Race to Berlin (Second Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Health Points
  • Historical background
  • Scenario overview
  • Board in detail
• Goal of the Game
  • Action cubes
• Gameplay - General Overview
  • I. Logistics Phase
  • II. Action Phase
  • III. Strategic Movement Phase
• Phases of the Game
• I. Logistics Phase
  • Logistics blocks
• II. Action Phase
  • Controlling areas
  • I. Movement (no Action cubes are assigned)
  • II. Attack (1 or 2 Action cubes)
  • III. Cleanup
  • End of the Action Phase
• III. Strategic Movement Phase
  • 6. SS-Panzerarmee
  • Jugoslavenska Armija
• Supplies
  • Annexation
• Special Action Cards
• Berlin
• Game End
• Advanced Optional Rule
• Scenarios
  • I. The Siegfried Line
  • II. Vistula-Oder Offensive
  • III. To Berlin
    • Alternate Victory Conditions - "Division of Spheres of Influence" Variant
  • IV. To Vienna
  • Difficulty levels
• Game Variants
  • 1. Faction Selection Bidding
  • 2. Alternate Use of the Logistics Special Action Card
  • 3. Alternate Use of the Reserves Special Action Card
  • 4. Alternate Use of the Support Special Action Card
  • 5. Alternate Use of the Counterattack Special Action Card
  • 6. Decision After Losing a Battle in Major Fortifications
  • 7. Choosing Standard or Alternate Card Effects
• Designer's Journal
• Side Strategies
  • General Strategy
  • Western Allies
  • Soviets (Eastern Allies)
  • Germans
• Playbook
  • Logistics Phase - Placing Logistics Blocks
  • Action Phase - Moving Units and/or Logistics Blocks
  • Combat Example A
  • Combat Example B
  • Combat Example C
  • Strategic Movement Phase
  • Logistics Block Removal

Components

• 1 Rulebook, explaining all rules in detail.
• 1 Main board, showing a map of Western and Central Europe, where the last battles of World War II took place.
• 1 Attack Strength board, to make combat resolution easier.
• 1 Berlin board, showing a map of Berlin in 1945, where the siege of Berlin took place.
• 10 Fortification tokens (double sided) of 2 types, representing important defensive lines, like the Siegfried Line, Pomeranian Wall, etc.
• 1 Round marker.

2 sets of Player components, each composed of (Allied player / Soviet player):

• Front line markers, depicting Western and Soviet front lines that shifted during operations: x25 / x25.
• Logistics blocks, which form the basis of players' military maneuvers on the board: x8 / x8.
• Action cubes, to mark the number of actions taken: x20 / x20.
• Dice, used during Combat: x2 / x2.
• Military unit tokens, with historical army insignias (Germany, Western Allies) or fronts (Red Army): x9 Allied, x13 East German Front, x8 Soviet, x10 West German Front.
• Attack Strength tokens, to track the total strength of the attacks: x1 / x1.
• Special Action cards, used during Combat: x5 Allied, x3 East German Front, x5 Soviet, x3 West German Front.
• Victory Point markers, for areas of crucial importance for military operations: x4 / x4.
• Player aid, with a summary of the rules and a setup reminder: x1 / x1.

Note: All components are limited. If you run out of a piece, it is no longer available.

Setup

1. Place the Main board in the center of the play area and the Berlin board near its topmost edge.
2. Place the Fortification tokens on the depicted areas of the board with the depicted side face up.
3. Place the Round marker on space "I" of the Round track.
4. Place all the Victory Point markers near the board.
5. Each player chooses a faction, takes all the corresponding components, and places them in their personal supply.
6. Each player places their Front line markers and Military unit tokens on the board at full Health as depicted on the board. The initial locations of the Front line markers are also marked on the board.
7. The Allied player keeps the 6. SS-Panzerarmee token in their supply.

Health Points

The Allied and Soviet Military units have no Health Points and may not be defeated. The West German and East German units start at full Health and may be damaged during the game. The tokens must be placed with the side corresponding to its current Health Points facing the board's topmost edge. Whenever a unit loses Health Points, their token must be rotated accordingly. If a unit loses their fourth Health Point, their token must be removed from the board.

• This East German unit has 4 Health Points.
• This East German unit has 3 Health Points.
• This West German unit has 1 Health Point.
• This Soviet unit has no Health Points, because it cannot be defeated.

Historical background

In the real events of 1944-1945, the Western and Eastern Allies (the Soviets) were aligned in their operational plans. The Western Allies were to halt upon reaching the Elbe River and wait for contact with Soviet forces, who were assigned the task of capturing Berlin, supported by the fully subordinated 1st Polish Army.

This campaign scenario explores an alternate history, posing the question: What if the Allies had raced against each other to be the first to crush the Third Reich?

Scenario overview

This is the full-scale campaign mode of Race to Berlin, utilizing all components and mechanics from the game. With a competitive race at its core, the scenario challenges players to strategically allocate their Logistics blocks and carefully plan their future actions.

The main dilemma is choosing between maximizing the offensive power of the Allies or Soviets, and preserving enough resources for the Germans to mount a delaying defense. Will you unleash a full-force assault, leaving the Germans vulnerable to your rival, or hold back just enough to slow your opponent down?

Board in detail

Both boards are composed of areas. There is a space for the Front line markers on each border between the areas. If these spaces are blue, it means this is a river border.

Adjacent areas are those sharing a common border.

Each area contains one or more of the following:

• Its number
• Starting components (Military unit tokens, Fortification tokens, etc.)
• A Victory Point marker icon
• Difficult terrain icons (two levels)
• A Supply base (German, Soviet, or Allied).

Goal of the Game

There are 3 ways to win the game. You must either conquer the center of Berlin B1 (see details on page 17) or force your opponent to lose all their Action cubes (see below - Action cubes).

If nobody achieves either of these conditions by the end of round 3, the player with most Victory Points markers on the board wins. If there is a tie, the victory is shared.

Action cubes

Some actions require assigning Action cubes to Logistics blocks. The value of Logistics blocks indicate how many such actions may be taken. If the number of Action cubes is equal to the value of the Logistics block, the action that requires assigning Action cubes may not be taken. The number of Action cubes assigned may never be higher than the value of the Logistics block. Cubes removed from supply are removed from the game.

