Blitz in the East

The Russian Campaign 1941-45

by

VentoNuovo Games

 The campaign in Russia was started on June 22nd, 1941. Amazingly it was not expected at all by the majority of the Russian High Command, (which really means Stalin and a lot of yes men. Most of the others were removed from this earth during the purge). The actual backwardness of the Soviet Union, as far as a good road network, is what really saved them. The strain on German supply and the actual breakdown of all types of motorized vehicles was something they had not planned on at all. In fact, Hitler had actually decreased the number of tanks being manufactured before the beginning of Operation Barbarossa. Still, the Soviets in 1941 suffered horrific loses in numerous kesselschlachts (encirclements) throughout the area of the European Soviet Union. The soldiers of the Soviet Union defeated the original onslaught because of their ability to be just like the moles in whack-a-mole. For every Soviet troop concentration that the Germans captured or destroyed at least one, and sometimes two, popped up again. The campaign went from the Germans almost taking Moscow in 1941 to the Soviets taking Berlin in 1945. One can make the argument that the Lend-Lease program was responsible for as good portion of their victory. However, their losses throughout the war show that they were determined to find victory no matter the human cost.

 So, VentoNuovo Games has decided to enter the fray again by releasing another game about the Russian Front. This one is slightly different then their last one. Their newest release is on the small physical scale compared to most Russian Front games. This is what VentoNuovo Games has to say about it:

"VNG developers have created a brand-new engine for this game that is both easy to learn and hard to master. The base rules are minimal in length with many designer notes, examples, and beautiful graphics. Several optional rules and the Scorched Earth Expansion also add more historical flavor and complexity for more seasoned wargamers. The game engine is the strength of BLITZ IN THE EAST, as it is new, easy, and incorporates all of the historical campaign’s main themes. You will not have the feeling of playing "another" Russian front game." says designer Emanuele Santandrea. The base game, with clearly defined concepts, minimal rules length, and numerous examples, allows novice wargamers to quickly learn and play. 

The map is the ultimate creation of our design team. Emphasizing every detail, it depicts the area of operations at 1200dpi instead of the standard 300dpi. This allows for zooming into details without disrupting the graphics.

The 65 counters represent the Armies/Fronts involved in the campaign and are 2.5mm thick, 18x18mm wide, and pre-rounded.

There are also more than 100 game markers to assist game play.

Each turn is two months. The game offers several scenarios and a campaign to relive the struggle from June 1941 till December 1945 (or earlier).

For proficient players, each turn takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. So, a scenario can be played in an afternoon. For campaign play, assume an afternoon and evening is required to complete.

German panzers are really powerful and can punch a hole in the line. But it is infantry that holds the line. Germany cannot win this war without help from her allies. "We are a small company and dedicate attention to Minor Countries." says Emanuele Santandrea."

The very stylish colorful map

 

 As you can see by the pictures this is a very handsome wargame, as are all VentoNuovo Games, that is in the newer Eurogame format. This has much more glitz than most of us grognards are used to. 

 The map has very large hexes and shows the area of Europe from roughly Berlin to the Urals. It also shows the Balkan nations of the forties. The counters are a sight to behold and come prerounded. There is only one countersheet due to their size and the scope of the game. The Soviets have 30 units and the Germans and their allies have 25. The map and counter information and writing is nice and large for these old eyes. There are two Player Aids that are on hard cardstock. Everything that is needed for play is either on the two-sided Player Aids or on the map. The Rulebook is in full color and is 30 pages long. Its pages are thicker than most Rulebooks. The writing in it is as big as what you get in a Large Print book. It is filled with easily understood play examples. It comes with a deck of 28 cards. These either show a historical picture or a picture of a commander from either side. Visually the game is stunning. The fact that all of the writing is oversized just adds to players' ease in learning the ropes.

Back of the box

 You would think by the size of the game and the terseness of the Rulebook that this would be more of a beer & pretzels game. In this you would be highly mistaken. Although VentoNuovo Games, all designed by the owner Emanuele Santandrea, are very much in the flashy Eurogame category, his games always have some meat under that glittering skin. The rules are designed for both grognards and tyros. 

