INTRODUCTION

Der Kessel is a solitaire game simulating the last weeks of the encircled German 6th Army in the pocket German troops nicknamed "The Cauldron" that formed in and to the west of the city of Stalingrad when Soviet troops broke through the Wehrmacht's front lines in 'December 1942.

You represent 6th Army's commander, General von Paulus. All actions of the Soviet commander Zhukov and subordinate units are strictly controlled by the game rules. As von Paulus, you must do your best to save the trapped army in the Cauldron while at the same time cooperating with the high command (OKW) to preserve the integrity of the entire southern front in Russia. Each turn you perform various types of actions within the pocket. Die rolls and rules determine the strategic situation and strategy employed by Army Group South outside the pocket, specifically in terms of the commitment levels of the Luftwaffe (air force) and General Hoth's relief force.

GAME COMPONENTS

The game includes one 11" x 17" map depicting the region containing the Stalingrad pocket and various playing aids, a sheet of counters, a set of 25 event chits, and these rules. A six-sided die is essential for play. Game counters represent combat units and information markers. German units are blue, their Rumanian allies are yellow, Soviet units are red, and information markers are white. The number of counters provided in the game is deliberately limited, but you can make additional status and informational markers as needed. Additional Prepared Defense markers (PDMs) and Battlegroups may not be created.

GAME SCALE

Each turn represents one to five days, depending on the level of activity. Each map area ranges from 35-65 miles (50-100 km) across. A box in the Relief Force track is 15-20 miles (25-35 km) in length. German units typically represent divisions, while Soviet units are officially armies that were usually the rough equivalent of a German division. Each supply point represents about 50 tons delivered per day. Each evacuated wounded factor represents 1500 men.

BASIC CONCEPTS

Adjacent Map Areas: The map contains 64 areas for regulating movement and combat. Each area is adjacent to every other area it is connected to by a line.

Control of Map Areas: The player controls all vacant areas inside the German Perimeter marked on the map. The player also controls all areas containing German units, regardless of their location. Any vacant area outside the Perimeter or occupied by a Soviet unit are under Soviet control. No area may contain units from both sides.

The Strategic Situation: The player must keep track of the overall situation on the southern Russian front using the Strategic Situation Index (SSI). The higher the value, the better off the German side is. If the SSI ever reaches zero, the Soviets win an instantly and decisively. If it reaches 10, it stays there until such time as something causes it to fall.

Hoth's Relief Force: A Relief Force track in the shape of an arrow, representing German troops under General Hoth assigned to break through Soviet lines and rescue the trapped 6th Army. One of the Hoth counters containing a letter matching the entry area the player chooses at the start of the game (A, B, C or D) begins in box #I and may move forward or backward on the track during the course of the game. Box #5 is adjacent to the area that contains the printed letter matching the one printed on the Hoth counter. If the Hoth counter is in box #5 and Advances, a breakthrough into the pocket has occurred.

Keeping Track of the Situation: The boxes along the southern edge of the map are used to keep track of the current game turn, the timing of the Soviet Final Offensive to crush the pocket, the weather, the Luftwaffe's (German air forces) commitment to ferrying supplies to the pocket, the commitment of Hoth's relief force, German supply, German morale, Initiative Points (IPs) for performing actions, and wounded troops not evacuated from the pocket. Each item has its own marker in the counter mix that is placed on a track and maintained throughout play.

Die Rolling: Whenever a table is referenced, roll the die to obtain a result. When rolling on a table, any die-roll modifications listed beneath the table are cumulative.

The Chits: 25 chits are used to determine various outcomes. Each chit has its own unique ID number, printed in large grey type. Place all of the chits in a cup prior to play, drawing one during play each time the rules instruct. Place each chit in a pile after it is drawn, unless you are specifically prohibited from doing so. Only one outcome is taken from a drawn chit before it is discarded. When the last chit is drawn from the cup, or a chit is drawn with the word "Reshuffle" on it, place all of the chits back in th(­cup. Chits removed from play are not placed back in the cup this game.

