Once upon a time there was a broad river that flowed home to the sea, a town grew up beside it and became a city called Tsaritsyn. That was in the time of the Tsars, then there was a war and a revolution and the city was renamed after the Great Leader. Then, when the Germans invaded Mother Russia their tanks rolled over the steppes and reached the Volga; their Stukas dived over the city where the battle now rages, now less a city, more a sea of rubble. The Germans must be stopped on the Volga, the city must not fall; this morning the order goes out to the Red Army - "Save Stalingrad or perish with her." Ok, it`s tosh but what the hell - it establishes the mood ! SOLO STALINGRAD Quick & Dirty City Fighting Rules Solo Stalingrad assumes that a Soviet Battalion has been tasked with breaking through the German Main Line of Resistance to relieve the heroic defenders who are still believed to be holding out on Mamaev Kurcan (or the Railway Station, the Tractor Factory etc.). You have 2xD6 turns to achieve your objective. Each Soviet company has a numerical factor called the STAVKA. This is good old EDNA given a wash and brush up and a little red enamelled tin star to wear. As usual the factor is simply a reflection of the intangibles inherent in the combat power of any given formation, such as training, experience, discipline, fatigue etc. Typical STAVKA factors are: Militia - 6 Regular - 7 Guards / Siberian - 9 NKVD - 10 The playing elements themselves are rifle squads, SMG squads & Assault Pioneers all organised into platoons of 3 elements; with support at company and battalion level from HMG teams, ATR teams, guns and crew, mortar teams, tank hunting teams and individual tanks. Basing is not important so long as the different types of squads / teams are apparent. I would suggest that if your figures are individually based that they are at least grouped into threes. However, there`s nothing stopping you reducing the scale of the thing, by replacing the squads with individual figures representing individual men, exchanging the company for a platoon. The table is divided into sections or individual game boards which can be slotted together as the wargamer sees fit. The original idea was prompted by Mike Blakes 'Pizza Bases'. It seemed much simpler and no less 'realistic' in the grand scheme of things to fight for these sections which can be treated as city blocks and surrounding rubble strewn roads rather than individual buildings. It is important to remember that after the first few weeks, the Luftwaffe together with the guns of both sides had smashed the major part of the city into a pile of ruins. Gone for the most part were the orderly rows of streets and city blocks. The Germans German elements are similar to Soviet, i.e. rifle, SMG, HMG and so on. However, they do not have a separate STAVKA factor of their own. Instead, think of the German units merely as opposition to be 'overcome'. But how many are hiding in the basements & rubble of the city block facing you? Take a deck of playing cards. For every city block (terrain base) you attack, pick a number of cards equivalent to the combined STAVKA of the attacking companies +1 for each attached support element such as assault pioneers, tanks etc. So an attack being made on a German held base by two companies of Soviet Guards will deal 18 cards. Well, if the base is that important to you, it`s likely to be just as important to the enemy. Repeat for each attack on that base (city block). Count one German rifle element for every black numbered card. Every fourth black card is equivalent to a HMG team. A black Jack turns one rifle platoon into an SMG unit, the black Queens turn one rifle or smg platoon into a Pioneer unit. A platoon consists of three rifle or SMG units and if available one HMG team. If you have say four rifle units with one HMG, then turn them into two weak platoons. The Germans receive a 'free' mortar team for every three platoons. The black Kings allow one platoon to occupy a fortified building. Attack The game is divided into a series of attacks. Some city blocks may be tenaciously held and require one or more attacks. Each attack is made up of a number of Game Turns, note that it`s the number of turns NOT the number of attacks which are counted towards the timescale of achieving your objective. Now organise your attack. Be sensible. Don`t try to jump the first city block with your entire battalion, one or two companies at most, with any infiltrators coming from within the units chosen to make this attack. You may infiltrate at least one platoon into the enemy held block one turn before your main assault. Place the squads of the platoon attempting to infiltrate in a column formation. Now roll 2xD6; if the score is equal to or below STAVKA, the infiltration is successful. Modified : +1 for each additional platoon attempting to infiltrate that turn, -1 if Pioneer or scout squad attached to platoon. If the score is higher than STAVKA, then the infiltration attempt has been rumbled and the Germans get a free shoot before any surviving infiltrators return to their own lines (friendly terrain base). Any unit which has successfully infiltrated must now roll against STAVKA to remain hidden in place. Infiltrated platoons may attack the German units of their choice and resolve these attacks before the main assault takes place. Or they may choose to fortify a position. The Germans in that block MUST then counter-attack the fortified Soviet infiltrators with an equal number of elements and must continue attacking them until either the Soviets are wiped out or the Germans are. For the main attack, line up the elements of the Soviet companies and attached support units on their