BLITZKRIEG IN THE SOUTH:

EAST FRONT BATTLES I

By Doug Burmeistcr c,o,Y< 65 u,,

Whenr Wwll,JuneAuæst 1941

l*_la'e
Where: Eastern Front
Who: Axis vs. USSR
Player Status: Army Group Cornmander
Timescale: 2 Days/Turn
Map Scale: 5 Miles/Hex
lstTurn:
ReÂd Rules & Play 4 Hours
liay Scenârios: 2-35 Hoùrs

6
Fne & Movenert#91
Jmudy Fetnùdy 1994
 The lighting to the south ol the Pripet , in Golacia afld the North Wæt Llkraine , was
entirely diffuett t'rom that expetie ced by the Germans and. Rumanians ir Bæsarabia anrl
lhe South-\Nest Ukrqine. The cauntr! uias more like that of Belorussia, paftly cultiaate()
but largely coaerd with wootls and heathland. German air actîaity was heaoy. Both
German and Soaiet lanks ancl oehicles were to be t'outul eætryhere. Cont'used arul bitter
fightîng continued in pockets oper the whole area a hundretl miles behind. the German
spearheads since numerous Red Army t'ormatio s htul not been able to withdraw in tifie.
'I'he roa.ds were linetl wîth abandoned Reà Army
oehicles of all types, the cornt'ields were
fulL of eneny infantry, nnd the wood.s rumbled with the clatter of the trackê of Sooiet tcL ks.
At nitht, Soaiet trucks sometimes made the t'atal error of joining German transport
colulnns. lMen Red. Atmy soldierc hdd time to arient û.nd prepare themselaes, they ot'ten
fought ?rith great deteminatio ûnd. bitterfiess, eoen though thett were isolated. lMen
they were surprîsed or thtentenel by armor, lhey surrendered in larye nuxtbers, often
pldintiaely crying 'Ukrûinian' as lhey did so.
Adapted from: Meyer, K. Panzergrenadiere. Schild, Munchen-Lochhausen 1965.

Vancc von Borrics has cùlled togcthcr some of the organization cards (the back of thebox says only 2,
best idcas from past designs ând succcssfully which is wrong), 1 information card that contâins
broughi them together in Blitzkrieg in th€ South ihe tum record chart as well as units-climinated and
(BitS). 3W's nerv game trics to capture the confu- cadre boxes, a good tcn-sided die and the ever
sion and chaos createdbyArmyCroup South's drive present charts and tables card, which is something
into the Ukrâine in thc surnmer of 1941- To quote that needs to be photocopied before the srart of piay.
directlv from the introduciion in the rulcs: 'fhis card is part of the rulcs and can not be pulled
"BIitzlrieg in th€ South,parr of iheEast Fronr Bâittcs oùt, $rhich is a rnajor bummer if it's yoùr Fiday
scries, js an historicâl gane thai rccreates with vari- nitht 8âming session and no copy store is open_
oùs scenarios thc World War II campaign in ihe Therùlcsbookletislogicallyorganized and verywel
southwestern Sovict Union tlùt began on 22]ùne edited- Thcorganization ând sct-upchârts arc easy
1941 rvith the atlack by the Ccrman Army Croup ro r.ad ;rd u.e. 'l'he othcr phy.i.dl componFnt5
South with 41 divjsions (plus âllicd forces) against 5how
'ome rouSh cdtp.. l5peci"lly;rrirdUr,t w"re
the Soviet Southern Direction (composcd of 2 the problems causcd by the sûrali size of the garre
"Frorlls" orArmyCroups), a lârgcr forceof80 divi- Lo^.
sions. The game conchdes in mid,Aùgùst 1941 at
The counters are nicely done and hâve the standard
ll' lrirc or th. surrêndcr of 20 S.vicl di\ i,iorÉ rn NAI O Tlerearecounters for Ccrm,n dir-
thc Umân cn.ir.lenenr " "ymbol,.
crafi, Soviet dver flotillat Soviet Army HQs, bridg-
According to 3W, BitS is the first in an East Front ing units and even a Soviet armored trâin. These
Battles scrics which will cover the wllole of the last uni ts arc dcpicted by pictorial i cons. This sounds
Russo-Ccrman frontin World Wârll. Thcseries ù,ill fine until you read about the appotogy (sic) on page
consist of 12 boxcd games which lvill contain a 3of thcrules. First,thisappeârsiobeoncoFthefew
whopping 25(l) maps and hâve 4800+ counters. In misspcllcd words in the rules. Second, thcapology
terms ol maps âlonc, I think this will be undoubt- iiself sia ics that a to tal of 21 coun ters (âctually 2 see
cdly the largest scries/campaign game ever at- below) in the game have the bâckground color i{here
it should not be. The NATO s),rnbols are supposed
COMPONENTS to be a different color for each nationality and hetp
to distinguish functionality. Thesc 21 counters are
The game contains the followingr 1 rules book (20 missing thisextra coloring. For the22nd coûntcr,I
pagcs), ihree 22 x 34" maps, 400 col:ntcrs, 4 unit lound thatoneof theCennan He-111 (bombcr) units

7
Fùe & Ilovcnr.nr 19l
Jânùdy Fetrudy 1994
qâsalso Driscolorccl. (I think of these âs the "Hell"
coùniers due to thc print spacing being so close as Somple Unils
to look like "He111" instcad of "He 111". Please no te,
â11this does noi affeci play. As3Wnotes, "ifsjust
visu àlly inconsistent and annoying". 3 W âlso states: UniiSizê Un t ld€ntificatlôn
"When ihe opportunity occurs lve will reprint these -
countertwhich will be avôilable to anyonesending
in a stamped, selÊaddrcssed envelope". I sincerely
hopc that ihey hold to thcir word. This gâme sys-
icm by Mr. vonBordes is so good, it deservesbettex
Theboxart, which is tastefullydone, hâs three pho-
ios of infântry and panzcrgrenadiers '/doing their
thjng". The problem lies lvith the size of ihe box. Feduc€d
Thc one inch depth of the box d oes noi allow one to
lita counter trâyinside. Thc game takeslongenough Fêduæd Aliack Sùêngth
to seiup, and a coûnter tray would help matters tre-
Fêduæd Dêfens Sirênôih
Drcndously. You find out very quickly thât when
you put the game as,ây thcre is no room inside the
box to fit â counter tray. This cân be a hasslc lviih
jusi on€ game, but imaginc doinS this with âll your
gnmos and yor can quickly appreciate theproblem.
For 3ld to advcrtisc this tobe a d€finitive gamc and
ûâjor scries. Why not splurge an.l satisfy us
Srosnards with a decent sized box. Pcrsonally, I
rvould bewilling to payextra to hâveâ "dcepdish"
box raiher than â 1-inch nuisance.
L€st you think I am picking on just 3W a big Llnrt
"downchcck" goes lo Trd Grmer"s for sorne of their nÊnfl.âlôn
gàmc boxes being way too small for the sizc oF thc
particular game presentcd. At the othcr extrcûe, Àrrne rtrÊ Grcuid suppod
ihumbs down to ,4-Ll for theù Snithsonian Scrics I ," B! I Êar,ne

