Board game great domestic with prefabricated models star. Konstantin Krivenko: Military-historical board game "The Great Patriotic

09.05.2016 , In 

May 9th has already arrived. Today the whole country will come out to celebrate Victory Day. Who goes to city concerts, who walks in the parks, many will go to parades. Auto-moto-bike runs along city roads with flags and general rejoicing. Then half of the people travel to their dachas and to nature. The other half will remain walking along the evening streets and squares. Everyone will definitely see the fireworks. Repeatedly drink for the Old Men - Winners. Soviet military films on TV - "Only old men go to battle", "Ata baty soldiers went", etc., will remind you of the great victory and how it was.

Our portal Crazy Cube, will steal the attention of board game lovers. We also have something to tell about this wonderful holiday. We continue the topic of board games about the Great Patriotic War with a review of a series of Russian Wargame board games.

Art Of Tactic - what is it? Wargame - what is it?

I knowingly began the review with this question. For many gamers, especially beginners, an explanation is required. Let's start with the last one.

Wargame, in our case Board Wargame is a strategy game that is as close to reality as possible in terms of its mechanics. It plays up historical conflicts or invented scenarios. Usually with thumbnails.

Art Of Tactic is a whole system of military-strategy games, the direction of which is the Second World War. They play up various historical events from the 41-45s. As units, prefabricated miniatures are presented, which are constantly updated with new additions. All the rules of the classic Wargame are fulfilled.

In the Art Of Tactic system, there are also games about battles on ships - The Ships Historic Wargames and samurai battles - Samurai Battles, but today we will not touch on them. The conversation will only be about a series of games - The Great Patriotic War.

Great Patriotic - A series of games

Company Star, She's the one who makes board games. Art Of Tactics, for 6 years released 6 full-fledged sets on the Second World War. 4 of them can be bought - Summer 1941, Battle of Stalingrad 1942-1943, Battle for Moscow, Tank battle. The other two have been taken off the market. Battle of the Danube, Blitzkrieg.

What is the starter kit:

If you decide to get into the Russian board wargame, then you will definitely need the basic version of the game. It will have everything you need for a full game. In the box you will find everything you need to get up to speed and go through several standard scenarios. And only then can you expand, complicate and make the game more interesting with the help of additional units that can be purchased individually.

The basic kit includes:

• Several Soviet units
• Several German units
• smoke chips
• fire chips
• playing fields (different and double-sided)
• Set of engineering structures
• 10 dice
• Rules of the game
• Scenario Book
• 2 felt-tip pens (Oops, why is this?)

Briefly, how to play it.

Only two players play. One for the Nazis and the second for the Red Army. We choose a scenario. Better to start with the first one. You have a playing field. It usually develops as written in the script. Hexes with settlements, terrain elements, and engineering structures are laid out on it. Special plastic landscape reliefs are also placed on the floor in special places. Each deploys his troops as indicated in the script book. And the action begins.

The battles go like this. Each participant distributes instructions to his troops. For this, cards of the Team and ..., Attention !!! Markers. One very important point. The actions of the fighters are performed at the same time. This is the whole point of the game mechanics of the Art Of Tactic system. The player must not only calculate his moves, but also anticipate the opponent's moves, because after the orders are given by both sides, they cannot be changed and they are simultaneously executed. That is, what is done is done, there is no going back. Think carefully about your orders. Try to anticipate your opponent's moves.

There are many things in the game that affect the strategy of the players and the tactics of combat. What makes the game different and interesting every time. For example, varieties of landscape of different levels affect visibility and patency, moreover, each type of troops has its own specific terrain properties. Minefields and engineering structures, as well as cities and settlements. Everything must be taken into account when calculating your own strategy. To do this, special cards of troops will help. They indicate the special abilities, pros and cons of this unit, being in a certain area. Also there you can find information such as the size of the detachment, firing range and ammunition.

When attacking, dice are used. Throwing them, the player checks how well and accurately his fighters shoot. This introduces some element of luck, which is also present in real battles. And so that luck is not chaotic, but has its limits. There are some rules under which each army rolls a certain number of dice, and if there are losses in the unit, then there will also be fewer dice rolled. So if you have a weak combat unit entered the battle, do not rely too much on success. Luck favors the prepared.

