Contents

Contents

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Game Components

3.0 Set Up & Hex Control

4.0 How to Win

5.0 The Turn Sequence

6.0 Stacking

7.0 Zones of Control

8.0 Supply

9.0 Reinforcements &

Replacements

10.0 Movement

11.0 Weather

12.0 Combat

13.0 Charts & Tables

14.0 Designer's Notes

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Alternative Time Line

Operation Kremlin: An Alternative History Campaign for Moscow, 1942 ("Op K" for short) is a two-player, low-to-intermediate complexity, strategic-level simulation of a campaign that might-have-been had Hitler decided to try again for Moscow during the summer of 1942 rather than plunging into the the Caucasus and Stalingrad. The German player is therefore primarily on the offensive, seeking to win by controlling a certain minimum number of city hexes. The Soviet player, though mostly defending, must watch for opportunities to deliver counterattacks against the Germans while trying to hold onto as many city hexes as possible.

1.2 Orders of Battle

The orders of battle are extrapolated from both sides' historic organizational charts of mid- to late 1942. That is, the Germans could reasonably have been expected to throw everything mechanized they had in the east into this, minus only a few small units detached to support the infantry deployed on the rest of the off map front. The main portion of the German OB is therefore made up of the corps historically part of Army Group Center on 28 June 1942, along with all the panzer corps, and Manstein's 11th Army coming in as reinforcement once they've taken Sevastopol.

We can also safely assume that the Axis satellite armies, though usually restricted in most east front games to areas not shown on the Op K map, would have been included in this all-out effort. The Germans would have needed them, as flank units if nothing else, and their own governments would likely have wanted to be able to claim participation in this "final and decisive" campaign in Russia.

The Soviet order of battle is based on what they had on this front historically on 28 June, along with all their operational and strategic reserves, plus just about everything they generated in the way of replacements and reinforcements during the time period of the historic Stalingrad campaign.

1.3 Game Scales

Each hexagon on the map represents approximately 10 miles (16.2 kilometers) from side to opposite side. The Soviet units of maneuver are almost all armies, along with a few specialist corps, while all German units are corps, and their satellite puppet forces are again armies. Air power is represented abstractly, with two counters representing the effects of one side or the other having local air superiority. Each full game turn represents one week.

1.4 Halving

The general rule concerning the halving of numbers in the game is: when such a division takes place all remainders are rounded down. Thus, for example, "half" of three is one, and "half" of two is one, while "half" of one is zero. There are, however, two exceptions to this general rule of halving.

The first exception: when halving a combat factor, half of one is one, provided only one unit is being halved. That is, no single unit's combat factor is ever reduced below one for any reason. If, however, there were two or more units in the same battle and both or all were to be halved, then all the involved units' combat factors are first added together and then only one division and rounding is made.

The second exception has to do with "DE" combat results scored against German defenders: see rule 12.29 for details.

1.5 North

The compass rose printed on the map shows its relationship to magnetic north. For all play purposes, though, whenever a map direction is referenced in these rules, it should be understood the north side of the map is composed of the hexes 1000 to 1032, inclusive. The east side of the map is composed of the hexes 1000 to 3600, inclusive. The south side is 3600 to 3632, inclusive, and the west is 1032 to 3632, inclusive. The corner hexes are therefore each part of two map sides.

1.6 No "Stand Fast!" Rules

Neither side suffers under the stricture of any kind of "no retreat" order during play. I decided on that approach when my research reminded me both sides historically did have such orders in place during this period. Stalin issued his famous "Not A Step Back!" directive (Stavka order number 227) on 28 July 1942, while Hitler came out with his "Führer Defense Order" on 8 September.

With that in mind, it seemed simplest-and also historically accurate-to assume both players are cast in the roles of their side's supreme commander. Therefore, if you don't want your troops to give ground, simply don't move them back. (The CRT-required retreat-after-combat results which the players can't escape making, see 12.25, take place within tactical and operational period too small for supreme headquarters to intervene.)

2.0 Game Components

2.1 The components to a complete game of Op K include these rules, the map sheet, 176 die-cut counters (also referred to as "units" and "unit counters") and a standard six-sided die.

2.2 The Game Map

The game map illustrates the militarily significant terrain found around Moscow in 1942. A hexagonal ("hex") grid is printed over the map to regulate the placement and movement of units across it, much like in Chess and Checkers. A unit is considered to be in only one hex at any one time.

Each hex contains natural or manmade terrain that can affect the movement of units and combat between units. The various terrain on the map havs been altered slightly in order to make it coincide with the hex-grid, but the relationship among the terrain from hex to hex is accurate to the degree necessary to present players with the same space and time problems that would have been faced by their historic counterparts had this hypothesized campaign taken place.

Note also every hex on the map has a unique four-digit identification number. It is provided to help find each exact location more quickly and to allow for the recording of unit positions if a match has to be taken down before it can be completed. For example, the city of Vyazma in hex 2530.

2.3 Counters

There are 176 unit counters in the game, most of which represent combat formations. Others are also provided as informational markers and memory aids. After reading these rules at least once, carefully punch out the counters. Trimming off the "dog ears" from their corners with a fingernail clipper will facilitate easier handling and stacking during play and enhances their appearance.

2.4 Sample Combat Unit

Each combat unit counter displays several pieces of information: nationality (and therefore the "side" each unit is on), specific historical identification, unit type and size, combat and step strengths, movement allowance and reinforcement or other special status.

2.5 Nationality

A unit's nationality and general status within its army is shown by its color scheme.

The German Side

Mechanized units: white on black

Non-mechanized units: black on gray

Axis satellite armies: black on yellow

The Soviet Side

Rifle armies: white on red

Guards, Shock and Tank ("Elite") Armies: red on white

Specialist units: black on red

2.6 Historical Identification

All units are identified by the numbers used historically to designate those same formations during this period. The following letter-abbreviations are used:

G: Guards

GE: Group Esebeck

GvS: Group von Schackendorf

H: Hungarian

I: Italian

R: Romanian

2.7 Unit Sizes

Units' historical organizational sizes are shown by the following symbols:

XXXX-armyXXX-corpsXX-division

If a unit's size symbol is bracketed, it is an ad hoc unit that wasn't part of its army's regular order of battle.

2.8 Unit Types

All ground units in the game belong to two basic categories: mechanized ("Mech") or non-mechanized ("Non-Mech"). Mechanized units are those whose primary means of moving across the battlefield is by wheeled and tracked vehicles. Non-mechanized units are those whose primary means of locomotion is provided by legs, human and animal. This distinction is important for paying the costs involved for entering enemy zones of control (see section 7.0).

Note the symbol commonly used to identify "mechanized infantry" or "panzer grenadiers," has a somewhat different meaning here. That is, on the Soviet side the symbol represents Guards armies. Those formations were not fully mechanized but were given the lion's share, after the tank armies, of what was available, particularly in the form of supporting and attached units. On the German side, the "panzer grenadier" corps historically retained their infantry designation, but each had one or two panzer or motorized infantry divisions assigned to them to give them at least partial blitz-warfare capabilities. (Players will find the idea was really an inefficient solution.)

Also note the three Soviet cavalry units in the game are shown with "mechanized cavalry" symbols. That is done to indicate the elite status these three particular corps had within the Red Army during this time. They in fact contained units (horse and moto-mechanized) and leaders who were probably more skilled at mobile warfare than any others under Stalin's command during this period. For an excellent discussion of this see: Glantz, David M. and Jonathan House, When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler. University of Kansas, 1995, p. 86.

Mechanized Unit Types

German Panzer or Soviet Tank

Soviet Cavalry Corps

Combined Arms Mechanized

Non-Mechanized Unit Types

German Infantry or Soviet Rifle

Soviet Shock

Combat Engineers

Soviet artillery concentration markers (see 12.20)

2.9 Combat Factors

Attack and defense factors are the measures of each unit's ability to conduct those types of combat operations. Their uses are explained in section 12.0.