boxcs which are mostly filled \^'i th Maryland air. I'll

probably be âssassinatcd at ihe next gaûe conven \)t LùltLath
Igoto. f;;-]
tion Bùt bc assured I say this on the beh.lfôf Fédùc€d sdê ] ,+r
alltamers, includingpeople at my gaming club who lù aa
cxpressed this same opinion. .l;: l '-
DRIVING EVER EASMARDS Attâck Strenqlh æ!s
One of ihe truly greât things about BitS is thai the fzi:!! l
shccr scope of the campaign comes out very well Oeiehse Slrenglh -
cluring play. The feelingof vastness which the maps
help crcate go a long way io crcating the righimood. no.iltâ gèrdquùrt€E Bridgê
Mr. von Borrics dcserves much crcdit forbalancing
tlic riSht anouni ofdetail with thc corrcct mâp scale
to make an cnjoyable (and ai tiûes frustrating) chal-
lcnge for both players. I felr comfortable with ihis
Same sysicù and enjoycd conccntrating more on
taciicsand opcrâtional considcrâtiùrs than on rûlcs
complicàtions. Bravol Even ihough therearc many
tamcs on the Russo-Cerman wat I lr'ould rccon1-
mcnd only a few. BitS rcceives one of those rare
recommcndâiiôns.
Ël 0-l-0

q
rire &Movenenr#91
Jmuey Fcbrùdy 1994
Thc Dcsigner Notes staLo thafthe design orjginaLty "Motorizcd and non-moiorized elemcnts onty rarcly
consistcd of only onc n1ap (rnap B in thc current movcd together, a difficùlty shared by most other
garre). It rvas hcre thâi thc hoaviest fithting oc- nations of thc day; they lverc not trained in Blitz-
cùrred. This lvasdue to theSovicts finally 8eiûita krieg tacticsand all lacked coordinationbetween the
handle on thc siiuationand conduciing most of their majorcombat arms. The ieâst rulcs-iniensive man-
concentrated counterattâcks in frontofKieu Map B ner of reflecting thjs disparity seemed to be to im-
runs from roûghly ihe originâl (pre 1939) Sovict, pos€ different sequences of play. Each player witl
Polish bordcr il1 the west, through Zhitomir in lhc need to plan his operations in a diffcrcnt rra|!er,
nliddlc, to Kiev and the Dnepr rivcr in the east. and the 8âmc should thus achieve a higher level of
Hor,cver with just orlc rnap, this lvoLlld lcave out simùlaiion tharl had it used more ster€otyp€d me-
thc initial frontier batilcs as well âs the Iater 20 divi, chanics."
sion bag rcferred to by the Gcrmans as the Umàn
By having a àift'ercnt sequence olptay lLtr each player,
pocl(et. So, it was decided to inclùdc MapAfor thc
doctrinâl ciitfcrenccs arc enhanced whilc naking the
iniliaL frontier baiiles as well as Map C for ihe area
game no more complicated. A râre casc of a rvin-
$'herethchistoricUnanpockctoccurrcd. Iarnvery '!vinsituation. Iamconvinced thatrhiswillbccomc
happy that I don'i hav€ to buy an expansion kit or the next standard si ncc double impulse systcrns bc-
some such nonscnse to plây thc campaign game.
ATIENTION TO DETAIL ORDER OF BATTI.E
I âlso nnmcdiately noticed thc attcntion to dctâil on
BitS has one ofthebestOrders ofBatrte (OB) I have
thesc maps. M. von Borries statcs: "Thcy \4'ere built
seen. Not only does the gamc include Soviet ar-
fromcurent US Dcfcnse MappingAgencymaps and
mored trains (each counter actuâlly representing
modified by historjcai accountr pcriod maps, and
several irains operàiiDg in a givcn arca) and iver
càpturcd Ccrman mâps lrom the 1943 period." All flotil1as, but it includes UR (ukreplyonnyi Raiorl -
this effort rcâlly shorvs as I ha!,c not found âny cr,
Foriificd Region) units. Othcr garnes have claimed
rors, although thcrc arc obviously a f$v incvitable
to havc included theseas wellasothcrad hocunits,
(lucslionsconcerning certain hcxcs.'fhcsc rnaps arc
but this is the firsi game I know of that has themas
about âs good as yoLr're gonna gct for this scalc ot
an intrinsic part ofthe SovieiOB. Grantcd, much of
thismateriai has only reccntlybecome know.r to thc
'1hc dcsjSnerstâtes: "Thc scale of5 milcs/hcx (8 kn1/ wcst. It is nice to knorv that Mr. von Borries, Tack
hcx) was chosen becar.rse it cleârly approximâtes a Radey, Loùis Rotunda and Joe Youst have uncov-
nonnnl one division dclensive froniage, or almost ered somcof this gold mineof informâtjonand hâve
two djvisions on thcattackâs an avcragc." You sitl presentcd part of it in Bits.
noticc ihat even this simple considcration is factorcd
Historicâlly. LtR units wcre made of mcn operaiing
.. olm.,r.y.ô"dl cd.imui"r:on.. - rr d >itlc. rnli-unk scrpon> JnJ s"n ,ll
. r l/or fublr.l-^rs m,l troJnJ \"lL l,. i,:^r., "rm: ir. dub in po.i
tions designcd to operatcirl an area with $4rich they
based on rvhethcr or not the company can sâvc
were very falniliar. Thcy wcre designed to siand
monev by kccping the map size dolvn. Also, bad
and dieûrplacc. This rvas to bùy time for the cchâ,
design practiccs/choiccs by the designcr can causc
nized forces to aorm â concentnted counterattack.
problelns.
ÙLl. w ih ritid ccntrdl,zcd conrroldc h c trs ircum
GREAT BLUE VS. BIG RED SYNDROME petcnt comrnande$, this rarely succcedcd. URunits
Manygâmes on the Russo-Ccrman war (rcgardless continued to be primarily static units up to about
of sca le) don't account for doc trinal differences. Thjs late 1943, when thc Soviets bctan to receivc mas-
!\'as attenpted in some oldcr garnes, but usùatly a sive quâniities of American lcnd.lease. Thus, ncar
high price in hcrcased complcxiiy. Irr son1c cascs, the end of the war thes€ UR units becamc mobile,
like rnost of thc AH classics, ihis simply nrvoh,Êd even though they still were known as "Fortificd
.li!,lydifcrcnI,Junl. r\-l r. .. - rne lhc. m1... Regions". What is particulârly confusing is thât
Olher ganes inslitute.liffcrcni iypes of "iron many of ihcse same UR units were latcr given regu-
n1ùidcn' rules or crcatc artificiâl rulcs that mây or lar army siatûs as Tank Dcstroyer Bâttalions - one
ày not fit within ihe historicâl sitùation. Rarcly the first being the 16ih TD battalionwhich began to
docs a game desjgrcr make docirinal diflerences a operate inAugust 1943.
major theme of thc gâme from thc start. To quote As ior theAxis OB, everything seems to beinclùdcd
fronr thc BitS dcsign noies: that shoûld be. The Cermân player, even rhoughhe

