This review first appeared in IPW, the newsletter for all discount games
club members. Contact colin@allusedgames.demon.co.uk for details.

RED ARMY - GDW

What would you expect from a game on a Soviet offensive that routed and
destroyed an entire German Army Group? Red Army simulates Operation
Bagration, just such a campaign. You probably expect a one sided,
unbalanced game where the player who drew the short straw gets to be
called Fritz. Instead, Red Army accurately demonstrates how German
reinforcements from all over Europe managed to halt the Soviet
juggernaut.

The game turn kicks off with the traditional checking of supply lines.
Next, the phasing player gets to move his units. As well as the
traditional movement allowance, this also comprises of rail movement and
a movement bonus for using roads.

Following this is the combat phase based on the standard odds with
shifts for terrain. Units have two combat strengths; the traditional
combat strength and a weaker, manoeuvre attack strength. Any unit that
only moved adjacent to the enemy in the proceeding movement phase uses
its weaker combat strength. The disparity between the two strengths is
considerably less for mechanised units as they are far better able to
attack on the move.

After combat, the non-phasing player gets to move his reserves before
the phasing player takes a second movement and combat phase. The
opposing player then follows the same sequence of play for his turn.

You could be forgiven for thinking that, with two movement and combat
phases per turn, thc Soviets won't stop till they hit the Western map
edge. This is actually possible, but generally unlikely. The bugbear is
that (i) the terrain is fairly awful for the attacker and (ii) combat
results are step losses rather than outright elimination. This means
that major breakthroughs are rare and also difficult to exploit to the
full once they happen.

Instead, the German trades space for time, hoping the steady stream of
reinforcements will enable him to slow down and then halt the Soviet
tide. Unfortunately for him, German units set up just East of a major
river where positions North and South are already outflanked. for this,
you can blame the strategic genius of Adolf Hitler, who was not joking
when he forbade his troops from making tactical withdrawals.

There is little else to the game, other than a few air support counters
and rules for partisans and first turn surprise. The air rules are a
mini game in themselves, with players secretly allocating between
interdiction, interception and holding some units back for the second
combat phase. This can, though, easily be adapted for solo play.

Red Army is a very simple game whose appeal lies not in the cleverncss
or audacity of the rules, but rather in the historical situation which
it portrays. Unit count is kept low because Soviet units are mainly
Corps sized. Consequently, solo play is not only feasible but very
enjoyable. However, this is not just for beginners. Experienced
panzer-pushers and shock army commanders would be well served by taking
a closer look at this game.

Alan Sharif