What should be a board game for a person living in the Soviet Union?
First, 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 who is ready to argue about the little things for hours. It is also here in full.
Thirdly, not a single Soviet thing will be fully finished if it is not assembled 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 recording all the moves and statuses of the 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. special attention the design deserves - 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.

Video review of the board game The Great Patriotic War. Summer 1941

How did the Nazi invaders remember those whom the Nazi propaganda contemptuously called "subhuman"? “There was no feeling that we were entering a defeated country” - this is how the Nazis wrote about the first battles of the Great Patriotic War

War against Soviet Union the Nazis expected to complete quickly and without heavy losses - as it was in Poland and France. Colonel General Heinz Guderian, who commanded the 2nd Panzer Group in the summer of 1941, wrote in his memoirs: “The High Command thought to break the military power of Russia within 8–10 weeks, thereby causing its political collapse ... They thought even with the onset of winter to withdraw 60–80 divisions from Russia , having decided that the remaining divisions would be enough to suppress Russia during the winter.

Master the Russian alphabet

Similar sentiments were common among the rank and file of the Wehrmacht and the SS. mountain ranger Siegfried Erth admitted: “We thought the war would end quickly. After our successes in France and elsewhere, we didn't think it would last long."

Even more optimistic were the forecasts of the adjutant commander of the tank regiment, lieutenant Helmut Ritgen who planned to marry at the end of the war. Being a professional mathematician, he, in his own words, "tried to calculate the duration of this campaign based on the duration of previous campaigns in Poland and France, based on the forces available to us, as well as distances and a number of other factors." “As a result, it turned out that the war should end by the end of July. So it’s quite possible to schedule a wedding on August 2, ”he believed.

Although the plans for the upcoming attack on the Soviet Union were kept strictly secret for a long time, preparations for the operation were in full swing. Officer of the tank troops Hauptmann Alexander Shtalberg testified: “In June, an order was received that made it clear what we should expect ... Every soldier, from a simple private to a unit commander, had to master the Russian alphabet. Everyone had to be able to read the inscriptions on maps and road signs in Russian. This, of course, spoke for itself…”

Colonel-General Heinz Guderian (right) commanded the 2nd Panzer Group in the summer of 1941. From the very first days of the war, his soldiers overcame the stubborn resistance of the Russians.

“On June 18, 1941, the battalion commanders were informed that in a few days an operation against Russia would begin in accordance with the Barbarossa plan. Three days passed in tense anticipation of an important event, ”the officer noted in his memoirs. Hans Kissel. Similar were the memories of the lieutenant Gottfried Evert: “In the evening, a few hours before the start of the war, Hitler's appeal was read to us. It was said that tomorrow at three in the morning we were advancing, ammunition was issued, and the case began. Everything was very fast. There was no opportunity to think about anything. I remember that in the evening an old sergeant-major came up to me and somehow very uncertainly and surprised asked: “Tell me, Lieutenant, maybe you can explain to me why we are attacking Russia?” What could I explain?! Such an order! We were very surprised."

Surprised, however, were not all. The transfer of troops to the Soviet border began long before June 22. And plans to conquer "living space" in the east of Europe for the German people Adolf Gitler never hid.

All means are good

The Nazis prepared to fight the USSR with hitherto unheard-of cruelty. It was this installation that was contained in the order of the commander of the 4th tank group, Colonel General Erich Hoepner, read out before the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union: “The war against Russia is the most important part of the struggle for the existence of the German people. This is the long-standing struggle of the Germans against the Slavs, the defense of European culture from the Muscovite-Asiatic invasion, the rebuff to Jewish Bolshevism. This struggle must have the goal of turning today's Russia into ruins, and therefore it must be waged with unheard-of cruelty ... "

Colonel General Erich Hoepner in the summer of 1941 commanded the 4th Panzer Group. His offensive order emphasized that the war against Russia "must be waged with unheard-of cruelty"

And so she did. Many Nazi warriors, without a shadow of embarrassment, spoke about the crimes they had committed in letters and diaries. Private Emil Goltz, who fought in the 29th motorized infantry division of the 2nd tank group, reflected in his diary the following episode: “June 28. At dawn we passed Baranovichi. The city is destroyed. But not everything is done yet. On the way from Mir to Stolbtsy, we spoke to the population in the language of machine guns. Screams, moans, blood, tears and many corpses. We didn't feel any compassion. In every place, in every village, the sight of people makes my hands itch. I want to shoot from a pistol at the crowd. I hope that soon the SS detachments will come here and do everything that we did not have time to do.

And here is what a corporal of the 25th engineer battalion wrote in July 1941 Hans Heil: “Russians are real cattle. The order is not to take anyone prisoner. Any means to destroy the enemy is correct. Otherwise you can't deal with this rabble." He also recorded the following confession in his diary: “We cut off the chins of Russian prisoners, gouged out their eyes, cut off their behinds. There is only one law - merciless destruction. Everything must proceed without so-called humanity.”

She was not in sight. Evidence of this is the combat diary of the 322nd police battalion. He gives an idea of ​​the “workdays” of this unit:

As a result of a special action quickly carried out by the battalion to arrest communists in Belovezha and its environs, out of 72 communist functionaries listed on the list, 36 people were arrested and shot, including 5 Jews, 6 women, including 1 Jewess. 2 arrested Jews were shot for trying to escape.

15 civilian prisoners who were exposed as communists were also shot by the battalion today.

At the same time, the 1st company was sent today to suppress a strike that broke out at a sawmill in Belovezha (Gorodok). At the same time, 19 instigators, including 4 women, were shot for inciting a strike. Thus, today the battalion shot 72 people.”

Things have happened that seemed unthinkable in the 20th century. Writer Ilya Erenburg in the article "Fritz Narcissus" he quoted a letter from a Hitlerite that fell into his hands Johanna(surname unknown) to his friend chief corporal Heinrich Ricke: “I scalped the Russians. I took the scalps, like the trophies of a warrior, to myself. Ho-ho, the knife of the murderer has spoken! I hope, dear Heinrich, you will like it.”