SEQUENCE OF PLAY

Each turn is performed in a specific order, exactly as shown below.

STRATEGIC PHASE
Random Event (Draw chit)
Weather determination (Draw chit)
Luftwaffe Commitment (Table A)
Relief Force Commitment (Table A)
Determine German Morale Level
Determine Initiative Points
Resolve Airlift (Table B)
Conduct Unit Upkeep (Table C)

GERMAN PHASE
Perform Actions, including Appeals (Table D)
Resolve German Attacks (Table E)
Resolve Hoth Relief Force Attack (Table F)

SOVIET PHASE
Status of Final Offensive Checked (Draw chit)
Determine Soviet Target Areas (Draw chit)
Resolve Soviet Attacks (Table G)

EVALUATION PHASE
Modify Strategic Situation Index (Table H)
Check for German Collapse
Determine Victory if Game is Over
Advance Turn Marker
Sequence of Play defined

STRATEGIC PHASE

RANDOM EVENT DETERMINATION
Draw a chit from the cup. Follow the body text. if the chit includes the text "Remove from Play" remove the chit from play after resolving the text.

WEATHER DETERMINATION
Draw a chit and set the Weather marker on the Weather track to same value as the Weather status printed on the chit. If the Weather status reads "Same," leave the Weather marker in its current box on the Weather track.

LUFTWAFFE/RELIEF FORCE COMMITMENT
Roll on Table A first for the Luftwaffe Commitment, and then for Hoth's relief force. All modifiers listed beneath the table based on the current value of the Strategic Situation Index (SSI) apply to both rolls. If you hold the "Luftwaffe + 1 " marker, add one to the Luftwaffe Commitment die roll. if you hold the "Hoth +I" marker, add one to the Relief Force Commitment die roll.

Design note: The stronger the Luftwaffe commitment, the more supplies will be delivered to the pocket, but the greater the chance that the overall health of Army Group South will deteriorate. A stronger relief force will probably advance toward the pocket, but this will weaken thefront elsewhere.

DETERMINE GERMAN MORALE LEVEL
Counting Morale Points: Key Areas are marked with a star (*) and tinted a different color. Each of these the German player controls are worth three morale points. Every other area on the map the German player controls is worth one morale point. You also receive a number of morale points equal to the value printed in the square that the Hoth relief force marker currently occupies. Move the Morale marker on the General Track to the numbered square corresponding to the total number of morale points.

DETERMINE INITIATIVE POINTS
For every five morale points, the German receives one I P. All fractions are ignored. Losing Initiative Points: For every five points of Wounded, you deduct one IR All fractions are ignored.

RESOLVE AIRLIFT
Roll on Table B and move the Supply marker the indicated number of spaces forward on the General track.

CONDUCT UNIT UPKEEP
It costs one supply point to provide upkeep for every five German units on the map. Headquarters, depleted, and battlegroup units each count as one unit for supply purposes. The Hoth relief force marker does not require supply. If less than five units are left over, an additional supply point must be expended to place these leftover units in supply.

Out of Supply: If you decide to leave some units unsupplied, rotate these counters upside down so that they can be distinguished from supplied units. Then roll for Unit Upkeep (Table C). Only unsupplied (rotated) units may suffer losses. Each point of result requires you to flip one full-strength unit to its depleted side, or eliminate one depleted unit.

How the points are distributed to unsupplied units is entirely up to you. Once all unsupplied units are completely eliminated, any excess points received from Table C but not yet applied are ignored.

GERMAN PHASE

ACTIONS

There are eight different Actions that may be performed by the Sixth Army. Unless specified below, any Action may be done any number of times each turn, as long as you pay the necessary IP and supply costs for each Action each time it is performed. IPs not spent the turn they are collected are lost. Unused supply points are accumulated. See the Action Summary for details about costs and other restrictions.