2.10 Movement Factor

This number is a measure of a unit's ability to move across the hex grid printed over the map. A unit pays varied movement costs to enter different hexes, depending on the terrain in each, the weather (see section 11.0), the moving unit's type (see section 10.0), and the presence of enemy zones of control (see section 7.0).

2.11 Step Strength

All ground units in the game have one, two, or-on the German side-several "strength steps," which are also simply called "steps." That's an arbitrary term used to express the ability of a unit to absorb a certain amount of combat losses before ceasing to be an effective formation (a measure of its "robustness" in current US Army jargon). Those units with combat factors printed on only one side of one counter are "one-step" units; those with printing on both sides of a single counter are "two-step" units.

Units containing more than two strength steps are represented by two or more unit counters, only one of which may ever be in play on the map at any one time. The second or third unit for those formations are called "substitute counters," and can be easily identified by the large dot (black or white) printed in their upper-left corners.

When units are eliminated in play, it doesn't mean every individual within them has been killed. It means enough casualties and equipment losses have been suffered to render them useless for further operations. If a two-step unit suffers a one-step loss, it is flipped over so its reduced side shows. If a one-step unit, or a two-stepper that has already been "reduced," suffers a step loss, it is removed from the map ("eliminated") and placed into a "dead pile" off to the side of the map.

The reduction-then-elimination process is the same with multi-step units, but is repeated until the steps on all the formation's substitute counters have been worked through. For more details, see section 12.0.

2.12 Soviet Two-Step Elite Units

There are 10 Soviet two-step units in the game: 1st through 5th Tank, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Guards, and 2nd and 5th Shock Armies. They are printed red-on-white to make them easily distinguishable from all the white-on-red one-step rifle army units. These two-step Soviet units are collectively known as "elite" units.

When a Soviet two-stepper has been reduced to one-step strength, its combat factors are always "1-1;" however, when at full, two-step strength their combat values are always unknown until they enter combat, and they are determined anew each time they do enter combat. That is, a die is rolled by the Soviet player for each involved two-stepper at the time the combat odds calculation process is begun. That result (one through six) is then altered by the appropriate combat factor modifier number printed on the counter, which finally determines the combat factor for that one unit for that one battle.

For example, if a Soviet tank army (all with combat modifier numbers of "+2" on attack and "0" on defense) were going into an attack and the Soviet player rolled a "3," that "3" would be added to the "+2" attack modifier to give the unit an attack factor, for that one battle, of "5." In this game all Soviet elite unit combat modifier numbers are all either zero or positive. There are no negative modifiers.

2.13 Soviet Untried Rifle Units

Note the white-on-red Soviet rifle armies in the game each contain only one strength step. Their reverse sides show only question marks ("?"), a unit-type box and a movement factor. All such Soviet units begin the game with their untried side showing and neither player knowing exactly what is on the reverse sides. They are not flipped over, thus revealing their exact combat strengths, until the first time they enter combat attacking or defending. Once revealed, untried units are never flipped back to their untried side while they remain in play. For more details see 3.2 and 9.3.

2.14 Reinforcement & Starting Units

Units that enter play after the game has begun, rather than starting play already set up on the map, are called "reinforcements." Reinforcements can be distinguished from starting units by the fact they-the reinforcement units-have only a one- or two-digit number, "3" or "19," etc., printed in their upper-left corners. Those numbers refer to their earliest possible game turns of entry into play; see section 9.0.

Note also that four Soviet units-three untried rifle armies and the 2nd Shock Army-begin the game in the dead pile (see 3.2 & 9.3)

2.15 Other Counters

The uses of the following counters are explained at appropriate points throughout the rest of the rules:

• Hex Control Markers (see 3.4)

• German Victory Point markers (see 4.1)

• Game Turn indicator (see section 5.0)

German Aerial Supply marker (see 8.7)

Weather indicators

(see section 11.0)

Ground Support Aircraft markers (see 12.18)

3.0 Set Up & Hex Control

3.1 Players should first decide which side each will control. After that they should take their own side's units and sort them onto and around the map according to the instructions given below.

3.2 Soviet Set Up

The Soviet player sets up first. He places one rifle unit in each hex in, or generally east of, his own front line entrenchments that contain the rifle symbol. All rifle units are placed with their untried sides showing, with neither player knowing their real strengths. For example, hexes 3206, 1531, 3530, etc. He should place the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps in hex 2125, 3rd Tank Army in hex 3209, and 5th Tank Army in hex 3407 (both tank armies start at their reduced, one-step strength).

Three untried rifle armies start the game in the dead pile, from which they are eligible for replacement (see section 9.0), along with 2nd Shock Army. That unit is marked with a "D" (for dead pile) in its upper-left corners, and it is also eligible for replacement (again, see section 9.0).

All other Soviet units are reinforcements and should be placed on the Turn Record Track (TRT) according to the game turn numbers printed in their upper-left corners. For example, 1st Guards Cavalry Corps should be placed in the Game Turn 1 box on the TRT.

Note no Soviet rifle units are marked as reinforcements on either side of their counters, which is in keeping with the untried unit system governing their use in the game. Even so, four rifle armies are received as reinforcements on Game Turn 1, another comes into play that way on Game Turn 4, another on Game Turn 6, and a final one on Game Turn 18. Those units should also be placed on the TRT, chosen anonymously as described in the first paragraph of this rule, and with neither player yet knowing their true strengths. See 2.13 and 9.3 for more details on these units.

3.3 German Set Up

Once the Soviet player has finished setting up that side's units, the German player places all his available units, excluding only his reinforcements, anywhere in or generally west of his front line fortifications. Within that stricture, German units may begin play set up Soviet zones of control (see section 7.0) and all units begin at their full step strength. He must observe stacking limits during initial placement (see section 6.0).

Sort the substitute units (see 2.11) according to their IDs and put them in easily reached piles off to the side of the map.

Place the German and Axis satellite reinforcements in the appropriate box of the TRT.

3.4 Hex Control

In this game the idea of "hex control"-which side "owns" which hexes at any given instant-is important for city and fortification hexes when it comes to adjudicating supply lines (see 8.4, retreats-after-combat (see 12.25), road mode movement (see 10.18), and victory (see section 4.0).

At the start of play the German player controls all hexes within and generally west of his frontline hexes, while the Soviet player controls all hexes in and generally east of that side's front line hexes. For example, the German controls hexes 2423, 2929, 3631, etc., while the Soviet player controls 2422, 3630, 1032, etc.

The control status of a hex switches from one side to the other whenever a ground unit from the other side enters it. Control switching is immediate, and may occur and reoccur in the same hexes any number of times during play. Hex control markers are provided for use on the board to help keep track of which hexes are controlled by which side throughout play when the general path of the front line is insufficient to make that clear.

Note that here, unlike many other wargames, the mere projection of a zone of control, even if it is uncontested by a zone of control of the other side, is not sufficient to cause a switch in the control status of any hex.

4.0 How to Win

4.1 The German player is generally on the offensive, striving to win the game by driving east to conquer as fast as possible as many city hexes as he can. The Soviet player wins by preventing his opponent from doing that.

Only the German gains or loses victory points (VP); the Soviet player doesn't keep track of any VP total of his own. Use the VP Track printed on the map sheet to keep constant score of the German VP situation. At the start of play the German has one VP for each city hex he already controls in overland supply. That is a starting total of two German VP, one for Rzhev (hex 1630) and one for Vyazma (hex 2530).

4.2 Victory Point Hexes

Each city hex on the map is worth one VP to the German, but only when he controls them in overland supply (see section 8.0). That is, each time the German player gains overland-supplied-control of a city hex his VP total is increased by one. Control of the same city hex may be traded back and forth between the two sides any number of times during play. Each time a VP hex's control status switches, increase or decrease the German VP total by one.

