From: Dave & Cathy Shaw Subject: Game Review Dave Shaw dshaw62197@home.com Struggle for Stalingrad Wargamer #47 Struggle for Stalingrad is a small game covering the German army's attempt to take the Russian city from Sept.-Dec. 1942. With 100 counters, a 17x22 map and eight pages of rules, SfS is a compact game, but manages to pack a lot of detail nonetheless. The map covers the city and its immediate environs, using area movement and selected "strongpoints" for more critical targets, such as the famous tractor factory. Units are mostly division level, and can be broken down into multiple steps. Soviet unit values are hidden until assaulted (a device which, while challenging in a two-player contest, makes this game rather solitaire-unfriendly). Both sides have artillery points and combat support units, as well. The turn sequence begins with a counterattack phase (allowing friendly units to attack units already in the same area), a "command" phase (supply and new units), movement, combat, and reserve phase (German player only -- units can move and regain lost step values). As such, there are multiple opportunities for attacking in the same turn, leading to some rather bloody results. However, both attackers and defenders roll on separate charts for losses, and defenders, if operating in rough or urban terrain, can have some or even all their losses negated -- a good reflection of the frustration of house-to-house fighting. Overall, SfS isn't a hard game; however, there are plenty of things to remember for each action a player performs. While the rules are only eight pages, they are filled with many minute details that might require several read-throughs to digest. Also, the components are something less than attractive; the counters are rather bland, and the map itself is roughly drawn, appearing to be more of a rough sketch of the Stalingrad area rather than a detailed playing area. Nagging details and uninspiring graphics, however, do not detract from the game itself. This is a good simulation of the battle for the city of Stalingrad, offering both players a solid challenge to beat the clock and keep their respective offensives and defenses alive. Struggle for Stalingrad offers players a frustrating and tense simulation, one that aptly depicts the actually fighting along the Volga in 1942.