LOSING CUBES:

• German attack on Supply: If a German attack succeeds against an area with a player's defending units and supply base, the player loses 1 Action cube from their supply. In such a case, the defending units in the target area do not retreat. If they can't, they lose the game.
• German occupation: If any German units occupy an Allied or Soviet supply base at the end of the ACTION PHASE, then the supply base's owner loses 5 Action cubes from their supply. If they can't, they lose the game.
• German attack and Front line shift: If the successful attack was by German units, and the defender does not have enough Front line markers, they lose 3 Action cubes from their supply. If they can't, they lose the game.

NOTE: If the defender has no Action cubes in their supply and an active Logistics block in the attacked area, they may take back from the board any one of their other Logistics blocks along with all the assigned Action cubes. These Action cubes must be immediately used in the current Combat.

Gameplay - General Overview

I. Logistics Phase

In this phase, players take turns placing their Logistics blocks on the board. These blocks can be placed in areas containing their own forces as well as in areas with German forces under their command. Placement is crucial, as each player has only 8 Logistics blocks but many more areas where actions are needed. Units in areas without a Logistics block cannot be activated and are significantly more vulnerable to enemy attacks.

II. Action Phase

During this phase, players may Move their units, use an Active Logistics block (see page 11) to Attack an adjacent area, or Remove any Logistics block (Active or Exhausted) from the board.

To use an Active logistic block to Attack, player put 1 or 2 Action cubes next to it. If the number of Action cubes is equal to the value of the Logistic block, after the action the Logistic block becomes Exhausted.

END OF ACTION PHASE: The Action Phase ends when one player has no remaining Logistics blocks on the board. The Phase ends immediately.

III. Strategic Movement Phase

In this Phase, both players may move one unit from their faction and one German unit under their command.

Phases of the Game

The game lasts 3 rounds, each of which is divided into 3 phases:

I. LOGISTICS PHASE: Players plan their actions and assign Action cubes to Military unit tokens (see page 7).

II. ACTION PHASE: Players execute their actions (see page 8).

III. STRATEGIC MOVEMENT PHASE: Each player may move one of their units and one of the German units (see page 13). This phase is skipped in the third round.

I. Logistics Phase

	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3
Starting player	Soviet	Allied	The player with more VPs (in case of a tie, choose randomly)

Beginning with the Starting player (as shown in the table above and on the Round track), players take turns to assign one of their available Logistics blocks to any area containing at least 1 Military unit token they control. Logistics blocks are placed vertically so their values are visible only to their owner, and once placed, they may not be moved again during the LOGISTICS PHASE.

Each area may only contain up to 1 Logistics block, except for the Berlin area B1 (described in detail on p. 19).

IMPORTANT: Logistics blocks may never be in an area without units.

Placing Logistics blocks is obligatory. If a player cannot place a Logistics block, because there is no more areas with their units on the board, they must pass. All their remaining blocks are unused for the round, and their opponent continues placing their Logistics blocks as normal.

Once both players place all their Logistics blocks, the LOGISTICS PHASE ends.

Logistics blocks

Each Player has a set of Logistics blocks with identical values on the front and different faction icons on the back. Logistics blocks are placed on the board vertically, so the value is not visible to the opponent (7A). Their value will be revealed later, during the ACTION PHASE, by placing them on the board horizontally with the value side face up.

Logistics blocks may be either active (if its value is higher than the number of Action cubes next to it) (7B) or exhausted (when its value is equal to this number) (7C). They also can be Standing or Revealed (see page 9, Attack).

The Logistics blocks are never placed with a value face down.

II. Action Phase

During the ACTION PHASE, players take turns performing one of the available actions. ACTION PHASE ends immediately, when one player has no Logistics blocks remaining on the board (if player have no Active blocks left, they must remove them, see details on page 15). The Starting player in this phase is the same as in the LOGISTICS PHASE of the current round.

In the ACTION PHASE, the player currently performing an action is called the active player, and the other is the inactive player.

On their turn, a player resolves one of three available actions:

• MOVEMENT
• ATTACK
• CLEANUP

Controlling areas

Throughout the game, each area has one of three statuses:

1. Controlled: All areas behind the front line are considered controlled, either by Germans, or Allies, or Soviets.
2. Enemy: All areas ahead of the front line are Enemy. For German units, the Enemies are Soviet and Allied areas. For Soviet and Allied units, the Enemy is the German areas.
3. Friendly: All areas behind the front line of the other player. For the Soviet player, the Allied controlled areas are friendly, while for the Allies, Soviet controlled areas are friendly.

Adjacent areas are those sharing a common border. In the image in the rulebook, area 27 is adjacent to areas 28, 31, and 35, but it is not adjacent to area 29.

I. Movement (no Action cubes are assigned)

The Movement action allows players to move units and Logistics blocks. Using the Movement action you may:

• Move one or more units from an area of your choice to an adjacent controlled area.
• Move a Logistics block and one or more Military units from an area of your choice to an adjacent controlled area.
• Move a Logistics block from an area of your choice to an adjacent controlled area with at least 1 Military unit.

NOTE: If there are any Action cubes assigned to the moved Logistics block, they must be moved with the block.

NOTE 2: Each area may only contain up to 3 Military units. You may never move Military units in a way that would exceed this limit.

NOTE 3: There may only be up to 1 Logistics block in each area, and there may never be a Logistics block in an area without units. If you move a vertical Logistics block, you don't reveal its value.

NOTE 4: The Movement action doesn't require Action cubes. Player can Move as much over the course of many Actions, as they wish. However, if the opponent removes from the board their last Logistic block, the ACTION PHASE ends immediatelly!

II. Attack (1 or 2 Action cubes)

The Attack action is taken to seize an enemy area in Combat. The active player is the attacker, and the inactive player is (usually) the defender. The attack procedure is composed of the following steps:

1. The attacker selects the area with their Active Logistics block from which the attack will take place.

2. The attacker selects the target area. The attacker chooses an enemy area adjacent to the area launching the attack. It must be enemy area. This target area may contain enemy units.