Given the fact the German gains (and maintains) a given city hex's VP value only while he controls it in overland supply, the Soviet player is thereby able to take away that point simply by placing such a hex out of German overland supply, without actually having to recapture it by direct unit entry.

4.3 German Victory

At the end of Game Turn 20 (Nov III), the German player is declared the winner of the game if he has nine or more VP. That is, if he has overland-supplied-control of nine or more city hexes. His VP total does not determine victory before that moment; the game is not won or lost, other than by concession, before the very end of Game Turn 20. No draws are possible.

4.4 Soviet Victory

The Soviet player wins by preventing the German player from fulfilling the victory condition given above at the end of Game Turn 20. He may also win, at any time during play, by gaining control of any of the three German supply head hexes shown on the map: 2530, 2531 or 2532. If he does that, even for just part of a phase, play stops immediately and the Soviet player is declared the winner.

Design Note. Those who have played other of my east front designs will notice these victory conditions contain less variability than those I usually use. That is because the situation calls for a less subtle approach to victory determination. If Hitler had decided to go for Moscow in 1942, the gauntlet would have indeed been thrown down, and in the decisive sense. To win the German player must either (effectively) capture the city of Moscow, or at least so improve his position across that place's environs by the end of the year's campaign season as to make long-term Soviet tenure there unlikely

5.0 The Turn Sequence

5.1 Each game turn of Op K is divided into two player turns of sequenced steps, also called "phases." Every action taken by a player must be carried out in the appropriate phase as described below. Once a player has finished a particular phase he may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless his opponent graciously permits it.

5.2 Game Turn Sequence Outline

The turn sequence is given below in outline. Note the German player is the first to take his player turn throughout every game turn.

I. Weather Determination Phase

II. German Player Turn

A. German Movement or Combat Phase

B. German Combat or Movement Phase

III. Soviet Player Turn (prior to first Mud or Snow)

A. Soviet Combat Phase

B. Soviet Movement Phase

III. Soviet Player Turn (after first Mud or Snow)

A. Soviet Movement or Combat Phase

B. Soviet Combat or Movement Phase

5.3 Weather Determination

This phase is skipped until the beginning of the September III game turn (Game Turn 12). Before then the weather is always considered "Dry (D);" see section 11.0 for details

5.4 German Move/Fight or Fight/Move

At the start of every one of his player turns other than the first, the German player must declare the order in which he will carry out his movement and combat phases that turn. He may choose to have his units move first and fight second or fight first and move second. After the first game turn, the decision is always up to him. On Game Turn 1, however, the German player must always use the fight/move sequence.

No matter what phase sequence the German player chooses for one of his player turns, all his units are allowed to participate to the limit of their normal capabilities in both phases. Moving or fighting doesn't preclude a unit performing both tasks each German player turn; only the order of execution is variable.

5.5 Soviet Fight/Move or Move/Fight

The Soviet player turn sequence is always fight/move until a game turn begins in which the weather turns out to be either "M" or "S." Once that happens the first time, the Soviet player may choose his sequence in all subsequent turns no matter what the weather. If "M" or "S" weather isn't rolled prior to the start of the last game turn (20), then the Soviet player may still choose move/fight or fight/move for that last game turn. Within this added weather stricture, the Soviet must make his phase sequence declarations using the same procedures as the German player (see above and below).

Design Note. It is not really that the worsening weather makes the Soviets more efficient; it's that it makes the Germans less so relative to them.

5.6 Phase Sequence Declaration Strictures

Each player makes only one phase order declaration per player turn, at the start of each of his own player turns, which is then applied to all his units throughout that turn. Neither may choose one phase order for some of his units and the other phase order for others. Nor may either decide to have two of the same kind of phases during the same player turn. Both must always take one movement and one combat phase; only their order of execution may be switched within the strictures given above.

5.7 German Phase Sequence Combat Effect

Whenever the German player chooses the fight/move sequence, all his attacks gain a one-column-rightward (1R) odds shift in addition to any other normally applicable odds shifters (see section 12.0).

5.8 Ending a Game

A game ends at the end of the November III game turn (see section 4.0) or when one player concedes defeat before that turn.

6.0 Stacking

6.1 "Stacking" is the word used to describe the piling of more than one unit into a single hex at the same time.

6.2 Stacking & Movement

Stacking rules are in effect at all times throughout the game turn. Players should therefore pay particular attention to the order they move their units in crowded areas of the board; otherwise, moves made carelessly early in the phase may block your ability to move other units later in the phase. There are no limits, however, on the number of units that may enter and pass through a given hex over the course of a phase, player turn or game turn as long as the stacking limits are met on a hex-by-hex, instant-by-instant basis.

If any hex containing stacked units of either side is found to be "over stacked"-that is, exceeds the stacking limits given below-at any time, the opposing player is immediately allowed to remove to the dead pile his choice of the minimum number of involved enemy units necessary to bring the violating stack back into limits.

6.3 German Stacking Limit

The German player may never have more than one of his side's units in any hex at any one time. Step strength has no bearing on this; a unit is a unit no matter what its step strength.

6.4 Soviet Stacking Limits

In general, the Soviet player is similarly restricted to having no more than one unit per hex. It is allowed, though, for him to have two units in a hex provided one of them is either an engineer army or a cavalry corps. Note that two cavalry corps are not allowed to stack together in the same hex, nor are two engineer armies allowed to do so, nor may a cavalry corps stack in the same hex as an engineer army. Thus the Soviet player might stack a rifle army or an elite army with an engineer army, or a rifle army or an elite army with a cavalry corps. Rifle and elite armies may not stack together.

Design Note. The stacking restriction on Soviet cavalry and engineer units has to do with established doctrine for their use during this period rather than with actual deployment space available in a hex.

6.5 Free Stacking Units

None of the markers in rule 2.15 have any stacking value. Those counters may be added freely to any stack according to the particular rules for their uses.

7.0 Zones of Control

7.1 Every ground unit in the game on both sides exerts a "Zone of Control" (or "ZOC") into the six hexes surrounding its location hex. There is no qualitative difference between a hex containing ZOC exerted there by one unit or by several. The ZOC of both sides may be simultaneously exerted into the same hexes.

7.2 Limits

With but one exception, ZOC extend into and out of all hexes and across all hex sides, no matter the terrain involved, and they are exerted equally by ground units of all types of both sides regardless of supply state and step strength. The exception is that ZOC don't extend across reservoir hex sides during D, R & M weather (see section 11.0).

7.3 ZOC Effects on Movement

Special movement costs are involved in entering and leaving hexes containing enemy zones of control ("EZOC"). All mechanized units of both sides must pay an additional two movement points (+2 MP) to enter an EZOC hex, and they must also pay +2 MP to leave an EZOC hex as described in the paragraph below. All non-mechanized units of both sides must pay an additional one movement point (+1 MP) to enter an EZOC hex, and they must also pay +1 MP to leave an EZOC hex as described in the paragraph below.

All ground units of both sides and both mobility classes must stop their movement for that phase in the first hex they enter containing an enemy zone of control ("EZOC"). Units beginning their side's movement phase already in a hex containing an EZOC may move out of that hex provided the first hex they enter contains no EZOC. Units in such a situation may then enter another EZOC hex after moving into that first EZOC-free hex, but they would then be forced to halt their movement there for that phase.

Without exception, no unit of either side is ever allowed to move directly from one EZOC to another EZOC, no matter how many movement points it might otherwise have remaining to pay EZOC movement costs.

7.4 EZOC & Supply

Supply lines may be traced into, but not through, hexes containing unnegated Soviet ZOC (see section 8.0).