l0
Iriie & Ilolcmc #91
Jmury Fcbruùy 1994
 RUTES OUESTIONS
-.I
Please clarify thecalculation ofrnovcment costs 7) Is the NKVD rnit inLvov the only gânison ii
_-ïough rvoods ard give
an eraûplc for movement scenario #2, or are there others which are not
. :---r both motorized and non-motorized ùnits. lisfe.l?
:.t lnar)e 1enl casfs.uôads are addetl la the letfiin cast; The NKVD unit in Laao is lhe only garrisotl nit in
. : :ot cLût plus waads lhe tatal cost is ( I +1=2) Jû nan
'.:itatized,or 0+2=, for toloized end arlillery;fot ln sccnario #2, arc thc 4 units listed supposcd
B)
:::!b and waads the fotul cost is Q+1=3)
far non mo to be placcd iû Brody or A3913? The set-up ca.d
::rized, or (2+2=1) for motorizerl atld artillery.
is h'rong herc in listing Brody as A3913.
l) I assume the highcst and lowest possiblc modi units malk1d ïû Btod! arcplaced in Bndy, hex
Sa?iet'
iicd die rolls are'ù and '11', especially consider- 43919 (nal 439 13 T1hich is incattecl).
ine one can achieve at leasta miùùs thrce ora plus
;our (or higher) to the die ro11 for any single com- 9) Oncc ôga in concerning scenario #2, are the Ccr-
man 125th and 13ih Panzerdivisions correctly set
up as per the sccnario Axis Uni t Orgânization card
'1e., na rnodified lall Iess lhan A or greater thqn 11 is on hexes 2014 a.d 1021? Frcm my research, these
t$'o positions scem questionable. (Especially for
3) Cerman ulits arc adjaccnt io 2 Soviet fortified the 'l25ih division.)
Lrnits in dilferent hexes (invertcd URu tsorregLr- The 125th uas in rcseroe but clase lo the gafie fiap
lâr Lrnits unde. foriified coûnicr). Is the DllM +2 anà so it rras but a shott strctch to get il into pl\!. 1'he
tlt +1? The DRM = +L. 13th Pz is correctly placed at A2014. My maps shau
1)CarlSoviet URunits (on theirfront fortified sidc) il rytu)d aul, b t aner an arca cenlercd on A2014.
bc iakcn as a step loss lvhcn stacked with other
MAP OUESTIONS
SoYict rlnits? If so, do the UR units have iobe taken
f;r)l or i- ir up ro ll-e So\ icr plJ/er lu dFlerminc a) Does the ver in 81634 and C1601 continue, o.
this? does it stop i^ C1601? The it)er con
as indicated
tirruEs natth into nnp B. b) There is no gray road
UR utLits can take a slep loss nen thtryh the! htae a
t .i,etnenl ellauanæ of zcrc and are stacked Trith ather leading from 86933 to the souih, yet C6901 indi-
Sal)iet units. There is na piolitV af loss, but nate thrlt
caics that it should be connectcd, does it conneci
they arc nat able ta rctre!:tt and uould be destrcyed if
lhe rq o hc"cs or norl Het 8o033,hor,Ll hate a ni
nor nd lhat leads lo C6901. c) Is the ied splotch in
4,1328 a woods orhill ot,,!hat? Thercd splotch is a
-) \Vl^rl c\Jcrly dre "mdior , irie5 I llcùc Si\ c "r ptiùer's etrot anà daes nat indîctte any teffain. Did
listing of th€se. ï1eâsealso note that alter the DRM anyo e nalice lhe squashed Mt near the Bug Rîter?
on thc Combàt Effccts Chari for a majorcity,lhere cl) Does thc major road from A4750 conn€ct to
should be a "(see 8.23)," as a remlndù tor arûur 448507 lvhat abont froû A4749 to A4750? The
âttacking into this terûin. nain raad luds fon A4/50 ta A47 49 , then ta A48SA.
Therc arc anl! luo majôr cities: L.r& ( l hei a d Kielj e) The hexes 44834, C1001, ând ts10:t4, a1l indi-
(2 hexes). Bolh of thei( nimæ are underlined on lhe câte diffcrent ways for the gray road to go. I as-
i ap to help distiryltish them Ircn athù cities. ôdessa sume hcx A4834 is correct, but what about thc
is naI a nûjor cily. HawÈreL lnte lhat' it is sprcad otlet northcm road leading to nowhere iù hex C1001
3 heres. Regarding majot cities, a7950 cens s plîces (whichl have covered upbyA4B34, wiihofcoujse
95 ,At1 inhnbilanls at Zhitomi us. 316,161 .tt Loal), str 81034 on the bottom)? Map Ab calrcct; note.lsa
ùLe u.rill nced lo nke a strctg cûse to chnnge the latter ùat C1AA1 should ot lud lo 81034. {) What about
ti a luajot city. I really uantetl hex C6332 al Ollessa to ihe main road coirnecting A1753 and C1021? Is
be a ijat cit! het, but lhe gmphics guy wfls nat able this possible to use/assnrne? Pldytesti g did not
la ake thc àislitlcliafi. ihtlicûte a need.lat this raad al call fal its rcnaoal.
6) Who sets ùp first in scenario #2, Rundsteclt At- Atryo e wishing lo drau it in mn! do sa.
tacks?
The Sooiet plalet sets up t'irst in scemrio #2.

