now, don’t let them recover.
the possibility of killing isolated German units, go for it! This Make at least three attacks per turn, bare minimum, six at lower
will help final victory immensely. odds are better than just a few high-odds attacks, unless of course
you have the possibility of a big Area encirclement happening.
• You won’t have many opportunities to make many “Pockets” Be aware that taking unnecessary losses will divert those pre-
early on as your tanks lack mobility; you’ll have to wait for cious Event cards for RPs instead of the victorious offensives
your Red-Color armored units to arrive. In the meantime, you want to make.
you can just surround whole areas “Strategically” and
pound them to death, like happened in Stalingrad, Minsk, 1944: Put the Soviet steamroller into high gear! The majority
Konigsberg, etc. of your units will be “Red”, the Leg units having two steps, the
Tanks having two Support Points and “Mobile” at last. These,
• Go after lone enemy infantry, especially Axis Allies, except
plus the numerous small elite units you now possess, will make
perhaps the Finns, who are a very hard nut to crack in their
for an unbeatable killer combination. The Germans can still stop
northern wilderness.
you at places, so hit them where they are weak, and exploit the
• Starting in late 1943 you can pretty much strike anywhere holes mercilessly. The WSP totals should be well in your favor
you wish, so start doing some serious killing and advancing. right now, or at least on par. If not, try to form as many “pockets”
Be aggressive, now is payback time. On to Berlin! as possible to even the score, and capture the Romanian Oil Well
• Don’t neglect your Partisans. Their military effect on the to stop dead any remaining Panzer menace. If all goes well, start
game is minimal, but they’ll nibble incessantly at the polishing those medals for the big victory parade next year! If
German’s invaders heels, and they might allow you to gain an you are playing the Shorter Campaigns, it’s now or never.
impressive amount of WSPs when pitted against a too-busy 1945: The Soviet player must not be too complacent; the en-
enemy, or at least cause them to lose some precious RPs. emy can still spring some nasty surprises on him despite the
overwhelming superiority of the Red Army. The Soviet WSP
The Soviet War Years total should be lowered each and every turn (representing the
“If we come to a minefield, our infantry attacks exactly as if it progress of Western Allies Armies’ Attacks against Germany).
were not there.” ~ Georgy Zhukov By this time German Air support has dwindled to nothing, bomb
1941: Your forces start weak and indifferently deployed. You’ll them to death! Don’t let the Western bourgeois beat you to the
take quite a beating in this awful year. But don’t despair, with all finish line, on to Berlin!
the reinforcements and replacements you’ll get, the Red Army
will “keep on ticking”. For this to happen, you must strive to field
on the mapboard the majority of your troops each and every turn.
Get your “Forts” units deployed in Objective Major City Hexes
and other critical areas, look for counter-attacks, and let the Nazis
bleed for a change! Remember that they cannot upgrade troops
before 1942 except for their Air units, and that they’ll strive not
to lose many while they are on the offensive: you have to do the
killing. Winter is the obvious time to go on the Offensive if you
have enough reserves, but try not to overdo it: the Germans are
dangerous foes. If everything goes awry, don’t lose Leningrad
and Moscow, Comrade, it can be bad for your health…
1942: It’s another dangerous year. You probably do not have
that much ground to give up, your army is improving, but not
yet able to fight the Germans on even terms as your two-step A column of Russian IS-2 tanks with infantry riders
on the outskirts of Berlin in 1945.

and give you the precious WSPs you need to achieve an

“Instant” victory, or at least making sure this does not happen
to you!
• Have long-term goals, don’t just run away chasing after
Soviets all over the map. You can be sure that these will be
rebuilt, and fast, while you suffer harder-to-replace losses.
• Always try to keep some units in the Strategic Reserve box
to reinforce Areas where you are making progress.
• Your Army will almost inevitably dwindle in quality (some
yellow CPs become gray when you lose Initiative, lowering
their Support potential). Therefore, know when to cut your
losses and switch to an active defense if outright victory is
out of sight.
• Know when to adopt a defensive posture with your stacks,
especially when the Soviets start to get their powerful “Red”
tank units. You may need to spread out your Panzers to protect
Armies from being Pocketed.
• If everything falls apart in 1944, remember that a Draw result
is very possible if your opponent is not aggressive enough—
you can still claim a “Moral Victory” if you have more WSPs.
So there is still hope (of a kind) for German arms; the Soviet
Army may run out of steam in the late game!
The German War Years