7.5 Negating EZOC

The presence of a friendly ground unit in a hex containing an EZOC negates that EZOC for the purposes of tracing supply lines into and through the hex. Friendly unit presence does not negate EZOC for movement (regular or road mode), or for retreat-after-combat purposes, but EZOC never work to block advances-after-combat for either side (see 12.30).

8.0 Supply

8.1 The units of both sides need supply to be provided to them in order to operate at their full movement and combat potentials. There are no counters representing the actual materiel consumed; instead, that process is represented by "supply line tracing" to "supply source" hexes.

8.2 Supply States

There are three supply states for German/Axis units, and each ground unit of that side always exists in one of them: 1) overland supply, which is also called "regular supply"; 2) aerial supply; and 3) out of supply, which is also referred to as "OOS" and "unsupplied." There are only two supply states for Soviet units: overland supply and OOS; they have no aerial supply available to them.

8.3 Supply Sources

There is one German supply source hex on the map, the city of Vyazma in hex 2530. The game is lost by the German player the instant that hex or either of the two rail line hexes connecting it to the west board edge (2531, 2532) come under Soviet control (see 4.4).

Soviet supply sources are the nine hexes marked as such along the map's north, east and south edges. For example, 4218, 2100, 1020, etc. If a given supply source hex comes under German control, that hex loses its supply capacity (as well as reinforcement entry capacity, see 9.2) until such time as it is again brought under Soviet control. Such control switching may occur and reoccur for every Soviet supply hex on the map any number of times during play.

Design Note. Unlike other games I have designed, most city hexes here are not themselves supply sources.

8.4 Tracing German Supply Lines

German units are in regular overland supply when they can trace a path of contiguous hexes from their location hex back to Vyazma. These lines, though they may otherwise be of any length, must meet the strictures described below in 8.6.

8.5 Tracing Soviet Supply Lines

Soviet units are in regular overland supply when they can trace a path of contiguous hexes from their location hex back to a friendly controlled Soviet supply source hex. These lines, though they may otherwise be of any length, must meet the strictures described below in 8.6. Further, Soviet units located north of their side's north/south supply zone dividing line printed on the map may trace only to supply source hexes located on that half of the map and, still further, their supply lines may only run into and through hexes on that half of the map. The opposite is true for Soviet units south of the line.

8.6 General Supply Line Tracing Limitations

Supply lines may never be traced into or through enemy controlled city hexes, nor may they be traced into or through enemy controlled and intact fortification hexes (see 10.15). And that is true even when such hexes are empty of actual enemy units and EZOC.

No portion of any supply line may ever be traced into or through hexes containing enemy ground units. Supply lines may always be traced into EZOC, but they may only be traced through them if one or more friendly units occupies each such hex in order to "negate" that enemy zone of control while the tracing takes place.

In general, natural terrain doesn't effect supply line tracing, but the German may trace his supply lines across reservoir hexes only during F and S weathers. The Soviet may always trace his supply lines across reservoir hex sides, no matter the weather.

8.7 German Aerial Supply

The German aerial supply marker can provide this kind of supply to any German units in its hex of placement and in the six surrounding hexes. Units receiving aerial supply are in supply only for defensive purposes. They are considered OOS for attack and movement.

The aerial supply marker may be committed to any hex on the map any time during the game turn and it's supply effects are immediate, but it may never be committed to more than one hex per game turn. Note also that the aerial supply marker may not move with the units beneath and/or around it.

The marker may be deployed once every game turn as needed, during any phase of either player turn, but it may only be picked up from the map only at the start of a new game turn.

8.8 Effects of Being OOS

Units are never reduced in step-strength or eliminated simply for being OOS. Units may exist indefinitely in the OOS or any other supply state, but OOS units have their movement and combat factors halved (see 1.4). Both players may deliberately move units into hexes where they will or may become OOS. Also note DR combat results are converted to AL1 against defenders that are supplied, overland or aerially, in city hexes (see 12.15).

8.9 When to Check Supply

A player should check the supply status of each of his units at the start of its movement and again at the start of each individual battle in which he has forces involved on offense or defense. Units found to be OOS at the start of their movement have their movement factors halved for that phase. Units found to be OOS at the start of any battle either on offense or defense, have their corresponding combat factors halved for that battle.

9.0 Reinforcements & Replacements

9.1 Reinforcements are new units that enter the game after play has begun. Other than Soviet rifle army reinforcements (see 2.13 and 2.14), they are identifiable by the one- or two-digit numbers printed in their upper-left corners corresponding to the number of the earliest possible game turn of their entry into play.

Either player may choose to delay some or all of his arrivals, as well as Soviet replacements reclaimed from the dead pile, but neither may accelerate reinforcement arrivals. Delayed reinforcements and Soviet dead pile reclamation units are simply held off the map by the owning player until the start of one of his movement phases when he does want to enter them.

Reinforcement units, as well as replacements being reclaimed from the Soviet dead pile, may be entered any time during any friendly movement phase; however, no single placement hex may receive more than one full stack (see section 6.0) of units per movement phase. Two- and multi-step reinforcement units are usually entered into play at their full step-strength. Soviet elite units reclaimed from the dead pile; might re-enter play at one step strength (see 9.3 below.)

All reinforcements have their movement and combat capabilities available to them from their instant of placement according to the regular rules governing those things.

9.2 Reinforcement Entry Hexes

The Soviet player's reinforcements may enter play via any friendly controlled supply source hexes along the board's edges (decided by him on a unit-by-unit basis). Their hex of placement counts against each entering unit's movement factor for that phase. Units may enter via hexes containing EZOC, but they must then halt their movement in those placement hexes for the remainder of that phase. Soviet arriving units may be entered at any times throughout the Soviet movement phase.

Alternatively, again decided on a unit-by-unit basis, during game turns during which no enemy unit occupies any hex of Moscow, arriving Soviet units may enter in any, some or all hexes of that city. This Soviet ability may be lost and regained any number of times each game, as the occupation status of Moscow changes. When entering via Moscow, their hex of placement does not count against arriving Soviet units' movement factors for that phase.

The German player's reinforcements may enter play via any friendly controlled and overland supplied city hex on the map, decided by him on a unit-by-unit basis. Their hex of placement never counts against their movement factors for that phase.

Design Note: First time players might want to read rules 2.13 and 3.2 again before reading farther here.

9.3 Soviet Rifle & Elite Replacements

Replacements are levies of new Soviet troops and equipment, not themselves represented by counters, used to reclaim entirely eliminated units from the dead pile or replenish partially eliminated Soviet units still in the field. Each replacement increment-called a "step"-is able to replenish one step of combat strength.

Once used, a replacement step is permanently committed to its receiving unit; it cannot afterward be recalled or transferred to any other unit. The Soviet player may not accumulate replacement steps from turn to turn. Those not used, by being committed to replenish or reclaim some unit, on their turn of receipt are forfeit.

The Soviet player receives one rifle and one elite replacement step during every game turn. Each Soviet rifle replacement step may be used by that player to reclaim any one-step rifle unit from the dead pile.

Each time a Soviet one-step unit is eliminated, it should be put in a convenient location off to the side of map with its untried side again showing upward. When reentered via the replacement process, the Soviet player draws them randomly, without looking at their tried sides, and reenters them into play as untried units.

Soviet elite units may be replenished on the map or reclaimed from the dead pile once eliminated, but only by using elite steps; the two types of steps are not interchangeable. To be replenished on the map a reduced Soviet two-step unit must be in overland supply. (They may be in EZOC.) Replenished and reclaimed Soviet units have their full movement and combat capabilities available for normal use that turn. An eliminated Soviet unit may be reclaimed from the dead pile at one step strength and then later built back up to two-step strength, either off the map or in play as described above.