   • A standing Logistics block may attack any adjacent enemy area (with or without enemy units).
   • A revealed Logistics block may not attack enemy area with a revealed enemy Logistics block with higher value. However, if you spend 2 Action cubes to increase your value (details explained below) and make it equal or higher than enemy block, you can attack.
   • If the enemy Logistics block is not revealed, it is possible to attack the area even if - after reveal - it turns out it has higher value than attacker.

   Example 9A: The attacker A is using a standing Logistics block, so they may attack any adjacent area (20, 23, 24, or 38).

   Example 9B: The attacker A is using a revealed Logistics block with a value 2, so they may only attack areas 20, 23, and 24. Area 38 may not be attacked because even if the attacker doubles the value of the block, the base strength would be lower than the strength of the defender.

3. The attacker assigns Action cubes.

   • If they attack with German units, they must assign 2 Action cubes.
   • If they attack with Soviets or Allies, they have a choice:
     • assign 1 Action cube or
     • assign 2 Action cubes to double the value of their Logistics block.

4. The defender has the following options for their defending Logistics blocks:

   • 9C: If the attacked area has an active Logistics block, the defender must assign an Action cube to it.

III. Cleanup

This action allows the player to take back their own active or exhausted Logistics block. If the chosen Logistics block was concealed, reveal it before taking it back. Action cubes assigned to the block are returned to the owner's supply and are available for immediate use. When either player takes back their last Logistics block, the ACTION PHASE ends. The other player takes all their Logistics blocks and Action cubes from the board back to their supply.

Reminder: player is allowed to remove Active Logistics blocks to speed up the end of the ACTION PHASE.

End of the Action Phase

The Action Phase ends when one player has no remaining Logistics blocks. The Phase ends immediately.

It is important decision for both players how fast remove blocks from board and speed up or slow down the end of the phase.

III. Strategic Movement Phase

At the end of the first and second round, each player may move 1 of their faction's units and 1 of their German units. Such a move may go through any number of adjacent controlled areas. For the purposes of strategic movement, Western German and Eastern German units are treated as two separate forces.

The Starting player in this phase remains the same as in the LOGISTICS PHASE. Once they move their units, their opponent may move their units.

6. SS-Panzerarmee

After all movements in the first round's STRATEGIC MOVEMENT PHASE are resolved, the Soviet player removes the 6. SS-Panzerarmee from the board. Then the Allies player takes the 6. SS-Panzerarmee token from their supply and places it in any area with at least 1 Eastern German unit. If the 6. SS-Panzerarmee has lost any Health Points during the first round, its Health Points must be adjusted accordingly. If the 6. SS-Panzerarmee has already been removed from the board, the Allies player does not place it on the board.

Jugoslavenska Armija

The Jugoslavenska Armija cannot be moved during the STRATEGIC MOVEMENT PHASE, as depicted on their token.

Supplies

Some of the areas have printed supply bases that represent supplies for the Military units (14A).

• Soviets: the eastern edge of the board.
• Allies: the western and southern edges of the board.
• German: the areas with Victory Point marker icons (regardless of whether they are western or eastern) supply all German units.

Supply line: A contiguous chain of adjacent controlled areas extending from a supply base to a given area.

Annexation

If, as a result of Combat and front line shifts, an area becomes cut off from their supply, then the isolated area and all areas without supply are immediately annexed by the force that cut off its supply line.

• Annexation and exhausted Logistics blocks: all units and Fortifications there are removed from the game, and exhausted Logistics blocks are returned to the owner's supply. Adjust the front line markers accordingly (14B).
• Annexation and active Logistics blocks: An active Logistics block in a cut off area delays this annexation. Annexation occurs in such an area when there is no longer an active Logistics block, or when the current game round ends. The player may try to restore a supply line by attacking only in the direction of the nearest occupied supplied area. Cut-off areas which still have an active Logistics block must suffer annexation at the end of the ACTION PHASE (14C).
• Annexation and German units: Area is taken over by the forces (Allied or Soviet) that surround the isolated German areas. If both Allied and Soviet areas are adjacent to the cut-off German areas, then the player who started the round takes over them. If the player who should take over these German areas does not have enough Front line markers to annex them, they lose 3 Action cubes, and the other player annexes them. If the other player also does not have enough Front line markers, then that player loses 3 Action cubes as well. All German pieces (including Fortifications) in these areas are removed from the game, even if neither player had enough Front line markers to annex them. If neither player annexed the areas, then they remain German and can only be taken over by an attack action as usual.

If any German units occupy an Allied or Soviet supply base at the end of the ACTION PHASE, then the supply base's owner permanently loses 5 Action cubes from their supply (see page 10 for details).

Special Action Cards

The order of playing cards in combat:

• attacker decides if they play Logistics,
• attacker decides if they play Support,
• both players roll dice,
• attacker decides if they play Reserves,
• defender decides if they play Reserves,
• possible re-roll dice,
• defender decides if they play Counterattack.

Each player has 8 Special cards available each round for use during combat. Each Special Action card is assigned to a specific faction (Allies, Soviets, Western German, or Eastern German).

After use, the card is turned face down and cannot be used during the same round. Multiple cards may be used by each player in the same battle.

Logistics: This card doubles the value of the attacker's Logistics block. It may be played by an attacking player after revealing Logistics blocks, but before rolling the dice. This card cannot be played if the value was already doubled by assigning 2 Action cubes.

Support: This card adds +1 to the attack strength of the Germans if they assigned 2 Action cubes, or +1 to the Allies, or the Soviets if they assigned 1 Action cube, or +2 to the Allies, or the Soviets if they assigned 2 Action cubes. It may be played by an attacking player after revealing Logistics blocks, but before rolling the dice. It adds +2 to the attack strength of the Allies or the Soviets if they assigned 2 Action cubes or used the Logistics Special Action card.

Counterattack: This card prevents retreat. It may only be played by the defender after losing a Combat in which:

• the defender's German units have at least 2 Health Points collectively, and
• there is an active Logistics block, and
• there is no Major Fortifications in the area.