Isolation: A unit that cannot trace a path of connected German-controlled areas from its location to an area containing a German airfield is isolated. Double the IP and Supply costs for every Action involving one or more isolated units.

Loss of HQ. If the 6th Army Headquarters unit is eliminated from play, double the IP and supply costs for every Action chosen. In those cases where isolated units are involved in an Action, the costs are quadrupled once the HQ is eliminated.

APPEAL ACTION
Only one Appeal is allowed per German phase. Appeals cost one IR There are three types of Appeal: Conference, Freedom of Action, and Airlift. Once the type of Appeal is chosen, roll on Table D.

If a X result ever occurs, take the "FoA + 1 marker as a reminder to add one to every Freedom of Action Appeal for the rest of the game. If a "@" result ever occurs, take the "FoA/Airlift + I " marker as a reminder to add one to every Freedom of Action and Airlift Appeal die roll for the rest of the game. If the "FoA + I " marker is already in play when a @ occurs, flip it over to the "FoA/Airlift + I " side. If the "FoA/Airlift + I " marker is already in play, ignore any additional or X results.

PREPARED DEFENSE ACTION
Cost: Pay 2 IPs or 4 supply points to do one of the following: Build a new but inactive Prepared Defense Marker (PDM), or activate (turn face up) an inactive PDM.

Placement: Any currently German-controlled area may receive a newly created, inactive PDM.

Restrictions: Once placed, a PDM may not move or retreat. If a combat result requires all units to retreat out of an area, all units except PDMs may do so. If PDMs are the only German units left in an area, the area is considered empty and may be entered by moving or advancing Soviet units. Remove from play PDMs whose vacant area was just entered by a Soviet unit. PDMs removed in this manner may be rebuilt normally as inactive PDMs.

Benefits: An activated PDM can absorb one loss received from a Soviet attack against the area it occupies. Flip the PDM to its inactive side. An inactive PDM may not satisfy any combat losses.

MOVEMENT ACTION
Movement Costs: Units have no set movement allowance, and there is no limit to how far a particular unit can move during a German Phase.

Each area a unit enters counts as one area towards a tally for determining IP and Supply expenditures. An area adjacent to one that is soviet-controlled counts as two areas. Keep track of the total number of areas using the "Move" marker on the General track. The instant the total reaches five, return the "Move" marker to the zero space and deduct one IP and one supply point from the current totals. Adjust the IP and Supply markers accordingly

The instant either the IP or supply reaches zero, no further movement is permitted. Once all movement is completed, and the "Move" marker is located in a space other than zero, return it to zero and deduct another IP and supply point.

Prohibitions: German units may not enter any area containing a Soviet unit. Sixth Army units may not move in Relief Arrow boxes, except when performing advance after combat (see below).

Stacking: Any number of German units may occupy the same area. Only one Soviet unit may occupy an area.

TACTICAL ATTACK ACTION
This represents numerous tactical attacks along the perimeter to keep the Soviets off-balance and delay the start of the Final Offensive against the pocket. It can be done once per German Phase after paying one IP and two supply points. Draw a chit and check the Random Number. If it is 7,8,9 or 10, move the Final Offensive marker back one space toward zero on the Final Offensive track. If the chit result is 11, 12 or 13, do the same but only if the current Strategic Situation Index value is the same or higher than the current game turn number. Any other result has no effect.

CREATE BATTLEGROUP ACTION
Battlegroups are formations created from noncombat personnel or remnants of shattered units at the cost of two supply points each. This Action may be done during the German or Soviet phase.

Placement: Battlegroups may be created and placed in any German-controlled map areas if there are any Battlegroup markers currently not in play.

Restrictions: Placement may occur at any time during the game, except when a Soviet unit is advancing into a previously German-controlled area after combat.