friendly terrain base. Only a number of elements equal to each companies` STAVKA can attack that turn, with additional units entering combat in the following turns. To attack, simply move the Soviet squads onto the enemy held base. Combat now takes place. Following a successful attack, the Soviet companies involved must consolidate and rally before attacking another city block. To do this they must successfully pass a roll made against their STAVKA. Modify by -1 STAVKA per element/squad from their own company (not including attached support, except tanks) lost in that attack. A Catastrophic Failure (see COMBAT) results in a counter-attack catching the Soviets milling around. Germans get a free 'shot' against Soviets who count as in the open. Typical Progression of Attack - Per City Block 1. Determine No. of Soviet companies with support making the attack. 2. Determine strength and type of defence 3. Infiltration - 1 turn 4. Soviets move attacking units into enemy held block, Germans in block get free shoot (this is an optional rule). 5. Combat - one or more turns of combat till defenders overcome. 6. Consolidation & Rally - one or more turns (Fresh units may make new attacks). Combat This is resolved at squad level and is a function of the Soviet companies' STAVKA. Each infantry & Pioneer squad nominates a target German squad. Soviet HMG`s and mortars nominate enemy platoons, whilst ATR`s & Tank Hunting squads nominate individual enemy tanks. Now roll 2xD6 each: Combat Results : 1,1 Catastrophic Success - the target is decimated. Remove from play. Doubles equal to or less than STAVKA: Critical Success - the target is hurt and falls back. The enemy squad falls back to another firendly base. Odds equal to or less than STAVKA: Success - the target is suppressed. It holds but with poor return fire. Odds equal to or greater than STAVKA: Failure - the target is unharmed. Ineffectual firefight. Doubles equal to or greater than STAVKA: Critical failure - heavy return fire. Inflicts a loss of 1 point of STAVKA 6,6 or 5,6 Catastrophic Failure - Attack caught off balance. Lose 2 STAVKA. A mass failure of Soviet morale which calls for "The Commissar Option". German infantry or pioneer platoon counter-attacks from another city block. Modifiers (Modifiers are to STAVKA NOT the base dice roll.) SMG (same block only) +2 STAVKA HMG +2 Pioneers +3 Target in the open +2 Target in rubble or Rifle squad firing -2 STAVKA Entrenched rubble/building -3, Long range or fortified building/bunker -50% STAVKA, Tank Hunting Team +2 in rubble (same block only) The effect of German shooting is also decided by a roll against the Soviet's STAVKA but is modified by the type of unit firing and cover the Soviets enjoy. Pioneer Squad -1 STAVKA Assault Engineer Squad -2 HMG or Mortar team -3 Panzer - 2 STAVKA Target in the open -2 STAVKA Target in rubble +2 STAVKA entrenched rubbled building +3 Long range (2 blocks HMG & Guns only) or fortified building/bunker +4 German units lose elements not STAVKA. Defenders count as entrenched, unless in fortified building. Attackers and counter-attackers count as in open, except Scouts, Pioneers & infiltrators who count as in rubble. "The Mother Russia Factor" If any roll, except a Catastrophic Failure, results in loss of STAVKA, the Soviets may offset the loss by losing elements equal to each lost point of STAVKA. "The Commissar Option" Or "NO RETREAT BY ORDER OF STAVKA!" Any Catastrophic Failure result leads to the mass cracking of morale within the company. The Soviets had a no nonsense approach to morale. Where possible front line troops were "encouraged" by the presence of NKVD units and a unit's own commissars and deserters met short thrift. On a Catastrophic Failure roll 1xD6: 1 - The company cracks and stampedes to the rear. 2,3 - Savage intervention by commissars halts the unit. Reduce STAVKA by 1xAvD and remove an equal number of bases from the company. 4,5 - Commissars act swiftly to halt the retreat. As above but half the losses rounding up. 6 - The CO leads his HQ into the fray rallies the men. Lose 2 points of STAVKA, +1 if Guards or Siberians, +2 if Assault Pioneers or NKVD NOTES: I know these rules aren`t comprehensive, and a lot is taken for granted, but they`re designed for fast and furious games. Fill in the gaps yourself - I do, from game to game. For instance, if you want greater variation in the types of terrain. The secret to enjoying Solo Stalingrad is to think of yourself as a regimental commander and treat it more as a boardgame with miniatures where each city block is it`s own hex. This allows you to divorce yourself from the purely tactical level with concerns over which pile of bricks Starshina Strogonoff`s platoon is holding and how long his cache of 'Chicken Supreme' will last. The rally and consolidation rules reflect an important part of urban combat or for that matter any other terrain. It represents units winkling out the last die hard defenders, then reorganising, passing round fresh ammo and having a well earned smoke. In game terms it also helps prevent those of you who want to put 'everything in the shop window with nothing left on the shelves'. By the way, fresh formations can move through reorganising troops to make new attacks on further city blocks. Finally, there`s nothing stopping you reversing the roles by playing the Germans instead with STAVKA replaced by ACHTUNG or similar. Solo Stalingrad can also be used to determine the larger actions in a Cross of Iron campaign. Back to The Gauntlet No. 19 Table of Contents Back to The Gauntlet List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Craig Martelle Publications This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com