)1
Firc & Il.vcircnr 19l
Jdury Fcb^r.r! 1994
has allies consistint of Italians, Slovakt etc., is on to take âdvantage of this and he is limited to 5 stack-
hisown aslhi>campiig11 wa5 hi5loricdlly r Ccrmnn ing points p€r map (3 maps = 15 pts. total). Thc rea-
show I am still in the process of collecting more son given by the designer for no A\is Rail Move-
information on this ftont (especiâlly info on the ment: '^The A)ds-controlled ûilroads were almost
Slovakian units), but so far I have not found any- fully occupied with kccping the front-line troops
thing si8nificant to disagre€ i{ith. supplied. Axis rcinforcements will hâve to march
to the frcnt."
STEPPES AND MORË STEPPES
I can see that Mr. vonBorries did this for simplifica-
The sequence of play is the heârt of any gâme. As
tion,bui I do have a slight qùibblc. For thc first sce-
mentioned above, the sequence ù BitS is ditferent
nario, the assault on Kier and the second and third
for eâch player. There is a reversal of moveûent
scenariot which are ihe opening ftontiers battles,
and combat for the Soviet player in the second half
llù- mcles sen)e. Hose!er, for the c"mpdi6n sce-
of thc turn.
nario (the last scenario), I woûld have ljked io see
The lveather lhase consists of two different typcs the Germans be ablc to use the rails, maybe at ihe
of conditions, Clear and Rain. For the most pârt, cost of slower reinforcements, less rcplacements or
the weather is Clear. But for a few turns during lhe someothermechônic. Thjsmodification wol d give
campâign sccnario, ihe wca thcr tumslousy and Rain more control (and decisions)back to the player. As
conditions are in effect. When compan:d to ihc rcsi it stands now, thcre is ùo possibiliry for any Àxis
of rhe dê.rtr,. thr wedlh r'v.tcr i.bothL'1irnrgi- rail movemcnt in any of the scenarios (individuâl
nativc and simplistic. I woul.l have preferrcd thât scenaios discûss€d lâter). I believe the scale and
thc wcaiher varicd mûch nore over different âreâs scope of BitS, make this an importânt ctecision ihe
of thc ap, especially since BitS coverssucha hrige Axis player should be able to make. Do I take thc
expânse of terrain. rejnforcements/rcplacements or lose some in order
AXIS PLAYER TURN to ùse stGtegic movement for some units on the
board?
Dûring ûÊ .A)ds Initiâl Phase, theAxisplayer checks
his units on the map for supply and allocaies the WAR OF TOGISTICS
few rcplacements he rcccives. In addition, hc is al- Finâlly,a t the end of movement, the Ards player (and
lowed a ccrtâin mmbcr o{ "rcplaccmcnt steps", de- the Soviet in his corresponding movement phasc)
pending on the s.enario plâyed. Only in the câm- must plâce a "cornbat marker' on cachdcclâred com-
paign game, scenario #,1, does either sidc get any b"l srtudlion. tlalcrs )hould nole lhdl lhcre is no
rcplaccments- Supplyis hilndled in a time honorcd such marker in the game. The telm "combat marke/'
|'dr'rer Uril5 \\h:ch can lr.!e d lire of (o , muni- rcfers to ihe counteE withAttack Supplyon the fuont
cations (LOC) back to a supplysoùrccarcin gcncral side and No Attack Sûpply on the back. Oncc I fig-
supply. There arc four supply states in ihe game: ured this out, everydring was OK. Maybe 3 t{should
Attâck, Ceneral, Encrgcncy, and Out of Sùpply. call it the Attack Supply Markcr.
Uniis mustbe in Ceneral Supply to both move and
Attack Sûpply for the Axis player is limited by a chart
attack, ând in Attack Sûpply !o attack without pen-
which gives a fixed number of supplied attacks per
aliy. This is standard. The exception is the Soviet
tum. For cvery attack that has a No Attack Supply
UR units. These can bc a thorn in the Axis side as
counteron it and theAxisplayerrcllsa result on the
thcy rcmâin in gencrâl slrpply ât all timcs. (They
CRT (Combat Results Table) with an astcrisk, he
don't have to tracc a LOC.)
immcdiatelytakesa additional stcp loss (ouch:). Fot
Thc Axis Movement Phas€ is standard. The Axis eaample/ at 3 1 odds, there are thrce results that
player first placeshisrcinforccmentsand then movcs could produce this. I found in playing thc gamc,
liis units. Stratcgic and Rail movement are also a1- that in the short scenarios, this may bc too gcncr-
lowed. For Sirategic N{ovement to be possible, thc ous, as most of the time the Àxis plôycr makes as
unit in qucstjon must be in Cenerâl Supply, move many attacks as possible. However, io give crcdit
on roads/ and stay at least 3 hexes away ftom en- to the designct if the A\is player does this in the
emycombât units. By moving strâtegicâlly, a unit's campaign sænario, he will soon find that he runs
movement allowance is increas€d by 5070. To use out of steam as the attrition Brinds him down. ln
Râil Movement the unit must stârt on a railroadand this case he will most surcly lose. Atl this rcinforces
obscrve the same rcstrictionsas strategic movcmcnt. my ieeling that this game is dcfinitcty desjgncd lvith
Units moyiùg by rail cân bc movcd up io 48 hexes the campaign sccnârio in rnind.
âlong â lail line. Only the Soviet player is allorved

)2
Fne & MôvcneftS91
Jmuùy Fcbrualy 1994
SCREAMING STUKAS COMBAT
ln thc Axis Àir Commitmcnt Phase ihe Axis player The Axis Combat Phase is strâightforward. 'the steps
puts his air units in Close Support/Air SuPcriority are: 1) compute the odds, 2) resolve thc combat, 3)
modeorhas them flyâirinterdiction missions. Thcrc remove any losses, 4) conduct any rcireats, 5) con-
jre no rangelitnjtatlons on the air units as they can duct any advances aftcr combat. ln BitS, the CI{T
ny to any hcx on any of the ùrcc mapsheets Rain goes froma low of 1-4 ûp to 10-1+ odds. The table
conditions prevcnt any air units from flying that is bâsed on a d10 (ten sided dice). Almost â11 gâmes
t um- Close Sù pport units are placed in any hex tha t

is being attackcd and the sin8le hi8hestSround snp-

Terrain Movement Eflects Chart
pori-ratcd air unit is subtracled from the Axis
playcr's die roil. For air interdictjon, air units âre
simplyplac€din thc hexio be interdicied- Thezonc CLEAF AÂIII
olintcrcliction corlsists of the airùnifs hex plus thc
2
sùrrounding six hexes. The effect of this interdic- I
tion is io greatly rcduce Soviet rail movement, Prc- I
rent any strategic movcmcnt through this zone of 3
h.r.. ând to rcducc the commând value of Soviet
heâdquarters units thât are wiihin any interdicted 3
hcrcs. Ihislast lact canbe devastatingto the Soviet nôiôrizêd and artillé.y P
plnyer's comrnand structure. Hills 3