Battlegroups are treated as depleted units for movement and upkeep, but may not be selected to satisfy a supply upkeep loss. They may not attack, nor can a Battlegroup be eliminated to satisfy a combat loss unless the area they occupy has no other German unit or PDM. If an area contains only Battlegroups and no activated PDMs, a retreat may not be made to satisfy a combat result. Instead, one Battlegroup must be eliminated.

Design Note: Battlegroup units could help maintain a viable perimeter defense by throwing up roadblocks and hedgehog defenses to delay the enemy along a route of march, but such ad hoc remnants were far too weak by themselves to stop Russian troops from advancing during heavy combat.

EVACUATE WOUNDED ACTION

Procedure: For each Initiative Point (IP) expended, reduce the total number of Wounded by three on the General track. If only one or two Wounded remain, reduce the total to zero after spending an IP.

Prohibition: This action may not be used if the Luftwaffe Commitment result for the current turn was Weak.

Design Note: The orderly evacuation of the sick and wounded is an indication that morale within the pocket is stabilized. When wounded factors begin to accumulate, it is an indication that German effectiveness is deteriorating.

SURRENDER ACTION

Surrender may be declared anytime during the game. This costs nothing, but it ends all activity on the mapboard areas. Only the Evaluation Phase of each remaining game turn is played through turn # 16. If you have not received Freedom of Action from the Appeals process, immediately take the "No FoA Surrender" marker. This will remind you that every SSI die roll made from this point on suffers a -2 penalty. If you have the "FoA Received" marker, take the "FoA Surrender" marker to indicate that the die roll penalty is only -1.

German Morale immediately drops to zero after Surrender.

Design Note: Surrender is severely penalized in the game because the High Command had valid strategic reasons for denying surrender requests, although the reasoning might not be apparent to the surrounded army itself. The longer the 6th Army holds out, the better it will be for the overall front.

REGULAR ATTACK ACTION

Attacks can be selected at any time, but all attacks are resolved after all other German Actions during the phase are completed. German units adjacent to a Soviet-controlled area containing Soviet units may attack using the German Attack Table (Table E).

Preparation: All attacks must be designated before any are resolved. Place each attacking unit directly on the line connecting the area it occupies and the area it is attacking.

IP Cost: For each area attacked, one IP must be deducted from the total. This cost is incurred no matter how many or how few units attack an area.

Supply Cost: You may spend up to three supply points against a particular target area. All attack supply must be allocated before any attacks are resolved. Reduce the supply total recorded on the General track and place one Supply marker per point expended in each Attacked area. For each Supply marker present in a Soviet area, every German unit attacking the area adds one to its combat resolution die roll.

Restrictions: A unit may attack only one area in a single German Phase. A maximum of three units may attack out of a single area, even if they do not attack the same area together. If the area chosen for the attack ends up being vacated before the attacking unit does anything, that unit's attack is wasted and it may not target a different area.

Prohibitions: The 6th Army HQ unit and battlegroup units may not attack.

Resolving an Attack: Resolve each unit's attack separately, in any order desired, by rolling once on the German Attack Table (Table E) and applying all die roll modifiers listed beneath the table.

Retreats: If a "retreat" result is obtained, you choose which area the Soviet unit retreats to. The area must not be German or Soviet controlled. if the unit can't retreat, it is destroyed.

Advance after Combat Action: If a Soviet unit retreats from an area, any and all German units selected to attack the same area, whether they actually did so or not, may advance after combat into the vacated area by spending two supply points, regardless of how many units actually advance.

Filling Caps: After all combat, retreat, and advances have occurred, there may be vacant areas adjacent to at least one German unit but that are not German­controlled. Place one Soviet unit not currently in play in each such area.

Breakout from the Pocket: One or more German units on the map may also move into box #5 of the Relief Force track from an appropriately marked border area (A, B, C or D) by performing a Regular Attack and obtaining a "retreat" result on the German Regular Attack Table. Place a letter marker on the unit to indicate from which area the breakout occurred. Each subsequent "retreat" result obtained advances the attacking unit(s) one box further along in the direction of box # 1. if any German unit and the Hoth marker occupy adjacent boxes on the Relief Force display and have matching letter designations, a "link-up" occurs.

