Columbia Games' EastFront

Columbia Game’s EastFront details the conflict between Germany and the Soviet Union during WWII. Players have to contend with production, supply, command control and whether to try and break the other side's lines. Several scenarios cover every major point of the war. The game comes with a fantastic, detailed map of Eastern Europe and Russia.

This title uses the Columbia Games Block system. While there are variations in the rule sets, all of the "Front" series of games are based on the block system. Basically this means that rather than using traditional counters to represent units on the map the game uses blocks that stand upright with unit details only shown on one side.

This accomplishes two things:

• First it provides an easy way of producing a "fog of war" because your opponent cannot tell, save through good memory or deduction, what type of unit a specific piece is or its current strength.

• Second, having the blocks stand on end allows the possibility of rotating a block so the current strength is the top number.

This system is not necessary in a digital game, were other programming trick and features could give a similar result, but it was decided to keep it as a tribute to the quality products created by Columbia Games and because a great majority of players are familiar with this proven concept, and have enjoyed this game which is probably one of the best simple grand strategic simulation of WW2 on the Eastern Front.

The original game (voted 1991 Origins Awards Best Modern-Day Boardgame Winner) has been long in top ranks of most-played and renown wargames. It is currently still rated 7.7 on BoardgameGeek.

SCALE

TIME SCALE: 1 fortnight (2weeks)s per turn

MAP SCALE: 50km / 50 miles per hex

UNIT SCALE: Divisions and Corps

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2

Possibility to play on a map with classic or modern look 

Units can be displayed with classic NATO symbol or with portraits

CONTENT

8 Historical Scenarios, 1 Tutorial Scenario:   

• Summer '41 – BARBAROSSA - The Invasion of Russia

• Winter '41 - OPERATION ‘TYPHOON’ - The Moscow Counter-Offensive

• Summer '42 - OPERATION ‘BLUE’ - The Drive on Stalingrad

• Winter '42 - OPERATION ‘URANUS’ The Stalingrad Counter-Offensive

• Summer '43 -  OPERATION ‘CITADEL’ - The Battle of Kursk

• Winter '43 - CRISIS IN THE UKRAINE - The Soviet Steamroller

• Summer '44 - OPERATION ‘BAGRATION’ - Destruction of Army Group Center

• Winter '44 -  THE DRIVE ON BERLIN - The End in the East

• Introductory Scenario - OPERATION EDELWEISS - Trapped in the Caucasus

Characteristics

▪     Hex maps with a scale of 50 miles per hex covering The Eastern front, from Germany to the Urals and the Caucasus.

▪     German and Axis minor allies vs Soviets.

▪     Turn-based system, scale of 2 weeks per turn, with different phases: HQ activation, Organization, Movement, Combat and Supply.

▪     Terrain and Weather effects.

▪     Option to choose your own setup at sart of scenarios

▪     Different playing modes: solitaire play, against the AI, multiplayer across several platforms

▪     Available in English and in French upon release, with Spanish, German, Russian and Chinese coming afterwards.