9.4 Soviet Specialist Unit Replacements

If a Soviet player turn begins with one or more cavalry corps in the dead pile, he should roll a die for each one. A roll of one (1) means that unit is replaced freely. Any other result means that corps must remain in the dead pile at least until the next die roll attempt at the start of the next Soviet player turn. Every cavalry corps in the dead pile has one such die roll made for it at the start of every Soviet player turn, no matter how many times a failed roll was made for it and no matter how many times each one goes in and out of the dead pile.

Soviet engineer armies may never be replaced once in the dead pile.

9.5 Soviet Dead Pile Reclamation

Within the strictures given above, a Soviet unit (other than engineers) may go in and out of the dead pile any number of times during play no matter what the circumstances of their eliminations.

Design Note. There are no German/Axis replacements. That is not to say the Germans were not sending anything east during this period; it is simply that their numbers come in under the threshold of an actual step replacement when measured at these scales in this system.

10.0 Movement

10.1 Every ground combat unit in the game has a "movement factor" printed in its bottom-right corner. That factor is the number of "movement points" (also called "movement factors" and "MFs" and "MPs") available to the unit to use to move across the hex grid during its movement phases throughout the game. Units move from hex to adjacent hex-no "skipping" of hexes is allowed-paying varied costs to do so depending on the terrain in and along the sides of the hexes being entered and the presence of enemy zones of control (see 7.3). The movement of each player's ground units takes place only during his own player turns. No enemy movement takes place during your own player turns (exception: see 12.25, retreat and advance after combat).

10.2 Limits

MPs may not be accumulated from turn to turn or phase to phase, nor may they be lent or given from one unit to another. A player may potentially move all, some, or none of his units in each of his movement phases throughout the game. Units that move are not required to expend all their MPs before stopping. The movement of each unit or stack must be completed before that of another is begun. A player may change the position of an already moved unit or stack only if his opponent agrees to allow it.

10.3 Minimum Movement Ability

Each unit is generally guaranteed the ability to move at least one hex during a friendly movement phase by expending all its MF to do so at the very start of that move. But this guarantee doesn't allow units to enter hexes otherwise impassable to them, nor does it give units the ability to move directly from EZOC to EZOC (see section 7.0). This rule does grant the ability to exit an enemy zone of control, provided the hex moved into contains no EZOC. It also gives the ability to enter an EZOC, provided that hex is the first and only hex moved into and no EZOC-to-EZOC movement is involved.

10.4 Enemy Units

Units may never enter hexes containing enemy units.

10.5 Soviet Stack Movement

To move together as a stack, Soviet units must begin their movement phase already stacked together in the same hex. Units are not, however, required to move together simply because they started a movement phase in the same hex; such units might be moved together or individually.

10.6 Splitting Soviet Stacks

When moving a Soviet stack you may halt it temporarily to allow one of the units to split off and move away on a separate course. The unit left behind in the split-off hex may then resume its own movement, but once you begin moving a different stack, or an individual unit that began in a different hex than the currently moving stack, you may no longer resume the movement of the first stack or unit without the German player's permission.

10.7 Different MFs in Soviet Stacks

If Soviet units with different movement factors are traveling together in a stack, the stack must use the movement factor of the slowest unit within it. Of course, as the slower unit exhausts its MF, you may drop it off and continue with the faster unit.

10.8 Terrain & Movement

All terrain features on the map are classified into two broad categories: natural and manmade. Both those categories are further divided into several different types (see below). There is never more than one type of natural terrain in any one hex, but one or more types of manmade terrain may exist in one hex along with the natural stuff. Whenever any unit is moving, no matter its mode or supply state, all applicable terrain costs, natural and manmade, in-hex and hex side, are cumulative in their effects.

10.9 Natural Terrain

There are two types of natural terrain on the map, along with two kinds of water hex sides: clear, forest, river hex sides and reservoir hex sides. The effects those various features have on the movement of units are described below and are also summarized on the Terrain Effects Chart (or "TEC," see 13.3) for quick reference during play.

10.10 Clear

Clear terrain is the "base" terrain of this game, largely devoid of natural features that would enhance defense or slow movement. Accordingly, each clear hex costs all units one MP to enter in D, R and F weathers, and two MP to enter in M and S weathers (see section 11.0). For a hex to be considered clear terrain, it must be the only kind of natural terrain in the hex.

10.11 Forests

All units pay two MP per forest hex entered during D, R and F weather, and three MP per forest hex during M and S weather. A hex containing any portion of forest terrain is considered to be forest terrain.

10.12 River Hex Sides

All units must pay an extra MP to cross a river hex side in D and R weather. All units must pay two extra MP to cross a river hex side in M weather. No extra costs are involved with crossing river hex sides during F or S weather. "Extra" means in addition to whatever cost is involved for entering the hex being crossed into.

Note no city hexes have any river hex sides. That is, entering or leaving any city hex automatically gets a unit across any river that would otherwise be shown flowing there, without the moving unit having to pay any crossing cost.

10.13 Reservoir Hex Sides

Units may not cross reservoir hex sides under any circumstances during D, R and M weather; however, they may be crossed without penalty during F and S weather. Remember, too, that Soviet supply lines may always be traced across reservoir hex sides, but German supply lines may only cross them during F & S weather (see 8.6). Further, these hex sides are the only ones that inhibit ZOC projection across them, but only during D, R and M weather (see 7.2).

10.14 Manmade Terrain

Manmade terrain exists in two types: city hexes and fortification hexes.

10.15 Fortification Hexes, Intact & Destroyed

Intact enemy fortifications may be entered at a cost one MP higher than that given for the natural terrain in that hex and the weather then in effect, and no road mode movement (see 10:18) or retreat-after-combat (see 12.25) is allowed into such hexes, though advance-after-combat is allowed, see 12.31 and 12.32.

At the start of play all fortification hexes of both sides are intact. They remain that way until first entered, either as part of regular movement or advance-after-combat, by an enemy ground unit. Once so entered an enemy fortification hex is considered destroyed. Destroyed fortification hexes may not be rebuilt during the course of play of any game, and for all purposes they have ceased to exist, with only such hexes' natural terrains having any further effects. Mark all destroyed fortification hexes with a control marker of the enemy side.

10.16 City Hexes

City hexes cost all units one MP to enter during all weather. No other type of terrain, manmade or natural, exists within city hexes. When enemy controlled, they prevent friendly supply line tracing (see 8.6), road mode movement (see 10.18), and retreats-after-combat (see 12.25), but not advances after combat (see 12.31). Unlike fortifications, there is no destruction of city hexes; they are always considered intact.

Soviet cavalry corps may not end any kind of movement, including retreat- or advance-after-combat, in a city hex. Cavalry corps may attack into or pass through city hexes, but they may never end a move there. If they are forced to do so for any reason, they are instead eliminated in the hex prior to entry.

10.17 No Off Map Movement

No unit once in play on the map may be moved, advanced or retreated off it.

10.18 Road Mode ("Columnar") Movement

Any unit of either side that begins its movement phase in overland supply and is not adjacent to any enemy unit(s) may use road mode movement that turn. The effect of using road mode movement is to double its MP for that move. No unit using road mode may start such a move adjacent to any enemy unit(s), no matter if stacked there with another friendly unit; nor may it move adjacent to any enemy unit(s) anywhere along the road mode move's path; nor may it end its move adjacent to any enemy unit(s), again, no matter if it would be stacked there with another friendly unit. Further, no unit of either side may use road mode movement to enter any enemy controlled city hex or an intact enemy fortification hex.

No unit may mix road mode and regular movement during the same movement phase. Each unit in each movement phase, decided by the owning player within the above strictures, may move either using road mode or regular movement.

Within the above strictures, even arriving reinforcements and dead pile reclamation units may use road mode during the turn of their arrival.

10.19 Soviet North & South Supply Zones

Soviet units may freely cross their side's north or south supply zone dividing line during any given regular or road mode move. Make the normal in-supply or OOS determination at the times described in 8.9, then move and fight or fight and move each line-crossing Soviet unit accordingly.