THE SOVIETS STRIKE BACK

TheSovict playergetshis first plug oftlle turrl dur- nôn-motonzêd
ing thc Sovict Reaction Phase. ln this Phasc ihe So môtÔnzèd ard artillêry
viet plâyer moves and rcacts to the Axis Playcr. He
also gets to commit his ak units during this phase in notonzêd aûd âziillêry
rÊaction to theAxisair attacksin thc previousphasc.
lf during this phase, both sidcs hâve air units in a
hex, then iherc is a round of Air Sùperiority (AS)
combat. Up to t('o air units from cach side canerld
in a hcx. AS combat is similar to combât resolution
jn GDW's A House Divided. Eachplâyer rollsa die
and i[ thc roll islcss than the rcl1ingùnit'sair raiinS,
the enemy unit takes â hit (step loss). lfthcairunit
itsclf had already takcn â hit, then it is placed in an
ofÊmâp Cadre box. Ifboth sjdes still hâve air units
lcft in the hex âfter this combat, then both may ôp-
ply onc unil ) Sround support !Jling lo lhe en-uing
ground combat. AS combat works the same for in-
tcrdiction, except that âny surviving Axis plancs NO'lES:
cause an interdiction nlarkcr to be placed.
MP= novenetrr poibr
Conceming interdiction, rule '10.34 js curious. It 01= iudse by oihei ierai! in hex
s(atcsi "Normal movement and supply routes âre a ToÆ, nalioùal ùoraêE, and hêx tdentinca
r6n nùrreB hsve nô ènect o! movebèni:
not affc.tcd by interdiction." Why not?? In the they æ ùpd for gâbe releENa purF.ses
game, I would halve the effectjve supply range
(LOC) \ 'hen traccd through an interdicted zoncand b. Moùtain ând câvalry uils spend only 2
MP forsabp, hills, o. mùtain hrrin
âlso cause any en emy unit movinS through thc zone Ésa.dlcs of wèaiher cord.itions
to be âssessed an additionÀl +1 mp penalqz These c. A ùrit srsnds r MP b ù1€. or lèrvè eæmy
ZOC ù addiioo io the ùomal terÀir .od
iwo things would give morc c phasis to air Polvcr
1BitS. Ar .L srând5. dir porvcr hâ> nol beentj!cn d. Morôrized u.its and anillèry cm novê 0h
iis due. This is especially true for thccampaigngame abùc oi sânp o yifmovinsâlolga
whcre I think the Ccrmans have been riPpcd off.

r3
Firc & Movcnè t91
Jmuùy February 19r,1
OPÏIONAL RULES & COMMENIS
'l) I ùink that Ccrnan Cebi€sjacgcr (moùùtairl di- 7) 3Wshould povide markcrs for deshoyed Staiin
visjons) wolrld negùtc the +1 modifier to thedefcnsc Linehcxet as this becomes quite a pain lâter in ttre
of d un:r inâ hll.hc\. The) hâvcçpe(iâl rrJin:ng campaign scenario. Maybe 3 W could con1e up $'iih
and I woûld give thcm thisbcnefit ifi 1) the attackcr a "standârd" destroyed mârker that could be used
solely consists of mountain unitsand the defenders for destro],ed bridgeg Stalin line hexes, or for any
âre non-mountain units in hills only (not mountain other type ofdestroyed hex/lcraiù f€aiûrc for that
or alpine hexes). mdtler, drJ ju\l in\luJc lhc>c sirh,vcr) trîe in
2) The vehiclcs pictured on page 5 of thc rulcs arc the series (ûraybe 20-40 o. so).
Skoda built Pz 35t's, and should bc câptioncd as B) In future scries games3Wshould mak€ â notein
lhe counl^! dcs(ripdon rcclion lhar nn ll-c r.gimen
3l I'he >nr1,e h edLher rhrôcboàrJ<' 5 r.. tai sized uniis, ihe nûmberon the upper left cornor
"tfc.nr'Ê.,11 is the reSimental designation and the number on thc
plistic considering the size and scope of the 8ame.
Roll for each nup separately I evcn roll for cach upper right is the divisional desi$ation (similarly
subsection (dividedby themapcreasLs) and trcât it for anynon-nrdependent bâttâlion-sized or brigade-
asa rain squail by phcilrg a cou nter mârked clear or sized units).
Iainineach âppropriate subsection. It sccns to work 9) 'l'hc Axis Unit ÔBarization card shoù1d have gray
jùs! fn1c. (Yoûcould gct cvcn more realistic by study- shading on ihe unit symbols to hcip distingr sh
jng thc wcather patterns over each game map ar€a motorized fromnon-motorized and to mâke the set-
and having scparaLe lablcs for thcsc-) This may be up easier. (i}lc Soviet cârd has exâctl). tlis t),pe of
going a llttle too fat but othcr hâr.l-core East n_ront shadinS on it.) Àlso, the Soviet NKVD and security
gatncrs would enjoy thls. units on the corresponding Soviet cârd should be
4) As I have studicd boih Sovict and CermÂn doc- darkened to indicate that thcy arc indced a differcnt
tine for 15-20 years, I feol saie in saying thai the
Cerman intantryman was well coordi atcdwithtLe 10) Ctrrently, bomber units can intercept lithlets.
SiuC battâlions evcn at thisearlystagc of ihc war I This is dûc to rule 10.4 which states in parl "...air
'lvould also give anamorbonusio any infantry di units in the gâme rcprcscnionly approximations of
vision stacked wùh one or ore StuC baltalions. thc effect of the actual air power necessary to achieve
(This, o f coûrse, coming under thc same restrictions the desircd gaûe effect." Why arc historicâl desjg-
as rule 8.21, e.g. aitâcking cities, etc.) Additionally, nations on the countcrs evcn used? If this was the
see cornment 5 belorv. inLcnded effecl, il Bould bc bcrrcr to hr\c gcncric
5) I do not bclicve the arûor bonus is cnough. 1
fighter and bomber counters for ea.h side. Jùst make
think it should aciually be a -2 to the die roll, rvith the numberof counters and the valucs on them cor-
iheabovementioned Stuc-Infêntrybenefitbeing thc rect to fit thehistoricai airop$ations which occurrcd
-1. This fcels mllch bcttcr Às thc war (ùnd this sc- in ihis sector
rics) proSresses to thc latcr battles, this can bc rc- Air interdiction (especiallyGerman inierdjction)
11 )
duccd to -1 (exàctly as prescnted in rulc 8.21) with should diyupt supply (by shortcning thc cffcctive
no bcncfit for Stuc-lnlantry coopcration. This LOC). Also, it shoùld impcdc movcncnt (say a +l
should take cffcct with the opcning of Kursk (May mP to any unit moving througtr the zone). This
1943) and after. Soviet countermcasùrcs likc ânii- wolrtd be inaddition to stra tcgic rnoverneù t clfects.
armormethods and tactics $,cre wcll dcvclopcd and Some of thcse may be "nit-picks", but this is what
coordinaicd by this time and rvould rcducc this bcn- disiinguishcs a great gâme ftom one thal is just so
efit ior the Cer ansdowûtothcp rsent rule of-1 so. During sctting ùp ând play of Slitzhieg tu the
(armor) and no benefit to StuC lnfartry combina-
South, all four gamerc I played madc similar eom-
iiorls. ments. Notice that almost every item nentioned
6) BitS shordd nlclude a detailed sequence of play above would dclinitely speed up play, rhus produc-
on a sepamte caid or on ihe back of ihe rules book ing a gâme systcm that geLs played as much as pos-
for ease ofcopying, both to facilitate play and Sive sibte. In the finâl analysis, a game thât is played
additional rcmindcrs of special rules for a pârtjcu- over and ovcr is what.ôunls.
lar game in the series.