Get ready for the fact that your troops will constantly run out of ammunition. To replenish them, you need to visit the warehouse or send a truck to deliver the cartridge. But keep in mind that the enemy is not asleep and it is likely that he will want to break up the transport and cut off the supplies.

There is a certain order of combat:

1. Defense orders are carried out.

2. After that comes the suppression fire.

3. Regular gunfights.

4. Then aviation enters.

5. Troops hide in an ambush.

6. Special orders are being followed.

7. Movement of units.

In order not to forget everything, you need to mark it on special cards with a special marker.

Let's summarize

Everything described above is just general concepts and rules of the game in Wargame systems Art Of Tactics. In fact, there are a lot of nuances and little things. So much so that even in the set of rules that lies in the boxes with the game, not everything is consecrated. Almost every move (especially the first time), you will re-read the worn book and not finding the answer, you will climb into the Internet to look for it on the forums. This cannot be avoided, because such games are very unpredictable, due to their freedom of action. Moreover, after you start expanding the boundaries of your battles with new additional miniatures and also come up with your own scenarios, then God himself ordered to get confused in the rules.

Board games series The Great Patriotic War - it is a whole culture with its fans and collectors. Tournaments are held on them, they gather their clubs in which you can find an equal opponent or exchange miniatures. If you are a beginner or just want to get acquainted with the game, then consider one fact. It will be difficult for you to figure it all out and find like-minded people. This is a kind of underground in the world of board games. But if you figure it out and plunge into all this with your head, then you won’t be able to tear yourself off and live with these.

Happy holiday everyone! Try to fight only in board games.

Thanks to the VKontakte group dedicated to Art Of Tactic games for the photos -

Equipment:



- Soviet light tank T-26
- Soviet light tank BT-5

- 5 dice
- 2...

In the game "Tank battle" players will be able to play exciting tank battles of the Great Patriotic War. For novice players who are just getting familiar with the Art of Tactic game system, this set will be a great start, thanks to a small number of units that do not require complex rules and special orders to control. For seasoned players who are already familiar with the Art of Tactic gaming system, this pack will be a worthy addition to the army, because it is the first time that unique veteran units appear in this set, which are unparalleled in type. Players will also be able to expand their battlefield with new additional playfields that now have even more build options.
Equipment:
- German light tank Pz.Kpfw. II
- German light tank Pz.Kpfw.38 (T)
- German medium tank Pz-IV AUSF.D
- Soviet light tank T-26
- Soviet light tank BT-5
- Soviet medium tank T-34/76
- 5 dice
- 2 markers
- 2 cotton pads
- 6 squad cards
- assembly instructions
- 4 playing fields (240X155mm)
- Rules
- Scenario Book
Number of players: from 2
Game time: 30-45 minutes
For players over 10 years old.
Due to the presence of small parts, not recommended for children under 3 years old.
Made in Russia.

On June 21, 1941 at 13.00, according to the order of the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, General Halder, Wehrmacht units received the prearranged signal “Dortmund”, which meant that the offensive according to the Barbarossa plan, as previously planned, would begin on June 22, 1941 at 3 hours 30 minutes.
The war machine, which subsequently claimed millions of human lives, was launched ...

Military-historical board game "The Great Patriotic War" is an expandable game system, Art Of Tactic, manufactured by the Russian manufacturer Zvezda.
In order to start the game, you need to purchase one of the starter kits, which includes the playing field, landscape elements and a number of models of military equipment and infantry soldiers of the two opposing sides - the Soviet and German troops. The game is played by models of military equipment and squads of soldiers. The number of troops included in the starter set is enough to play small battles that will allow players to acquire the first skills of the game. In the future, it is possible (and even necessary) to acquire additional troops, the variety of types of which will envy any real general of the army. Infantrymen of various branches of the armed forces, motorcyclists, trucks, armored vehicles and tanks, artillery and even aviation (fighters, bombers, transport aircraft) will not be superfluous to a competent commander.
In the board game "Great Patriotic" every bayonet counts...