Thrust resistance Russians

However, the calculations of the Nazis and their satellites for an easy walk through the vast Russian expanses did not materialize. machine gunner Michael Sager recalled: “On June 22, we did not participate in the battles ... I have a photo taken on that day. Far ahead we saw a big explosion. It was said that a Russian ammunition depot had exploded there. I remember the first strong Russian artillery shelling. He came to the place where we slept in hay half an hour ago. The village we had just left was practically destroyed. It had a very strong effect on me."

Column German tanks T-III on the march

The lieutenant was shocked Hubert Becker: “It was a hot summer day. We walked across the field, suspecting nothing. Suddenly, artillery fire fell upon us. That's how my baptism of fire happened - a strange feeling. You are told to go somewhere, and the next second you hear a sound that you can’t confuse with anything. It seems to you, another second - and you will be holed through, but somehow you are lucky. Next to me was my commander, an officer, and therefore it was necessary to show myself as a hero in his eyes. You can, of course, fall to the ground, it's the easiest. And then you notice a German soldier lying in front: his hand is clumsily lifted up and gleams on his finger wedding ring, the head is a bloody mess, and the mouth is full of buzzing flies. This is how I saw the first person killed in this war.”

The summary of the High Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) summed up the first day of the war: "It seems that the enemy, after the initial confusion, is beginning to offer more and more stubborn resistance." On the evening of June 23, the intelligence and counterintelligence department of the headquarters of the 9th German army reported: “The Russians are fighting to the last, they prefer death to captivity (order of political commissars). Large losses of personnel, few prisoners.

And for these German tanks, the war is already over...

The well-informed Chief of the General Staff of the German Land Forces, Colonel General Franz Halder stated in his “Military Diary”: “The stubborn resistance of the Russians forces us to fight in accordance with all the rules of our combat regulations. In Poland and in the West, we could afford certain liberties and deviations from the statutory principles; now it is unacceptable.” Soon Halder“It became clear that the Russians were not thinking about retreating, but, on the contrary, were throwing everything they had at their disposal towards the German troops that had penetrated.”

special race

Tankman of the 12th Panzer Division Hans Becker did not hide his astonishment: Eastern Front I met people who can be called a special race. Already the first attack turned into a battle not for life, but for death.

Major Neuhof. This happened at the moment when 800 of his warriors were fired upon by five Red Army soldiers. Voice breaking with excitement Neuhof confessed to the battalion doctor: “I did not expect anything like this. This is pure suicide - to attack the forces of the battalion with five fighters.

If the soldiers of some German units remembered the first weeks of the war as continuous marches on foot in the exhausting summer heat, then the fate of other units of the Wehrmacht turned out to be different. Senior corporal of the 5th company of the 35th motorized regiment of the 25th motorized division Herman Schwartz he described in his diary the events of the eighth, ninth and tenth days of the war:

"June 29. At dawn we reached the river Bug. The border town is completely destroyed. Civilian population, had obviously been thrown out of the beds by gunshots. I suppose that most of of them burned down. Many German graves are visible, even mass graves with 5–7 dead soldiers. The Russians defended well here ...

30 June. By lunchtime we reached the city of Lutsk. The city was badly damaged. Entire neighborhoods were almost completely burned down. If before lunch one could talk about German air supremacy, then after lunch only Russian planes were visible. The most interesting thing began beyond Lutsk. We, as well as nearby anti-aircraft positions, were subjected to a secondary raid by quite modern, Do 17-like heavy bombers. We absolutely could not think that these could be Russian planes. Only when they dropped their testicles over our heads, our doubts disappeared ...

July 1. We advance along the highway. During the night, the Russians fortified themselves in separate houses and defended themselves from them. We are trying to drive them back into the forest. We arrived at a farm. Further progress is impossible. They are pouring down on us from all sides. We lie on the farm for several hours. They couldn't stay there anymore. They were forced to retreat. The Russians are shooting like crazy. Gun shells burst to the left and right of us. We felt unimportant. The Russians moved far ahead to the forest, located at a distance of about 1 kilometer to the left of us. If they manage to get to the right, they will be in our rear.

We had already dug a trench for ourselves when we received the order: to stop digging trenches, the company moves to a new, main defensive line. 50 meters before the main defensive line, we were suddenly fired upon. The fire intensified. We could not believe our eyes: it was the Russians occupying our main defensive line, which we were approaching. And here comes the real hell. Shoot from all sides - front, right and left. A real hellhole. The Russians are on our heels...

The battalion is gathering, or rather, the remnants are gathering. Of the 7th company, only 16 people remained. We are short of 50. Go ahead, we make a reserve, none of us, perhaps, is more incapacitated. Not a single living officer.

To repel the attack of the Red Army in the summer of 1941 happened to the private Menku from a company of 20-mm anti-aircraft guns of the regiment " Greater Germany". He later said: “The gun had to be loaded constantly, only the hands of the loader flicker. It was necessary to periodically change the overheated gun barrels, for this the calculation was forced to crawl out behind the armored shield. The red-hot barrel was pulled out with bare hands, which caused the palms to become covered with blisters of burns. Hands flashed everywhere, these constant screams to fire charges, people did not hear them because they were deaf from the shots ... After all this, there was simply not enough time for fear - we were forced to fire continuously, because the Russians were approaching meter by meter uncontrollably.

Cities don't give up without a fight

Far from all Soviet cities, the Germans managed to capture without a fight and losses. Lieutenant who fought in the Baltics Gottfried Evert recalled: “When they took Riga, I was in the forward detachment, made up of a motorized unit and our company. Our goal was the bridges near Riga. The toughest fights. The bridge we were supposed to capture went up in front of me. I didn't run 15 meters to him. More than 30 people died in our company that day. During the capture of Riga, my company lost all its officers. The company commander was killed, two platoonmen were wounded.

Soviet troops counterattack the enemy

The advanced units of the 18th German Army broke into Riga on June 29, however, with a decisive counterattack of the 10th Rifle Corps, Major General Ivan Fadeev the enemy was driven out of the capital of Soviet Latvia. Moreover, the residents of Riga provided significant assistance to the Red Army soldiers - a fact that the current rulers of Latvia preferred to forget. Only on July 1, at the cost of heavy losses, the Nazis captured the city.

