Red Barricades Factory [Stalingrad]

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Eastern Front, Infantry, Location: Russia, Map Type: Standard, Memoir 44, Scenario, Sniper, Theater: Eastern, Urban, Winter

Red Barricades Factory (Stalingrad)

By October ’42, the Germans were throwing more and more of their 6th Army into the meat grinder at Stalingrad. On the 22nd, the 79th Infantry, backed by engineers, tanks, and guns, went charging across the railroad embankment straight at the Red Barricades Factory.

It was hell—Russian snipers in every shadow, tanks dug in like fortresses, fire pouring in from every angle. The Germans clawed their way forward inch by inch, breaking the Soviet line by sheer weight. But after all that blood and fury, by nightfall they had only managed to seize a corner of the factory. A costly gain, proving again that in Stalingrad, every brick was paid for with lives.

~~ General Howitzer

10 VP’s

Card Balance:
Allies – 3
Axis – 5

Complexity:

5

Conditions:

Urban / Winter

Location:

Stalingrad

Year:

1942

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Battle of Stalingrad

Summary:

The scenario is complex battle with a lot of different terrain, both urban and winter, that complicates troop movement. There are also snipers which add an extra element of suspense.

Objectives:

10 VP’s , including 3 Objective Medals for either side

Battlefield:

Battlefield is the Red Barricades Ordnance factory in the winter, surrounded by rubble.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 2 Armor, 2 Artillery, and 2 Sniper

Axis – 9 Infantry, 4 Armor, 2 Artillery, and 1 Snipers

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. You can quickly grab the Medal Objectives which are very close to you in the city ruins and the factory, and then try to hold them for the game. This will give you an early advantage and force the enemy to come to you, and fight against you while you are in a well-protected positions.

2. You have two Snipers which can fire five! hexes away. You can use them to harass the enemy and force them to pay attention to the Sniper, even though it doesn’t count as a VP, thus diverting energy away from other units.

3. Use your forward infantry to attack the enemy before they destroy you. At two hexes away, you should be able to get some good hits in first.

4. The strategic reality is that your forward units will get destroyed rather quickly, so the real battle will take place along the second front in rows 3,4,5 where you have armor protected behind sandbags, and city ruins for your infantry.

5. Give careful consideration before moving your armor away from their sandbags. The enemy outnumbers your armor two to one, and once they become mobile, will be coming for yours.

6. This scenario makes it easy for Allies to quickly grab 4 medal objectives by entering the town and factory hexes, but the trick comes in trying to hold them. The enemy will push through your first line of defense pretty quickly, and then you will need to hold your second line on rows 3,4,5, in order to prevent the enemy from taking out your units on those town and factory hexes.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Mobility is the first order of business when you start. In fact, at the start of the game, the Axis have 16 units, and not a single one can retreat. [ Admiral Frigate ] You have a lot of firepower stuck against your back wall, and hidden behind the hills. You need to move it out and begin attacking the Allies immediately.

2. You have three no-retreat Infantry units that are only two hexes away from the enemy. You either need to bring your Armor up between the enemy and your infantry, or, better yet, move in and attack the enemy at close assault range.

3. Once you get some mobility going to avoid the no-retreat attacks, you can use your Artillery to degrade the forward enemy units which are barricaded in the City Ruins.

4. Use your Sniper to good effect. They can move two and battle against Infantry, hitting on grenade, infantry, or star dice faces, increasing your odds of a hit to 67%.

5. Most of the middle game of this battle will take place with your forces arrayed across the sixth row, while the Allies are defending from rows 4 and 5. So once you take out the advanced Allied forces, you can overtake those same city ruins and launch your attack from there against the Allies.

Battle Reports
( percentage of Allied victories ):

57%

Author:

Days of Wonder

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Longvilly Trap

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Map Type: Standard, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western, Winter, Winter Wars

Longvilly Trap

Longvilly-Trap_full

Longvilly-Trap_center

Longvilly-Trap_Bastogne

Longvilly-Trap_right

Longvilly-Trap_right_Axis

Longvilly-Trap_left

Longvilly-Trap_left_Axis

December 19th, 1944: They sprang the Longvilly Trap because we were stretched thin and caught standing still—never a good idea in a shooting war. Near Longvilly, ahead of Bastogne, the enemy pushed armor hard through the Ardennes and found American units sitting exposed on narrow, jammed roads with broken communications. The Germans hit fast and coordinated tanks with infantry, rolled right over isolated formations, and smashed them before they could maneuver. It was a bloody setback, no question—but it bought the enemy only time, not victory. Longvilly opened the road to Bastogne, yes, but it also set the stage for us to dig in, turn, and hit back harder—because wars aren’t won by trapping men, they’re won by destroying the enemy, and that bill was coming due.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s: 6

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Battle of the Bulge

German Name:

Unternehmen Wacht Am Rhein

Summary:

This is a fun and exciting scenario as the Americans attempt to survive the seige of Bastogne and open up an escape route. The Axis are able to pummel the Americans from all directions with Artillery, Mortars, and Tanks, while the Americans force their powerful Armor across the countryside and toward the Exit hexes.

