Duel on the Steppe (Decision Games, S&T magazine, 2014)

[Whiterook]

Bought this for $39.99 last week and am just starting the rules. I may have overpaid, as I see Noble Knight has it currently for $18 in excellent (but used) condition, but new for about the same price…oh well, it’s all good, as it was ten bucks off on sale.

Duel on the Steppe: The Winter Campaign in the Ukraine, Jan - mar 1943, is a simulation of the Winter Campaign in the Ukraine, from 29 January to 17 March, 1943. Known as Operation Star and Gallop, the Soviets arrayed their incredible numerical advantage against some of the best units in the German army. This game uses the same rules system as Sedan: The Decisive Battle for France, May 1940 (World at War #24), and Tobruk: Operation Crusader, Nov-Dec, 1941 (Strategy & Tactics #278), but is modified appropriate to the scale and the theater. Here, the Soviets have air superiority, albeit somewhat uncoordinated.

Duel on the Steppe includes one counter sheet (228 counters), and one map of the Ukraine area of the Soviet Union (approximately 260 miles, or about 418 kilometers), each hex representing about 6.5 miles (~10 kilometers). Unit sizes vary from kampfgruppes to corps, the latter which can be broken down into smaller formations for more operational flexibility, or simply to absorb casualties.

Components: One 22" x 34" map & 228 counters

The counters are super nice! Brown and Maroon are two separate Russian units (Southwestern and Voronehz Fronts); Gray are the Germans, along with Black for SS, and Hungarian units that the rules list as Blue color (…don;t look blue to me!)…



The map even more gorgeous…



This one intrigued me, both from the standpoint of being a major battle, but also in terms of current tensions of the Russia/Ukraine War of current. Having basically, nine pages of rules certainly doesn’t hurt, as well! The game scale is higher echelon units: Soviet combat units are primarily Corps (XXX), Division (XX), and Brigade (X); whereas the Germans are Division (XX), Kampfgruppe (KG), and and Regiments (III). Combat units may represent from 2000 to 14,000 men, and 50-400 armored units… so this is BIG scale fighting!

Some units are not removed from play when eliminated, but are instead replaced by a specific small formation, which is identified with the little triangular sash your see in the corner of the counter (shown on front and back side). Parent units are printed with a red sash; smaller units with a white sash. The smaller formation of a particular parent formation unit is printed with the same unit ID and may only be replaced - when eliminated- with that specific smaller formation.

Many units are the typical “2-step” units, where a hit flips the counter to a reduced factors side, and the next hit eliminates it… I love that mechanic! HQs have an Activation Range, so combat units need to be within that range to be “activated” to move and fight; combat units also exert a Zone of Control (ZOC) into it’s six adjacent hexes, which can effect halt into enemy ZOC, movement and major river expenditures/restrictions. Main units include HQ’s, Infantry, armor, Recon, mechanized, and Motorized.

Sequence of play is in five phases: Weather check (which can include mud, snow and ice), Reinforcements come onboard, Air Power may come onboard; then the Activation Phase is the main horsepower part of the game for movement and combat; and finally, an End of Turn Phase where the map is cleaned up. 

Lots more, but there’s the overall feel of the game… you may be able to tell why I was so excited about this game that I had to order it!

[Whiterook]

Half way through the rules… I’m a slow rules reader anyway, but I’ve honestly not had a lot of time to put into them so far, but these are an easy read, in my estimation.

I’m really loving the game mechanics. This is thusfar, a very accessible game to learn… lots of advanced mechanics to sink your teeth into, but at an easy going learn complexity. The writing style is a bit unusual for my likes, but not overbearing.

Some highlights thusfar:

Weather Phase: I love that the Sequence of Play starts with a check for weather! It’s so indicative and representative of the Russian Steppe; mud, ice, snow, all of which just makes life hell for the combatants! The weather can slow movement to a crawl or a halt and impact air support, yet can freeze minor rivers and marshland to create passable routes in movement.

Supply: The game system uses a mechanic I’ve just quite honestly, never ran across until not that terribly long ago… you need to ensure an uninterrupted contiguous path of hexes from your units, back to a supply source; any Red Star symbol for the Soviets, or Iron Cross for the Germans. The supply path hexes can’t: pass through a hex occupied by the enemy, or a hex within their ZOC (which is the six adjacent hexes surrounding that enemy unit) unless a friendly is also in it; or a major River hexside, unless an unblown bridge exists astride. The penalty for not having that contiguous path is escalates within the 2-Step Loss mechanic: 

• Low Supply: If any particular unit cannot establish a supply path during a turn, it is immediately considered to be “Low Supply”. 
• 1. Attack Strength is halved (rounded up);
     
  2. If current weather condition is “Mud”, movement of all mech and motorized units, as well as HQs, is halved again (rounded up).
     

• Out of Supply: If any particular unit cannot establish a supply path during two consecutive turns, it is immediately consider “Out of Supply”.
  
• 1. Attack and Defense Strength is halved (rounded down);
     
  2. Movement of all Mech and Motorized units, as well as HQs, is halved again (rounder up)
     
  3. If current weather condition is “Mud”, movement of all Mech and Motorized units, as well as HQs, is reduced to one hex only.
     
  4. Additionally, if any particular unit cannot establish a supply path during three or more consecutive turns, it immediately suffers a “Reduction” (i.e., it is flipped to Reduced strength; and if already reduced, it is Eliminated).
     
  
  
  

Like I said, some very cool mechanics!