by Robert Ellis, 18 November 2021 ~ #UnboxingDay
This is, as far as I’m aware, the first game from this publisher and is the result of a very successful kickstarter campaign. Many thanks to Assault Games and designer Wolfgang Klein for giving us the opportunity to review the game.
As the name implies, this game covers squad level combat in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa.
The game arrives in huge box, which is just as well since its stuffed with so much gaming goodness that on first opening its pretty overwhelming.
click images to enlarge
Here is what you get!
Four, yes four, very well produced and illustrated booklets, these being:
Rule Book v1.0
Scenario Book with fifteen scenarios including two training scenarios.
‘Crossing the Narew’ Dynamic Campaign book, which is immense and just bursting with scenarios that constitute the campaign. This is structured in such as way that no two playthroughs will ever be the same and provides a lot of re-playability.
A very well illustrated ‘Units and Artwork’ book that is packed with information and a few extra scenarios.
Two double-sided player aid cards.
Ten very large counter sheets with units and markers. Many of the markers are round (1./14” dia approx) while unit counters are hexagonal (1”). There are also a lot of 3/4” square informational counters. In addition, there is a smaller sheet of command and objective markers, also 3/4” square, some small round markers plus a turn record track.
I should also mention that the counters are very well die cut, or maybe laser cut, and literally just drop cleanly out of the sprue.
The game is played on no less than 9 double-sided, large hex, geomorphic boards with very good, clear graphics. The number of boards used obviously depends on the scenario being played and are very impressive indeed. Each board is 9 x 8 hexess and each hex measures 1.1/2” A/F (across the flats).
Ground scale is 100m per hex.
Also included are 90+ cards with unit information, command events and much more that you need to play the game.
Finally, twelve special ‘battle’ dice and two D6 plus some small round markers to represent smoke and ‘hits’ complete the package.
This really is an impressive product that oozes quality and just shouts at you to get it on the table and play it. It’s obviously had much thought go into the design and has a system which does seem very innovative, although by no means overly-complicated.
Its very clear that there is a huge amount of gaming contained in the package and, from what I’ve seen so far, deserves to be a great success for Assault Games. I really hope that they have further expansions planned as I for one would love to see this system used for the campaigns in North West Europe 1944-45 (hopefully with some British and Canadian units). I do not doubt that the system is easily adaptable enough to cover any WWII theatre.
Once I’m more familiar with the rules I will do an AAR showing how the game system works.
Thanks for joining this month’s #UnboxingDay with the Armchair Dragoons and we hope you enjoyed our recon of our recent acquisitions.
You can always leave us your feedback in our #UnboxingDay thread, or in the comment area on this article, below.
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