Freedom of Action (FoA): if you perform any Regular Attacks without holding the "FoA Received" marker, you must immediately take the "Attack w/o FoA" marker and place it in the "I" space of the General track. if the marker is already on the track, advance it one space higher if the area has not previously been attacked this turn. The total number of areas attacked determines the SSI die roll penalty this turn. Also, any attacks will cause next turn's Appeal die roll to suffer a - 1 penalty.

RELIEF FORCE ATTACK

Hoth's Relief Force (4th Panzer Army) starts the game in box #1 of the Relief Force track. It is attempting to breakthrough Soviet lines and linkup with units of 6th Army by advancing into higher numbered boxes along the track, and onto the map itself if necessary.

Relief Force Attacks: The Relief Force rolls once per German Phase on the proper row of of the Relief Force Attack Table (Table F). The row is determined by the current value shown on the Relief Force Commitment track. This costs no IPs to perform.

Breakthrough: If the Hoth marker is in box #5, place a Soviet unit in the area corresponding to the letter code on the Hoth marker currently in play. If Hoth receives an 'Advance" result while in box #5, transfer the marker to the corersponding map area. From then on, the Hoth marker remains on the map and can advance into a new area each turn that it obtains an "Advance" result on Table F Any Soviet unit in the affected area must retreat if it can, or be eliminated if it cannot. Be sure to place Soviet units in all areas adjacent to Hoth that are not German-controlled. Any area occupied by the Relief Force marker receives a Breakthrough marker, indicating that no Soviet unit may move into or be placed inside that area for the remainder of the game. The process continues until "link-up" occurs.

Changing Direction: Instead of making an attack, the Hoth marker may voluntarily retreat one space and change its letter designation. Any unused letter can be selected.

Link-up: The instant any German unit on the map is adjacent to the map area or Relief Force track box containing the Hoth marker, the game immediately ends. Determine victory at this point, without any further activity or die rolling. All German units that can trace a route through connected German-controlled areas and Relief Force boxes to the Hoth marker's location are considered to have linked up with and survived. Note that all Relief Force track boxes are always considered under German control, and can't be occupied by Soviet units.

End of Phase: Remove any "Hit" markers on Soviet units in Stalingrad at the end of the phase.

SOVIET PHASE

STATUS OF FINAL OFFENSIVE

Determination: Draw a chit and add or subtract the Offensive number to the Final Offensive (FO) index. If there are two numbers present, use the right-hand number if the SSI is 8 or higher or if the Hoth Relief Force marker is in box 3 or higher. If both are true, ignore both numbers and make no change to the FO index. If neither are true, use the left-hand number to modify the FO index.

Launch: The Soviet Final Offensive begins the instant that the FO marker reaches the 8" space on the Game Turn/ Final Offensive Track.

Duration: Once the FO is launched, it remains in effect for the rest of the game. The FO marker remains where it is and cannot be moved for the remainder of the game.

Effects: Each Soviet unit attacking on the turn that the FO begins immediately makes a Followup Attack, regardless of what result it receives for the initial attack. Additional follow-up attacks are possible after this, but a bracketed result is required.

All German-controlled areas adjacent to Sovietoccupied areas are attacked in the Soviet Phase each turn for the rest of the game. Roll once on the Soviet Attack Table (Table G) for each area attacked.

DETERMINE SOVIET TARGET AREAS

Determine which German-controlled areas can be attacked by drawing a chit and applying the result found in the lower left corner. If the Final Offensive has begun, do not draw a chit.

RESOLVE SOVIET ATTACKS

Roll the die once for each area attacked on the Soviet Attack Table (Table G), in any order desired.

Use the "empty" row if no German units are present; otherwise, use the "occupied" row.