All models of military equipment and units of soldiers are made with great realism and accuracy, completely repeating the historical appearance of their prototypes. Models of both military equipment and soldiers are shipped disassembled and must be assembled before playing. Thanks to this approach, even before the start of the battle, each combat unit will pass through the hands of the player. Collecting each unit of their army element by element, the players will "get used" to the troops that will later "engage in battle" under their command, and may even "become familiar" with them. The assembly of models is very simple and is carried out without the use of glue. Ideally, soldier figures and models of military equipment can be painted in realistic colors of prototypes. Playing with painted troops is much more pleasant, and the game itself will acquire a unique realism. You can choose the necessary paints and accessories in the Modeling section.

All "military" actions take place on the playing field, which is a map of the area. The landscape of the area can be changed with the help of additional elements included in the starter set - height hexes. Landscape elements do not just serve as a decoration of the playing field - they affect the combat qualities of combat units. The playing field consists of hexagonal cells - hexes, depicting a certain type of terrain. Each hex has its own number, which is indicated in the orders given to the units - where to go, run, go, fly ... Before making moves with their troops, the players write down a command for action on the cards of each combat unit. All possible moves of the combat unit are already on the card, so it is enough to check the box next to the desired action. You can't peek at your opponent's card! Before the move, the cards are revealed and the players make moves with their armed forces. This is where the battles begin. The troops move to the indicated areas, "shoot", the generals count the combat losses... And the players again plan their next move, writing it down on the card. And so on until complete victory.
Cards are not disposable. The information on them is marked with a special marker, the entries of which are erased from the card before the next move, which allows you to add the next command to the card.

The game "Great Patriotic War" is held according to certain scenarios. You can create your own scenarios or download new scenarios from the official site of the game www.art-of-tactic.com The scenarios library is constantly updated, and any player can take part in its replenishment.

Basic principles of the game "Great Patriotic War"

Principle 1. Players act simultaneously in each phase of the game. They simultaneously give orders to their units and simultaneously carry out the same orders. Players take turns doing certain actions, such as rolling dice when two units fire at each other. But at the same time, it is still considered that these units fire at the same time. If two units are ordered to move to the same hex, they move at the same time, on a hex-by-hex basis.
Principle 2. Each unit in the game corresponds to its personal card, which indicates all possible orders that can be given to this unit and all possible special properties and states of this unit. A unit cannot receive an order that does not have a symbol on its card. For example, if the card does not have a "shoot on the move" order symbol, that unit cannot receive a "shoot on the move" order.
Principle 3. The game is based on the realistic display of the battle on the gaming table. Naturally, it is impossible to take into account all the nuances and subtleties in a board game. But in this game, as in a real battle, there are basic rules for any commander, which can be considered tactical advice for players:

Try to predict the enemy's moves
- Bluff, try to mislead the enemy
- Conduct reconnaissance (does not mean peeping at the opponent's move card)
- Use terrain features wisely
- Concentrate fire and attacks on the main targets and objects
- Take care of your troops, do not expose them to enemy fire

Complete rules of the game Great Patriotic War(14 MB):
Video tutorial on the basics of the game Great Patriotic War

Don't let the need to study the rules of the game "Great Patriotic War" bother you. It is enough to understand the principle of operation of one combat unit - the rest act in a similar way, with some difference in their combat characteristics.
The main thing is to show cunning and ingenuity in the game, which a real commander should have...

• Firstly, completely patriotic. This is here in full, the game is really very pleased with the accuracy and detail of the battles, as well as the approach to publishing. By the way, it's nice to play a game about the Great Patriotic War, published by us, and not by a former or alleged enemy.
• Secondly, the strategy must be very detailed, just the dream of an enthusiastic strategist, ready to argue about the little things for hours. It is also here in full.
• Thirdly, not a single Soviet thing will be fully ready if it is not assemble by hand(yes, even a new car). The game comes immediately with a wonderful childhood memory - sticking models! It will take from 3 to 5 hours just to collect soldiers and equipment: the details are very small, so it will be interesting to glue.
• Fourth, for a complete immersion in Soviet realities, you have to take a marker and start write down all moves and statuses of troops.

In a word, the game completely pulls out of reality and transfers to childhood those who were born in a great country. It's just magical.

What's not so magical?