14
Fnc & Ilov.m.nt #91
.lùùùy Fcbrudy 199.1
.o!v arc using d10's instead of the old d6's. I flnd units can combine thcir sircngihs io add to an at-
lhis muchbctter especially since I still play many of tâck, only onc (1) Sovict ârtiilcry ûnit can. Third,
the old "c]âssicv' I\'ith CRT'S bàsed on d6's. Pos- defensive artillery suppori is committed 1r ihc
siblc resùl ts go from 0 (zero ) to ll withdie rolln(rdi- deferder's rcaction phasc prior to combat. Thc at-
Iicrs (DRM) being cumulative. One such modifier tacker Bcts the advantagc ofchoosingwherelo com-
for "mâjor cities" is in question. "Woods" in Bits mii his artillery during his combat phasc. Fourth,
represeni addi tional terrâin in a hex, ând so you add BitS shows the frailty of artiuery by giving thern a
this DRM to the DRN'I for other ierrâin also Prcseni very rvcÀk defense strength, usually a vâlue of"1".
I bclicve this is the best iype of system for artillery
Possible results for cornbat are: I to 4 stcp lossesi at lhis s.ale.
rcireats of two hexes; comPlete elimination; a step Nc. r. dJring rhe Ayi. Volon.,-d lh.t-c, A'i- mo
loss wiih an "+", whjch indicâtes ân additjonal steP torized and cavalry units gei to move again ât hâlf
loss ii thc attacker has iùst mâde an "urlsùpPlied rate. 'fhis has been standard since 5Pl's
aitack" (as cxplained prcviously) and finally, ihe tanzergirrppe Guderian (1976).
infâmous doublcdash result " / ",whichmeânsno SOVIET PLAYER IURN
loss lor cithcr side. This last rcsuli is Possible up to
6-1 odds, ând cânbc vcry frusirâting for !hc Plâyer The Sovict lnitial Phâsc is sin{lâr to the Axis lnitial
tnainly leCermân) shadcsol,Arn/on
rvlio rolls it Phase, brt it includcs ts'o oth,rr ihings. Similar to
Hil/'i Bulge'6sl For stcp losscs, âll Gerrnan infân- the Axis attàck supply chari, there is a Sovict Re-
try clivision sized urlits and the SS LAH (lsi SS)di- servcs Table, which is also fixed. Evcry tumbeSin
vision hâve four steps. Any Soviet unjts with a de- njng with -lurn #7 (luly4-5), the Soviet playcr rolls
fcnse strengih of 5 or more, ând all Ccmlan moun a dl0 and this determines the number of UR units,
tain ând light divisions, hâve three steps. All other strontpoin ts. replacenrnts received and somc kind
units in thc gâme have onc or illo stePs. A typical ol )p.. rr1c\cnl. Thenumbcr of UR unil" br\ cr. on
Ccrman lnfântry division consists of the follorving this table is equal to the nùmbcr of these units thai
stcps:ll'9-5,7 I 5,4 6-5,and finâlly3 5 5. Units thât can be taken fromthe cadre box (mcaning they havc
1\ere eliminatcd by an "e" result or rcmovcd bccause been eliminatccl oncc bcforc), or they maybe tâkcn
thcy could not be retreated (d c to being sur irom aùy locaLion rvhich they currently occupy on
rounded), are placed in thc Units Eliminated Box. thcmâp. In either case, ihey areflipped over to their
Alloiherrniis ihàt lose their last step go to thc Cadre reverse sidc arld placcd on any Stalin Line hex or
Bor. This is a elegarlt way to show ihe effect ofpris- fortificd line on the mâp.
oncrs takenand the wayatrùion works on ân army The Stalin Line was built (ai grêat cost) with ihe
over a scveral week period. pûrpose of stoppingany potentiâl invader. This is a
Rrrssian (orshoùld I sayStâlin) vcrsion of the Frcnch
MORE FEATURES
Maginot mentality. In any case, it is a permândri
Ofc oihcr nicc thing incorporated into the combàt feâture of thc map ihât runs (apprcxi aicly) along
phase is the No Retreat Option. This option allol{s ihc pre- 1939 Russo-Polish border. lvhereas the Stà lin
any unjt(s), rcgardlcss of attacking or defending, to Line rcpresents a lont linc ofconcrete bunkcrs ànd
choose not io retrcat. Thc cost is high, the unit or pillboxcr â fortified line in Bits, represenis dcnsc
stack of units must losc two additional steps. So pockcis of the samc thing wiih thc âdded beneû! of
viet units losc 1 lcss if in â ccriâin type of teûain anti-tank ditches, trcnchcs and other obstâclcs io
(cities, hills, etc.), and Cermarl (not Axis allies) âl- fùrthcr impedc the attackcr. 'fhese fortified line
wâys lose only 1 additional stcp rcgardless of ter- hexes arc on thcmap as pcrmancnt fixturcs,Whereas
rain (probably due to supciior training & C3I, etc.). SLalin Linchcxescânbedestroyed byanyAxisunit
Thcre arc other nice things added to make combat nloving through and/or occupying thât particular
interesting, such as Tankoboyan (Russiân for "tank hex, fortified line hexes cannot be destroycd at all.
fright"), ârmor bonuses, Panzer division inte$ity, Thus, in game terms, both types of fortiljcaiion al-
ctc. Thcse arc all modifiers to either combat valucs low favorable DllMs to the Soviet defenders along
of the uniis involvcd or arc combat DI1rV's. $'iih hindcring Axis anrror
THE BIG GUNS Strongpoints represent field fortifications, usually
prcparcd bycivilians orpenâl batialions. Thcsc âlso
Artillery in Bits is handled slightly differen tly thân aid ihc dcfensc through favorable DRMS, but riust
in most games. First, thcy are the only unils that be bujli. Thc numbcr givcn on ihc Soviet Rescrvcs
cannlâkc rangcd attâcks. Second, l\hilescveralAxjs

r5
Fûc & Movcnen!#91
Jdùùy Fcbruùy 1994
 VANCE VON BORRIIS
IN IERVIE\4ED BY CHRISTINA SCHULTZ

Vance oon Boràes lioes in lnuisoille, Kent ckV. He has an

MBA degtec aid works as a tax accounlant whcn not

workinS as a feelîr,ce gafie designer His desig cwlils
in lude Ab Assault on CrctqInoasiofl Malta 7942, and

e selies of Meditetranean theatre rta!4afies stattifig Toith

Decisiofl at Kasserine.

