Stalingrad Roads: Battle on the Edge of the Abyss (2024)

About this game

Stalingrad Roads is a two player wargame that covers the Soviet encirclement and defeat of Axis forces besieging Stalingrad in the winter of 1942-43. It comes with a learning scenario and four main scenarios, including a full campaign scenario that begins with Operation Uranus and ends with Von Manstein’s Backhand Blow counter-attack. Stalingrad Roads is the third game in the ‘Roads’ series (following Liberty Roads and Victory Roads), and shares many of the same innovative supply, command and Fuhrer Approval mechanics of its predecessors. It introduces novel new perspectives on the Soviet counter-attack on Stalingrad. These include mandatory offensives and the loss of Soviet momentum, Stavka reserves, German Superiority rules that ebb away with Soviet victories, and the counterbalance of Von Manstein in securing German reinforcements against the wilder impulses of the Fuhrer. The game has many characteristics similar to other hex and counter wargames, but it also has notable differences such as the highly variable effects of weather, the absence of zones of control when moving, and the importance of nearby HQs for keeping units in supply. Combat is very punishing for both sides, reflecting the terrible attrition witnessed during the battles of this campaign. It rewards careful positioning to take advantage of breakthroughs, and the use of support counters at the right time. The full campaign will take several hours to complete, but the shorter scenarios can be played in an evening. The game is also very suitable for solo play and online play using Vassal.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 3.8/5 this is a heavy game — read the rulebook before people arrive.
• Age. The publisher suggests 14 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.