Counters

  The gameplay is meant to be easily understood and to have the player up and running in as little time as possible. You can jump right in and start playing after only a cursory glimpse through the rules. The cards and the optional rules help to make it a much deeper game than you would think upon first glance. Remember that book and cover adage. Air, Armor and everything else that you have come to expect in a game about the Russian Front is here. What you do not get is tons of fiddly high stacks of counters and a rulebook that looks to have been published in 1975. The gameplay can be as fast as the early blitzkriegs of the war. However, I suggest you put as much thought into it as you would with some of its weightier cousins. As was mentioned, the game is played in two month turns and the designer expects each turn to be around 20 minutes. So, even if you wanted to play the whole campaign through, the game does not need to stay on your table (annoying your wife) for more than a day, especially if you were going to play one of the scenarios.

One side of the Player's Aid

 The scenarios that come with the base game are:

The game comes with two tutorials

  Beyond the Dnieper

  Blitz in the East

Operation Barbarossa

Russian Campaign

A picture of some gameplay

 The game can be enhanced by the addition of The Scorched Earth Expansion. This is some information on the expansion:

125 game markers 2.5mm-thick with pre-rounded corners

28 Game Event Cards

Illustrated rules with many examples

Two historical scenarios plus two alternative "what if" scenarios

"The base game, with clearly defined concepts, minimal rules length, and numerous examples, allows novice wargamers to quickly learn and play.

Veteran wargamers can also enjoy a more complex experience via several optional rules and the Scorched Earth Expansion.

New events and new details add historical flavor and depth with "what if" situations and detailed logistics management to expand your game experience!"

  The new rules and additional scenarios really help to make this game into much more of a grognards game. The additional scenarios are:

Fall Blau

In or Out

Balkans Pacified four turn version. This is a hypothetical scenario; there was no Balkan campaign in 1940-41.

Balkans Pacified full 28 turn version

 I was fully prepared to not take to the game. I am one of those people who thought that because the Russian Front was so massive you need a big game to simulate it. Luckily, I persevered with a Blitz in the East and found that I was totally mistaken. The addition of The Scorched Earth expansion also made my grognard synapses feel more at home. Thank you, Mr. Santandrea, for allowing me to take Blitz in the East for a test drive. As usual, with all of your games, it brings a new twist on an old gaming subject. 

 

 I forgot to mention that the game has a free downloadable Strategy Guide for the players.

Robert Peterson

Blitz in the East

VentoNuovo Games

 Donnerschlag

Escape From Stalingrad

by

Vuca Simulations

 One of the biggest questions that comes out of World War II is whether the German troops surrounded in Stalingrad could have escaped or not. There are many games about the entire Fall Blau Campaign and most of them have scenarios about the attempt that was made to break though the Soviet units and reestablish contact with the 6th Army. This is one of the few games that are just about the break into Stalingrad or break out from there. The overwhelming consensus of historians is that even if the troops in Stalingrad did break out, they would have done so only with the clothes on their backs and what they could carry. The other issue is that all of the Soviet divisions around Stalingrad would then be able to hunt this moving mass of men across the frozen steppe. Many historians have theorized that the only reason the German Southern front in Russia did not collapse completely is because so many Soviet divisions were tied up around Stalingrad. 

Notice the A, B, and C zones

 This is what Vuca Simulations has to say about the game:

"'Donnerschlag' is a two player game which is playable in one sitting. It is more of a game than a simulation and intended to bring a high player interactivity and replayability to the player's table.

 From December 12 to December 23 in 1942, "Unternehmen Wintergewitter" was in progress. This was the code name for a relief attack by Heeresgruppe Don to free the trapped 6th Army in Stalingrad.

 The Axis formations entered with 50,000 men and 250 tanks, while the strength of the Soviet formations was reported to be about three times that. For the enterprise to have any chance of success, the troops in the encirclement had to break out and meet the advancing Axis troops. The breakout had to be precisely coordinated with the advance of the relief troops and was to commence on the cue “Donnerschlag”. The breakout was never ordered and the troops in Stalingrad were never able to be relieved. This sealed their fate.

 Players will be recreating this episode, with the Axis side attempting to secretly establish and reach a meeting point, thus effectively freeing the 6th Army, while the Soviet will try to impede such outcome."

 This is what comes with the game:

One rulebook.

One mounted map.

184 counters.

Two player aid charts.

Two Setup Displays.

126 Cards.

Two 6-sided dice.

The Scale

A hex represents 4 kms (2.5 miles) of terrain from side to side.

Each turn represents a period of 1-2 days.