I began gaming way back in the dark ages of can Civil War game mostly b€cause that battle took
wargaming in 1964. I was at summer camp and some place here in Kentucky. Thât one was câlled Stars
cool guy carne along with an Aftika (orys game. I ând Bârs. Then I did a Napoleonic game called
was fascinated with it. Hc showed me how to play \tittôd& That one was done by rcquest ând I was
it àrd I loved it. I played sevcral other games and not happy with the graphics prcsentation. But, there
then I began an effort to n1ake games better, to en- is a tood design lurking in therc. I did  Spanish-
hânce enjo),rnent, to add morc history In the eariy Amcrican War game câlled Rêmember the Maine-
dat€ there were many tâûcs that needcd to bc fixcd, This was an attempt to reach oût for a new area, a
notably the S&l games. There were rules ploblems whole new topic, a whole new approach. Remem-
and incomplete designs. Wc felt a nccd io correct ber the Maine is the one I am most lond of. It has
ihese things. land and sea. lt has grand stratcgy. It has pedod
The first gaine I designed wa sa co-dcsign effort wi th color. It hasa lotof what I likc.
a fcllow gamer at college. This game was callcd My most disappointing own game was Rommel's
Atika Korps IL We latei pâired ùp again to co- War. I had such high hopes for that game and they
publish r much re-dcsigncd dnd uptÎaded were only partially realized, so I feel the disappoint-
'crsion
which we callcd Desert Fox- We had a little colot ment that much more. I was trying {or that happy
and I lhink wo had readable rulcs and functioning middle ground between a good tame ând a good
countcrs. We sold i t cntirely thrcugh the mail, and historical tool. Because I tried too hard, it didn't sa t-
bclicve it or not, r/e madc a profii on the thing. isfy cither desire.
SEEKING IHAT PERFECT BATTATION TOOKING FOR HISTORICAT ACCURACY
TEVEL GAME Whcre is lhe hi>loricdl àccùracy in bo.1rJ gdmcs in
Most of n1y gameshave beerl ccntercd o.r the Medi- gcncral? In my gâmes I try to do the best I possibly
telTanean during World \ Iar II and tLis is an arca crn. Now, lhdL doeùn't mcan lhcy arc frcc from er-
I've alû'ays been interested in. The originai games rors or things. Maybe such and such division actu-
lvere North A{rica campaign games and I was a]- âlly came in a day latcr. But, why do all these other
ways endeavoring to build â better one. The idea of games feel like it is an obligation to havc these gaffes?
going to a battalion and company level 1^?s an ex- It s€ems that most companies are trying to hit a
tensjon of that, and you might say il is more evôlu- market segment, but they are forgetting about the
tionary lhanrevolutionary Iwasseekingthât nebu- accurâcy. Ârc they claiming that they have to do
lous so-called "pcriect" battalionlev-.1 game. this io have a balanced game? What is their prcb-
lem? I think it is a matier of rcsponsibility io have
I have designed some games that are no t World Wâr
lhc grme as ac(urate asune Lan mdke it. Therc is no
II, North Africa or Meditclrancan- I did an Ameri-

Fire &Nlolcmcrr*91
lmuùy Febru3ry 1994
:\.ùsc forbringing in units lvay too latc o! omit- Table is the number allowcd to bebuilton ihat gamc
irng ihinEs or misrepresenting what unitsuch and turn. Thcsc counters are initially placed constnr.-
sùch is- Designers reâlly haverit been called on tion side ùp. On thc Soviet playcr's nert turn, con
ihc mâtâbout this. Ii hasbeen more thân ten yeâts strùction is completed ând they are llipped over to
iince we have seen a revjch' ihat hâs tâken a Same sholv the sironSpoint in place. During play, Soviet
loiLn a notch or two;ust for lack of accuracy. placement of these is absolutelyc ciâl. The Soviet
Ii secms that dcsign efforis today are focused morc
plryer .hould try his bcst to s, cond qre>. Cenn.,n
on sys!ùîs than on accuÉcy. I /e don't need to inientions and try to place thcsc in his way around
key cities and/orchokc poirlts.
reinr'enl lvholc new Same systems for cvery Same
.. c pl.,y. ,.hrnk lhepoPU arit)of>e-ie)tdmccira DOCTRINAT DIFFERENCES
rcàction agailst that lcndency. We need to look
Thc Soviei Motorized Movement Phasc comcs be
1 orc âr â 800d mi( of mechànic., J pledsing m:r
shic'r flow> 4ell. l{e hàvc a 15 ye.rr hi,tory in /orehis combat phase in order toimposc limitations
on theRed Army. Note that theSovict playcr must
ihis hobby and to deny the existence of 34 ol ihe 35
slill announce âll attacks prior to the cnd of this
rcars is absurd. Why can t rve go backand look at phase just âs docs the Axis player in his rc$lar
1vhât has been donc and read those publications
movement phase. This mâkcs plâying the Soviets
thai have becn published before? lt is as though lery differcnt frorn playirlg the Ccrmâns. This onc
peopte sây "Well, itdidn thappen hcrewithinthe phase alonc makcs all thc diffcrcnce in the $'orld
last 12 months, thcrefore it doesn't cxist." That's ând I am glâd to scc this incorporâted into thjs sc-
the $'rongattitûde.
ries as a pcrmanent feature.
I have played a great many garncs over the yea.s. The Sovict Air Con1 itmcnt Phase is phase is the
Thûrc js plenty of information to be found by ex- .-rne J. rl'Jt of rhc A\i.. Onl) inlhccâmpdrtnsc,-
amining othcr designers'work. Cuûently, l'm nario.loes theRed Air Force make its presence felt.
playjngAcross Five Aprils. I've secn some of the ln dll orher 5(cnrrius, thc A\i< hr, complele d.r 5u-
morc complicâtedcompuier Samesand wondered
periority.
lvhy we need thatùûch dclajl on the screen. Yct,
I see th€m as a positivc feàtrre. During the AxisReâction Phase, the Cerman plâycr
can atone for his errors and block penetrations by
I havc a design with GMlthât is callcd Operation
the Soviet player. The carnpaign scenario is really
Mercnry. I! should be published by the time you
the only time that the Germansare threâtcncd with
rcali this. I-ate in 1994 trorn CMI will be a game
subsiântial counteratiack possibilities frcm thc Red
covcring ihe entire Italian campaign to be call€d
Invâsi on ltâly. Reccnlly pûblished is an East Fron t
gâDre from 3 Wcalled Bliakrieg in the SouÛ1. I! is The Soviet Combat Phase is idcntical to the Axis,
part o i a series so thcre rvill be more. fm curren tly exccpt thât the Sovict player musi always think
talking lvi th othcr publishe.s on other projecls. ahcad bccause of his tlrrn sLruciure. Whereas the
Axis player can be more opportunistic due to his
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK frcer sequenceof play, the Soviet player lËs io have
I nr 42. Vârried with no childrcn. ) grcw up in extreme patience when dealing with his army. He
Louisville Kentùcky ând I'm still herc. I went to has to playmuchmore likea chessmâster. Hemust
t\c Ur)i\crsity of ViEinid ând m"jored in ForeiFr look ahcad many tums in advânce to set up coun-
Affairs. I livc in an urban setting about ten miles icrattack possibilitics. In the shortcr sccnarios ihis
from Luisviltc. My music choices are usually clas ability to hoard units for counterattacking is severcly
sical, sometimes I go io rock. Favoritcs are the curtailcd. Thus,Iurgeallplayersto jumprighiinio
mundane stuff I ike À{ozart ancl Beethoven. lama to thc campaign scenario i f a t all possiblc. I guâran-
night pcrson and È'ork late. I like sâiling, tcnnjs, tee ihis is a most rcwarding cxpcricncc. Possibly
bird huntin& forcign films. I'vc bccn know to the best ofany East Frontgâmel
swinga golf club occasionally. Whenanybodyasks Finâlly, we come to the Soviet Movement Fhâse.
abou t whai I rvant as an epitaph I âm reminded of Once again, this phase isthe sâmeas theAxisphasc,
Johnny Carson when he was asked and lle replied but meâns different things to the Soviet player. This
"l'il be right back." is the time for the Soviet player to effeci infantq'
discngagement and for his units to escape pockets
ihaihavc formed during thc Axis portion of the tum.

