From the Publisher's website:
The game is a two-mapper, at about 8 miles to the hex, covering the final campaigns of WWII in Poland, East Prussia, Pomerania, and across the Oder to Berlin. German units are divisions (with some brigades and rules for forming kampfgruppes out of wrecked units), corps for the Soviets. Artillery is represented (somewhat abstractly) at Army and Front level. There are Soviet Air Armies and the last German Air Fleet, and the German navy makes an appearance in the form of the Prinz Eugen and Sea Evac counters.
There are three two-map scenarios, and one one map scenario (the latter dealing with the initial Soviet assault). The first of two-map scenarios is the historical scenario. The Germans are both weak and out of position and their army will be shattered on the first turn, but the victory conditions are tough on the Soviets who have to essentially do at least as well as historically. The second scenario deals with the historic forces, but allows the Germans to implement Operation Sleighride, a pull-back of the main defense line along the Vistula out of range of the opening Russian barrage (historically nixed by Hitler) that at least allows for a more orderly flight. The third scenario combines Sleighride with reinforcements from other fronts. It assumes that Hitler has had an incapacitating stroke in late November or early December, and the new Nazi leadership is sufficiently uncertain of its position that it defers in military matters to Guderian. The Ardennes Offensive is cancelled, as are the attempts to relieve Budapest, and substantial forces are evacuated from the Courland pocket. This increases German strength on the main eastern front by about 50% and doubles German tank strength, which combined with Sleighride gives the Germans some serious fighting strength. They still (of course) can't stop the Soviets cold, but if the player is skilled, they can perform a true fighting withdrawal (always considered one of the hardest tests of generalship). |