Combat units are mostly Brigades & Regiments for the Soviets and Romanians, Battalions & Abteilungen for the Germans.

  As usual, Vuca Simulations has hit another long ball with their components. The map is a mounted one. It is roughly 21 3/4" X 34" in size. The color is of a winter landscape, which fits the campaign fine. The Turn Record Track and a place for both sides' cards are also on the map. It is a very fine-looking piece of work. The counters are what we have come to expect from Vuca Simulations. They are pre-rounded and come off the sprues easily. They are color coded with a band across the top for their different formations. Nato symbols are used for everything except the various armor units. You actually get a choice with the armor unit counters. There are two different styles to choose from. One style is the normal profile of the tank. The other is a little more artsy, with the tank looking like it is charging at you. They also included a good number of 'Breached Minefield' counters for use in their 'Theseus' game. All of the information is pretty easy to see on them. The Rulebook is glossy and in full color. The rules are really only ten pages long. Then come four and a half pages of 'Historical Notes'(these are very well written). Next up is one page of 'Designers Notes'. This is followed by a setup page and last by the Index. Even though they are only ten pages long, there are a good number of play examples in the rules. The game comes with four Players' Aids. The first thing to say about them is that they are of hard cardboard. These are not as thick as the map, but I was still pretty amazed that they were not just paper. Two of them are one-sided and have the German and Soviet setup and reinforcement information on them. Then there are two identical Player Aids for each Player. On one side, there is an extended Sequence of Play. The other side has The CRT and Terrain Effects Chart etc. Having them be on a hard piece of material is just another way that VS shows how much effort they put into the manufacture of their games. 

 Next, we have three decks of Cards. There is an Activation Deck for both the Soviets and the Germans. There is also a Combat Deck. The cards have all of the information and die rolls needed for the activation of the different formations. They are not artsy, just plain large instructions in English. Even the boxes you get with VS games are better than normal. They are very heavy duty and have an interesting matte finish on them. 

 This is the Sequence of Play Summary:

1. Admin Phase

a. ‘Schwerpunkt’ marker is placed 

  (after becoming available).

b. Reinforcements placement. 

c. Deal Formation Cards and Combat Cards 

  & place Cards in the STAVKA/OKH box 

d. In Turn 4 (and possibly in Turn 8): Reshuffle 

  and add Formation Cards & Combat Cards.

e. Calling out ‘Donnerschlag’.

f. ‘Schlachtenglück’-Marker goes back to the Axis.

2. Action Phase

  Resolve Activations alternatingly 

  with the German player always going first. 

  An Activation consists of the following four steps:

a. Play one Activation Card and activate Units

b. Check Supply of activated units only

c. Movement

d. Combat 

  If there are Activation Cards left in 

  the hand, return to step a.

  If there are none, advance to segment e.

3. Advance ‘Donnerschlag marker’

4. Adjust Turn Track Marker

You can see the profile compared to the art for the tank units

 Before we start into playing the game itself, we need to take a small course in German first.

Donnerschlag - Thunder Clap (Donner being the German equivalent to the Norse God Thor)

Schwerpunkt - Main Effort

Schlachtengluck - Fortune of War

Alarmgruppe-Einheiten - Alarm Group

Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung - Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance

 Okay, you really do not need the last one. It is officially the longest word in German. Mark Twain wrote an essay called "The Awful German Language". He also wrote this "In German, a young lady [das Mädchen] has no sex, but a turnip [die Rübe] has." Enough said.

  So, the first thing that happens after setup will be the placement of the Schwerpunkt counter (when it becomes available by one of the Combat Cards). This game is very much about command and control of your units by their HQs. The Schwerpunkt counter allows all friendly units within four hexes to be activated. Other than that counter, all units need to be activated by the owning player's Activation Cards. These work muck like a Chit Pull System for activation. 

 The Schlachtengluck counter allows the owning player (it physically goes to the opposing player after use) to reroll a die or to discard a card and draw a new one. The counter returns to the Axis player at the beginning of every turn. 

 The Donnerschlag marker and use is a bit convoluted so I will use the designers' words from the Rulebook:

"With the code word “Donnerschlag”, the breakout of the 6th Army

begins. On any turn, the Axis player may call out “Operation

Donnerschlag!” in the corresponding segment of the turn and

secretly determine a Meeting Zone. Place the Donnerschlag

Marker on the “0” box of the Donnerschlag Advance Track.

