the face of pretty healthy German forces. Russian reinforcements arrive on
crammed ferries and little by little replace the retreating or dead Kamarads.
German ...
STORM OVER
REVIEW
by Olivier Revenu
d a r g n i l Sta * ! es i mm for Du
ine anese magaz hed in the Jap rsion of Avalon is bl u p t rs fi ...) was lified ve alingrad (SoS niously simp call the Storm Over St 9. The game uses an inge rnhem etc.) that many sed it A #1 r g al ve in rn O torm well hav u Game Jou lse system (S ura knows this system each time. u p m /i ea ar on it Hill’s Nakam improving up ad imrsion”. Tetsuya “Japanese ve his games and seemingly ? Turning Point: Stalingr etail in ed em th st es m sy or ti e n xity puls several hur d an area/im er the comple Stalingrad an mind. But SoS has neith ar to Storm Over Port Art PA to il So es m ï. si m se e co n or ura Se uch m mediately sor. SoS is m rnal #10, also by Nakam ry similar (the es ec d re p is of th e Jou n is ve anese), The situatio lished in Gam (SoPA), pub like a first draft of SoS. e surrounded by the Jap once ar S, s d So em r an se fo a , been the se almost their back to (without cards), but it has e av h s n ia ss Ru me nters almost the sa 196 5/8” cou the system is d purified. d: a sheet of alves providing n fi an ll u’ ed n yo fi ), re ge -h an again ind, two map (if you like or ages In a nice box plicity and efficiency in m together rulebook of 8 p t m u si p h l it el w w a designed ” x 42”, surface of 15 a total game
R G n ALI T S mura tsuya Naka Designer Te ther ea adam starkw kubi Developer es s la ko Graphics ni MMP/IGS Publisher
mura, Adam Tetsuya Naka bi: Nikolas Esku d n a r, e th a e Starkw shoots again. the shock trio us to play , they want And this time than ngrad in less li ta S f o le tt a the B et’s see. three hours. L
s. These are ack of 55 card ccessful p a ... d an , 6s su play, two D tle drab, is a ss from y examples of perhaps a lit le featuring man ents. The map, though biance. Expect nothing on am t 15 other p d m ou an co , ab y s ce it ke qual cy, elegan utes. It ta en in ci m fi ef 15 of in n ed ady to play. combinatio The rules can be learn me, and be re ga e . th bi p u tu sk E se , Nikolas counters unch out the minutes to p ga and ks to the Vol s in ac b r ei th e av e turn ns h le. The Russia ns as possible for six gam arrive on p m si is n io io The situat their posit forcements arads. to as many of . Russian rein must hold on y healthy German forces the retreating or dead Kamailable av ce rett the face of p s and little by little repla , take whatever routes are ie d fe crammed rr ements, on the other han forc victory zones German rein bat zone. e number of which the th on d m bi co st to to reach the ng the game, players mu sive bonus) on h a +3 defen mber plays the Russians it w ch Before starti ea , ap n on the m e highest nu (there are seve d. The player who bids th win the game. ol h to n er bid in ord Russians ca e good on his and must mak
The b attle
Battles Magazine # 1 - 053
nt Kurgan around the Mou rd ca ee fr a r Battle fo
D A R
ssal module) wnloadable va do e th om fr re p (pictu The initial setu
t ap, one may ge ation on the m ushing game. tu si e th g in der ter-p ove and consi resome coun Reading the ab at this is nothing but a ti th the truth. e impression ea th hing could be further from ar h ac E . l) tota Not (23 areas in the om the start -based map warded with s ea re ar is an ea seem clear fr victory in ar on s ic an ys it ct n la of ta p U . e ol al ea tr m er The ga rs find and gen om the ar onus. Con erall strategy nt ideas, playe ent to and fr a defensive b , and While the ov much surprise or brillia me. is defined by s as well as easier movem fantr y, reconnaissance ed in u e ga w for not ning defensive bon rised and mechanised ement, and defense. Also an and don’t allo t of the finer aspects of th area requires careful plan al to m en m o er ov er ti p m m G em n , op e y, te ag er e tr th it of pow at th e man t for (infan ree values: fire identification, importan a “fresh” and th r example, the stacking lim nces in order to ensure th me. It’s also th e av h r) ou e ti Fo va nal hav arm ght d ad r is its divisio Units ussian. Units em lace at the ri t, retreats, an on the counte ely informative for the R inished defense rating. ave of movemen s will be in the right p if you don’t want to see th e im it h s d er n it ag u a or n m an u t ly of ss g u m t n b lo on n ti r to g a as trea playe amou tainin ffered man player h e room for re the latter con side once they have su essary to leav e combat zone. The Ger permitting the creation ec t “spent” side, n en sp r ei th y, ert to th ea in e grit mpletely des he longer th r selects an ar ivisional inte are turned on tion. es. Each playe player can only co ifficult balance between d d to advance quickly. T forcements ac ls u an p d im te g le in p at in d nee com ased on altern e. The German use a “death stack”, and the becomes. The arrival of re and more The game is b se the units that will mov e division, which will ca a it ore of lt m cu fi es if d om e ec or ck m oo b ch em atta e sa front line also manage the which he will gether that belong to th ses. Units can move or into game lasts, th ement to the player has to carefully erous and es te s to ov gr it ra m n ro et p u r e ei en te p m th va s d ti ga ay e ac an w n um hich for him as th . A unit can al . The Russia is game are n some trouble r area or an adjacent area y area to attack another (w ur). problematic casualties. Choices in th make SoS a very tactical ls fo of em thei units within but can never cross an en the fastest units