Hitler: “Where is the German soldier of ‘41?”
German Officer: “He is dead, mein Führer, somewhere in
Russia…”
1941: You are the unstoppable Blitzkrieg war machine, nobody
seems to be able to stop you! You can go everywhere you wish,
but you cannot be everywhere at once—big offensives over large
German Player’s Notes tracts of land are very demanding of Combat Markers. You will
never have enough of these until the front lines solidify. So, what
Here is my own take on how to play the German game. I find this
shall you do? An interesting option is the first historical OKH
side to be more challenging in the long run. All years are critical
plan: Going full tilt for Leningrad and Moscow, coupled with
and you really need a sound Strategic plan if you don’t want to
a steady advance in the south, aimed at capturing Kiev, Odessa
find yourself defending the steps of the Reichstag, Berlin, in 1945!
and Dnepropetrovsk. But beware of the difficult northern terrain,
Hitler’s Directives your Panzers might very well end up bogged-down in the north-
ern swamps. You don’t want another great war of attrition, right?
“Yes we are barbarians… And we shall rejuvenate this
world!” ~ Adolf Hitler 1942: If you have weathered the first Soviet winter counter-
offensive and hold two or more War Objectives, now is the time
• Concentrate your troops when attacking, thus limiting the
to try to finish off Stalin’s armies before they get too strong,
losses you’ll take, especially in 1941 when you cannot do
and before Lend-Lease help becomes too powerful. If you
Upgrades. The Combat system is very exponential—the more
can’t get more Objectives, then your best bet is probably going
you add Supports after the first, the more effect you’ll get;
south, trying to grab as many WSPs as possible, surrounding
this is especially true with units sporting two yellow CPs
troops, to perhaps even eke out an “Instant” win. Do watch
burst icons.
your losses, they can pile up very fast when you are fighting an
• Your Air units should be the spearheads of your Offensives, ever-improving Russian army. Of course, watch your flanks,
as they are usually cheaper to replace and can take a step loss and beware of those unreliable Axis Allies that will eventually
that could otherwise flip a ground unit, They can perform fade away, especially if you lose War Initiative.
Defensive Support to an Area from any Adjacent Zone, and
move all over the board. Use them wisely while black crosses 1943: If the game is still on, the war is probably starting to
still rule the sky. slowly turn against you. It’s time to think about preparing a solid
defense plan, but don’t stop making spoiling attacks to unbalance
• At every opportunity, surround Soviets and let them die your foe! Try finishing him decisively if the military situation
Unsupplied, or do Pincer Maneuvers with your Panzers to is still good and if there is a chance of an “Instant” win. You’ll
stop retreats, creating Pockets. This will save German blood,

start to lose a lot of your nice attack Event cards, in exchange

getting mostly lame defensive cards. Also, gone are most good Historical Notes
Major Offensive card events. Make no mistake, your army is
still surprisingly powerful, you have more RPs and you’ll get I will not go into the details of this terrible conflict, but I encour-
some SS Panzer units to spearhead those last big offensives. So age you to find a few good books on the topic, perhaps even
don’t be afraid to counter-attack Soviet mobile units that have following their narrative while you play your first few learning
advanced too far away from their supporting infantry, and be games. This should help you get a good idea of the whys both
ever watchful of being “BB” (Bloodbath) to death! Mud weather supreme commanders acted the way they did. Remember: they
is a good time to dress up your line and replace some losses. did not have the benefit of starting a new game if they messed-up,
If you are in a good map position, an End Game Victory might they had just that one chance! That said, there is one unusual
be a real possibility! game feature I want to address in more detail.
The War Crime Sites