The defender assigns 1 Action cube to Logistics block and lose 1 additional Health Point. Defender doesn't Retreat.

Reserves: This card may be played by any player after rolling the dice. First, the attacker decides if they want to use the card to reroll their own dice, and after their reroll (if applied) the defender may decide to use the card to reroll their own dice. The new result cannot be rerolled again. Player must reroll all their dice, they may not decide to reroll a single die.

Berlin

Berlin is a special area with 5 sub-areas: B1 (the center), B2 and B3 (eastern Berlin), B4 and B5 (western Berlin).

Berlin as a whole has a limit of 3 units for each faction (Allied, Soviet, German) - the total sum of that faction's units among all the Berlin sub-areas may not exceed 3, so there is a maximum of 9 units total in Berlin.

All 5 of these sub-areas are considered adjacent to each other for purposes of moving, attacking, defending with an adjacent Logistics block, etc. All 5 Berlin sub-areas are also equally adjacent to the areas 31 and 32. When a unit moves from any of these areas, move it to the respective area on the Berlin board.

However, there are restrictions for Allied and Soviet units:

Allied units that successfully attack Berlin from outside (area 31 or 32) may advance only to western Berlin areas B4 and B5 (and there may only be 1 Allied Logistics block in each of those 2 areas) (16A). They may only attack the center B1 from B4 and B5 (16B).

Similarly, Soviet units that successfully attack Berlin from outside may only advance into eastern Berlin areas B2 and B3 (and there may only be 1 Soviet Logistics block in each of those 2 areas) (17A). They may only attack B1 from B2 and B3 (17B).

Soviet units may never enter or attack B4 or B5, and Allied units may never enter or attack B2 or B3. Note that if both 31 and 32 are controlled by Allies, then the Soviets have no access to Berlin because the Allies and the Soviets have an alliance and may not attack or enter each others' areas. A similar situation occurs when areas 31 and 32 are controlled by Soviets.

German units in Berlin, on the other hand, may only exist in B1, not in the other 4 Berlin sub-areas. If a German unit moves from area 31 or 32, its token is placed directly in the B1 (17C, 17D).

German units in B1 may attack all adjacent areas (B2, B3, B4, B5 in Berlin and 31, 32 outside Berlin). If they win an attack against B2, B3, B4, or B5, then the area is annexed back to Germany as usual, but the German units stay in B1 without advancing. A German Logistics block in B1 could be used to help defend German units in either adjacent area 31 or 32 if those units have no Logistics block with them, and vice-versa. As in other areas, B1 may both have Western and Eastern German units. If Allied or Soviet units attack into any of the 4 outer Berlin areas, the German units from B1 automatically defend as if they were in the target area, and they remain in B1 regardless of the attack result (they don't retreat after losing a combat until they capture area B1, at which point they are eliminated) (18A). Note that B1 may have 2 Logistics blocks: one Western and one Eastern German (18B).

Game End

The game may end during any phase with one player's automatic victory, or after the third round when Victory Points are calculated.

Automatic victory occurs when:

• A player occupies B1 with at least one Allied or Soviet unit. That player immediately wins.
• A player does not have enough required Action cubes to give up due to a penalty. That player immediately loses.

Victory based on Victory Points: If an automatic victory doesn't occur, then after third rounds' ACTION PHASE, whoever has the most Victory Point markers on board wins. If both players have the same number of Victory Point markers, they share the victory.

Advanced Optional Rule

When Allies or Soviets lose a battle and have to retreat, the player controlling them may lose 3 Action cubes from their supply to prevent the retreat. This effect may not be applied to the German units.

Scenarios

I. The Siegfried Line

Historical background: Also known as the Western Wall, the Siegfried Line was a system of fortifications and fieldworks built before the outbreak of WWII and reinforced in 1944. It stretched for over 600 km along the pre-war German border with France and the Benelux countries, integrating over 15,500 military structures into the defensible terrain. After the German Ardennes Offensive ended on January 25, 1945, the Western Allies focused on breaching the Siegfried Line - Germany's final defensive barrier before the Rhine and ultimately Berlin. Once breached, the terrain allowed rapid armored thrusts deep into the Reich.

Scenario overview: This scenario introduces players to defensive operations with German units and the logistics system, emphasizing the importance of resource management and exploiting counterattack opportunities to regain lost ground. Players are encouraged to experiment with different German Logistics block values in repeated plays to explore defensive resilience.

• GAME LENGTH: 1 Round. The German player begins.
• MAP AREA: Eastern France and Western Germany. Only areas west of the Elbe river and left of areas 20, 23, 24, and 38 are in play (marked in red on page 22).
• FRONT LINE MARKERS: 15 Blue blocks.
• ACTION CUBES: 11 per side.
• LOGISTICS BLOCKS:
  • German: 2, 2, 4, 5,
  • Allied: 3, 5, 5.
• SPECIAL ACTION CARDS:
  • German: 2x Counterattack, 1x Reserves,
  • Allied: 2x Logistics, 2x Support, 1x Reserves.
• SETUP: As in the campaign game, except units outside of the scenario area are omitted.
• VICTORY CONDITIONS:
  • Immediate loss if a player must use an Action cube but has none left in their supply.
  • At the end of the round:
    • Allied victory: Controls Essen and Stuttgart; or Essen and two originally German areas; or Stuttgart and two originally German areas,
    • Draw: Controls two originally German areas,
    • German victory: Any other outcome.
• SUGGESTED GERMAN LOGISTICS DEPLOYMENT: 4 in area 49, 2 in area 47, 5 in area 46, 2 in area 37.
• SUGGESTED FIRST GERMAN MOVE: Move the 5-value Logistics block with the 5. Panzerarmee and 7. Armee from area 46 to area 36.

II. Vistula-Oder Offensive

Historical background: The Red Army's "Vistula-Oder Operation" began on 12 January 1945. Its initial phase aimed to liberate the German-occupied regions of central Poland and advance to the Oder River. The next step was to force the Oder and capture Berlin. After defeating German forces along the Vistula and, following only brief resistance, seizing the Międzyrzecz Fortified Region, the Soviets reached the Oder near Küstrin as early as 2 February 1945. However, the offensive's exposed flanks and the potential German threat from Silesia and Pomerania compelled Red Army command to assault additional fortified lines - the Pomeranian Wall and the Oder defences. Operations lasting until the first days of April 1945 laid the groundwork for the next offensive whose objective was the capture of Berlin.