11.0 Weather

11.1 At this scale of simulation, weather slows unit movement across the map and may affect combat. See 5.3 and at appropriate times consult the Weather Effects Table (13.2) and have the German player roll a die to determine each game turn's weather.

11.2 "D" Weather-Dry Ground

"D" means dry ground. In general, there are no special weather effects on movement or combat, and "D" is considered the automatic weather for all turns prior to Game Turn 12 (Sep III).

11.3 "R" Weather-Rains

"R" means the autumn rains have begun. All German units lose one MP from their movement allowance during "R" turns. There is no effect on Soviet units and "D" weather effects otherwise remain in force.

11.4 "M" Weather-Mud

"M" means enough rain has fallen to generate the muddy quagmire conditions known in Russia as rasputitsa. All "M" weather terrain costs listed in section 10.0 are in effect for both sides. Once "M" weather is rolled, no more "D" or "R" weather may occur, no matter what the die roll indicates. Weather die rolls are therefore made after the advent of "M" weather only to see when "F" or "S" weather will occur. "M," "F" and "S" weather may occur any number of times in a game, no matter what the weather was during the previous game turn. See the TEC for more details.

11.5 "F" Weather

"F" means heavy frost has set in, but there is no deep snow. See the TEC for more details

11.6 "S" Weather

"S" means there is heavy snowfall with temperatures continuously below freezing; deep winter has set in. If "S" weather occurs on Game Turn 19, that means it is also automatically the weather for Game Turn 20. See the TEC for more details. There is no marker for this.

11.7 Weather & Water Feature Movement Costs

No unit may move across reservoir hex sides in any way during D, R or M weather. During F and S weather, reservoir hex sides are ignored for all movement purposes.

Units moving across river hex sides in D or R weather must pay an extra MP (+1 MP) for doing so. "Extra" means in addition to the terrain cost involved for entering the hex being crossed into.

Units moving across river hex side in M weather must pay two extra MP (+2 MP) for doing so. "Extra" means in addition to the terrain cost involved for entering the hex being crossed into.

During F and S weather, river hex sides are ignored for all movement purposes.

11.8 Weather & Water Feature Combat Effects

No matter what the weather, units are never allowed to attack across reservoir hex sides.

During D, R or M weather, units attacking across river hex sides have their combat factors halved. During F and S weather, however, there are no river combat effects

12.0 Combat

12.1 Combat takes place between adjacent opposing units during the combat phases in every player turn. Attacking is always voluntary; the mere fact of opposing units' adjacency or presence in each other's ZOC doesn't necessitate combat. The player whose turn it is, is considered the "attacker," and the other player is considered the "defender," no matter the overall situation across the map.

12.2 Multiple Defenders in One Hex

If there are two enemy units in a hex being attacked by your units, you must attack that stack as one, combined defending unit.

12.3 Multi-Hex Attacks

An enemy occupied hex may be attacked in one battle by as many of your units as you can bring to bear from one, some or all of the surrounding hexes, but no more than one hex may ever be the object of any single attack. For example, a unit in 3112 may not attack into both 3212 and 3213 during the same combat phase.

12.4 Indivisibility of Units

No single attacking unit may have its attack factor divided and applied to more than one battle. Likewise, no defending unit may have part of its defense factor attacked by one or a few attackers while another part is attacked by others. No attacking unit may attack more than once per combat phase, and no defending unit may be attacked more than once per combat phase.

12.5 Attack Sequencing

There is no artificial limit on the number of attacks each player may resolve during his combat phases. The attacker need not declare all his attacks beforehand, and he may resolve them in any order he wishes as long as the resolution of one is completed before that of the next is begun.

12.6 Stacks Attacking

Soviet units stacked in a given hex need not all participate in the same attack. One of them might attack into one defender hex while the other attacked into some other hex or simply did not attack at all. No defending unit of either side, stacked or alone, may ever refuse combat.

12.7 Fog of War

The German player may never look beneath the top unit of enemy stacks until the time comes in the combat resolution process for odds computation. Once such an examination has been made, he may no longer call off that attack. Note, though, the German VP total is always known to both players, and both players may look beneath informational markers (all the units shown in 2.15).

12.8 Combat Procedures

Normally the attacking player should strive to have several times more attack factors involved in a battle than the defender has defense factors. Such battles are called "high odds" attacks. To resolve such fights, the attacking player begins by calculating his "odds." Do that by adding together the attack factors of all the attacking units involved in the battle. Then add up the defense factors of the enemy units defending in the battle. Divide the defender-total into the attacker-total and round down any remainder.

For example, if 26 attack factors attack 7 defense factors, the situation yields odds of 3:1 ("three to one"). That is, 27÷7=3.71, which rounds down to 3. To turn that "3" into a ratio, you must set a "1" next to it on the right. Thus "3" becomes "3:1," which corresponds to a column-heading on the Combat Results Table (CRT, see 14.3). And don't forget to take the supply situation into account; see section 8.0.

12.9 Poor Odds Attacks

Battles in which the attacking force has fewer combat factors than the defender are called "poor odds attacks." Divide the defender's total by the attacker's, and round up all remainders. For example, if a force with 5 attack factors is attacking a force with 11 defense factors, it is a poor odds attack. In that case, divide 11 by 5 (11÷5=2.2), and round up (2.2 becomes 3); then set a "1" on the left of that "3," yielding odds of 1:3 ("one to three").

12.10 Odds Limits & Lines on the CRT

Note the column headings on the CRT range from 1:3 to 6:1. Final odds greater than 6:1 are resolved without a die roll. Their results are always "DE." Odds less than 1:3 are also resolved without a die roll. Their results are always "AL1."

12.11 Combat Modifiers

The odds obtained in the calculations described above may be modified ("shifted") by the terrain in the defender's hex, as well as by other factors described below. All applicable combat modifiers are cumulative in their effect. That is, in every battle all applicable modifiers are determined and their effects taken into account before the "final odds" are determined and the die is rolled to get a combat result.

12.12 Minimum Combat Factors

No lone unit or stack in the game ever has its combat factor reduced below "1" for any reason. Whenever a stacked situation arises in a given battle in which common combat factor reductions are to be made, total all the units' factors subject to a common reduction, then make just one grand reduction, rounding down any remainder. This is one of the exceptions given in the general halving rule, see 1.4.

12.13 Clear Terrain

Clear terrain has no combat penalties or benefits in and of itself.

12.14 Forests

Units defending in forest hexes receive a one-column leftward (1L) odds shift. For example, a 3:1 attack would become a 2:1 attack against enemy units in a forest hex.

Design Note. For the combat effects of reservoir and river hex sides, see the TEC or 11.7 and 11.8.

12.15 City Hexes

All units of both sides defending in city hexes always gain a two-column leftward (2L) odds shift for doing so, and if the defenders are supplied (either overland or aerially) then "DR" results against them are converted to "AL1." Note, though, this rule doesn't supersede rule 12.10. That is, battles with final odds off the extreme ends of the CRT are still resolved without a die roll and their automatic "AL1" and "DE" results are unchanged.

No concentric assault bonus (12.17) is ever gained against units of either side defending in a city hex. Note also that no city hex has any river hex sides.

12.16 Fortifications in Combat

When fortifications are destroyed as described in 10.15, they lose all their movement, combat and supply (see 8.6) effects for the rest of the game. No fortification hex, once destroyed by enemy entry, may be rebuilt to intact status during the course of any game. Natural terrain governs all movement and combat effects in destroyed fortification hexes. Neither side is ever able to "capture intact" any enemy fortification hex; those defense are always instantly destroyed by the act of enemy entry.

Units defending in a fortification hex benefit from an additional shift of two columns leftward (2L). For example, what would otherwise be a 4:1 attack against units defending in an intact fortification hex would thereby become a 2:1 attack.