Objectives:

The Americans need to break through the German roadblock and open the way to Bastogne.

Six Medals. There are also two Exit Medal Objectives for the Americans to breakthrough.

Battlefield:

Winter conditions, with roads and rivers cutting through the battlefield.

Troops:

Allies – 5 Infantry, 6 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 5 Infantry, including some SWA’s (Mortars), 6 Armor including two Tank Destroyers (2,2,2,2), 3 Artillery

Special Rules:

1. Winter Combat rules – two hex armor movement

2. Reduced Visibility rules – only hit with Grenades unless in Close Assault

2. Special Weapon Asset rules for Mortars – 3,2,1,1

3. The river is frozen, but impassable.

4. Roadblock rule

5. Also play with Winter Combat cards in addition to regular Combat cards

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Primary Objective is to break through and provide a passage to Bastogne so the troops can be rescued, as they were, historically. You may want to keep the roadblock in place, so that your Armor can exit to the east without worry about rearguard action.

2. Your forces are congested in the town of Bastogne. Retreat flags from the enemy will cause losses, so you will want to spread them out by moving your forces east along the road toward the Exit hex. Remember that with winter conditions, you will only be able to move your Armor three hexes at a time on the road (instead of the usual four).

3. If you have the cards for it, some gains can be had by removing the roadblock and heading west to attack the enemy directly. Otherwise, they will continue to pummel you from the woods in the north, and with their Artillery and Mortars to your southwest.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. You have the enemy completely surrounded, except for that pesky escape route along the road. Move to block the Exit hexes ASAP. It will only take two turns for the Allies to begin evacuating along the road.

2. With three Artillery and two Mortar units, you can continuously attack the enemy and decimate their forces.

3. Remember that the Limited Visibility rules require that, unless you are in Close Combat, typically only Grenades will score a hit. But Retreat Flags can be a very effective way to reduce the enemy in their congested situation in Bastogne.

3. Move the two Armor on your right and center section into the two forest hexes across the river from Bastogne. From there you will be able to safely pick off the enemy bit by bit throughout the battle.

4. Take the time to move the Artillery on your right flank forward at least one row forward. It will pay off every turn afterwards with increased firepower against the enemy hiding like cowards in Bastogne.

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Gates of Moscow (Typhoon)

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1941, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Eastern Front, Infantry, Location: Russia, Map Type: Standard, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Theater: Eastern, Winter

Gates of Moscow (Typhoon)

Operation Typhoon was the German military campaign to capture Moscow during World War II, launched in early October 1941 as part of their broader invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). The offensive aimed to deliver a decisive blow by taking the Soviet capital before winter set in.

German forces, under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, advanced with two large army groups and made initial gains, encircling and destroying significant Soviet forces. However, stiff Soviet resistance, logistical challenges, and worsening weather slowed the German advance. Muddy conditions in October, followed by the onset of harsh winter, further hampered their progress.

By December ’41, the Germans thought they had Moscow in their grip—but Zhukov and his Siberian wolves had other plans. Hardened for winter, those Red Army troops stormed forward in a counteroffensive that drove the Wehrmacht off the city’s doorstep. It was the first time Hitler’s war machine got its teeth kicked in, proof that Blitzkrieg had limits when it slammed into a determined foe with steel in its spine and snow in its veins.

~~ General Howitzer

7 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 5

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Urban

Location:

Russia

Year:

1941

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Barbarossa

Codename:

Operation Typoon

Summary:

The Gates of Moscow is a complex scenario which results in a brutal battle with many digital ‘casualties’ on both sides.

Objectives:

7 VP’s, including two Objective Medals for Axis

Terrain:

Frozen field with Kaluga river cutting vertically and a ridge of hills cutting across horizontally.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 2 Armo, 2 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry, 8 Armor, 1 Artillery

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Big picture strategy for the Allies. This is a defensive scenario, so stay behind your sandbags and defend the two medal objectives. Move your Artillery and Armor forward into the battle.

2. Although there is a large Axis force massed against the Allies, the Axis side starts back against the game border. Allies can use this to their advantage, by turning retreat flags into deadly kills. Target the Axis forces which have no retreat available to them. This will increase your odds of a kill by another 17%. This increases the likelihood of an armor hit from 33% to 50%, and an infantry hit from 50% to 67%.

3. Attack Vector Left Flank: The enemy forces are congested. If you have a good set of cards, you can move in, and clear out many of the forces, including the armor.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Big picture strategy for Axis is to disperse your bunched-up troops and concentrate your forces on the front-line enemy to eliminate them as quickly as possible before they score too many hits against your forces.