Scenario overview: This scenario is designed to introduce players to the game mechanics and to teach them how to conduct defensive operations with German units and their accompanying logistical resources. It also develops skill in resource management and in exploiting favourable moments to launch counter-attacks and reclaim previously lost areas. The game's author encourages players, in later sessions, to adjust the strength values of the logistics blocks - especially those used by the German side.

• GAME LENGTH: 1 Round. The German player begins.
• MAP AREA: Eastern Germany, Poland, Prussia, and Lithuania. Only areas above 5, 12, 20, 25, and 38 and east of the Elbe are in play (marked in orange on page 22).
• FRONT LINE MARKERS: 15 per side.
• ACTION CUBES: 11 per side.
• LOGISTICS BLOCKS:
  • German: 2, 3, 4, 4,
  • Soviet: 2, 3, 4, 5.
• SPECIAL ACTION CARDS:
  • German: Counterattack, Support, Reserves,
  • Allied: Logistics, 3x Support, Reserves.
• SETUP: As in the campaign game, excluding units outside the scenario area.
• VICTORY CONDITIONS:
  • Immediate loss if a player must use an Action cube but has none left in their supply,
  • At the end of the round:
    • Soviet victory: Controls Königsberg and Breslau and four originally German areas; or Breslau and five originally German areas,
    • Draw: Controls four originally German areas,
    • German victory: Any other outcome.
• SUGGESTED GERMAN LOGISTICS DEPLOYMENT: 4 in area 14, 2 in area 15, 5 in area 19, 2 in area 13.

III. To Berlin

Historical background: This scenario combines the challenges of the two previous operations into a single expanded conflict and does not require historical background.

Scenario overview: Designed as a transition into the full Race to Berlin campaign, this scenario allows players to command both Allies and Germans in the west and Soviets and Germans in the east. It emphasizes strategic logistics deployment across dual fronts and removes the Berlin race constraint, allowing for deeper and more varied gameplay.

• GAME LENGTH: 2 Rounds.
  • Round 1: Soviets begin,
  • Round 2: Allies begin.
• MAP AREA: Eastern France, Germany, Poland, Prussia, Lithuania, above areas 5, 12, 20, 25, and 38 (marked in green on page 22).
• FRONT LINE MARKERS: 17 per side.
• ACTION CUBES: 17 per side.
• LOGISTICS BLOCKS: All available blocks except two 2-value blocks (1 blue, 1 red).
• SPECIAL ACTION CARDS: All available, 8 per side (5 + 3 per faction).
• SETUP: As in the campaign game, excluding units outside the scenario area.
• VICTORY CONDITIONS:
  • Immediate loss if a player must use an Action cube but has none left in their supply,
  • After Round 2, player with the most Victory Points (VP) wins:
    • +1 VP per controlled area,
    • +2 VP if the area has an eagle icon matching the controlling faction,
    • +3 VP for controlling Berlin.
• SUGGESTED LOGISTICS DEPLOYMENT - ROUND 1:
  • Soviet: 3 in area 1, 5 in area 2, 4 in area 3, 4 in area 49, 5 in area 46, 3 in area 37, 2 in area 47,
  • Allied: 3 in area 15, 4 in area 14, 2 in area 13, 4 in area 19, 3 in area 50, 5 in area 51, 5 in area 45.

Alternate Victory Conditions - "Division of Spheres of Influence" Variant

• A player immediately loses the game if they are required to use an Action cube but have none left in their supply.
• Capturing Berlin does not grant automatic victory.
• At the end of Round 3, the player with the most Victory Points (VP) wins the game.
• SCORING:
  • +1 VP for each area controlled by the Allies or Soviets
  • +2 VP for each area with an eagle icon that matches the controlling faction's color
  • +1 VP for any other area
  • +3 VP for controlling Berlin

IV. To Vienna

Historical background: The southern European front was secondary for both Western Allies and Soviets but served to pin down significant German forces. Italy's terrain restricted Allied maneuverability, while in the Balkans, Tito's partisans liberated Yugoslavia. Fierce fighting occurred in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, especially around Budapest. After the Battle of the Bulge, the 6th SS Panzer Army was redeployed to Hungary for Germany's final offensive. Eventually, the US Army reached Pilsen, and the Red Army took Vienna.

Scenario overview: An auxiliary scenario focusing on the Alpine and Balkan theaters, it presents players with the unique challenges of mountainous terrain and extended fronts.

• GAME LENGTH: 2 Rounds.
  • Round 1: Soviets begin,
  • Round 2: Allies begin.
• MAP AREA: Italy, eastern France, southern Germany, Balkans, below areas 4, 19, 27, 28, 29, 36, 46, and 51 (marked in blue on page 22).
• FRONT LINE MARKERS: 14 per side.
• ACTION CUBES: 11 per side.
• LOGISTICS BLOCKS:
  • Soviet: 3, 3, 4, 4,
  • Allied: 2, 3, 4, 5.
• SPECIAL ACTION CARDS:
  • Soviet: Support, Reserves (Soviet), and Reserves (German),
  • Allied: Support (Allied), Support and Counterattack (German).
• SETUP: As in the campaign game, excluding units outside the scenario area.
• REINFORCEMENTS: In Round 2, the 6th SS Panzer Army (strength ++) enters the red front line and is controlled by the Allied player.
• VICTORY CONDITIONS:
  • Immediate loss if a player must use an Action cube but has none left in their supply,
  • After Round 2, player with the most Victory Points (VP) wins:
    • +1 VP per controlled area,
    • +2 VP for areas with an eagle matching the faction,
    • +1 VP otherwise.

Difficulty levels

Adjust the game's difficulty and pacing by selecting one of the following modes. These affect the number of Front line markers and Action cubes available to each player.

Difficulty	Front Line Markers	Action Cubes
Soft	25	20
Hard	22	17
Expert	19	14

Game Variants

1. Faction Selection Bidding

Players bid Front line markers to determine which faction they will play (Soviets or Allies).

