Armored Knights: Case Blue - Don Bend

From Grognard Simulations:

Above (see Pictures)  is the Don Bend area of the Soviet Union in WW2. This is the primary fighting area for the battles in July of 1942, involving the German 6th Army. The Armored Knights Case Blue game system will have a multitude of games that encompass the German campaign in the east during the summer of 1942. The map scale is 2.5km per hex. Infantry/Armor/Artillery are represented as Battalions. Hq/AA/AT/Eng/AsltGun, and other supporting arms are represented as companies. This allows for an operational level game that forces players to decide where to focus the placement of their supporting arms assets. The sequence of play has something in common with the Death Ride System in that they both have very ‘open’ Operations Phases. This provides the players the freedom to structure the manner and timing of the movements and combats of the various units. At the current time we have three specific scenario areas, of the larger campaign, that are planned. Operation Wilhelm, Manstein’s Baton, and the Don River Bend area. Each can be seen in a little more detail below.

Don Bend: This battle had tremendous consequences on the outcome of the entire campaign in the east. It was the first time during the 1942 campaign season that the Germans were kept from attaining their objectives immediately upon setting out to accomplish them. The German 6th Army drives toward the Don River near the town of Kalach. While pounding away at the Soviet 62nd Army Stavka decides to send 2 Tank Armies to help out. Both are fairly new and formed from the remnants of the recently defeated 28th and 38th Armies. Now begins a series of desperate engagements and swirling battles with both sides having some offensive and defensive capabilities and initiatives. The Germans though have a decided edge in 2 of the most important areas, troop quality and the Luftwaffe. Now go have some fun.

The game comes stuffed with:

• 2x D10
• 2x Rounding Tokens
• 6x 22×34 Maps
• 5x Unit Counter Sheets
• 2x Marker Counter Sheets
• Bound Master Rules
• Bound Examples
• Bound Player Aid Charts
• Orders of Battle / Airfield / Supply / Turn Record Charts

All Armored Knights games come with, or allow:

• Numerous Charts and Tables
• Rules Written on the Seven Battlefield Operating Systems
• Detailed, but not overbearing, focused on Combined Arms
• Excellent Solitaire Play

This series has gotten a serious refresh. A first project was released based on the German advance through the Ardennes Forest in 1940 and Guderians’ XIX Korps crossing of the Meuse River at Sedan, and following breakthrough. This game is small and an excellent learner game. A second project is based on the German offensive in 1942, Case Blue. The new rules now focus more on simple die roll modifiers and not on variable combat strengths.

Reference (Gamers HQ):

Grognard Simulations is known for their detailed and fantastic rulesets and their attention to detail concerning the gaming material, but because of the way they produce their games, You can´t compare the quality of the boxes with those from big companies like GMT or Compass Games: They are only for holding the huge amount of material, but not as a piece of art by itself (they are made from thin cardboard). These games are, like the name of the company indicates, for "real Grognards !"