A little over 80 years ago, 3.8 million Axis military personnel crashed across the Soviet frontier in a bid to succeed where Napoleon failed. The aim of Operation Barbarossa was simple: crush the Soviet Union by the first snows. Fortunately, this failed and resulted in a titanic struggle along a 1,800-mile front for four years. It only truly ended when the Soviet army raised the red flag over the shattered shell of the Reichstag on May 2nd, 1945. During the conflict, the Soviets lost 27 million people, military and civilian. It was a war without pause or pity on either side as two dictators fought it out in some of the most monumental battles the world has seen. Places like Dubno, Kharkiv, Kursk, Stalingrad, and Berlin have become synonymous with some of the worst fighting of the Second World War.
But as much as the Eastern Front encompassed a pitiless crescendo of violence that also played an unfortunate center stage to atrocity and death, it’s also a hell of a tableau for wargamers who are into World War II. Is there a bit of a moral quandary? There is, and I’d be foolish not to acknowledge it, but I will also say this. The moral thing to do in such cases is to acknowledge it happened and be aware of it in your gaming. Don’t glorify it and honor the victims. But at the same time, don’t be afraid to game it. We can’t learn from history unless we’re willing to work with it, clear-eyed and knowledgeable. I am of Russian-Jewish extraction myself, and yes, I have quite of bit of Eastern Front wargaming paraphernalia.
With that, I have some Eastern Front board games and computer games I recommend. Are they the ENTIRE Eastern front experience? Nope. Like many of the major engagements of the Second World War, the Eastern front has spawned a lot of books and wargames.
Board and Computer Wargames
I played the heck out of this game in my twenties, and when I found a copy cheap at a hobby shop auction, I snapped it up like a penguin does mackerel. It’s got all the joys of a Standard Combat Series (SCS) game, and while I admit the 2nd edition is better, I happen to have a weakness for the 1st edition myself. Call it nostalgia. It reflects the limits of the Soviets in 1942 (they had some issues advancing as far and as fast as they did when they launched Operation Uranus) and a competent German player can do a lot better than Von Paulus did. The SCS is awesome as it comes with a standard set of rules that bridges all the games in the series and then game-specific rules to cover special case stuff unique to a game in the series. I own quite a few SCS games, and they’re my favorite MMP titles. The rules are solid, make sense, and play fast.
The best part, the 1st edition is cheap to come by. 2nd edition, not so much. I do wish MMP would reprint this, but they did do Storm Over Stalingrad, so perhaps I should give this a try. It’s a bit more like the old Avalon Hill Turning Point: Stalingrad.
As for a VASSAL module, it’s only available for 2nd edition, but at least it’s available.
This one is as tense a game as I have ever played. I mean, this one does come down to the last turn. GMT has a masterpiece in Backhand Blow. It’s easy to play and very hard to master, especially as the Germans are operating on a knife’s edge for most of the conflict. I love the 3CI points system. It really does a good job of limiting your options while reflecting the difficulties both sides had coordinating the actual battle in 1943. I really do love this game, and I lucked out finding it at a Congress of Gamers event a few years ago for a real steal.
The best part is the game is available for some pretty reasonable prices on Board Game Geek and has a VASSAL module.
I am not usually someone to trumpet the Tactical Combat Series (TCS). While I like the detail and gameplay, I am not nuts about the order system. You practically have to write an operations order before you begin play. Yeah, I know there are people out there who love that sort of thing. Hey, whatever floats your boat. I do like the fact that the orders you write are often invalidated by circumstance, and you must improvise like real commanders.
I rather like MMPs approach to series rules, though, and it works well here. Plus, in my “Jason likes gonzo subjects” column, the game is centered around one of the most vicious battles involving the Spanish “Blue Division.” As casualties mounted for the Germans in the east, they tried to internationalize the war as a “crusade against communism.” To varying degrees, it worked, and many volunteer legions joined the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. To be honest, and feel free to correct me, this is the first wargame I’ve seen with these guys.
I’ve played the game once, and it is a tough slog for both sides. Both sides have good troops, and it’s in marshy terrain near Lake Ladoga, so it’s a real close-range barn burner. It took a friend and me a week to finish it, but it was one of those wargaming journeys that made it worth it. The game does an exceptionally good job of reflecting German and Soviet doctrines. If you want a playable monster game about a little-known action on the Eastern front, find this one.
Sadly it’s a bit hard to find on Board Game Geek, but when you find it, you can get it for a reasonable price. There’s also a VASSAL module, which will do a lot to make life easier.
Told you I’d slip a computer game in there! Slitherine put out in my mind one of the best operational games I’ve played in a while. It’s also one of the best computer games on Barbarossa, bar none. The game is fairly simple on its surface, with pretty cookie-cutter movement and attacks over a very nicely implemented map. The live combat results are a nice touch. What makes this game special is the ability to work with your subordinates and superiors. Every decision you make is going to make someone happy …and tick someone else off. This is especially so for the Germans, who have a ton of competing personalities. You also have to pay attention to logistics, and woe be the commander who ignores things like rail infrastructure and captured Soviet trucks!
The Soviet AI is good, makes you fight, and does a better job of avoiding encirclements than the real Soviet army did in 1941. I haven’t actually played the Soviets yet, but I’ve been told by other players that your main worry is not to screw up too badly that Stalin shoots you.
I really can’t say enough nice things about this game. I keep coming back to play it again and again, and to me, that’s the mark of a good computer game. If you don’t have it? I’d get it. It doesn’t need a high-end PC to run, and it does a lot in a very capable package. It’s currently available on Steam for $16.49, which is a real steal for this game.
Conclusion
The Eastern front is a huge tableau to wargame on, with titanic battles that have written their name across history. There really is something for everyone here. I do hope this article has been an inspiration for you to dip your toes into this tableau. As always, Good Gaming, Everyone.
At Epoch XP, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse Epoch XP’s service on our parent site, SJR Research.
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(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)