)7
Filc &: Môvcnrcnt #91
Jmùùy-Fclrùùy 1994
SCENARIOS thc game âs strâjSlrtforr!ârd as possible. Llâll the
Bits wâsdesigncd to showcase onc thing, the cam- sccnàrios I p]àycd,I did not fhd anyof ihese tables
outof whack. The onlymajorcomplaint I had about
Pr Sn rcerdr.o - Jll 27 rufl .. Freolh' r \,.r , ri. .dre the design was concerning the simplistic weathcr
fine. But, it is the campâitn which bcsi illustraics
the clegance of this systcm. Bc !vame.l, this game
rulcs. My only minor complôint É'as .r'ith the usc
cân takeupa lot of spâcc Ind time.
ofStùG battalions operating in cûljunction with in-
faniry
Thc filst scenario, Sicgo of KjeV is too restric(ive to
shorv more than â hint oi lvhai'sgoing on. l!'sbasi
The rcles o f the playcrs arc thatofarmygroùp com,
Jllv d lednr.rrt.ccr Jiu. llp,c,or ,l )....,ri\,. andcr and the dccisions Ând choiccs in the gam€
R ndstedi Attacks, rcprcscnis ihe injtial frontier rcflcci this to a good degree. .f]rc garne system's
echanical reqùiroments (especial ly the scqu €nce o f
baitles ofArny Croup South and will be of intcrcst
play), tive boih players very diffcrcnt problcrns to
to those with limitcd spacc as it r15es only onc ùùp.
deâ] with throughout the 8âme. Both plâycrs !\/ill
i plaved this scenario tlvo ûnes and am currently
feel like they are fightinga differcnt arny, rather than
playing it a third rime. So lar, thcrc have bccn two
Cerman victorics-onca "blowout" ând the other a iùst different colois of cârdboard. I woùld caution
first-rime plâycrs to give theSovicts to the morccx-
vory close game rvith thc Gcrman winning by two
pcricnced (and pa ticn i) player. 'lïis is espcciallv truc
points. The thir.l scenario is cxactly the sâmeâs the
in the Rundstedt Atiacks scenario.
sccond cxccpt wjth frce deployùlcnt. As &,iih anv
frce clcploynlcnt scenarlo, make surc that voLr and EVALUATION
yorLr oppouent agrce to a rime linit for sct-up. lhc
BI;ukrieg in lhe south - I ry!r. r.' \ rrl r. I cir rI
first tjûle l plâycd thjs sccnario,my Sovietopponent vative ideâs àlong with rock-solid rcscarch thât dc
Look forever. I much prclcr iircd set ups, so both livers a tame which isboth hiShly playablc and ac-
plâycrs cnn qujckly gct itlto thc g.rne and dc!clop
curâic at thc s.:rmc iimc. The rescârch thai $,entinto
thcir sLra lcgy, avoidint thc iime consuning pcrfcct nâking the n1ap is ihe best I secn h any game, bar
noncl The Sovict OB, with ihc inclusion ofUR units
The only real abstraction of the gancis that supply Ior t'rc lr15t rimc in âr.y gi lrc on lh- Ru . L.rn. ,
ând rcinforcemcnts lorboth sides arc fixcd in tables. sar, sholvs exccllcnt use of somc ol thc ner'er Dia
ln BitS, lhis is perfectly âcccptable in order to kccp terial coming out of thc Soviei archivcs.

DESIGNER RËSPONSE
b! Vance aaû BartiEs
I tharlk Doug Burûejster for his fair, thorough, and generally positive rcview. He qtlotes extcnsively
from rny designcr's notcs,lvhich are included with thc game, so there is little to adâ.
Mr- Bumcistcr raises valid points about small prodrction prcblems at 3t{, but I tlust that all will
understând- thâ1 none of these truly affect ptay and that these will be conected in firture gamcs. Keiih
Poulter at 3t{/ has alrcady prcmised a dcep€I storage box for the next game in the series. Let me
emphasize that BitS isindeed palt of a series and that the next two game; are we[ underwâ],.
LatcrgamesWll cladfy or expand ùponso eofihe design jssues raised in thc rcvjew. For instance,
the game covcring the 1941 final offensive against Mosco.lv must of necessity deal with weaiher in a
more elaboratc manner I $eat1y disagrcc wjth Mr. Burmeister,s thinkjng that $.eather slrculd vary
from map to map. Yes, $.eather will vary from rcgjon to regjon. This is w;), ihere are n,cather zone;
in most Russian Front caûpaign gâmes, bui there thc rcgions are larger than the region portrayed in
BitS. Battle siorics covcrirg Bits action dcscribc the sane weather, bôih north and sout\ on thé same
duy
i am heartcned tha! Mr. Burmeisicr agrces with ccÎtain
tame simplifications. While I was rcstricted to
a .40o-couùier budget, I ama firm belicver in desigi dis.iptine. A gâme desigi shoutd notlorcetame
picces to do somctsaults.
Fhally,let me takc this opportunity to give special thanks to Joe youst for his.ontinued enthûsiastic
help on the sedcs and to all myplaytesiers for their patience through innumeÉble changes.

lg
Fnc & Nlovcrnent 191
Jrn!dl-fcbrury I994
The designer kept the scope and scale ofBitS from
bccoming something akin to an east front vercion of
Campaign {or North Àftica (SPI 1979). The play-
ers are frce to concenbate on the reality of combat
and achjeving obieciives, rather than fighting the
system,
I lcave yoû with a quote from the end of the Dc-
signer Notes:
"..- the goal of gaming is to achieve more than rcal-
ity-to cxplore what might have been. A detailed,
mechanistic game system could divert gaming at-
tcntion away from the true focus - the centûl direc-
tion of the campaign. Aspartofa serics, BliEkrieg
has been kept within an easily manageable level of
complexity, with good research ând accurate n-raps.
The design and system can grow. It is meant to be
played and enjoyed."
I couldn't agree more. a