“The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty
commands respect.” ~ Heinrich Himmler
The Second World War, most especially this campaign, was an
“Absolute War” in all respects, with little or no concern shown
for the lives or ordinary people. I decided to mark on the game
map some of the most notable “war crime” locations in Eastern
Europe to give all the nameless civilian victims of this tragedy
an historical say.
Auschwitz, Poland: Of the 1.3 million people sent to this hell-
ish place, 1.1 million died. Those not gassed died of starvation,
exhaustion, disease, individual executions, or beatings. Others
were killed during evil medical experiments.
Treblinka, Poland: The second largest death camp, almost
900,000 people were killed in its gas chambers.
A line of formidable German “King Tiger” (PzKw VIb) tanks.
Warsaw Ghetto, Poland: 400,000 Jews died there up to the
1944: Well, the writing is on the wall (perhaps even the walls of final 1944 brave uprising and destruction of the city.
Berlin!). You’re probably facing a huge, angry, and dangerous
Red Army, one very capable of inflicting the disastrous reverses Babi Yar, Ukraine: This location witnessed the largest mass
you probably made it suffer earlier in the war. Watch out for the killing by the Nazis and their local collaborators in the USSR.
deadly “Red” Soviet Tanks; try not to allow your units to be sur- Over 125,000 people were executed. Also of note are the four
rounded! This will be difficult to do, as your remaining Panzers million Ukrainians that died of starvation during the “Holodo-
cannot be everywhere. So you will suffer enemy breakthroughs, mor” Soviet-caused famine of the 30’s.
as they are able to concentrate their forces with terrifying ef- Katyn Forest, Belorussia: Over 22,000 captured Polish officers
fectiveness. Hold Königsberg at all costs, protect your oil fields and intelligentsia were murdered in secret by the Soviet NKVD
as long as you can, and keep as many German troops as possible secret police in spring 1940. The Russian parliament passed a
in the USSR. If things really went bad in the south and you lost resolution blaming Stalin in 2012. No one was ever prosecuted.
Rumania and a lot of troops, then it might be time to be putting Gulags, Siberia: Around one million prisoners died in the Soviet
feelers out for a nice farm in Argentina where you can retire. concentration camps during the war. The “all time” total, during
1945: In the late game, you must try to hold the line almost Stalin’s reign, is conservatively estimated at four million Soviet
everywhere without the possibility of yet another retreat. The citizens, probably way more.
fight will probably come crashing down to your Map Boxes. Red Terror, Germany: In the last year of the war, the Soviet
Don’t concentrate too much on the defense of Berlin; the Soviets Army’s soldiers exacted cruel revenge on the civilian popula-
can win without capturing it. Now is the time to sacrifice your tions in Germany and in occupied territories. Most notable was
units, holding on to as much real estate you can; and yes, even the rape of over two million women, of which hundreds of
counterattack. thousands were also killed.
No Retreat! Not listed are the 1941 prisoner-of-war “camps” set up by the
Germans—of the three million Soviet soldiers sent there, two
million died of starvation in the first year alone.

