Kesselschlacht Ideas and Optional Rules
Revised August 31, 2004

Solitaire Air Unit Placement: Here’s a solitaire Soviet air unit placement scheme to help you out.
First roll one die to determine in which Air Sectors the majority of Soviet air activity is taking place this turn.
DR 	Sectors Contested
1 	13, 14, 15, 18, 22, 23, 24
2 	7, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21
3 	2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 22
4 	3, 5, 9, 11, 16, 19, 20
5 	3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 19
6 	2, 3, 4, 10, 13, 14, 18, 20
Then roll two dice for each Air Sector to determine what shows up there. Keep rolling and placing until you exhaust the available Soviet air unit counter-mix (or take as many as possible from what is available). 
DR 	Air Units Received
2 	4FB, 1F
3 	5B, 1F
4 	1FB, 1F
5 	Pick another adjacent Air Sector with the most Axis units in it, then re-roll.
6 	1B, 1F
7 	1B, 2FB, 1F
8 	1B, 1FB, 1F
9 	2B, 2F
10 	3B, 2FB
11 	5B, 2F
12 	3B, 4FB, 6F
Naturally, deploy all Axis air units first before rolling.
Alternative Soviet Air Unit Solitaire Deployment: Do not roll for Air Sector determination in Part I above.  Instead, during the Air Initiative Phase the player determines those Soviet HQs that will roll for activation (don’t roll for activation yet, do this normally in Step G). Note: Don’t forget to include any formations eligible for activation per 19.4.1.   For each of these HQ’s roll for the number of air units that are allocated to them per Step II above. The air units will be deployed on the Air Sector the HQ is located if it is a Corp. If the HQ is an Army HQ the air units may also be deployed to an air sector to the west of the one the HQ is located.
The order of air unit allocation is as follows:
STAVKA Directs! formation (Case 19.4.2)
1)	Army HQ
2)	Corp HQs
Note: There may be occasions that Soviet air units are not deployed for the turn due to poor DR results. This is war! Deal with it!

19.4 Variable Soviet Activations (Optional Rule): Each turn the Soviet player rolls a die to determine if additional formations to those allowed per 9.1.1 and 9.1.2 can activate.  Add one to the DR if the Soviet player has won Air Initiative this turn, subtract one from the DR is the German player has won Air Initiative.
DR = 1 or less. No additional formations can be activated.
DR = 2-4. One additional Soviet Corp can attempt activation.
DR = 5. Two additional Soviet Corps can attempt activation.
DR = 6+. Either two additional Soviet Corps or one Army can attempt activation.
19.4.1 Defending Formations: Soviet units that are attacked by Axis units will give the superior Soviet HQ a free activation attempt in the upcoming turn.  This activation attempt does NOT count against the activation limits in cases 9.1.2 and 9.1.3.
19.4.2 STAVKA Directs!  Once the Zhukov Directive has been put into effect (Rule 8.0) the Soviet player rolls a die at the beginning of the Soviet HQ Activation Phase to determine if STAVKA also becomes involved in directing the campaign. Add 1 to the DR if the Soviet player is trailing in the VP tally.  Subtract 1 from the DR if the German player has lost more combat units than the Soviet player (if both apply the DRs off-set).
•	DR of 6 or more one Soviet Army automatically activates (no activation DR is needed).
•	DR of 4 or 5 one Soviet Corp automatically activates (no activation DR is needed).
•	DR or 3 or less, no effect.
Note: The Corp or Army that is activated per STAVKA does count against the total number of formations the Soviet player can activate for the turn. Use the Zhukov Marker to indicate the affected Soviet formation.
19.5 German TQR Rating Reduction (Optional Rule): German TQR ratings are reduced in a combat phase by one level whenever the following apply:
•	On turns the Soviet Player has won the Air Initiative and there is a Soviet F or FB in the same area as the defending unit.
•	On all Heavy Snow turns.
•	On Mud turns roll a die before calculating combat.  With an even DR the TQR rating for any German unit involved in the combat is reduced by one level.  An odd DR means the TQR rating is unaffected.
When lowering a TQR A becomes B, B to C, C remains unchanged. A unit's TQR rating can never be reduced below C, nor lowered more than one level regardless of the number of conditions that may be in effect.
The lowering of a unit’s TQR is in effect during the entire combat phase, i.e., for retreat (Section 13.2) and Advance after Combat (Case 13.4.2).
19.6 Soviet TQR Enhancement. (Optional Rule):  This rule may only be used if the Optional Rule STAVKA Directs! is in play (19.4.2).  
For any formation that is activated per STAVKA all of its subordinate units have their TQRs increased by one level; C becomes B, B becomes A. A level units are unaffected.
The raising of a unit’s TQR per STAVA is in effect during the entire combat phase and turn, i.e., for retreat (Section 13.2) and Advance After Combat (Case 13.4.2).
Note: Optional rules 19.4, 19.5 and 19.6 are pro-Soviet.