Model's Counterattack

Eastern Front, Summer 1944: Soviet forces launch a major offensive, codenamed Bagration, which destroys a large portion of the German army positioned in the central sector. The Soviets advance as far as the Vistula River, reaching the outskirts of Warsaw. General Model, by rallying some relatively intact forces and counterattacking from various directions, manages to halt the offensive, at least temporarily. All this occurs as Warsaw rises up, and, a little further south in Magnuszew, other Soviet forces succeed in crossing to the western side of the Vistula, creating a dangerous bridgehead...

The game consists of ten turns in total. Each turn represents one day of real time. Each hex represents a distance of about two kilometers from side to side. Units vary from brigades to battalions, most of them armored, mechanized or motorized. Average game duration is about 4-5 hours.

The initial setup is very quick; the German player has very few units deployed on the map at the beginning of the game. During the first three turns, most of the Soviet armored forces enter the map, and at the same time, the German armored divisions, ready for the counterattack, arrive slowly but in increasing numbers. The game system reflects the operational differences between the two armies: the Soviet forces are very rigid but powerful, while the German forces are much more flexible but with a greater variety of units. The rules include artillery bombardments, Stuka air support, Kampfgruppe formations, overrun and conventional attacks, the Warsaw uprising, and, of course, the intervention of General Model, represented by a counter. In addition, both players have various events they can play to influence the game in different ways, such as Panzerfaust, Battlefield Tank Recovery, Bloody Battle, and more.

• Map 56 x 86 cm
  
• 2 counter sheets
  
• 2 player aid and table cards
  
• 2 setup and reinforcement cards
  
• Rulebook in English and Italian
  
• 2 six-sided dice