Paul Carl Schmidt, who during the war years worked in the German Foreign Ministry, after its completion he wrote a book, which he published under the pseudonym Paul Carell. This is how the defense of Liepaja appeared on the pages of this book:

On the evening of June 24, Colonel Lohmeyer with his 505th infantry regiment was 12 kilometers from Liepaja. On June 25, he tried to take the city on the move. Infantrymen and sailors of the assault battalion naval forces under the command of Lieutenant Commander von Dist, subordinate Lohmeyer, on a narrow strip of land they stormed the fortifications, but to no avail ... On June 27, the Russians launched a surprise attack, even managing to break through the ring of German encirclement, their strike groups broke through to the coast, thereby creating a threat on this sector of the German front. Only at the cost of enormous efforts did the Germans manage to close the gap that had arisen. At noon, battalions of the 505th Infantry Regiment and shock infantry units were able to break through to the southern tip of the fortress. In the days that followed, street fighting began.

The battle did not subside for two days. The cunningly disguised machine-gun nests of the Russians in the barricaded houses were suppressed only by using heavy field guns, howitzers and mortars against them.

Soldiers of the Red Army, with the support of T-34 tanks, recapture one of the settlements from the enemy

The defense of Liepaja was brilliantly organized. Each soldier was distinguished by high training and fanatical courage. Units without hesitation sacrificed themselves in order to provide their command with time to regroup and prepare for the offensive. And in general, the willingness to sacrifice small units for the sake of saving larger ones was integral integral part Soviet military art - this is precisely what caused the heavy losses of the Germans.

After a week of fighting, Colonel General Franz Halder stated: “Information from the front confirms that the Russians are fighting everywhere to the last man ...” Without knowing it, the captain of the 18th Panzer Division echoed him: “Despite the vast distances traveled, there was no feeling that we had in France, there was no feeling that we were entering a defeated country. On the contrary, there was resistance here, always resistance, no matter how hopeless it may be. The same was said later by the Chief of Staff of the 4th Army, General Gunther Blumentritt: “The behavior of the Russian troops, even in the first battles, was in striking contrast with the behavior of the Poles and Western allies during the defeat. Even in the environment, the Russians continued stubborn battles.

Cities and villages, for which fierce battles were fought with varying success, became more and more every day. And this did not bode well for the Nazis.

"The real war has just begun"

Such an unpleasant discovery for themselves in the summer and autumn of 1941 was made by millions of German soldiers and officers, who on June 21 were sure that the war would not last long. The general mood was accurately conveyed by Corporal Konrad Dumler in a letter to his brother:

“Four years I have been in the army, two years in the war, but it begins to seem to me that the real war has just begun. All that has been so far is training maneuvers, nothing more. Russians are desperate daredevils, they fight like devils. Almost none of the old comrades remained in the company. There are newcomers all around, but they don't stay. Long lists of the dead and wounded are compiled every day. Command lulls us like little children, assuring us that we are close to victory. This arrogance is disgusting, because with their own eyes the soldiers see what is being done.

In the autumn of 1941, the Germans used the saying "Better three French campaigns than one Russian." Soon comparisons with victorious procession Wehrmacht of 1939-1941 in Europe lost their meaning: a fundamentally different war was going on on the Eastern Front. On the part of the Third Reich and its satellites it was a war of annihilation, on the part of the Soviet people it was the Great Patriotic War until complete victory over a merciless and hated enemy. Compromise was impossible.

On June 23, 1940, Hitler visited the defeated Paris. The Fuhrer dreamed of making the same voyage to Moscow

The events and facts recorded by the Wehrmacht and SS servicemen refute the "theory" about the total flight of the Red Army. It is symbolic that already on the fourth day of the war, one of the developers of the blitzkrieg strategy, Lieutenant General Erich Marx came under fire, was seriously wounded and eventually lost a leg.

The blitzkrieg plan itself also failed. This was confirmed by the order Hitler, given to them on January 3, 1942. Nazi number one demanded: “Cling to every settlement, do not retreat a single step, defend to the last soldier, to the last grenade ... Every point we occupy must be turned into a stronghold. His surrender should not be allowed under any circumstances, even if he is bypassed by the enemy.

The time of bravura marches for the Nazis is over...

Carell P."Barbarossa": from Brest to Moscow. Smolensk, 2003

Kershaw R. 1941 through the eyes of the Germans. Birch crosses instead of Iron ones. M., 2010

Drabkin A.V. I fought in the SS and the Wehrmacht. Veterans of the Eastern Front. M., 2013

June 22, 1941 - the beginning of the most terrible war in the history of Russia. I won’t write any unnecessary words - they are not needed, everyone knows everything for himself about that hot summer of 1941 ... Therefore, there are just a lot of photos of how the war began. We haven't forgotten. And they didn’t forgive, if anything

German soldiers cross the state border of the USSR

Officers of the 217th Wehrmacht Infantry Division discussing orders before the attack on the USSR

The commander of the 8th Panzer Division (8.Panzer-Division), Major General Erich Brandenberger (Erich Brandenberger) and the commander of the 56th Motorized Corps (LVI.Armeekorps (motorisiert) Infantry General Erich von Manstein (Fritz Erich von Manstein) at the map behind the day before the start of Operation Barbarossa

Wehrmacht division at a Catholic service before the invasion of the USSR. Photo from the album of the military priest of the 297th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht Alois Beck (Alois Beck). It is possible that the divine service is conducted by A. Beck himself. The Lord God, as you know, did not help the Nazis much

Soviet border guard with a dog on patrol

Soviet border guards on patrol. These two photographs are interesting because they were taken for a newspaper at one of the outposts on the western border of the USSR on June 20, 1941, that is, two days before the war.