• You will have to roll a lot of dice. This is not an accident, but a statistic, but the statistic is terrible, because 10 shots per shot is already a routine. However, fans of realism will be delighted.
• You will have to plan every move in great detail: micromanagement in the game is very important. A wonderful thing for serious strategy players, but not very good for beginner gamers.

What is the combat system of Art of Tactic?

This is a fairly well-developed and balanced mechanic, similar to the one used in the famous Memoir'44. In the "Great Patriotic War" it is very pleasant that the moves are made simultaneously, the rules are quite clear, and the game itself looks incredibly beautiful at any moment of the game.

For whom to choose the "Great Patriotic War"?

• For all strategy lovers;
• For those who need a wonderful gift;
• For a veteran grandfather and grandson;
• For those who were born in the USSR.

What is the quality of the publication?

Except for a number of minor inconsistencies in complex parts for assembly (in general, common for such models), then wonderful. The design deserves special attention - it is very beautiful and very detailed, as it is now fashionable to say - "juicy". After reviewing the rules, you can understand what is at stake.

On June 21, 1941 at 13.00, according to the order of the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces, General Halder, Wehrmacht units received the prearranged signal "Dortmund", which meant that the offensive according to the Barbarossa plan, as previously planned, would begin on June 22, 1941 at 3 hours 30 minutes. The war machine, which subsequently claimed millions of human lives, was launched ...

A flurry of artillery fire fell on the Soviet border outposts, and aircraft launched massive bombing attacks on strategic targets. Having overwhelming superiority in all directions of the main attacks, the German troops in less than a month advanced deep into Soviet territory to a distance of 600 km. Bearing colossal losses, suffering defeats and setbacks, the Red Army was forced to gradually retreat inland. Fights were going on for every piece of land ...

A box of non-standard size from the Zvezda company is decorated very stylishly: a picture of the battle on the lid, green colors, photographs of the assembled models that the players will have to control. At the same time, the quality of cardboard and printing is at the highest level. Let's open the box and see what we have to deal with.

Please note that the box is very deep and the components take up almost all the space in it. Playing fields and sheets with terrain tokens, rules of the game and a book of scenarios, memos to players, bags with plastic parts for collecting models and game elements, subdivision cards, special height hexagons, felt-tip pens - the package is really rich. Unfortunately, having collected scale models, you will face the problem of their storage, since, unfortunately, there is no corresponding organizer.

Six double-sided rectangular segments of the playing field, divided into numbered hexagons, each of which is marked with a different type of terrain. The field is made up of these parts in accordance with the pictures from the scenario book.

Settlements, terrain features, engineering structures: 30 double-sided tiles are designed to be placed on the field and change the basic landscape. A slot is made in the center of the hex, which coincides with the bulge on the plastic element - a very smart decision that prevents the cardboard from moving relative to the base.

14 special round bases with holes in which you can place 8 plastic smoke tokens, 2 fire tokens and 12 fire markers. The 6 height elements are used to create a realistic elevation landscape on the playing field. As I mentioned above, on these plastic hexes are cardboard terrain tiles.

Orders in the game must be written down on cards, and for this you can use one of the two markers that the publisher has equipped the game with. It is convenient to erase marks with cotton pads: two of them are included in the kit, and the rest can be purchased at any store. Also separately attached are four flags of units and stickers for aviation.

And, of course, there were some cubes - 10 small neat hexagons will influence the course of events, introducing an element of surprise, without which there is nowhere in the war ...

Squad cards, turn counter, group cards, minefields, warehouses, air strikes: 29 game cards in total, covered with a special layer. On them, players will simultaneously make appropriate notes according to the Art of Tactic system, developed by Konstantin Krivenko. To support the players, there is an official Russian-language resource, which contains additional scenarios and the rules that are currently relevant with all amendments. I recommend visiting it.

Unit cards are double-sided: on the front side, the characteristics of the unit are indicated, and on the back, the symbols of orders that can be given to this unit. Each player receives a memo, which explains in detail all the icons and gives examples of issuing various orders.

Special maps are designed to mark minefields indicating the type of mine; organization of groups, which may include several units of various types; warehouse designations - in them your troops can bring and receive ammunition; The turn marker is needed to control the game rounds specified in the scenario.

