Strike the Bear is a strategic-level board game of the German invasion of Russia in World War II. The battle covers the critical early months of the war, from June 1941 to March 1942. The German code name for the campaign was Operation Barbarossa.
One player handles Nazi Germany while the other commands the Soviet Union. They attempt to reach victory by controlling objectives across the game map. To underscore the fluidity of the campaign, these objectives can and do change over the course of the war. The uncertainty of where and when forces must shift to achieve their territorial goals reflects the doubts and hesitations of high command.
At times, operations will consume operations points (OPs) for both sides. The non-active player will have to pay OPs for such things as Battle Continues and Reserves Commitment, and if unable to will fight unsupplied with detrimental effects. OPs are also used to recover disrupted units and acquire replacements. There are a finite number of available OPs each turn, and the player's objectives may change while rolling for the OPs in the turn.
At the end of play, players check to see if they have achieved victory based on objectives held or conquered. Unit losses do not measure victory by themselves.
Game Scale:
Game Turn: 3 week
Hex: 120 miles / 193 kilometers
Units: Corps to Groups
Game Inventory:
One 17 x 22" full color mapsheet
One dual-side printed countersheet (108 1/2" counters)
One 12-page Strike the Bear rulebook
One dual-side printed Player Aid Card
Solitaire Playability: High
Complexity Level: Medium
Players: 2 or more
Playing Time: 2-4 hours
Note: Players will need to supply 2d6 dice.
Wargame, World War II · Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, Movement Points, Zone of Control
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