In each corresponding segment, the Donnerschlag Marker is

moved forward one box.

There are five boxes on the Donnerschlag Advance Track. When

the Donnerschlag Marker reaches Box 4 on the track, the game

ends and Victory Conditions are checked. If currently on the "6.

Army Survival" side, the game ends when the marker reaches

Box 5 instead.

If the Axis cannot meet the victory conditions in the Victory

Check Segment, that means the 6th Army could not be reached.

The 6th Army then disintegrates and the Soviet player wins.

This usually means, from the moment “Donnerschlag!”' is

called out, that the Axis player must reach the chosen Meeting

Zone exactly four turns later in order to win the game (and

must be in Supply and in Command).

Special Case

The Axis player can extend the survival of the 6th Army by one

turn (and only one turn). To do so, he must successfully play

the “Air Fleet 4” event. (If “Donnerschlag!” is called in Turn 4

and the “Air Fleet 4” event is played in Turn 7, then —and only

then — does a Turn 8 occur. Conversely, if the Axis units are

progressing well and “Donnerschlag” is called before Turn 4,

there can be no Turn 8.)

 Assuming the German plays 'Luftflotte 4' and thus unlocks

Donnerschlag box 5 for turn 8, but then fulfills the Victory

Conditions already at the end of turn 7, the game would end

with a German victory.

 If ‘Donnerschlag’ is called out after turn 4, we did not explain

this rule well enough.

There are special rules for Turn 8:

The last great effort

There are special rules for Turn 8—No Activation Cards are dealt.

There are only five Activations for each side. These Activations

take place as follows:

Axis Player

 At each Activation, the player decides whether to activate an

HQ or the Schwerpunkt Marker.

Soviet Player

 At each Activation, the player decides whether to activate an

HQ, or a formation, or the color of an army.

15. VICTORY CONDITIONS

Axis Victory

The Donnerschlag Marker must be in Box 4 of the Donnerschlag

Advance Track (either side) and at least one Axis unit must be

in Supply and in Command in the chosen Meeting Zone at the

end of the turn. (Note that if on its “6. Army Survival” side, the

marker can be in Box 5.)

Soviet Victory

If the Axis does not meet its victory conditions, the Soviet player

wins."

 To me the game hits the sweet spot in between a simulation and a game. It has more 'meat' to it than Vuca Simulations suggests in their writeup about the game. The game is based solely on if Operation Thunderclap would succeed in linking up with the German pocket at Stalingrad. The player does not have to worry about what to do when you get there (thankfully). So, you can try as hard as you like to meet the victory conditions without having to worry about trying to get back. The little extras that have been added to the game make it much more than a game. Only quick thinking, and not just luck, will help you playing either the defender or attacker.  

 One little twist to the game happens after the German player announces Donnerschlag. At that time, he must also choose which zone he is to meet up with the besieged in Stalingrad 6th Army. If you noticed, there were three zones at the top of the map marked A, B and C. On the map, there is also a track for these three different areas. The German player chooses which zone to strive for and then puts the three markers down (two are dummy counters). This rule helps to make the Soviet player not really sure where to place his units and which one to defend against.

 

 Once again Vuca Simulations has come through. The components are top notch and the rules and gameplay easy to follow. In their summary about the game, they said they strove to make it fun to play and were not going for a hardcore simulation. As far as the former, they hit the nail right on the head. As far as it not being a simulation that is a bit hard to judge. It is certainly not Axis and Allies, that is for sure. The game has only one map and a small number of counters. It is also playable in an evening or shorter. So, they have met all of the parameters they set out in the beginning. I can easily recommend this to anyone who is looking for a smaller game that can give the players a lot of enjoyment. Thank you Vuca Simulations for letting me review this fine game. Hopefully, it gets more press than it has gotten.

 If you get the chance, have a look at 'Nach Paris' from Vuca Simulations. It is about the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Any gamer with even a passing interest in World War I will want this game. They have also released 'The Chase of the Bismarck: Operation Rheinubung - 1941' with Jack Greene as a co-designer.

Robert

Vuca Simulations:

VUCA simulations - Premium conflict simulations from Europe – VUCASIMS

Donnerschlag Escape From Stalingard:

Donnerschlag - Escape from Stalingrad – VUCASIMS