Soviet cruiser Black Sea Fleet project 26-bis "Molotov" in Sevastopol the day before the start of the war

The first day of the war in Przemysl (today - the Polish city of Przemysl) and the first dead invaders on Soviet soil (soldiers of the 101st light infantry division). The city was occupied by German troops on June 22, but the next morning it was liberated by the Red Army and border guards and held until June 27

The first Soviet prisoners of war under German escort on the railway bridge in Brest

June 22, 1941 near the bridge over the San River near the city of Yaroslav. At that time, the border between German-occupied Poland and the USSR passed along the San River.

Leningraders at the intersection of 25th October Avenue (Nevsky Prospekt at present) and Proletkulta Street (Malaya Sadovaya Street at present) are listening to a message about the outbreak of war with Germany

Workers at the Leningrad plant named after Kirov listen to the announcement of the beginning of the war

The graves of German soldiers against the backdrop of a Soviet heavy tank T-35, shot down on the highway Verba village - Ptichye village (Ukraine). Two white stripes on the turret - tactical badge of the 67th tank regiment of the 34th tank division of the 8th mechanized corps Southwestern Front. Machine manufactured in 1937, serial number 988-16. Extract from the write-off act: "No. 988-16 - shot down and burned down during an attack in the village of Ptichye on June 30"

Soviet light tank BT-5, abandoned on the road near Plyussa due to a malfunction.
The tactical sign on the turret is a white triangle. Possibly a vehicle from the 24th Panzer Division of the 8th Army of the Northwestern Front

Wehrmacht soldiers pose on a Soviet T-28 tank with additional armor seized from the collection point for emergency vehicles (SPAM). Behind the T-28, the BT-7M tank is partially visible, with identification marks of the 53rd regiment of the 81st mechanized division. Western Ukraine. The man on the left in a black uniform with a Mosin rifle, most likely an employee of the railway police

Red Army soldiers of the Western Front at the captured German reconnaissance aircraft Henschel Hs.126 (Henschel Hs.126), July 1941. Perhaps the plane went for an emergency landing and ran into the Red Army

Peasants evacuate cattle along the road in Belarus

Soviet tank KV-2, stuck in the mud near the Vitebsk airfield. In the background of the photo you can see the skeleton of a Soviet aircraft, broken airfield equipment and a German Do.17Z bomber.
Presumably, the photo shows a heavy tank KV-2 (serial number B-4712) from the 1st tank battalion of the 28th tank regiment of the 14th tank division of the 7th mechanized corps of the Western Front. In early July 1941, after the engine was repaired near Smolensk, the tank took part in the defense of the city of Vitebsk: it prevented the Germans from crossing the railway bridge with fire, knocking out 8 enemy tanks and using up 2 ammunition. After this battle, the tank was sent to replenish refueling, but on the way it was again thrown into battle, without shells. The crew managed to damage two tanks and one enemy gun, but the KV itself received serious damage - the radiators were pierced, the driver's viewing slot was damaged, the turret armor was pierced as a result of a shell hit, 2 crew members were killed - Lieutenant Klimychev and junior sergeant Klimov. When leaving the attack, the tank got stuck in the mud, due to the lack of means of evacuation and strong fire the enemy tank could not be evacuated, when leaving the car, two loaders went missing

Soviet T-35 tank, shot down during the battle on the Verba-Ptichye highway. Tank with cylindrical turrets. The rounded driver's hatch and a late type muffler indicate that the tank has been upgraded. The central turret was thrown overboard by an explosion of ammunition. This tank has serial number 220-25, produced in 1936. A vehicle from the 68th Tank Regiment of the 34th Tank Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps of the Southwestern Front.
A German rear unit drives past a tank.

Soviet armored vehicles BA-20 and BA-6, abandoned in the village. In the background - German anti-aircraft gunners on captured ZiS-5 trucks.

Soviet heavy tank T-35, stuck in a roadside ditch and abandoned on June 28-29, 1941, on the Ptichye - Verba highway, on the northeastern outskirts of the village of Verba, Dubnovsky district, Rivne region, during a battle with the German 16th tank division. Machine with serial number 0200-0, manufactured in 1938 from the 67th Tank Regiment of the 34th Tank Division of the 8th Mechanized Corps of the Southwestern Front. The Germans put on the side of the tank the inscription: "Bitte alles aussteigen" ("Please everyone get out" - an announcement at the final station)

Three German soldiers at the MG-34 machine gun mounted on the machine near the dilapidated ring barracks near the Kholmsky Gates in the Citadel of the Brest Fortress

A border guard and his service dog who died in the Brest Fortress

German infantry on the central island of the Brest Fortress. On the left are the premises of the 333rd Infantry Regiment, on the right - the barracks of the 9th Frontier Post

German soldiers on the banks of the Bug River near the destroyed Brest Fortress. You can see the Terespol Tower, torn apart by a 600-mm siege shell, in which in 1949 they will find the remains of one of the defenders of the fortress - Lieutenant Alexei Naganov, as well as his forever rusty TT pistol

A group of Red Army soldiers with white flags at the barracks of the 333rd Infantry Regiment in the Brest Fortress. Judging by the overcoats and quilted jackets worn, the soldiers hid in the dungeons for a long time.
In the photo on the right - 76-mm Soviet regimental gun model 1927

German soldiers are fighting in Brest. Information about the exact location of the picture varies - most likely, this is the area of ​​​​the houses of the command staff of the Brest Fortress on the North Island (the photo was taken during the battles for the Eastern Fort). There is also a version that the photo shows an episode of the battle near the garrison hospital or the city military enlistment office of Brest

Senior Nurse of the Surgical Department of the Brest Fortress Hospital Praskovya Leontyevna Tkacheva with the wives and children of the commanders of the Red Army, surrounded by German soldiers

German aerial photograph of a fuel depot located near the Dretun railway station, 40 kilometers from Polotsk

Abandoned Soviet heavy tank KV-2 issued in May - June 1941 from the 1st Tank Battalion, 27th Tank Regiment of the 14th Tank Division of the 7th Mechanized Corps of the 20th Army of the Western Front, abandoned by the crew due to a breakdown on the road Vitebsk - Smolensk.
The tank was located 1 km southeast of Liozno (Vitebsk region, Belarus). Machine with serial number B-4755, which "After completing the task with the cover detachment, while marching to the concentration area southeast of Liozno, the pistons jammed. The crew, by order of the company commander, was left with the tank with the task of: guarding the tank, with to shoot it with the approach of the enemy. In the absence of evacuation means, the used tank is blown up. The two tractors that arrived could not evacuate the tank and left for the TEP. Arriving at the tank on 14.7.41, the division commander, Colonel Vasilyev, ordered the tank to be left and put into disrepair. The tank was rendered unusable and left on the highway one kilometer southeast of Liozno. The car was towed off the road shortly after.