No concentric assault bonus (12.17) is ever gained against units of either side defending in one of their own side's intact fortification hexes.

Design Note. There are no city hexes that are also fortified hexes and there are no fortified hexes that are also city hexes.

12.17 Concentric Assault

If a defending Soviet unit is attacked by German units from opposite hexes, or by units from three hexes with one hex between each and the next, or by units from more than three hexes, that German attack gains a two column rightward (2R) odds shift. This bonus is also available to attacking Soviet units, but when they gain it they only achieve a one-column rightward (1R) odds shift. Note, however, the concentric assault bonus is never available against units, defending in city or intact fortification hexes. In the accompanying diagram, the defending unit in the center is being concentrically assaulted.

12.18 Ground Support Aircraft

Both players have one ground support aircraft counter available for use during the game. The German player begins the game already in possession of his; the Soviet player receives his as a reinforcement on during his player turn of Game Turn 19, at which time the German player must permanently remove his air unit from play.

During game turns it is available, the German player may commit his aircraft counter to support any one battle, either offensive or defensive, anywhere on the map. The counter may be used only once per game turn. To determine the plane's effect on combat, when adding up German combat strength for the supported battle, that player rolls a die. That result (1-6) is the number of combat factors contributed by the planes to the supported fight, with the proviso there may be no more air factors added in than there are German/Axis ground combat factors in the supported fight (any excess are simply lost). Supported ground units may be in any supply state, and they may support German and/or Axis units.

Twice during the game, the German player may call for a maximum effort from his aircraft. For those battles, the planes automatically contribute six combat factors. Again, though, air combat factors contributed may not exceed the amount of friendly ground combat factors involved in the supported battle. Further, the two maximum efforts must have at least three game turns intervening between them. For instance, if the German used a maximum effort on Game Turn 2, he could not call for the next until Game Turn 6.

The Soviet planes, once they arrive, operate generally the same way as the Germans with two important exceptions: 1) they may be used only to support Soviet attacks, never defenses; and 2) the Soviet player may not call for any maximum efforts.

The planes of both sides have no stacking or combat values of their own, nor may they be given up to satisfy combat losses.

12.19 German 11th Army Attacking

When units of German 11th Army (30th, 42nd and 54th Infantry Corps, all identified with an "11" after their designations on their counters) attack city or intact fortification hexes they do so with their attack factors doubled. The units must be in overland supply, and at least two 11th Army corps must be participating in the doubled attack. Thus there may never be more than one special 11th Army attack per German player turn. Other German/Axis units may also participate in the special attack, but they do so only with normal attack strengths.

12.20 Soviet Artillery Concentration Markers

The Soviet player receives two "Stavka Artillery Concentration" markers as reinforcements on Game Turn 1. These are not ground units in the normal sense. They are force multiplier markers, and as such they have no combat, stacking or step values of their own and they may never be given up to satisfy combat losses.

The Soviet player may commit his artillery, no more than one per hex, during any, some, or all of his side's combat phases throughout the game. They may be placed atop any Soviet unit or stack that will be attacking that phase, provided the unit or stack is in overland supply. The effect is to double the attack factor of the supported unit or stack. The Soviet player may commit both markers to the same battle, provided the Soviets are attacking from at least two hexes. As soon as a supported battle is resolved, remove the markers until the start of the next Soviet player turn.

Once per game, during any game turn after the advent of the first "M" weather, the Soviet player may use one of his artillery markers defensively in a "Kontrapodgotovka" (in English, a "counter-preparation") barrage. To do so, as soon as the German has declared an attack the Soviet player decides he wants to support in this way, the latter simply announces the support. The German player may not call off his attack. The effect of the artillery is to double the normally calculated Soviet defense strength in the supported hex. The counter used for the defensive support is not available again until the next game turn's Soviet player turn.

12.21 Combat Engineer Division "Moskva"

The German player receives "Pioneer Division 'Moskva'" as a reinforcement on Game Turn 19, provided he controls one or more Moscow hexes in overland supply at that game turn's start and the Soviet player also controls one or more Moscow hexes (supply state irrelevant).

The PDM is not a true unit as described in the bulk of these rules. It is actually a combat informational marker that has no step, stacking or strength values of its own. Deployed atop any Soviet unit or stack in Moscow, however, it has the effect of doubling the attack factors of all overland supplied German ground units attacking that hex. Once the combat is resolved, the PDM is instantly and permanently removed, but that removal doesn't in any way satisfy any German loss requirements suffered in the attack.

Design Note. See rules 5.7 for another odds shifter.

12.22 Soviet Cavalry Corps Attacking Alone

Whenever a Soviet cavalry corps attacks from a hex in which it is not stacked with a Soviet rifle or elite army, that corps attacks with a factor of only one (1). That remains true even if one or more Soviet armies are participating in the same attack from other hexes.

12.23 Soviet Engineers Alone

Whenever a Soviet engineer army defends alone in a hex, it does so with a defense factor of one (1).

12.24 Final Combat Resolution

After all applicable modifiers have been applied and a final CRT odds column determined, the attacker rolls a die and consults that table (13.4) to get a "combat result." For example, a roll of "5" at odds of 6:1 yields a combat result of "DE."

Apply all modifiers before going to the CRT to find each battle's final odds column. For example, if you are attacking at 20:1 (twenty to one) and there are modifiers operating that give a 2L shift, you're then actually attacking at 18:1. That means you would resolve that battle without a die roll, obtaining an automatic "DE" result in accordance with the note printed beneath the CRT. You do not convert the original 20:1 to a 7:1, the highest odds column on the CRT, and then shift 2L; you apply all modifiers first, then go to the CRT to find your column.

12.25 DR Results & Retreat-After-Combat

"DR" stands for "Defender Retreat." A retreating unit or stack must be retreated by the owning player into an adjacent hex empty of both enemy units and their EZOC. If there is more than one such hex available, the player must retreat his unit or stack in the direction that takes them closer to their nearest source of overland supply. If more than one route fulfills that requirement, it is his choice, but stacking rules may never be violated when making a retreat. Note that friendly units do not negate EZOC for purposes of conducting retreats-after-combat.

No unit of either side may retreat into an enemy controlled city hex or enemy controlled and intact fortification hex.

An Axis satellite unit, or a Soviet unit or stack, that is unable to retreat within the strictures given above is eliminated in place. A German unit that is unable to retreat within the strictures given above remains in place but must make a DE die roll check for doing so (see 12.29).

12.26 More Retreat Movement Details

Retreat after combat does not use up MP, and it has nothing to do with the costs involved with movement phase movement. Retreating units, however, must still observe normal movement prohibitions. For example, units retreating after combat in "D" weather may not retreat across a reservoir hex side.

Retreating after combat is an all-go proposition for the stacked Soviet defenders. That is, the Soviet player may not retreat just one unit from a defending stack, leaving the other behind.

Stacking limits must be observed in retreat movement. A retreating Soviet stack may only be broken up to allow its component units to retreat individually into different hexes if stacking restrictions both require it and allow for it.

12.27 EX Results

"EX" is the abbreviation for "Exchange." When this result is rolled, both players must remove one step-total-from their force involved in the battle. If that step removal completely empties the defender's hex, the attacker is eligible for advance after combat (see below, 12.30). Surviving defenders never advance after combat; they simply hold their position.

12.28 AS Results

"AS" is the abbreviation for "Attack Stalled." This result means no significant combat result has been achieved. Both sides' involved units simply remain in place and no step losses are suffered by either side. The involved units of both sides still are considered to have been in combat, and they therefore may not participate in any other battle that same phase.

12.29 DE Results

"DE" is the abbreviation for "Defender Eliminated." When this result is achieved against Soviet or Axis satellite defenders, it means all those involved defenders are eliminated (removed to the dead pile). When this result is achieved against a German defender, that player should immediately roll a die and halve that result, rounding up remainders. That final result (one, two or three) is the number of steps the German must remove from his involved defender unit. (This is one of the two exceptions to the general halving rule presented in 1.4.)