• Each player secretly selects any number of their Front line markers and reveals their bid.
• The player who bids more markers chooses their side.
• The winning bid is removed from that player's pool for the entire game.
• The losing bidder retains all their markers.

2. Alternate Use of the Logistics Special Action Card

When using the Logistics Special Action card, the player may choose one of the following effects instead of the standard rules:

• Artillery Barrage: Ignore the full defensive bonus provided by any type of German fortification in the attacked area.
• Operational Surge: After rolling 2 dice for Combat resolution, the attacker regains a number of Action cubes from the used Logistics block equal to the difference between the two dice (e.g., 5 and 2 = recover 3 cubes).
  • These cubes are immediately returned to the player's supply.
  • If a double is rolled (e.g., 4 and 4), no cubes are regained.
• Limitation: If using either of these effects, the Reserves card may not be played during this Combat.

3. Alternate Use of the Reserves Special Action Card

Instead of rerolling dice, this card may be used as follows:

• Redeployment: Immediately after performing an action in the Action Phase, a player may move one of their armies/fronts any number of friendly, connected areas - as in the STRATEGIC MOVEMENT PHASE.
• German Bonus: After performing the redeployment, the German player may remove 1 Action cube from one of their Logistics blocks adjacent to the destination area.

4. Alternate Use of the Support Special Action Card

• Soviet Tank Blitz: If the Soviets win a battle and shift the Front line, they may immediately launch a second attack from the same Logistics block.
  • This costs 2 Action cubes.
  • The block's strength is not doubled and counts as x1 its base value.
• Allied Air Superiority: Before taking any action in the Action Phase, the Allied player may reveal a German Logistics block located in an area adjacent to the Front line.
  • The Allied player then places 1 of that German block's Action cubes on it and chooses one German unit in the same area to lose 1 level of strength.
• German Armored Counter: If the attacked area contains a German Panzerarmee, the Support card may be used exactly like a Counterattack card.

5. Alternate Use of the Counterattack Special Action Card

When used in this mode, the Counterattack card causes the following effects:

• German defending units do not lose Strength (Health Points), but must retreat from the area.
• The attacking player adds 1 Action cube to their Logistics block used in the attack.
• All fortifications in the defended area are immediately removed, regardless of type.

6. Decision After Losing a Battle in Major Fortifications

If a player loses a battle while defending a Major Fortification, they may choose one of the following:

• Use the Counterattack card as per the standard rules (if applicable).
• Downgrade the Major Fortification to a regular one (flip the token), keeping their remaining units in the area.

7. Choosing Standard or Alternate Card Effects

Players may choose at the time of play whether to use a Special Action card in its standard or alternate effect, as described above.

• This decision must be declared when the card is played.
• Each card may only be used once per round, regardless of the chosen effect.

Designer's Journal

The game board depicts the areas of military engagement from December 1944 to May 1945, deliberately omitting secondary and tertiary regions, such as German-occupied ports on the coast of France, the occupied territories of Norway and Denmark, as well as the isolated area of today's Latvia, where the German Army Group "Courland" was trapped by the Soviets.

The board uses native terminology for geographic features. For example, the Danube River is labeled in three languages corresponding to the regions it flows through. The division of the board into areas is based on estimated defensive values. Thus, we have very difficult terrain (alpine massifs and heavily urbanized areas), difficult terrain (dense forest complexes and mountain ranges), and open terrain (mostly plains and plateaus or gently rolling landscapes). Between the areas, there are connection lines, on which front line markers can be placed. These markers are divided into regular (earthwork) lines and major river barriers (water).

Due to the game's scale, the large units are represented as armies for the Western Allies and Germans, and as fronts for the Soviets. Areas without units are not defenseless in the game. It is assumed that unnamed corps-level units exist, which are not represented by counters but are simulated abstractly in battles over every area separated from the opponent by a front line.

Because of the relative ease of replenishing Combat losses - especially in terms of technical means of warfare - and the strategic initiative gained during prior military operations against Germany, Allied and Soviet units do not have additional parameters on their counters. German units, however, due to the limited resources of the Third Reich in 1945, have four levels of Combat endurance, representing their army's degree of organization and increasing demoralization. The elimination of Allied armies and Soviet fronts can only occur in exceptional operational-strategic situations, such as complete isolation from Logistics blocks (supply bases) and supply sources (reserves and depots located deep behind the front lines), and usually results from clear player mistakes.

Logistics blocks, valued between 2 and 5, are the heart of the game, both in terms of planning and execution of offensive and defensive operations. They represent the allocation of supply bases, where each side stores all the resources necessary to wage war, as well as the need to transport, relocate, or evacuate these resources as territory is gained or lost. The rule that Logistics blocks must be placed on a chosen army or front is designed to reflect the need for securing such significant stockpiles to prevent the enemy from affecting the immediate rear of the front and to enable proper maneuvering. Hidden from the opponent, the Logistics blocks create a fog of war in the game and represent gradual reconnaissance through aerial scouting and intelligence or Combat reconnaissance. The prohibition on attacking an area containing a Logistics block of higher value symbolizes the real-world assessment of higher command staff in planned operations, based on the evaluation of the risks posed by the forces and resources available to both sides.

This rule can be bent by the appropriate use of Special Action cards that increase the strength of a Logistics block or by attacking with a previously hidden Logistics block, representing operational surprise in a chosen direction. In this way, I aimed to depict the influence of staff decisions on the rationale and logic of operations and skillful accumulation of material advantages. Additionally, I accounted for the dwindling offensive capabilities of the Third Reich by requiring two action cubes to be used during an attack (increased cost of the selected action). The action cubes symbolize the depletion of a base's material resources. To simulate operational pauses that typically occur after each operation or several operations, the game's mechanics force players to remove Logistics blocks, recovering action cubes that are fewer in number than the total value of all Logistics blocks on a side.

A shared pool of Logistics blocks and action cubes for the Western Allies and Germans in the east, as well as for the Soviets and Germans in the west, is meant to reflect the interconnected systems on the war fronts. This mechanism enhances the game's appeal by bringing it somewhat closer to chess.