Wehrmacht soldiers inspect tanks T-34 model 1941 and BT-7 model 1937, shot down on the road near Radzekhova (now Radekhova), Lviv region

Broken Soviet cars and a wrecked T-26 tank on the road near Kamenetz-Podolsk

Soviet tank T-26, shot down on the road near Kamyanets-Podilskyi (the car from the previous photo)

Burnt Soviet tank BT-7. The charred body of a tanker is visible in the open hatch

Soviet light tank BT-7, abandoned due to engine failure and burned on the road

Hero of the Soviet Union tank driver Viktor Antonovich Grigoriev (1921-1985) in the hatch of the KV-1 tank.
At the front in the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. Participated in defensive battles in Bessarabia and southern Ukraine as part of the 22nd Tank Regiment of the 11th Tank Division of the Southern Front. He was wounded in battle, after the hospital in August 1941 he was sent to the training tank battalion of the Ural Military District. In October 1941, he was enlisted in the 32nd Tank Brigade and left with it for the Western Front, a participant in the battle of Moscow. The tank driver of the 32nd Tank Brigade (50th Army, Western Front), Junior Sergeant Viktor Grigoriev, distinguished himself on December 3-4, 1941 in a battle near the village of Kryukovo, Leningrad Region Tula region. Despite frostbite on his hands and face, he remained in the ranks. In an attack near the village of Barybinka, when the tank turret was damaged by an artillery shell, junior sergeant Grigoriev rammed an enemy medium tank, destroyed two anti-tank guns, several vehicles. When the tank was again damaged, he brought it to the location of his unit.
On April 12, 1942, for the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism shown at the same time, Junior Sergeant Viktor Antonovich Grigoriev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
After the hospital, he returned to the 32nd tank brigade. The second time he was seriously wounded in battle on November 29, 1942 in the Rzhev direction. He returned to the front in June 1943 and was appointed assistant commander of a tank battalion for technical matters in the 32nd tank brigade of the Voronezh (then the Steppe and 2nd Ukrainian) fronts. Member of the Battle of Kursk, the Battle of the Dnieper, Korsun-Shevchenkovsky and Uman-Botoshansk offensive operations. Since December 1944 - an engineer of the 14th Guards Separate Heavy Tank Regiment in the 5th Guards Tank Army on the 2nd Belorussian Front, a member of the East Prussian offensive operation. Senior technician-lieutenant Grigoriev met the victory in Germany

Soviet truck GAZ-AA, abandoned due to engine failure at the edge of the forest

Portrait of a captured Red Army soldier against the background of other Soviet prisoners of war in a camp in Belarus. Colored German propaganda photo showing the Wehrmacht fighting "Eastern barbarians"

Soldiers and commanders of the Red Army inspect the captured Flammpanzer II flamethrower tank. On the fender is the installation of smoke grenade launchers. By June 22, 1941, the 100th and 101st flamethrower tank battalions of the Wehrmacht were equipped with Flammpanzer II flamethrower tanks.

Soviet servicemen and civilians near the downed German Messerschmitt Bf.109E-7 fighter from the 2nd group of the 77th fighter squadron (II / JG 77) near Tiraspol. southern front

Red Army soldiers on the background of the tank Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. E from the 3rd Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht, shot down near Mogilev. The German tanks that broke through to the Soviet trenches were shot at by fire in the side and stern. In the foreground is the commander of the 3rd battalion of the 388th rifle regiment, Captain Gavryushin D.S. The soldier has a German 7.92 mm MG.15 aircraft machine gun in his hand

German armored vehicles destroyed Soviet troops near Mogilev. The photo shows the tank Pz.Kpfw. III, half-track armored personnel carriers Sd.Kfz. 251 and the tank Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. C. The vehicles were hit by units of the 388th Infantry Regiment

Soviet light tank BT-7, destroyed near the bridge during the battle on July 7, 1941 on the outskirts of the village of Solovyi, Pskov region. Vehicles from the 23rd Panzer Division of the 12th Mechanized Corps of the 8th Army of the North-Western Front

German soldiers pose with the captured banner of the Soviet 243rd Infantry Regiment of the 181st Infantry Division.
The 181st Rifle Division was formed in August - September 1940, after the annexation of Latvia to the USSR as part of the 24th Rifle Corps on the basis of the Kurzeme and Vidzeme divisions of the Latvian army. On June 22, 1941, it was stationed in summer camps in the Gulbene region in a reduced composition. Here, until June 29, the division deployed to full wartime staff. In July - September 1941, the division participated in defensive battles in the Baltic states and in the Staraya Russa region, was surrounded three times and made its way to its own.
At the end of September 1941, the few fighters and commanders of the former 24th Latvian Corps who remained in the ranks were sent after checks to the 201st Latvian Rifle Division in Gorokhovets, which was being formed. On October 16, 1941, in the village of Khodunovo, the 181st Rifle Division was disbanded.

Hungarian aviators and Soviet civilians near the Italian-made Fiat CR.42 "Falco" fighter. Western Ukraine, summer 1941

Abandoned Soviet heavy tank KV-2, blown up by German sappers at the edge of the forest. May-June 1941 release vehicle, most likely from the 18th Panzer Division of the 7th Mechanized Corps of the Western Front

Soviet light tanks KhT-26 and T-26 shot down on the afternoon of July 5, 1941 on the Pskov-Ostrov road near the village of Karpovo. The vehicles were hit by artillery from the 1st Panzer Division. T-26 tanks from the 4th tank battalion of the 6th tank regiment of the 3rd tank division of the 1st mechanized corps of the North-Western Front. In the background of the picture, behind the bridge, there are destroyed KV-1 tanks.