If the German unit survives the step reduction, it simply remains in place. If the step removal completely empties the defender's hex, the attacker is eligible for advance after combat. (See below, 12.30.)

12.30 AL1 Results

All units of both sides remain in place; the attacker must eliminate any one step (total) from among the unit(s) of his involved force (his choice). The one step elimination takes place even if there is only one step in the attacking force. Surviving defenders never advance after combat; they simply hold their position.

12.31 Advance After Combat

Whenever the defender's hex is left vacant of defenders, either by loss or retreat, the victorious attacking units may advance after combat into that hex. Stacking limitations must be observed. Such advances aren't part of normal movement, and they don't cost any MPs, but advancing units must still observe normal terrain prohibitions just as described in retreats in rule 12.26. Note, though, that advances after combat may be made from EZOC to EZOC by all types of victorious attackers from both sides, and that enemy controlled city hexes and intact enemy fortification hexes may be entered by units making an advance after combat (one or two hex; see below).

Advancing after combat is an option. It is never required. The decision to advance must be made immediately after the battle is resolved and before another is begun. Advancing Soviet attackers need not advance two units into the hex. He may send just one if he chooses.

There is never any defender advance after combat; victorious defenders simply hold their place.

12.32 Two Hex Advance After Combat

Whenever a German overland supplied mechanized unit is in a situation allowing for an advance after combat, such units may advance two hexes instead of just one, provided the weather is not "M" or "S." The same is true for overland supplied Soviet cavalry corps, provided they attacked stacked with a rifle or elite army that attacked with them (other Soviet units may also have participated from different hexes) and the weather is not "M" ("S" is OK).

All the strictures given in 12.30 still apply, and the first hex moved into must the defender's vacated hex; the second hex may be any otherwise legally enterable hex. Both hexes of the advance may be conducted ignoring EZOC. The owning player is not forced to make a second hex advance; he is simply allowed to if he so chooses.

12.33 Axis Satellite Attack Restrictions

Axis satellite armies may never take part in the same attack, no matter if there is also German participation. German units may always participate in any normal numbers with an Axis satellite army attack.

13.0 Charts & Tables

Located on the map.

14.0 Designer's Notes

There often erupt debates on the bulletin board of Consimworld.com about various alternative strategies that might have been followed by Nazi Germany during World War II. Of course, a second attempt on Moscow, during the summer of 1942, rather than the ultimately disastrous Operation Blue, which eventually climaxed with the outright destruction of all German hopes for offensive victory in the east, has been the focus of more than one of them.

One of the interesting things about the debates is the fact they are seldom conducted with reference to using wargames as tools to model and explore the potentialities inherent in the proposed "what-ifs." I believe that avoidance comes at least partially from the fact many wargames are too systemically large and cumbersome to be played to completion by most gamers. In fact, it seems to me (if I'm reading between the lines of the postings correctly, and I believe I am) the majority of wargames out there today get played, if at all, once-and usually solitaire at that - before they're put away.

In beginning work, then, on an alternative history title covering a possible German second-go for Moscow in 1942, I wanted to finish having created a wargame that: 1) could be played to completion within the time most gamers have to devote to their hobby each week; 2) could be played solitaire about as easily as against an actual opponent; and 3) was systemically innovative enough to make the play experience historically revealing, enjoyable and balanced for both sides. I'm sure many of the regular Consimworld.com debaters will soon be letting me know how close I've come to achieving those goals.

I began with a map scaled and oriented so as to allow the inclusion on it of all the Toropets salient. That was the bulge of Soviet controlled territory with its southeastern base in the northwest corner of the present map, jutting from there some 50 miles west and southwest into German-held territory. Even a cursory glance at the strategic situation showed it would have been a good start for the Germans, once having set themselves on trying again for Moscow, to first clean up that overhanging obstruction and potential threat. But it then quickly also became apparent they had neither the time nor forces necessary to conduct a preliminary campaign. Even the most optimistic modeling of 1942 German capabilities in relation to those of the Soviets did not allow for them to be able to complete their post-Barbarossa regrouping, eliminate the Toropets salient, operationally regroup again, and then press on to Moscow before the campaign season ended or their losses grew too large. Trying to do both at once proved even more futile in play testing, only more quickly so. In fact, at that point in the design process it seemed the existence of the Toropets bulge really worked to entirely overturn the possibility of a renewed German drive on Moscow.

Fortunately (for the eventual publication of this design), further research showed the stretched Soviet logistical situation within the salient reopened German strategic and operational possibilities around it. That is, the area encompassed by the bulge was so underdeveloped in terms of military communications the Reds had to build a new railroad into it just to maintain themselves there defensively.

Thus, while certainly an inconvenience and a potential growing danger as a base for Soviet operations as the year wore on, it was well within the realm of possibility for the Germans to have simply masked the salient during the summer and pushed east past it. So that is what we have imagined they are doing here. Of course, it is not hard to imagine the consequences stemming from such an approach had the Germans, just as they did historically in 1942, ended their campaign coming up short of where they needed to be to win.

Hitler's viewpoint would no doubt have been that, with Moscow once in the bag, the Toropets salient - far from remaining a danger - would have deflated itself when the Soviets of necessity had to pull back and regroup after the loss of their capital city.

The Toropets salient investigation for a while also led the playtesters to call for me to expand the game in both time and space to include it and possible operations across the map well into 1943. But aside from defeating the first proposition I adopted when I began the project (see above), that approach also amounted to piling what-if on what-if to the point that solid connection with the historic timeline was entirely lost.

The point of the game is to explore the idea of the Germans going for Moscow in 1942. That exploration is finished, one way or another, by the onset of winter. If you want to explore what would've happened had the Germans gone for Moscow in 1942, taken it or failed, and then had to continue the war into 1943 and beyond, the thing for you to do is get out one of the many strategic-level games covering the whole or most of World War II in the east and play it along those lines. Otherwise the variability of events on portions of the front not shown on this map (or even a larger map with Toropets on it) becomes too much of an "X factor" to allow for drawing good conclusions.

A historic myth revealed by simply setting up the game is the overturning of the idea Stalin was convinced the Germans would go for Moscow again in 1942. I'm still not sure what he believed or thought on the matter, but it is obvious from his disposition of the reserve forces available to him that, even if he did decide Moscow was to be the German target, that feeling wasn't strong enough in him to make him act on it.

The many Soviet reinforcements that come pouring onto the map during the first few turns were all in existence historically as active formations at the start of the campaign period, but they all began it deployed in a huge arc stretching from north and east of Moscow to just south of Stalingrad. To explore a what-if within a what-if, you might try playing a match after letting the Soviet player deploy all those early reinforcements at the start of play anywhere east of the original front line. It makes for an entirely different game experience and points up the one thing Stalin certainly did think and believe early in 1942 was that he had to hedge all his bets.

The game system I chose might best be called an "operationalized" version of the one I first used in my well received "Iron Dream" design published in Command magazine a few years back. I believe it neatly and smoothly works to fulfill all my goals for the game.

The seeming lack of German replacements doesn't mean that side's high command isn't sending men and materiel east. It's just that they're coming in increments too small to make a measurable difference (at these time and space scales) in the general, ongoing and unstoppable deterioration of German strength and capabilities in relation to those of their opponent. The slow wearing away works to point up some of the psychological imperatives under which the Germans made their historic decisions that year.

The supply rules are no more complex than they have to be. And that simplicity was conditioned by the fact the Germans historically ran a solid (though ultimately losing) logistical effort across an area much larger than the one shown on this game's map. In other words, the fact they could and did prosecute the historic Operation Blue makes deep delving into the logistics of this alternative history situation unnecessary. If they could do the one, they could certainly and more easily have done the other.