Front line markers indicate the current front line's position on the edges of areas, marking the boundary between opponents. If two markers (one Western Allies' and one Soviets') are placed on the same edge, this signifies an impassable demarcation line between the allies.

Special Action cards, in a simplified and abstract way, represent the particular effort of higher command staff, which, using specific battlefield resources, can influence the course of the conflict. The type and nature of these cards are tailored to each side's capabilities and the strategic situation on the chosen front. This way, the Western Allies' air superiority and well-functioning Logistics are represented, as are the Soviet tank armies, the German determination to hold their positions on both fronts, and their limited ability to conduct local offensives. Each side has received a "Reserves" card, symbolizing a real rapid staff intervention in the ongoing battle to potentially reverse its outcome (e.g., local intervention by reserves).

The game mechanics revolve around a race between the players to capture areas while using German units to slow each other's advances. For this reason, the game stage ends when one player removes all their Logistics blocks from the board. The game can get stuck if two players face each other who are overly cautious and cannot grasp the race's spirit. In such a situation, the winner might end up being the player who can biologically outlast the other at the table!

GAME SCALE: ARMY/FRONT TIME: ONE TURN ~1.5 MONTHS

• 1st Turn - from January 12 to February 28, 1945
• 2nd Turn - from March 1 to April 15, 1945
• 3rd Turn - from April 16 to May 31, 1945

Side Strategies

General Strategy

You must remember to allocate resources (Logistics blocks) in such a way that the main offensive direction has ample supplies/material reserves, allowing the offensive to be conducted for a long time with considerable strength and momentum. Try to place Logistics blocks with a value of 4 or 5 on selected attack directions. Similarly, do this if the area requires a stubborn defense, where units are expected to fight for as long as possible. Strong blocks are also worth using where you want to buy time and force the opponent to significantly deplete their own resources (e.g., the defense of the Western Wall, German Fortifications on the western front, or defense of the Eastern Wall, and German Fortifications on the eastern front). Use Logistics blocks with a value of 2 or 3 mostly on secondary directions, both for attack and defense.

In some situations, it may be beneficial to cooperate between units with an assigned higher-value block and another group of units with a lower-value block. Before launching the actual general offensive, you can opt for reconnaissance-in-force with lower-value blocks to test or exhaust the defender's resources, then, in subsequent actions, launch a strong strike on the already scouted areas, using higher-value blocks. Reconnaissance also allows for the slow depletion of both sides' material resources (Action cubes), which is advantageous for you when starting actual offensive actions in the chosen direction (usually attacking the same area consecutively from multiple directions).

A well-prepared defense of two areas - one at the front line, the other beyond or nearby - allows for the use of defensive actions with lower-value blocks (2 or 3) at the front line. Exhaust the attacker's means (preferably their higher-value blocks), ideally combined with the possibility of holding the area thanks to 2+ Fortifications or using the "Counterattack" card! After holding the area this way, consider removing the block used for defense from the board in the next action, so you can use a Logistics block placed in the second line or neighboring area in the next encounter!

Try to maintain strategic initiative as long as needed to achieve one of the partial objectives (e.g., capturing a key area). Aim to act in such a way that your opponent can only react to your actions (i.e., remains passive in their operational intentions).

Western Allies

Commanding the forces and resources of strategic operations on the European theater, you should decide on one of two possible directions of attack into the heart of the Reich and its dependent states: crossing the Rhine and breaking through the Western Wall or conducting active operations in Italy and southern Germany.

The first direction and potentially faster one involves focusing efforts on breaking through the Western Wall between areas 46, 47, and 49 (i.e., capturing Essen and advancing farther toward Hamburg, and then, after properly covering the right flank - securing against attacks from German armies from south to north), capturing Berlin. Choosing this strategy minimally involves operations in Italy (Milan) and southern Germany (Stuttgart). Operations aimed at capturing Milan and Stuttgart only make sense in this variant if the game develops in a way that makes capturing Berlin inefficient.

The second direction, more laborious but also intriguing, involves efficiently taking control of northern Italy and breaking through the Western Wall in the Stuttgart region. After completing the initial task, two possibilities open up for you: attacking Vienna or even Budapest to cut off these areas from Soviet control, or advancing into central Germany and marching on Berlin. This variant carries significant risk if the opponent chooses to march on Berlin via the shortest route through occupied Poland. However, if the game ends at the end of the third stage, this option offers a chance for victory, especially if Vienna remains in Allied hands.

Soviets (Eastern Allies)

Similar to the Western Allies, the Soviets also have two mirrored offensive options: a frontal assault through occupied Poland directly toward Berlin or the Balkan model involving the capture of Budapest and Vienna, then turning north to Wrocław and, via the Silesian region, entering Saxony (from area 29 to area 31).

The first option, simple and rather straightforward, involves forcing the Vistula and eliminating German forces in Königsberg, then capturing the Eastern Wall, enabling an approach to the immediate outskirts of Berlin. In this variant, you cannot leave a hanging threat on the right flank from the north (i.e., from areas 15 and 16). It is also worth securing the Soviet left flank by capturing Upper Silesia (area 19). The Balkan direction should be treated as auxiliary, only acting actively there in case of failure along the Oder line or when capturing Berlin itself.

The second option is the Balkan route, harder and requiring maneuvering Soviet forces. It involves striking west toward Budapest and Vienna, then reorienting the march northwest. This model allows for limited action in occupied Poland, except for capturing Königsberg and breaching the Eastern Wall in Lower Silesia. Capturing Wrocław in this variant is key to further success in the final offensive on Berlin. In this game variant, you must also remember to cover both flanks of the advancing forces and maintain fronts in key areas (e.g., Vienna and Wrocław).

Germans

Try to manage German resources wisely and, if possible, maintain a reserve of at least one Logistics block. In the event of depleted blocks, take operational pauses to avoid situations where it's impossible to support a given area's defense from a neighboring block.

At the start of each stage, avoid taking offensive actions with the Germans. Defend areas crucial for continued defensive actions. Abandon support for units without Logistics blocks in areas where you can afford to yield ground to buy time and save your resources.