Portrait of a Soviet artillery commander in German captivity

Explosion of an artillery shell in the Radzekhov (now Radekhov) area of ​​the Lviv region

Burning Soviet armored vehicles on the road near Radzekhova (now Radekhiv), Lviv region

Registration of volunteers in the Red Army at the Stalin plant in Leningrad

Burning Soviet light tank T-26 of 1939, knocked out on the road near the edge of the forest

A heavy tank KV-2 and a medium tank T-34 model 1940 with an L-11 cannon from, presumably, the 16th tank regiment of the 8th tank division of the 4th mechanized corps of the Red Army, stuck and then knocked out on June 23, 1941 during time to overcome the creek Maidan. Tanks fought near the village of Stary Maidan, Radekhovsky district, Lviv region, Ukraine s

A German soldier inspects a destroyed Soviet medium tank T-34 model 1940 with an L-11 gun lying upside down by the road. In the background, an abandoned light artillery tractor-transporter T-20 "Komsomolets" of the 2nd series

The body of a woman and her unborn child who died in a German bombardment of a Soviet convoy between Bialystok and Volkovysk

Soviet artilleryman at the sight of the 76-mm F-22 divisional gun on the Western Front

The Red Army soldier, putting down his horse, fires at the enemy in the area of ​​​​the city of Rogachev

The bodies of the killed German soldiers in front of the Soviet fortifications of the "Molotov Line" east of Kristinopol (now Chervonograd, Lviv region), two kilometers from the border. Photo taken by Chaplain Alois Beck in the operational sector of the German 6th Army

Two Soviet armored vehicles of the voensklad No. 60 type, captured at the railway station in Grodno

Captured Soviet steam locomotives of the CO19 series near the crossing on the stretch between Polonny and Berdichev

German sentry at the bridge over the Berezina. The inscription on the shield: "At this place the BEREZINA was crossed: 06/25/1708 by Charles XII during the campaign against Peter the Great and 11/27-29/1812 by Napoleon I during the retreat from Moscow". But then they both drove them back with oiled rags. Presumably, the photo was taken in the village of Studenka, Borisovsky district

Destroyed Soviet convoy and the bodies of dead Red Army soldiers on the road between Bialystok and Volkovysk

Soviet convoy destroyed by German aircraft near Kharkov while crossing the river

Red Army soldier Potseluiko firing from a DS-39 machine gun on the North-Western Front

German officers are interrogating a Soviet political commissar who was captured in the Vištītis area

Wehrmacht soldiers search the farmhouse on the Eastern Front. Judging by the signs written in Latin, presumably the scene is one of the Baltic republics of the USSR

Destroyed Soviet tanks KhT-130 and T-34 from the 6th mechanized corps and the bodies of dead tankers on the road near the village of Ozernitsy. A German Krupp L3H163 truck is on fire in the background. The tanks were shot down north of the Zelva-Slonim highway on June 29-30, 1941 during a battle with units of the German 29th Infantry Division. In this battle, the headquarters of the 6th mechanized corps was ambushed

Soviet T-28 tanks from the 8th Panzer Division of the 4th Mechanized Corps of the Southwestern Front, abandoned on Lesya Ukrainka Street in Zhovkva. Front shielded vehicle manufactured in 1938 with the L-10 gun, second tank without shielding, manufactured in 1936 with the KT-28 gun

Abandoned Soviet tractor STZ-5-NATI, towing a Br-10 barrel wagon with a barrel of a 203-mm B-4 howitzer

German soldiers examine a Soviet T-34 tank destroyed by an ammunition rack explosion.

German soldiers inspect a Soviet armored train crashed in Ukraine

Two abandoned Soviet T-37A light amphibious tanks. Machine with an armored hull manufactured by the Podolsk plant named after Ordzhonikidze

A Soviet medium tank T-34 with an L-11 cannon, manufactured in 1940, which rammed the wall of a building on the square near the court house in Nemirov during the battle in order to hide from artillery fire and move to a new position. Vehicle from the 15th Tank Regiment of the 8th Tank Division of the 4th Mechanized Corps of the 6th Army of the Southwestern Front

German soldiers on a captured French Citroën type 23 LU truck on the Eastern Front. An identification mark "G" is applied to the wing of the vehicle - Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group

Warriors of the 172nd Infantry Division, who distinguished themselves in battles near Mogilev. Presumably, these are fighters from the 388th regiment of the 172nd division under the command of Colonel S. F. Kutepov

Red Army signalmen of the Western Front are laying a telephone line in the field

The crew of a German bomber shot down near Leningrad. On the right (presumably) prisoners of war infantrymen of the Wehrmacht

The destroyer of the Baltic Fleet "Lenin", blown up in Libava (Liepaja) during the retreat. The ship was being repaired at the Tosmare shipyard in Liepaja. On the night of June 25, 1941, the ship was blown up near the pier, as it did not have a course and could not leave the port. "Lenin" - a destroyer of the "Lieutenant Ilyin" type - the second series of ships that belonged to the number of destroyers of the "Novik" type, until 12/31/1922 - "Captain Izylmetiev"

Soviet destroyer "Karl Marx" (destroyer of the "Novik" type, until 1922 - "Izyaslav"), sunk on the shallows in the Papovnik Bay (now Khara-Lakht) of the Gulf of Finland. On August 8, 1941, the destroyer "Karl Marx" and the boat MO-410, while shooting from the moorings from the pier of the village of Loksa, were attacked by four German aircraft. As a result of the explosion of bombs close to the starboard side of the destroyer, as well as the explosion of depth charges on the MO-410 boat that was standing nearby, three boilers failed, and water flooded both vehicles. At 17:55 the destroyer sank in a shallow spot. On August 11, the destroyer was finally destroyed by Soviet torpedo boats.