The highlight of the box are the high quality plastic miniatures that are so highly valued among modellers. Before the game, you need to stock up on wire cutters, sandpaper, needle files and ... patience. You will need it, as some models contain parts that are smaller than 3 millimeters. Despite the manufacturer's assurances that you will not need glue, I advise you to buy one tube of "SuperMoment".

… you will get gorgeous miniatures with high detail. I will tell you about the intricacies of assembling some models in my next articles, I will only note that you will have to work hard on the anti-aircraft gun from the base game.
After a few hours of work, the following units will fall under your command.

Wehrmacht forces.

Mortar crew, three infantry units, sappers, machine gun crew and headquarters. Many figures will have to be assembled literally piece by piece, attaching arms and legs to the bodies.

The light PZ II and medium PZ III tanks, the OpelBlitz truck and the Ju-87 "Stuka" dive bomber will take the side of the commander of the German troops.

Forces of the Red Army.

Machine-gun crew, three infantry squads, mortar crew and headquarters. To distinguish the Wehrmacht forces from the Soviet units, the publisher made the figures of the opposing sides in two colors: the German troops are executed in gray, and the Red Army - in green.

The legendary 45-mm anti-tank gun, nicknamed the "forty-five" among the fighters, and the 37-mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun will make it possible to hold back the onslaught of the enemy on distant approaches and resist air raids.

The medium tank T-34/76 (model 1940) and an army 3-ton truck will go into service with the commander of the Red Army. I want to note that when assembling the truck, you will need to bend the hood in a certain way. Don't be afraid and gently bend - if you do everything right, nothing will break.

Engineering fortifications: barbed wire, bunker, anti-tank barriers, pontoon bridge. Everything is done in brown and can be used by both parties according to the circumstances, as well as according to the conditions set out in the script.

In an unequal battle!

I want to note that the Art of Tactic system implies a huge number of orders (there are about 40 in the memo), and each order entails certain calculations and actions necessary to perform. Therefore, I will only briefly talk about the basic principles and consider a few basic orders - you can read everything else in the rules of the game.

Choose a scenario or, together with the enemy (the game is designed strictly for two players), develop your own, combine the rectangles of the field in accordance with the scheme and make adjustments to the terrain by placing special hexes in the sectors of the field. Place dice, markers and special cards nearby.

In the base scenarios, there are conditions instructing the players to recruit units themselves, which will subsequently be placed in given hexes of the field. The cost of each squad is indicated in the upper left corner of the card: summing up these numbers, you get the final cost, which should not exceed the number from the table. For example: division 2 has a limit of 50 points. By taking a medium tank and an engineer platoon, you get 50 points - no one else can be scored.

Each model on the field has its own flag, on which the player indicates the individual serial number of the unit with a marker. A similar number must be entered on the squad card in order to distinguish between the same types of units during the issuance of orders. On the card, a special square is allocated for this in the upper right corner.

Having placed the units in their starting positions, we will briefly consider the basic principles of the influence of the terrain on the characteristics of the units. Let's start with the hills, which have different heights, and, accordingly, three types of slopes: gentle (1 level higher), on which any units can only move 1 hex per turn; steep (2 levels higher) - only infantry can climb it; sheer (3 levels higher) - here you need the mountaineering skill, which is indicated on the squad card.

The terrain gives additional protection to units, affects their speed of movement, increases or limits the visibility range of units.

For example: the light forest separating the German truck and the Russian infantry does not allow the units to see and shoot at each other. In this case, infantry units of the two opposing sides can engage in battle. Various obstacles in the form of barbed wire and anti-tank hedgehogs also make significant adjustments to the gameplay.

Units have a limited ammo capacity indicated on the card. It can be replenished at a special warehouse, the location of which on the ground is not indicated by any figure, but is only indicated on a special card. In our example, the warehouse is located in hex 149. Trucks can be used to pick up ammunition from the warehouses and transport them to the front line, supplying the squads. Or the unit itself can approach the warehouse and restore its ammunition load. All notes are made with a marker on the corresponding cards.

Each squad has its own individual card. On one side, all the characteristics of the detachment, its condition, number, firing range and ammunition are indicated.