2. Keep pushing forward as you attack with the goal to eventually be to capture the bridge hex medal (often as a final decisive move to end the game).

3. This is a long scenario of 7 medals, so you will have to take out the centrally located enemy Artillery. It is sand-bagged on a hill, but it needs to be attacked quickly.

4. Beware of your armor trapped behind the row of trees on your right flank. Do not try to take out the enemy infantry in the woods, because they will inflict heavy penalties on such an attempt. Best option is to get them into the tree line and then out into the open for more fruitful attacks.

Battle Reports (percentage of Allied victories):

34%

(These are historical records. The poll on the right is new results.)

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

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Breakout to Lisyanka

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Eastern Front, Infantry, Map Type: Standard, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Winter

Breakout to Lisyanka

The Breakout to Lisyanka was a key engagement during World War II, fought in early 1944 on the Eastern Front. The battle saw Soviet forces encircling a large German force. The Germans attempted to break out from the encirclement to link up with their reinforcements near Lisyanka, with fierce fighting as they sought to escape Soviet attacks.

While some German units managed to break through, the escape was costly, with heavy losses in men and equipment. The Soviet success significantly weakened German capabilities in Ukraine, contributing to the broader Soviet advance in the region. The battle is often highlighted as a key moment in the Soviet efforts to liberate occupied Ukraine.

General Howizer summarizes it this way:

The Breakout to Lisyanka was a blood-soaked slugfest where the Soviets slammed the trap shut, and while some of the doomed Germans clawed their way out, they left behind a graveyard of men and machines—crippling their grip on Ukraine and fueling the Red steamroller westward.

7 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Ukraine

Year:

1944

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign

Codename

Summary:

The goal for the Axis is to breakthrough, as the name implies, over the hilly ridge and across the river exits. For Allies, the goal is to of course prevent this. The forces begin in a non-symmetrical dispersion, which makes for a fun scenario.

Objectives:

7 VP’s, plus the Axis have Exit Medals they can try for.

Battlefield:

There is a ridge of hills going across the center, plus some ravines to provide a bit of cover to infantry.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry, 4 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 9 Infantry, 3 Armor, 1 Artillery

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. As the Allies you must defend against three objective medal locations, the two-hex towns of Golyadi, and Nekrasino, each worth one VP, there is also the frozen river exits along the bottom of the battlefield. Your objectives however, are simply to destroy six enemy units. There are seven enemy infantry units to target and some armor and artillery, if they give you the chance.

2. Be aware that the Axis have Combat Engineers who can attack your infantry in the trenches at close range – with no combat restrictions. So make it one of your early goals to finish them off.

3. Make good use of your artillery in the middle section to defend your troops in the trenches.

4. It is very difficult to win this scenario, unless you get your troops on your left flank into action. You have a lot of forces amassed together behind the forest hexes. Get them into play as quickly as possible in one of your early turns while you still can. Once you have them in the fray, they will be able to get you one or two medals from that side of the battlefield.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Attack with your frontline infantry right away, to create some movement space for your armor, and also to neutralize the nearby enemy who will quickly attack from close range.

2. Try to avoid your right flank which is packed with enemy forces ready to pounce with both armor, infantry, and artillery. You may have better luck on your left flank which has less enemy artillery power.

3. You can also quickly overwhelm the enemy infantry at i6, to provide a proving ground for your forces to prepare for the breakout.

4. Remember that if you get any of your Infantry across the Exit hexes, you will earn two! Medals per Infantry (and one for Armor). So if you get a Behind Enemy Lines, then get your Infantry into the forest on row 6; this will provide you with the distance to move in, attack the enemy, and then quickly escape out the back row for an easy two medals.

Classic Battle Reports:

(percentage of Allied victories)

52%

Battle Reports:

Author:

Link:

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Breakout at Klin

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1941, Armor, Artillery, Eastern Front, Infantry, Map Type: Standard, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Winter

Breakout at Klin

When & Where:
December 1941, near the town of Klin, northwest of Moscow, during the Soviet counteroffensive in the Battle of Moscow.
Context:
After months of German advances toward Moscow, Soviet forces launched a major counterattack. German troops, particularly from Army Group Center, found themselves overextended and at risk of encirclement near Klin.
The Battle:
Soviet forces attacked from multiple directions, threatening to trap German units in the Klin salient. The Germans, under pressure and facing severe winter conditions, conducted a fighting withdrawal, breaking out of the encirclement and retreating westward.
Outcome:
The Soviet Red Army recaptured Klin, dealing a blow to German morale and momentum. The breakout marked a turning point in the Moscow campaign, with German forces now on the defensive for the first time in the war.