Former British-made Estonian tank Mk.V (modification "female" - "female" (armament only machine-gun, without guns). Four Mk.V tanks remained in service with the Estonian army until 1940. The last Mk.V was used by the Red Army in battles in August 1941. To strengthen the defense of Tallinn, all former Estonian weapons, previously considered unsuitable, were withdrawn from the warehouses.Among other things, the Mk.V was removed from conservation - instead of standard machine guns, Soviet "maxims" were installed on it and taken to the streets of the city How the last battle of this tank went is unknown, but after the occupation of Tallinn, it was captured by German troops and taken to Germany.
According to the memoirs of an American pilot who parachuted out of a burning B-17 over Berlin, published in the Northwest Florida Daily News in January 2003, at the end of the war, the Mk. V was "commissioned" again and used by the Volkssturm

German soldiers in a street fight in Tallinn

German soldiers and self-propelled guns StuG III near the Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral in Tallinn

Residents of Tallinn greet German troops entering the city near the Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Cathedral

Italian gunners-bersaglieri carry 47-mm anti-tank gun Cannone da 47/32 M35 on the march on the Eastern Front

Hungarian light tanks 38.M "Toldi I" (Toldi I) drive through a village in Ukraine

Soviet light armored vehicles BA-20ZhD from the 12th separate division of armored trains and a light tank BT-7M from the 1st motorized division, destroyed when moving away from the village of Nemanitsa at a fork in the road near the village of Lipki near the town of Loshnitsa

Rendering assistance to a wounded Soviet soldier at the first aid station of the 13th Army

Front-line correspondent for the Izvestiya newspaper Konstantin Mikhailovich Simonov (1915-1979) talking to the political commissar (left) of the 25th Chapaev Rifle Division in Odessa

A resident of Dorogobuzh with children and firewood in her hands walks along the street of the ruined city

Red Army soldiers of the Western Front cleaning their small shovels

An officer of the Red Army of the Western Front takes an oath at the banner

The unfinished battleship "Soviet Ukraine" (S-352) on the slipway of the shipyard named after Marty. Due to the outbreak of war, the construction of the battleship was discontinued. The readiness of "Soviet Ukraine" was 7%. At the end of the war, the unfinished ship was dismantled. Judging by the presence of submarine hulls on the stocks to the left of the covered shed, the photograph was presumably taken before the city was captured by the Germans (August 18, 1941)

Two German soldiers inspect the unfinished battleship "Soviet Ukraine" on the stocks of the plant. Marty in Nikolaev

The Germans inspect the unfinished battleship "Soviet Ukraine" (S-352, project 23, readiness - 7%) on the stocks of the plant. Marty in Nikolaev.
Brief specifications ship: displacement - 60190 tons (standard), 67320 tons (full). Length - 269 m, width - 38.9 m, draft - 10.4 m. Power plant power - 201,000 hp. Speed ​​- 29 knots.
Armament - 9 406-mm B-37 naval guns in three three-gun turrets, 6x2 152-mm, 6x2 100-mm, 10x4 37-mm 46-k, 4 seaplanes in 2 catapults. The total design cost of building one battleship in 1939 prices is about 7 billion rubles.

The unfinished battleship "Soviet Ukraine" on the stocks of the plant. Marty in occupied Nikolaev

Unfinished Soviet submarines S-36 and S-37 at the shipyard. Marty in Nikolaev

Red Army soldier who died in Belarus

Red Army soldiers and civilians shot by the Germans and dumped into a trench near Minsk. Photo especially for adherents of the sect "now they would drink Bavarian"

Aerial photography of the southern part of the city of Kharkiv taken from a German Focke-Wulf Fw.189 reconnaissance aircraft. On the right in the center is the Comintern Steam Locomotive Plant. At the bottom right is visible (marked with a dashed line) the runway of the Kharkov airfield

Soviet tank KV-1, abandoned near the bridge over the river Shchara in Slonim

Lithuanian villagers greet a column of German tanks Pz.Kpfw.38(t)

Overhead windshield of the German fighter Messerschmitt Bf.109F-2 of the commander of the 6th squadron of the 3rd fighter squadron (6./JG3), Oberleutnant Heinrich Sannemann, after being hit by a bullet fired by a Soviet bomber gunner

Tied to a cart stuck in the mud on the Eastern Front motorcycle BMW R-12 of the SS division "Reich"

Residents of Lvov greet German soldiers of the 99th Regiment of the 1st Mountain Infantry Division on the streets of the city. 10 a.m. June 30, 1941. The intersection of Komsomolskaya (now Bandera) streets, houses No. 25, 27 and Glubokaya

Ukrainians welcome the Germans in Western Ukraine

A column of the 12th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht on the Trinity Suburb Street in Minsk. In the photo on the left - tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E

Aerial photography of fires after the Luftwaffe raids on Minsk on June 24-25, 1941

Pair of Soviet I-16 fighters in flight

Red Army soldiers unload boxes of ammunition and grenades from a cart. On the head of a fighter on a cart - helmet SSH-36 "Halchingolka"

Destroyed Soviet T-26 light tank and dead driver

Italian soldiers inspect a Soviet Su-2 light bomber shot down by anti-aircraft fire in Ukraine. Judging by the lightning emblem on the tail, the aircraft belongs to the 52nd BBAP

A Soviet amphibious tank T-37A, destroyed and burned on the road, next to which lies a dead tanker. Machine produced by the Podolsk plant named after Ordzhonikidze

Soviet medium tank T-28, abandoned on the highway Bialystok - Slonim and the body of the deceased tanker. Machine from the 6th Mechanized Corps of the 10th Army of the Western Front. Behind the tank is a broken GAZ-AA truck. In the background of the picture is a BZ-39 tanker on the ZiS-5 chassis and a broken light amphibious tank T-38

German soldiers take cover in a ditch during street fighting in Kaunas

The front is a cage, and the one who got into it has to strain his nerves to wait for what will happen to him next. We are sitting behind bars, the bars of which are the trajectories of shells; we live in tense expectation of the unknown. We are given over to chance.

