Winterstorm: The German Offensive to Relieve Stalingrad, Dec 1942, covers the December 1942 effort by a scratch German corps to break the Soviet ring around Stalingrad and rescue Sixth Army. The German begin the game on the Aksay River, and must cross the entire map to reach the roads beyond the Myshkova River leading to the Stalingrad pocket. This is the fourth entry of Joseph Miranda's East Front Battles system, which emphasizes the importance of command control. Combat units are battalions of not just infantry and armor, but a variety of supporting weapons. Each unit type has strengths and weaknesses, and all must be coordinated by a headquarters to fight at full power. This game pits German mobility and flexibility against Soviet numbers and combat power.
Originally published in World at War magazine #36 (Jun-Jul 2014).
Game Scale:
Game Turn: 2 days
Hex: 1.25 miles / 2.0 kilometers
Units: Battalion to Corps
Game Inventory:
One 22 x 34" full color mapsheet
One dual-side printed countersheet (280 9/16" counters)
One 16-page rulebook
Solitaire Playability: Medium
Complexity Level: Medium
Players: 2 or more
Playing Time: 4-15