the time is: 0315 hrs., 22 June 1941
At dawn on June 22, 1941, following the German Wehrmacht’s stunning military successes in Western Europe, the German Wehrmacht turned its attention eastward launching Operation Barbarossa. Spanning a front of nearly 2,000 miles, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, three million Axis soldiers plunged into the heart of the Soviet Union in the largest military operation in history. Using Blitzkrieg tactics, they advanced rapidly, overwhelming Soviet defenses and leaving destruction in their wake. Millions of soldiers fought on the Eastern Front, destroying cities and determining the fate of nations, making it the decisive battleground of World War II.
When Titans Clashed is a game covering the epic campaign fought in Eastern Europe during World War II. Game designer Michael Resch offers this tribute to the original 1974 Jedko Games edition of The Russian Campaign by John Edwards. This new design seeks to balance the classic game's attractive aspects while introducing modern design concepts unheard of at that time. The map and counters use a vintage style to honor the 1974 Jedko edition, but beyond this, the designer presents a new, modernized design approach to the classic game.
Gameplay is fast-paced and intense for both sides, as the initiative can shift through significant maneuvers and battle outcomes. For both sides, each turn features a double-impulse sequence that rewards the player who, in a disciplined fashion, plans for the possibilities the double-impulse sequence can create. Such planning may enable battlefield gains to be solidified or, conversely, allow recovery from disaster along an expansive front. Players must also plan for reinforcements, replacements, and upgrades, as well as various strategic considerations and political events that will influence the campaign.
While the game system itself is relatively low in complexity, special rules help capture the campaign's historical narrative. Political events include the Warsaw Uprising and the Romanian coup d’état. Special rules include Axis Ally Limitations, German Heavy Panzers, Air Power, Stalin, Fortified Areas, Coastal Army, Sea Invasion, Soviet artillery, partisans, workers, oilfields, and more! The game, while designed for two players, plays very well solitaire, and one can finish the full campaign in a single sitting.
As the German commander, can you conduct lightning warfare while maintaining supply lines to sustain a drive that delivers a knockout blow to Soviet morale/industrial hubs, and takes the ultimate prize: Moscow? As the Soviets, can you effectively trade space for time, wear down the German army until they cannot replace losses, and counterattack to turn the tide of the war?
Product Information:
Complexity: Medium/Low
Time Scale: 1 turn = 1.5 months
Map Scale: 1 hex = 65 km (40 miles) across
Unit Scale: Soviet corps and armies, German corps
Players: One or Two, Best with Two
Solitaire Suitability: High
Playing Time: 8-12 hours
Game Components:
Two full-color map sheets (28 x 34 inches combined)
One and one-half counter sheets (5/8-inch size, 257 total)
One Rules booklet
Two Axis Setup display cards
Two Soviet Setup display cards
Two double-sided Player Aid cards
One 6-sided die
—description from the publisher
Wargame, World War II · Hexagon Grid
More ▾