Applying Results: If an "X" result occurs, you may choose to retreat all the units or take one loss (i.e. flip one unit to its depleted side or eliminate a depleted unit). If any PDM or battlegroup units are present, the retreat option is cancelled and a loss must be taken. Only an active PDM can absorb a loss by flipping over to its inactive side. A battlegroup or Headquarters unit that absorbs a loss is eliminated; it has no depleted side. Any PDMs left by themselves in an area after combat are eliminated if a Soviet advance into the area occurs.

Retreat: All affected German units must retreat together to the same adjacent area. Retreating units may not enter Soviet-controlled areas.

Advance: A Soviet unit must advance into any area that has been vacated due to German retreat or elimination. If this advance creates a gap in the Soviet ring, place a Soviet unit not yet in play in the area originally occupied by the advancing Soviet unit. Historical designations have no effect on unit placement. The key point to keep in mind is that any area adjacent to a German-controlled area must always contain one Soviet unit. Remove Soviet units from all other areas.

Follow-Up Attacks: Once the Final Offensive begins, die roll results in brackets ( I are resolved normally, except that the attacking unit immediately attacks again. If the original attack did not cause all German units to vacate the targeted area, the same area must be attacked again. If the original area was vacated, the Soviets must attack another area after advancing. If any vacant German­controlled areas are adjacent to the attacking Soviet unit, the player must choose one them.

Beyond these restrictions, the player is free to choose which adjacent German-controlled area shall come under attack. A single Soviet unit can make any number of consecutive follow-up attacks so long as it keeps receiving bracketed results from the Soviet Attack Table.

EVALUATION PHASE

MODIFY STRATEGIC SITUATION INDEX

The Strategic Situation Index (SSI) can go no higher than 10. If the SSI ever drops to 0, the Soviets automatically win a Decisive Victory, which of course means that you have suffered a Decisive Defeat!

CHECK FOR GERMAN COLLAPSE

German collapse must be checked during the Evaluation Phase of each turn. Collapse occurs if one of the following is true: The Soviet Final Offensive is in effect and German morale is 20 or less, or there are 20 or more Wounded points on the General track.

Immediate Effects: Immediately roll one die for each German unit. A result of one or two eliminates the unit. Any other result causes the unit to retreat to any German-controlled area in or adjacent to a a single Key Area of your choice. If no such area exists, all units are automatically eliminated. All Soviet units in play advance to surround this new, smaller pocket. Excess Soviet units are removed from play.

Continuing Effects: After Collapse has occurred, roll once for each German unit except for the HQ unit on the Soviet Attack Table during the Soviet Phase. Do not roll for the HQ until no other German units are left.

ENDING THE GAME

The game ends if a Link Up occurs, or if this is turn # 16. if the game is over, calculate victory according to the following schedule.

VICTORY

CALCULATING VICTORY POINTS

Take the current Strategic Situation Index (SSI) number and modify it as follows:
15 or more German units link up? +3
10-14 German units link up: +2
5-9 German units link up: +1
All Stalingrad areas German controlled: +1
German Morale level 25 points or higher: +1
Manstein stabilized Russian front: +1
Soviet Final Offensive not launched: +1
German Surrender before game turn 14: -1
6th Army entirely eliminated in combat: -1

VICTORY LEVELS

0-1 points: Soviet Decisive Victory Stalingrad pocket liquidated quickly and easily The entire Russian Front is seriously jeopardized. Germany must begin a major retreat westward, as far as Kiev or even Poland.

2-5 points: Soviet Victory - Stalingrad holds out for a time but is liquidated. Barely enough time is purchased to restabilize the front a good distance west of the city. German offensive capacity is severely reduced until late spring 1943. (Historical result.)

6-7 points: German Moral Victory - Really a draw, but better than the historical outcome. Stalingrad's defenders hold out until Easter 1943, permitting reestablishment of the front slightly to the west of the bombed out city. Both sides capable of launching serious offensives during the summer of 1943.

