Designer: Paul Rohrbaugh Publisher: Microgame Co-op The July 12th, 1943 clash between German and Soviet armor near Prokhorovka is the topic of Blood & Steel, a recently desktop-published game from Microgame Co-op. This game draws inspiration from the more detailed SS Panzer (Command Magazine, 1996). The latter title portrays a battlefield clogged with units locked in a grinding, attritional and seemingly pointless battle. Possibly pointless for the competitive gamer because it is difficult to achieve a result other than a draw. In Blood & Steel we have a simpler design than SS Panzer. There are a couple hundred fewer counters. The lower counter density allows more maneuver room and the expanded time frame (nine 1.5-hour turns vs. four one-hour turns) gives the Germans more time to achieve their goals of controlling the villages and hills around Prokhorovka. Blood & Steel as a result is more playable. Graphically, Blood & Steel is attractive. Armor counters have three-quarter views of Panzer IVs, Tigers, Marders, T-34s, T-70s, and M3 Lees. Infantry counters have NATO symbols. One minor quibble is that the colours on several of the activation counters are difficult to distinguish under less-than-perfect lighting (see the oranges of the 2nd and 18th Tank Corps and the grays of Leibstandarte and Das Reich). The computer-generated texture used for open terrain gives the map an undulating feel not unlike that of the actual battlefield. Not all villages in the area are depicted on this map -- only victory point objectives are shown. Another abstraction in the terrain is that instead of restricting crossings at bridges, a +2 movement modifier for the entire Psel River is used. At the start of the game, the three German divisions each contain six units: two panzer grenadier regiments, one panzer regiment, one self-propelled gun battalion, one recon battalion, and a Tiger company. Deciding where to commit each formation at the beginning of the game can be interesting for the Germans. This decision is important because once units are committed, it takes several turns to shift them to another part of the map. Starting on the Soviet side are several depleted infantry divisions and three paratroop units. Off-board are five tank corps, each comprising three armored brigades and a motorized infantry brigade or regiment. The five tank corps reinforcements enter randomly on any turn chosen by the Soviet player. Combat is two types: Fire or Overrun. Fire is against adjacent hexes. German units may also fire at armor from two hexes away with a negative modifier. Overrun occurs when an extra movement point is used to enter an enemy hex. Here, the Soviets have their armor ratings increased by one. Overrun combat starts with defensive fire, and continues until one or both sides exit the contested hex. Combat is resolved with each unit rolling one die, trying to roll less than or equal to their combat rating. For example, a German panzer unit is rated "4" against armor but "2" against infantry. T-34 units are rated "3" against armor and "2" against infantry. Most units require two hits to be eliminated but before a hit can be given, the target must be disrupted. However, disruptions are removed at the end of the turn. Thus units have considerable staying power unless they are the target of several attacks in the same turn. Artillery and air support play a critical role in softening up potential targets. Using artillery/air support to disrupt units before they activate is a key tactic, as disrupted units can't move or fire. The Germans can open some holes in the Soviet line if they are unharried by airstrikes and artillery. A turn goes as follows: Air Support is determined, then Soviet Artillery is determined. Then comes the Operations Phase where formation markers are pulled out of a cup, allowing units of that formation to move and/or fire. The order that the markers appear can be crucial. If the Soviet player activates first, he will likely use all of his artillery/air support to disrupt German units, thus preventing their movement. If a German formation activates before its neighbouring enemy, it will "get the jump" on them and disrupt or destroy them before they can attack. By the way, this formation marker mechanic is well suited to solitaire play. A lot of the game hinges on where the Soviet tank corps appear. The Soviet player gains victory points for holding back his tank corps, but unless the Germans are rolling poorly, most Soviet tank corps will be committed. Each tank corps enters randomly through one of five areas: area 1 is on the north map edge; area 5 is on the south edge. Thus, with really bad luck, the Soviet player could have two or more of his corps entering from the south, two or three turns away from the bulk of the action. One wonders if Soviet tank reserves entered the battle so haphazardly. If I may rely on my one source, a look at a map of unit dispositions suggests otherwise (Glantz and House, 1999, pg. 183). While the Soviet player can gain victory points for withholding reinforcements, the German player can gain points for exiting units off the north edge. Both sides gain points for occupying any or all of the nine objective hexes on the map. Having played four games face-to-face, and several more solitaire, I find the game difficult game for the Germans to win (they went 0-4, with two close games marked by good German die rolling). The best strategy for the Germans appears to be a push northward by at least two divisions to gain Exit Victory Points. Historically, the 3rd SS Panzer Division did exit off the north edge (briefly contesting the road northwest of Prokhorovka). However, the 1st SS Panzer Division's historical objective was the major road/rail junction of Prokhorovka, not an exit northward. To improve historicity (mainly) and to a lesser degree play balance, I propose four house rules: First, remove the 31st Tank Corps from the game. Historically it occupied a position off the northeast side of the map and did not become involved in the July 12th fighting (as I read it in Glantz and House, 1999). Second, allow only the 3rd SS Panzer Division to exit the north edge for points. Third, make Prokhorovka worth two victory points. Fourth, enter the Soviet tank corps via their historical entry areas (but allowing the Soviet player to roll for random entry if desired): 2nd GTC: area 5, 2nd TC: area 4, 29th TC: area 3, 18th TC: area 2. I recommend Blood & Steel for those with an interest in an accessible version of the Battle of Prokhorovka. The game is inexpensive and provides a quick look at the problems faced by both sides. However, some players may find the game frustrating due to an imbalance towards the Soviet side. Fortunately, the simplicity of the game makes it easy to tinker with, as I have done above. Back to Perfidious Albion #101 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. 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