Where possible, aim to create offensive pressure, especially when the Allied Logistics blocks are running low or exhausted. If a German Logistics block hasn't been activated yet (its value is unrevealed), and the game stage is nearing its end, don't hesitate to attack with the Germans, even just to deplete the opponent's Combat means (e.g., adding the last Action cube to an Allied block with a value of 5).

Use overstretched front lines to launch attacks that reduce the opponent's Action cubes pool (permanent loss of three Action cubes), and strike at the supply sources of the Allies that are not guarded by their own units. Capturing and holding an opponent's supply area until the end of the current stage will cause them a significant logistical crisis in the next stages (permanent loss of five Action dice).

Don't forget to evacuate German units via strategic movement during the appropriate game phase from areas where further defense has lost its meaning or where the area could be isolated by the opponent. No later than stage two, ensure that Berlin is garrisoned with at least one German army!

Playbook

Logistics Phase - Placing Logistics Blocks

Logistics blocks are placed on the board. It is prohibited to move Logistics blocks that have already been placed during the current stage of the game.

Correct Placement:

• The Blue player places a Logistics block in area 51, where the 1. U.S. Army and 9. U.S. Army are located during the LOGISTICS PHASE.
• The Red player places a Logistics block in area 4, where the 1. Ukrainskij Front is located during the LOGISTICS PHASE.

Incorrect Placement (Forbidden Action):

• The Blue player places a Logistics block in area 23, where no German units are present.
• The Red player places a Logistics block in area 6, where no Soviet units are present.

Action Phase - Moving Units and/or Logistics Blocks

Correct Movement:

• The Blue player moves the 17. Armee from area 19 to area 12.
• The Blue player moves a Logistics block with a value of 2 from area 10, where it was with Heeresgruppe E, to area 21, where the 6. Armee and the 2. Panzerarmee are located.
• The Red player moves the 4. Ukrainskij Front with a Logistics block valued at 4 from area 5 to area 4, where the 1. Ukrainskij Front is located.

Incorrect Movement (Forbidden Action):

• The Red player moves a Logistics block valued at 5 from area 37, where it was with the 1. Armee and 19. Armee, to area 36, where no German units are present.

Combat Example A

The Blue player from area 50, where the 1. Canadian Army and 2. British Army are located with a Logistics block valued at 5, attacks area 49, where the 25. Armee is positioned with Fortifications valued at 2 and a Logistics block valued at 3.

The attacker, seeing the significant defense, uses a Logistics Special Action card to double the attack value, achieving a total value of 10 (A). The defender's total is 8.

Both sides roll their dice, with the attacker scoring 6 and 5 (+1) (B), and the defender 4 and 1 (+3) (C). Both sides end with a total of 11, resulting in a tie, which favors the defender.

The attacker then uses a Reserves card (D) to reroll, obtaining 5 and 1 (+4) (E), winning the battle with a final value of 14 to 11.

The 25. Armee suffers a reduction in endurance (its token is rotated from "++++" to "+++") (F). The defender decides to use a Counterattack card (G), suffering another endurance loss (rotated to "++") (H) and adding an Action cube to their Logistics block (I). The 25. Armee retains control of the area, and no frontline shift occurs.

NOTE: The defender's Logistics block must be used in Combat because the attacked area contains the block.

Combat Example B

The Red player from area 3, where the 1. Belorusskij Front and a Logistics block valued at 4 are located, attacks area 14, where the 2. Armee is positioned.

The attacker uses two action cubes to increase their attack value to 8 (A) (4x2=8).

The defender has a Logistics block valued at 4 (B) in a neighboring area 15, but chooses not to use it.

The total attack value is 8, while the defense is 1 due to the presence of units but no logistics support. The battle outcome is predetermined due to a +5 advantage, and the attacker wins, regardless of the dice roll result. The defending 2. Armee suffers an endurance loss (rotated from "++++" to "+++") (C) and retreats to one of the adjacent areas (13, 15, or 17), considering the three-unit limit per area.

The attacker advances into area 14 with the 1. Belorusskij Front and their Logistics block (D), shifting the frontline (E).

NOTE: The defender's Logistics block can be used in Combat if located in an adjacent area. NOTE: Defender units may retreat to several adjacent areas after losing a battle.

Combat Example C

The Blue player from area 51, where the 1. U.S. Army and 9. U.S. Army are stationed with a Logistics block valued at 5, attacks area 47. Fallschirm Armee and the 15. Armee are positioned there with Fortifications valued at 2 and a Logistics block valued at 5.

The attacker uses two action cubes (A) to raise their Attack value to 10. The defender uses one Action cube (B) to raise the defense to 5, adding terrain bonuses (C) (+2), river (D) (+1), and Fortifications (E) (+2), for a total defense strength of 10.

The attacker uses a special Support card (F) to add +2 to their attack, for a total value of 12.

Both sides roll their dice: the attacker rolls 4 and 2 (+2), and the defender rolls 6 and 3 (+3).

The attacker wins with a total of 14 to 13. The defender chooses to reduce the Fortifications from 2 to 1 to maintain control of area 47.

Strategic Movement Phase

Incorrect Strategic Movement: Units move through any number of areas, but strategic movement between Italy and France is prohibited until the frontline connects both groups of areas.

Jugoslavenska Armija moves, but as depicted on its token, this unit cannot be moved during this phase.

Correct Strategic Movement: Units move through any number of friendly areas.

Logistics Block Removal

Removing an Unused Logistics block: The Red player removes an undiscovered and unused Logistics block valued at 3 from area 11, where the 2. Ukrainskij Front and 3. Ukrainskij Front are located, shortening the current game stage.

Removing a Partially Used Logistics block: The Blue player removes a discovered and partially used Logistics block valued at 2 with one action die beside it from area 13, where the 9. Armee and the 4. Panzerarmee are located. In this situation, German units would not be able to use the special Counterattack card, prompting the player to remove the block to support a neighboring area with another logistics block.

Removing a Depleted Logistics block: The Red player takes back a face up and fully depleted Logistics block valued at 3 with three Action cubes from area 2, where the 2. Belorusskij Front is located.