Post by Whiterook on May 6, 2024 10:57:25 GMT -5
Yup, this is the Compass Games re-issue… an updated version of the classic 1974 came, The Russian Campaign!
On the 18th of December, 1940 Hitler issued Fuhrer Directive No. 21, code named Barbarossa, which stated: “The Soviet Union is to be crushed in one swift campaign before the war with England ends.”
On the 22nd of June, 1941, Barbarossa was finally launched. Over three million German soldiers, most of them veterans of the campaigns in Poland, France, and the Balkans, began a blitzkrieg style of invasion against two million Russian defenders. The initial advance was fantastic. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners were taken and the motorized divisions began to outrun the rest of the army. The Germans reached the gates of Moscow, victory in sight. Then the winter came.
RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN has been universally acclaimed as one of the finest wargames around. With the ease and playability of the 'Classics', the game also conveys the feel of the actual campaign and is exceptionally accurate historically. Both players will have to use the subtle skills, advantages, and tactics of their historical counterparts to win.
Game features include rail movement, sea movement, invasions, stukas, partisans, automatic victory, SS units, sudden death victory conditions, and double impulse movement capabilities. Seven scenarios break the total campaign down into its most important battles.
A 22" x 28" mapboard, various playing aids and charts, and a twelve-page rulebook. On every gamer's top ten list, this one belongs in every gamer's library.
AVALON HILL COMPLEXITY RATING: 4
(On a scale of 1-easy; 10-hard)
Playing Time—Six Hours or Less
On the 22nd of June, 1941, Barbarossa was finally launched. Over three million German soldiers, most of them veterans of the campaigns in Poland, France, and the Balkans, began a blitzkrieg style of invasion against two million Russian defenders. The initial advance was fantastic. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners were taken and the motorized divisions began to outrun the rest of the army. The Germans reached the gates of Moscow, victory in sight. Then the winter came.
RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN has been universally acclaimed as one of the finest wargames around. With the ease and playability of the 'Classics', the game also conveys the feel of the actual campaign and is exceptionally accurate historically. Both players will have to use the subtle skills, advantages, and tactics of their historical counterparts to win.
Game features include rail movement, sea movement, invasions, stukas, partisans, automatic victory, SS units, sudden death victory conditions, and double impulse movement capabilities. Seven scenarios break the total campaign down into its most important battles.
A 22" x 28" mapboard, various playing aids and charts, and a twelve-page rulebook. On every gamer's top ten list, this one belongs in every gamer's library.
AVALON HILL COMPLEXITY RATING: 4
(On a scale of 1-easy; 10-hard)
Playing Time—Six Hours or Less
Most notable are the updated counters…
…and the new maps are wonderful…
…it’s one of those strange games where the map is meant to be played at the horizontal placement. Here’s a shot at the long vertical angle…
The rules are updated as well, with about seven actual rules pages, a page on special rules, and a couple on optional rules. For the amount and scale of gaming at hand, it’s a short read (the original was only four pages!!!)
I picked this one up at the Compass Games Expo about a year ago and haven;t placed it on the table yet, but it’s high on the Next To Play list!
As an aside, I just picked up a used copy of the 1974 game, so it’s double the fun for those Old School game days.
…I’ve not inventoried mine yet, but the counters were placed in individual cases so a lot of care went into storing the game by the original owner. The main issue with mine is, it (and the other games) all smell like a very wet basement!