Soviet Army: Fedorovich

Dedication Putiakov was serving as a
private in the 23rd Army,
“One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.”
Leningrad Front, at the worst
~ Joseph Stalin
of the city’s grueling 900-day
I’ll like to dedicate this game to two soldiers, of both sides, who siege. He kept a secret diary
died one year apart during this terrible conflict. They would of his experiences, something
most probably have been best buddies in other circumstances. that was strictly prohibited for
War is Hell. soldiers to do in the Red
German Army: Otto Eckardt Army.
was the grandfather of one of Some of his entries reflect the
the game’s playtesters, Rohan extreme hardships ordinary
Eckardt. Rohan’s grandfather soldiers of both sides had to
lost his life on September 14th, endure:
1943, in the the town of
Oposhnja, in the Poltava Area, “Today they say 100 grams of bread will be added to our
near the middle of the game rations as well as other kinds of food. Right now there is just
map. hope for life, if one can wait for the spring and summer. It is
He was a PanzerGrenadier simply hard to guess what comes next. At the moment we are
NCO serving in the 7th Panzer completely inoperative.”
Division, Rommel’s old outfit, “There is nowhere to do the washing. We were forced to do
during the massive Soviet it right here, in the dugout. I melted some snow and washed
counterattack that followed my head, less so the rest of my body. I hadn’t washed myself
the failed German “Operation since 26 December.”
Citadel” Kursk offensive. “In this company many people have already died, all at the
Here is part of the letter one of his comrades sent home to his hands of Sergeant Major Orlov, Lieutenant Zakrutkin and
grieving wife and son, a few months after his death: others. They uphold the prison-like conditions. I am going to
take measures. Otherwise I will die. Today my face swelled
“On the morning of the 14th our battalion, together with a up. I feel terrible Hunger. As ill luck would have it my half-
battalion from the Grossdeutschland Division, was ordered rations of bread were stolen. Scoundrels, Lord, Lord, when
to occupy Oposhnja until our left neighbor could be ex- will this torture end? I have become something inhuman.”
tracted from a critical situation. Because of the Soviet armies’
vast superior strength this could not be accomplished and Trying to better his lot by doing some illegal actions (e.g.,
Grossdeutschland was pulled out and moved to support our searching for food) he was arrested for “anti-Soviet activity”
neighbor on the left. by the NKVD secret police and executed on Friday, March
13th,1942. His body lies in an unmarked mass grave, north of
Now our situation was hopeless. We had to defend our posi- Leningrad. May he rest in peace.
tion and fought desperately.
~ Carl Paradis
I spoke to Otto at about 10 o’clock in the morning and asked
him what was happening. He said, “ The Russians are 20 me- Québec, Canada.
ters from our position!” About half an hour later the Soviets
attacked and we had to retreat.
At that moment I saw Otto and his platoon leader sprint across
the street, they were the last to retreat from our position. I
took shelter in a nearby house. The platoon leader turned
up a short time later and I asked him where is Otto and he
answered very subdued, “He was shot in the head and killed.
He is lying in the street.” We immediately tried to recover his
body but it was impossible to get to him. Just then his platoon
leader was killed as well.”
His body was never recovered and he has no grave. He was 34
years old. May he rest in peace.

P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232
www.GMTGames.com

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Absolute War!

GMT Games, LLC • P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232-1308 • www.GMTGames.com

Game Preparation Game Preparation

Start the Game!

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Campaign Game Setup

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Scenarios The German player places next to

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Case Blue Setup

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C. Kursk Soviet player: set up in any Soviet-Controlled Zones:

The German player places next to

Start the Game!

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D. Bagration The German may use the “Directive #53” marker.

The two CP markers go in the ”0” box each

The German WSP marker goes, “+10” face

The Soviet WSP marker goes, “+10” face

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E. Stalingrad Mini-Game 2. Unit Counters:

Game Preparation: Soviet player: set up in any Soviet-Controlled Zones:

IMPORTANT! Each player only draws three Event Cards

x3 x4 x2 Start the Game!

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Stalingrad Mini-Game Setup

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Extended Example of Play

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German Movement Phase

The German player decides to use his

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tions are fulfilled (see 22.1). A “Pincers” marker is placed on

German card #17 Soviet card #13

Note that I have added a few “Control” markers, as a re-

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German card #28

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German card #22 Soviet card #26

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German card #38

In the above illustration, the dotted arrow represents a “Mobile

German Used Marker Phase

German Objective Phase

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This illustration shows the situation at the end of

The German player now randomly draws

The Turn marker now is flipped to indicate it’s the

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Soviet Supply Phase He does get a few Reinforcements, how-

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Soviet Reserve Phase

Since the Lead Attacker is not in a Contested Zone,

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Soviet Objective Phase End of Turn Phase

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German Supply Phase The Offensive card drawn is #53, Expert

German Card Phase

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