only have and distribution ort, all of these little detai , sh k ile ea oc In h ar t. w bl an enemy importan , block by ent points, game. e five movem but instead urban combat its its subject. would requir su t and pleasant en em st em sy ov e e m h th T of d c. e tl et So, not a bat laborious encirclement, cking units an emy d the perfect power of atta et, , you don’t nee bat results in w To g. n street by stre solved by adding the fire gth of the highest rated en is ki m apt to co ap, chaos is Combat is re o D6s. The defense stren the area (from +1 to +3) e On the SoS m e ability to constantly ad a lot of randomness of tw th th s g u ts d by n u ea on p lli ed b st result of ro e defensive plan but in ing of events. Combat in table and numerous. losses suffer esh to e number of to 11) and th unit (from 8 this sum. The result is th a loss: flip a unit from fr ea, and the unfold ovements are unpredic e elements that can rb om d ar d th ve m subtracted fr e are several ways to abso jacent friendly-controlle and defensi tly, in your hands you hol layer has a deck of 27 er ad n h T ta h an s. ac or to rds. E p ile the spent) defender More imp completely: ca ays have six in hand wh unit (fresh or e a m t ea ga tr e re th t, w ge al an spen ill ch w r ye man pla a unit. or eliminate cards. The Ger
System B asics
leng Simple and Chal
Save Our Souls
054 - Battles Magazine # 1
ing
* and as usual : «A Reference for the Rest of Us»
the turn track. ents waiting on The reinforcem
ho The player w as three to six. dle of the city) h , rn tu e th on id n r, depending hill in the m Russian playe (Mamayev Kurgan, the y important for the Russia G el ea em ar tr . s ex ea ol rs tr ar n pea co this tra card. It ap ep control of ort can have an ex r the first three turns, to ke enemy action, or supp fo an the t r as of te le n g u at in inn on, co player, yed at the beg place an acti Cards can re llery cards are usually pla can accompany an attack ian eers” e arti an action. Th e” enemy defenses,“Pion erland” permits the Russ , h is ea ot er ar d M le e en ab “t th er to turn es, “For e a vuln enemy trench a row in order to reinforc e at in im el to two rounds in ere of its e, but it player to play the atmosph in ten one at a tim , the g d in ye d la vi p ro e p , ar c. s et h pleasure nging, fun for example, s aren’t possible as card t has played. For example d ing turned to wit to play, challe an y and quick ose games that will be re ll or when an old wargam to Combination ter cards your opponen ing his troops to move as E ki s th n w ve to er u of si llo m rs co e (a en co ou ef to on rd h ew is le e “D ca n b it h re o or th is possi subject, initiating nters wit tw “Overrun” r u e e fo co av l th h n ea B ys u g ia id n la ss yo p ei u so b r R . en al s c” German playe e impulse), to which the eir area without his unit mo years or so, wh ed by unexpectedly. It is re “little classi pp g th Am ings of a futu sam attack in the im to fire on units enterin then play the “Russian ines” buddy has dro we have, maybe, the mak e gh uld “M Fire” (allowin t). The German player co Russian could then play man the hobby. Her er e en h G T g sp e . h re to T fi . lt n ed u p ia flip assa Russ one his startin negates the German hich cancels ses control of one). Until he lo er ay pl Shortage”, w od chance of stopping ngineer Support” (wich t the an rm cts go tack: If the Ge rn randomly sele lling ou with “E which has a sian Counterat al card (the Russian player ceives one fewer card per tu es that card then plays “Sniper”, cance d a sniper us R at d 1) li va in ic re en an ct r er o, th ta ye r ay to e la pl ye p rd on la an s p ” ca ian a rapid areas, he lose ntrol of the area, the Germ t). The Russ lays a “Sniper t!” before the preceden he German player then p prevails. Admittedly, such vel of d co ne ai -g re are “No Retrea instead s cl ha le T de . rd al n rd ti ca ca ca h en er ic ot an ay h p m pl the Ger d. ine w sian ree D6s but it shows ed to determ a wrench than indicate at!: Once per turn, the Rus , the German player rolls th ally but can duel is resolv rds happens very rarely e opportunities to throw count re rm so et no If R . s o ck tie N ta al 2) at su ca ac th s his ca solves an ke re ta s er er ay ay succession of een the two players and low the game to take into It is a pl pl an an si the Germ al les. etw retreated. battle. The Rus interaction b plans. Fun. The cards also orating them into the ru v to resolve the into the area units that have o tw of rp s ead of “Chuko co y’ in em t in the en bring back tle withou be played inst attack in an e earlier. ly at se ay b te e M to ia e : th ed ic re m of n Fi n im ts ee a German Friendly all of the aspec is system that would’ve b units in fore resolving ical Card th Russian Tact This card must be played bee applied against the German fun bonus to as ”. ar h ps s S rallies the troo German units. The casualtie long time, So stead of around for a s simplicity. It is ng ni n ai ee nt b co as ay be played in t a Ferry h ea M ar d at : ar th w lga to em Vo st rn e it a tu g a sy , but wer = 6) agains Stukas on th the area. Despite usin ate and re-new it with , nor the game of the year ical Card - er resolves an attack (Firepo can not retreat. This ov n ad Tact in gr an in to m al St ed er G an units an play manag game on ng”. The Germ lue of the box is zero. Russi the ultimate indispensable little game. bi m ot n Bo ly e n iv ai “D rt va ce d ns”. e defensive very good an Landing box. Th elled out by “Anti-Aircraft Gu is definitely a
rds a c l a ic t c a t and new s e l u r e s u o H
Conclusion
nc card can be ca