8-9 points: German Victory - Kessel Stalingrad turns out to be a nut the Soviets cannot crack. Stalin and STAVKA overcommit themselves to the pocket's liquidation, creating exhaustion and bulges in the front that the resilient Germans quickly exploit in the early surnmer of 1943. Soviet forces once again are sent reeling eastward, and the Communist regime totters on the brink of political and economic collapse.

10 or more points: German Decisive Victory

Hoth breaks through to 6th Army and relieves the pocket. The little remaining cream of the Soviet army turns sour in the mouths of his panzers. Hoth and Manstein team up to outdo Guderian's initial plunge into Russia in 194I.They actually end up attacking and taking Moscow from the east, as mass defections put an end to Communism. Stalin flees into Siberia, only to be captured and executed in a fashion similar to what happened to the royal family less than 30 years before. A young agricultural student named Gorbachev sees the light and joins the Russian Motherland (Nazi) Party 

HISTORICAL SCENARIO

The game begins on Turn 1, with the Index markers placed as follows:

MORALE: 32
SUPPLY. 10
WOUNDED: 3
SSI: 10
FINAL OFFENSIVE (FO): 1
IP: 0
WEATHER: FAIR
RELIEF FORCE "A" BOX #1

POCKET PERIMETER

All areas inside the perimeter are Germancontrolled at the start. All other areas begin under Soviet control.

SOVIETS

One unit per numbered area; historical designations may be ignored to speed set-up. Set additional units aside for later use.
21st Army: 9, 11
65th Army: 12,15,16
24th Army: 19, 58
57th Army: 26, 25
64th Army: 3 7, 32, 31
62nd Army: 54
66th Army: 59

AXIS

Units begin depleted if "(-)"sign present. Historical designations may be ignored to speed set-up, but be sure to set up the correct unit types and nationalities: Inf. = Infantry Mot. = Motorized Pz. = Panzer Rum. = Rumanian. Set Battlegroups and extra PDMs aside for later use. Leftover regular units can be used in optional set-ups.
76th Inf.: 20
384th Inf.: 21
44th Inf.: 22
29th Mot.: 23
3rd Mot.: 24
371st Inf.: 38
Rumanian 20th Inf.(-): 39
297th Inf.: 40
14th Pz., 376th Inf.: 41
71st Inf. (-): 45
113th Inf., 60th Mot. (-): 50
16th Pz.: 51
6th Army HQ 52
100th Inf., 295th Inf.: 53
305th Inf, 79th Inf.: 55
94th Inf.(-), 389th Inf.: 56
24th Pz.: 57

PDMs (active): 50,51,53,55,56,57
PDMs (inactive): 20,21,38,47

VARIABLE SCENARIO SETUP TABLE
No.	Order of Battle	Supplies	SSI	PDMs	Start	Depleted
1	-1	2	8	2/4	1	7
2	no change	4	9	3/4	1	6
3	no change	6	10	4/4	1	5
4	+ 1	8	10	5/4	1	4
5	+ 1	10	10	6/4	1	3
6	+2	12	10	7/4	1	2
7	+2	14	10	8/4	2	1
8	+3	16	10	9/4	2	0

ORDER OF BATTLE

-1 Choose one division to lose at start
+X X additional units are available

Roll once per new unit:
1-3 German infantry division
4 German motorized
5 German panzer
6 Rumanian infantry.

Draw these from the optional units provided; if you run out of the required kind of unit, use German infantry instead.

SUPPLIES
Start of the game with the number of Supply points indicated.

SSI (STRATEGIC SITUATION INDEX)
Strategic Situation Index begins game at indicated level.

PDMS
First number indicates total activated PDM markers available at the start. Second number indicates total inactive PDMs at the beginning. Place each marker in a German-controlled area.

START
The game turn on which the game begins.

DEPLETED
The number of units that must start depleted The player chooses which units suffer depletion.

