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Bodensee
10.02.09, 13:26
Firstly: now how can you have 8 hours of fun with a game on a hopelessly lost (German) case?!

Actually more than you might think. This game is not only for people who are interested in the topic, there is a very solid and innovative game here with great components!
Ted Raicer and Compass did a marvellous job in recreating what actually happened in the last few months on the Eastern Front and only very few had the guts to design / publish a game about these forgotten months of the war.

Issue for some might be the one sided nature of the game. Yes the Germans are retreating and are getting hammered but don’t be fooled:

-Can you hold up the Russians longer than historically happened?
The historic dates of Russian liberation are printed at each town and this gives a really nice feel weather you are on track. If Zossen (the German HQ South of Berlin) is captured, the remaining German resistance is reduced further so it is highly exciting knowing what you are fighting for and desperately try to defend. Time, time! How can we win more time! Exactly what the German leaders kept busy at the time…

-What if GUDERIAN took Command??!!
There is a scenario that puts Guderian in Command rather, which gives more hopes for the Germans to delay the Russian long enough for a marginal victory. With the silly idea not to retreat the Russian almighty Artillery Corps (A LOT of guns / Katjoesja’s) hammer the front line units away but the Guderuian option pulls the front line units away from the barrage areas and thus more resistance opportunity to win time. Really makes a difference but a small one as the Rusians keep coming eventually. Lovely to see a German city hold out longer than they historically did! Did I mention I love the dates on the map?!

-What if the Courland Pocket was abandoned and what if 'Whacht am Rhein' would have been cancelled?
This scenario gives the Germans the additional troops Guderian had asked for and would have been brought on, wasn’t it that Hitler had other ‘good’ ideas (well, if Hitler had listened we would never have been able to play FAB the Bulge or Bitter Woods. A VERY interesting take on German capabilities!

-Victory points for refugees that manage to escape, counters that represent Kamfgruppen, counters with Zukhov, Heinrici, Rudel, Zossen and even some ship counters!
Like the dates on the map, there is some additional chrome that gives it so much more shine with only very little additional rules. Captures the drama on the Eastern Front brilliantly.

All in all a beautiful struggle for delay & survival!

So apart from the theme, production value and some nice touches, I have not yet mentioned Ted Raicer! Of course we know him all but I was positively surprised to see his name appear as designer of this title. Let me say I got even more interested in the game and it proved to be a warranty! He created an original system that I have not encountered in any war game I have played so far. I will not go through the rules but I will briefly mentioned an example of a mechanisms that I liked.

There are a few steps to be solved to complete one round and it took a few rounds for me to sink in before things fell into place. I particularly like the variable movement for infantry and mechanised units. A die role will determine their range as well as the reaction movement capability for the Germans!
As Russian, before the actual movement you will have to determine how many movement points you expand during the movement phase. The more you spent, the less you have during breakthrough phase. Also the combat duration will absorb movement capability and this is a great mechanism. It will not only take experience but innovative handling of movement have a positive impact on replay value. Than there are three scenario's that can be played, 1 historical and two what 'if'. A decent mix.

For a better eplanation I quote John Gautier:

'There is a Soviet “assault” movement phase, followed by a combat phase followed by a limited German reaction phase (armor only). The Reds then get a breakthrough movement phase (no overruns allowed) before the Germans get to move (i.e., run away) and fight (they won't want to: only if Hitler makes them—more on that later). The additional twist is that the movement allowances for the Soviet infantry and mech are determined at the beginning of the their first movement segment by a die roll (yes, the dice have everything to do with movement). The Soviet player now basically allocates his allotted movement points between his assault movement and his breakthrough movement phases. For example, he could decide to not do any assault movement, go straight to combat (hopefully blow some holes in the German line) and then use all his movement points for breakthrough movement. Or, he could use all of his movement to maneuver in the assault movement segment and not conduct any combat or breakthrough. Or he could find some happy medium between the two. Just to keep the Reds honest, there is also a “combat duration” die roll the Soviet player must make after he allocates his movement points. This roll subtracts movement points from the Soviet total, just to keep things random enough to upset his plans. The net result: plenty of operational mobility for the Reds; just enough, in fact, for their armor to outpace their infantry by mid-game, hee, hee.'

This game is certainly not for all but for serious war gamers this one is highly recommended: a beautiful blend of an original theme combined with a fantastic production quality and Ted Raicer managed yet again to establish his name as great overall game designer. Oh and the price is very acceptable to imo. Well done!

(I can suggest reading 'Letzten Schlacht am Ostfront’ (Last Battle on the Eastern Front) by HANS JÜRGEN PANTENIUS and ‘Erinnerungen eines Soldaten’ (memories of a soldier) the HEINZ GUDERIAN BIOGRAFIE).

Harro Bosma / Boardgamegeek