Lessons from General Howitzer:

“The Breakout at Klin wasn’t just a German retreat—it was the moment the Red Army showed the world it could counterpunch. And it was the first time the German war machine started to cough and stall. Learn from it, gentlemen: never overreach, never underprepare, and never, ever give your enemy a second chance to swing.”

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 3

Axis – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Russia

Year:

1941

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Battle of Moscow

Codename

Summary:
At the start, the Axis are line up mostly against the lower border, while the Russians have control of much of the board. The objective for the Axis is to either destroy the forces, or as the name implies breakout past them to the exit hexes at the top of the battlefield. If the Axis can effect rapid movement (and Blitz rules are in effect to help with this ) they can make it past the Russian troops blocking their path in excellent defensive positions, and achieve victory.

Objectives:
It is a long 6 VP game, fought at, often, close quarters, while they Axis seek two objectives, to destroy the enemy and to escape the enemy.

Battlefield:
This is a winter war with a mix of urban and countryside, making for an intersting battlefield deployment and field of play.

Troops:
The Axis – 7 infantry, 4 armor, 2 artillery.
The Russians – 9 infantry, 2 armor, 1 artillery.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. You are positioned very closely to the enemy on your left flank, and in the center at the trenches. Attack as much as you can before the enemy breaks out from their center section congestion.

2. You also have a well-placed center section artillery which you can use to decimate the enemy forces. Use it!

3. Your best opportunity for some significant kills is on your left flank. You will need to get your armor up there to assist your forward infantry. But you need to do it quickly before they are wiped out by the nearby enemy. And because of winter conditions, you can only move your armor two hex per turn, so don’t waste any time and get them moving!

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Axis, note that on your right flank the Russians are nearly on top of you, with a sandbagged infantry only two hexes away from your backwall, and another one three hexes away. Since you have two infantry hexes pressed against your back border, with no retreats, an early attack against you is going to result in several hits. If you can move on your right flank right away with a decisive attack, you can begin the breakout successfully.

2. The next immediate objective for the Axis forces is to get some mobility for your armored forces. Get them out from behind the town and factory hexes with which they begin the battle.

3. Note that you have two artillery units at your disposal in the center section. At the start of the battle, there are four enemy hexes within your full power two-hex attack. Use those artillery at every chance.

Class Battle Reports:

(percentage of Allied victories)

19%

Author

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Braskir Offensive

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Infantry, Map Type: Standard, Memoir 44, Mobile Artillery, Scenario, Sniper, Strategic, Urban, Winter

Braskir Offensive

Here is General Howitzer’s summary of this fictious battle:

The Braskir Offensive was a brutal winter clash between Axis and Allied forces fought amid snow-covered city ruins. The battlefield centered on three key objective territories, each representing vital control points.

The Allies began congested, bottled up in the eastern ruins, struggling to break out under heavy Axis fire. The Axis initially dominated the field, and using fortified positions to hammer any Allied advance.

Through grinding urban combat, flanking maneuvers, and coordinated assaults, the Allies sought to push past the chokepoints, seize the objectives, and turn the tide. The frozen, rubble-strewn city made every advance costly, turning the Braskir Offensive into a battle of attrition where each medal marked blood, grit, and survival.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s

10

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 4

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Winter

Context:

Fictional

Location:

The Baltics

Year:

1944

Summary:

Victory Points:

10, including some objective medals for the church, the Schiv, and the bridge.

Terrain:

There is a lot of complexity to this scenario, with city ruins, factory complexes, a navigable river, and forests. With 10 VP’s needed to win, each side must plan out a long, strategic campaign to degrade enemy forces until victory is achieved.

Troops:

Allies – 14 Infantry including 1 Sniper, 4 Armor, 3 Artillery

Axis – 13 Infantry including 1 Sniper, 4 Armor, 2 Artillery

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Your forces begin in a very congested configuration in the left and right corners. You need to get them mobile ASAP, to be prepared for the coming enemy attack.

2. The key to winning this battle is to soften the targets near the medal objectives, and then to position your infantry to take control of the targets in a final push. This will require you to save one card in reserve which allows for multi-sectional attacks, such as a Recon in Force, or Move Out!, or Direct from HQ.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. The three Objective hexes in the center, can be quickly gained with some rapid infantry movements. Once gained the Allies will have to fight hard to take them from Axis control, resulting in many losses for them. This can start the Axis at as much as a 3 VP advantage from the first turn.

2. But do not take them too early. If you do not have the support forces around you, any advance forces that grab Objective hexes will get pummeled. This scenario is really about bringing all of your forces to bear upon your attack objectives.

3. You have a Mobile Artillery in your left section. This is a powerful weapon, but you need to make use of its most powerful feature – it’s mobility. Take early opportunities to move it forward so that it can defend the forces attacking the central medal hexes.

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