We received the following press release. --RL Toronto, Ontario, Canada (February 15, 2002) - L2 Design Group's first product release, a third edition reprint of the highly-acclaimed Streets of Stalingrad tactical wargame of urban combat, has entered final production. The pre-publication discount offer has therefore been extended to the end of March when it is anticipated the game will be shipped. "We are very excited about our first game," said Art Lupinacci, President of L2. "We are taking the extra time to carefully proof the many components to make sure that when it is finally released, 'Streets' will be as perfect as we can make it." Streets of Stalingrad is a "monster" game initially released in 1979. It won a Charles Robert award in 1980 for its incredible amount of historical detail yet good playablity. Reprinted in a two-game format in 1982, both editions have been much sought-after collector items. "Streets," or "SOS" as it is also known by its fans, features a three-piece, full color four-foot-by-six-foot map of the city of Stalingrad at a scale of 300 meters per hex. Dozens of important locations are highlighted, including the Mamayev Kurgan height that dominated the center of the metropolis, the large factory complexes and smaller industrial areas throughout the city, and the numerous deep ravines or gullies that restricted German panzer attacks. The third edition of SOS includes more than 2,000 5/8-inch full color, die-cut counters representing infantry companies, tank platoons, anti-tank batteries, artillery battalions, snipers, Stuka ground attack aircraft, and important leaders such as Lt.-General Vasily I. Chuikov, commander of the 62nd Army that defended the city named after the Soviet Union's dictator, Josef Stalin. The combat at Stalingrad is considered by many historians one of the most important battles of World War II, marking a turning point that would eventually lead to the defeat of Nazi Germany. The German blitzkrieg juggernaut was blunted by the Battle of Britain in 1940, and then thrown back at Moscow in 1941. However, Germany still held the initiative and launched its second summer campaign in Russia in 1942 with Stalingrad, a key industrial city on the Volga River, as one of the objectives. The Soviet high command sent Chuikov to reorganize and re-energize the forces that were being hammered to pieces by relentless German attacks. More than a dozen Soviet divisions, including elite Guards divisions, were thrown into the maelstrom that became known as "Verdun on the Volga." The Germans became obsessed with capturing the entire city and six divisions were bled white in the attempt. Although the Germans seized all but a narrow strip of the city, Chuikov's stubborn, two-month defense of Stalingrad enabled the Soviet high command to plan and execute a winter counter-offensive that encircled and destroyed the German 6th Army. Streets of Stalingrad covers the critical phase of the struggle from mid-September to mid-November 1942. The third edition includes new historical information recently discovered in Soviet archives, along with additional details from German records released in the past twenty-three years. SOS-3 features large 5/8-inch, full color unit counters and oversize hexes. Many of the supporting components such as Terrain Effects Chart and nine scenario setup sheets are also in full color. The retail price is $149.99 (US dollars) but only $99.99 plus shipping for orders received by March 31, 2002 (credit cards will not be processed until the game is ready to ship). SOS-3 will be a limited edition, with the final print quantity based upon the number of pre-publication orders received. Sample SOS-3 components can be viewed on L2's web site, www.L2DesignGroup.com . The web site has an order form which includes shipping prices, and orders can also be sent to L2 Design Group, 3044 Bloor Street West, Suite 956, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M8X 2Y8. About L2 Design Group L2 Design Group was formed in 2001 by Dana Lombardy and Art Lupinacci, co-designers of the third edition of Streets of Stalingrad. Lombardy and Lupinacci (L2) are dedicating their efforts to reprinting classic wargames with state-of-the-art graphics and improved rules systems to "make great games available again, and accessible to today's wargamers." Back to 1st Quarter 2002 List of News Items Back to Master List of News Items Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2002 by Coalition Web, Inc. 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