VARIABLE PLACEMENT TABLE
Random #:	1-2	3-4	5-6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
German	21	23	45	22	24	53	55	40	56	48
Soviet	12	32	37	9	31	26	39	15	20	25

The number indicates which area a unit must be placed in. In case a number is received twice, pick again until a unique number is received.

SAMPLE TURN

It is turn one of a game using the Historical set-up.

Initial Phase

The German draws for a Random Event. Chit 3 is drawn, so no Appeal is allowed this turn. Next, chit 7 is drawn for Weather. The result is Poor this turn. The player rolls on Table A for Luftwaffe commitment; he rolls a 4 (modified to 6 because the SSI is 10), so it is Strong. He then rolls for Relief Force commitment (I + 2 = 3), which is Average. Since German Morale is at 33, he collects six [P. He makes an Airlift roll of 3 (modified to 5 because of Strong Luftwaffe commitment), so the supply index is raised to 15. He then decides to spend four supplies for upkeep (supplying 20 units, ignoring 2; he need not specify which units are unsupplied). He rolls a 2 on Table C - no losses. I I supplies remain.

German Phase

The player decides to spend one IP (IP drops to 5) to fly out the 3 wounded (Wounded index drops to 0, and the Evacuated Wounded marker moves to 3). Next, he draws a chit to resolve a Tactical Attack. This costs 1 IP and 2 supplies; moving their indexes to 4 and 9 respectively. Its random number is 1, so the FO index is unchanged. He decides to move the 71 st Infantry from area 45 to area 39. This costs 1 IP (IP index moves to 3) and I supply (now down to 8) to pay for 4 areas moved. He activates the PDM in area 38 for 2 IP (IP index drops to 1). He decides to Attack. He attacks area 54. He pays his remaining IP, plus 2 supplies to improve the attack (supply drops to 6). He names the 79th, 305th, 100th, and 295th as attackers. He rolls on Table E with the 79th first. He rolls a 1 (+ 2 for supplies, -1 for Stalingrad) modified to 2 so the result is no effect. The 305th rolls next (6+2-1 =7). A Retreat would occur, but the unit is in a Stalingrad area, so it receives a Hit marker instead. The 295th rolls (4+2-1 = 5) for no effect. The 100th fails also (3+2-1 =4). The Relief Force attack is resolved on Table F; he rolls a 5 on the Average row. Hoth advances to box 2, and German increases to 34.

Soviet Phase

The Final Offensive draw is made; chit 13 indicates the FO index is raised by 1 to a 2. Soviet Attacks are determined; chit 19 is drawn, so Any 3 German areas adjacent to Soviet areas will come under attack. The player chooses areas 23, 50, and 39. The attacks are resolved by rolling on Table G once per area attacked. Area 23 is attacked first, a 4 is rolled, so the wounded index is raised to 1. Area 50 comes next; a 6 is rolled, a German loss. The German flips his PDM to its inactive side. in the attack versus area 39, another 6 is rolled. The German decides to retreat both units to area 43, and German morale is lowered to 33 as a result. The Soviets advance into the vacated area, and a new Soviet unit is placed in area 32 to fill the gap. (If the Final Offensive been underway, these last two attacks would have had "follow-up" attacks since 6 is a bracketed result.)

Final Phase

The Strategic Situation is resolved by rolling on Table H; a 3 is rolled, modified to 1 (-1 for Strong Luftwaffe commitment, and (-1 for the unauthorized attack), so the SSI moves to 9. Collapse does not occur, and so the turn marker is advanced to 2.

Der Kessel: The Cauldron at Stalingrad Solitaire Game of WWII Combat

Stalingrad: The End Game
Game Rules
Game Charts (Tables A-H)
Large Game Maps (very slow: 344K)
Jumbo Game Maps (monstrously slow: 1.356Mb)
Game Counters (large: very slow 303K)
Game Counters (jumbo: monstrously slow 995K)