The unit symbol is needed to adjust the number of dice rolled according to the firepower table (columns of numbers on the right), and also indicates the size of the unit. In case of a successful hit, one icon is crossed out, and so on until the squad is completely destroyed. The level of protection can be adjusted depending on the type of terrain and is the sum of the base indicator (indicated on the card) and the properties of the hex on which the unit is currently located.

The chain of hexes in the upper right corner indicates the firing range and the maximum number on the face of the die that will count as a hit. In our case, an infantry unit can shoot at three hexes, while in the nearest two hexes it must roll no more than "2", and in the furthest - only "1".

The number columns on the firepower table indicate the number of dice a given unit rolls against each type of enemy unit: the smaller the unit, the fewer dice it rolls. For example: at full strength and attacking enemy infantry, you need to roll 9 dice. In the event that the unit suffered losses and its number was reduced to three units, the player will only throw 5 hexagons in a similar situation.

On the back of the card are the orders that can be given to this unit. In the Art of Tactic system, orders are given simultaneously by players, and then they are also processed simultaneously, but in the order specified in the rules. As you can see in the photo, all types of orders are listed in the memo and their tasks are explained in detail.

So, in the beginning, secretly, the players give orders to all their units, and then the cards are revealed and events begin to take place on the field.

First, defense orders are worked out, then suppression fire is fired, followed by ordinary firefights. After that, aviation enters the battle, the units are removed from the field and go into an ambush, special orders are carried out, and then the units move. All this is noted in the cards of the units with the help of a marker.

Let's take a look at the standard combat order. The calculation of the anti-tank gun opens fire on the tank. The player makes a note about the appointment of the order and indicates the number of the attacked unit. Being in the city, the unit has additional protection, while the attacked enemy is not protected by anything.

According to the table, we roll 5 dice - a defeat is counted only if a number is not more than "two". Two out of three hits are absorbed by the tank's armor, but one projectile hits the target, destroying one out of three tanks.

After each defeat, it is necessary to pass the test for resistance, its conditions are indicated under the badges of the unit. In case of a successful passage, nothing happens, but if it fails, the unit loses morale until the next check and can only defend itself. I note that at first both opponents fire all the shots and only then correct the cards of their units.

The possibilities inherent in the game system are simply amazing: you can load infantry into a truck and transport them to another place, hide in an ambush, burn down a building, cut a clearing in the forest, destroy defensive fortifications and even mine the area! Can't say enough in a review...

After each round, players make a note in a special card - upon reaching the number of rounds specified in the scenario, the game ends and the final scoring is made. The conquered terrain hexes specified in the conditions are worth victory points, which are summed up at the end of the game and the winner is determined by the results.

Back from the front.

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell in detail about all possible orders, properties of units and nuances during the battle in the review - it will turn out to be a multi-volume work. Therefore, dear readers, forgive me for some brevity of the story and the scarcity of information - everything is set out in great detail in the rules, and my task is only to inform you about this interesting and beautiful game.

Due to the variety of orders, the game will require you to carefully study the rules; play a few simple trial games on a smaller field, gain experience in short local battles, and only then move on to full-scale operations from scenarios. This, in my opinion, is the first game that allows you to simulate combat operations in such detail; here a lot depends on tactical decisions and correctly chosen units during the initial recruitment of units.

The system for issuing orders through notes is a little confusing at first, but literally by the end of the first game you begin to understand that there is simply no other way to issue them - there are too many possibilities, and it is almost impossible to implement them through tokens or chips.

I recommend that adults first understand the rules themselves and only then sit down at the game table with children - the game is quite complicated and I would not recommend it for independent development of a child. In this case, the help of a more experienced player is needed, who is able to master and present the game system in an accessible form using examples. However, in the case of parental control, your little commander, after a few games, will be able to control his troops - everything is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

The quality of the miniatures is simply excellent, although you will have to tinker with assembly: tanks and trucks are assembled without much effort, but infantry and anti-aircraft guns will force you to use all your dexterity and patience - the details are too small. But the detailing is beyond praise - even shovels attached to the sides of armored vehicles are visible.

The basic set will allow you to get comfortable with the rules and understand the mechanics of the game. But for serious battles and more realistic battles, I recommend replenishing your army with units produced in the form of separate boxes - additions to the base game, information about which is presented on the resource in the form