Erich-Maria Remarque, "On western front no change"

Board tactical games about World War II are a motley company. At one pole - a series Memoir 44 with elementary principles and quick games. On the other, numerous wargames, when unfolded, resemble primarily a headquarters map of hostilities. Somewhere in the middle - Tide of Iron with deep rules, dramatic fights and quality miniatures. It is with this recognized authority that domestic development competes: a system of rules Art of Tactic, whose private brainchild is Summer 1941.

Imagine for a second the battle of World War II. A German tank platoon, accompanied by infantry, is advancing on the defensive positions of the Russians. The defenders were thoroughly fortified: the ground was pitted with trenches, a bunker was erected on a strategically key hill, and anti-tank hedgehogs and barbed wire fences were on the approaches. The infantry advance is held back by mortarmen who have taken up position behind a small undergrowth. They are directed at the target by staff officers who have taken refuge close to the line of fire, accompanied by radio operators. The detachment, intending to go from the flank, landed straight into the minefield. The Russians seem to be fine. But the assault has been going on for a long time, the ammunition of the defenders is running out, and the enemy is being supplied by a whole convoy of trucks. The roar of the anti-tank gun ceases, and the emboldened Germans go on a decisive attack. All this - down to the details - is now possible within the framework of board game.

Before us is almost an independent desktop. Why only almost? And it’s very simple - the wealth of opportunities is a bit cramped within the framework of one set. Often in scenarios that offer to recruit an army at the player's request, the indicated number of points is so high that all the units that are in the box go into battle.

The benefit of new recruits is easy to recruit. If players want to move from small skirmishes involving two dozen squads to large-scale battles, at their service - additional sets. So far, they are limited to small and budget boxes with individual squads, mostly already found in the original selection. But if the game continues to develop, new participants and even parties to the conflict are not far off.

The first time you start a game, it is important to be patient. Models, for all their external charms, are prefabricated and sometimes include very small details. In addition, learning the rules takes quite an impressive amount of time. But in the end, the game is worth the candle: the system is quite clear, and most importantly, deep. There is where to turn around and show your tactical genius.

Deadly fire awaits us

Something, but leaving the cubes during the game will be more than once. The attack takes into account four main indicators.

Effectiveness depends on who is attacking whom. One and the same unit is a scourge for someone, and for someone it is like a pellet to an elephant. So, mortars for a tank are an empty phrase, and ordinary infantry is dangerous only if they get close.

The power of the attack, that is, the number of dice rolled, depends on the type of unit and its size. They suffered losses - the platoon began to fight worse. This is especially noticeable in the case of the infantry: when one half is killed, the second becomes almost helpless.

The distance to the target affects accuracy. It is easier to hit up close, and therefore many throw results are considered successful. At the maximum distance, only the ones rolled are always considered successes.

After the damage is dealt, the unit's defense indicator is subtracted from them, reflecting its training and armor thickness. After that, one unit of strength for each hit is finally crossed off the card and a morale check is made.

And all this - not counting the abundance of possible modifiers, special conditions and the influence of morale! But it is important to understand that already in the second game, many pieces add up to a single picture and thinking moves from the level of cubes to the realities of war. The mechanics are logical and therefore quickly assimilated.

Creating Art of Tactic, the developers first of all set themselves the goal of achieving simultaneous moves, and they succeeded. As a result, we have a rather cumbersome, but unparalleled system. Each unit on the field corresponds to a characteristic card. WITH front side it shows all the indicators of the detachment. The back one serves to assign tasks to the move.

All squads are assigned numbers that are written on their cards with a marker, of which there are two included with the game. During the ordering phase, the opponents secretly note what their subordinates will do this time. When both are finished, the players begin to act in turn, opening unit after unit. At the end of the turn, the marks are easily erased, and new orders can be given.

Even the simplest units, like an infantry unit, have a dozen possible orders. What can we say about sappers, magicians of all trades? At first, it's time to get confused, especially because of the abundance of icons. But in fact, everything is intuitive: just think about what such a detachment could do in reality. Rest assured, he will be able to do this in the game, and within the framework of the mechanics, any decision will be significant. If you want, the unit will quietly wait in ambush for the approaching enemy. If you want, they will go to the tank with grenades. If, of course, the soldiers have enough spirit.

In addition to the set of rules, players are also provided with a script book. Of course, you can play the usual skirmishes, agreeing on their scale and introducing, for example, checkpoints. But the battles composed by the developers definitely deserve attention.

The eight scenarios included in the starter set play on the most common military plots. Here is the defense of the bridge with a gradual approach of reinforcements, and the battle for a strategic height, and the battle for the city. There are a dozen approaches to each battle. There is only one catch: some plots are clearly designed to expand the base armies.

When the book is played-replayed, the official site of the game is at your service. Previous collectible miniatures, in particular the fantasy Ring of Rule, did not receive proper support from Zvezda and died out over time. Fortunately, in the case of Art of Tactic, the future looks brighter. A successfully launched project lives, develops and is already looking towards Europe.

Number of players (and optimal): 2 (2)
Difficulty of mastering: high
Preparation time: more than 15 minutes
Party time: up to 3 hours or more

Board tactical games about World War II are a motley company. At one extreme is the Memoir 44 series with elementary principles and fast games. On the other, there are numerous wargames, which, when unfolded, resemble, first of all, a headquarters map of hostilities. Somewhere in the middle - Tide of Iron with deep rules, dramatic fights and quality miniatures. It is with this recognized authority that the domestic development competes: the Art of Tactic rules system, of which Summer 1941 is a private brainchild.

The front is a cage, and the one who got into it,
I have to strain my nerves to wait for what will happen to him next.
We are sitting behind bars, the bars of which are the trajectories of shells;
we live in tense expectation of the unknown.
We are given over to chance.
Erich-Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

Imagine for a second the battle of World War II. A German tank platoon, accompanied by infantry, is advancing on the defensive positions of the Russians. The defenders were thoroughly fortified: the ground was pitted with trenches, a bunker was erected on a strategically key hill, anti-tank hedgehogs and barbed wire fences were on the approaches. The infantry advance is held back by mortarmen who have taken up position behind a small undergrowth. They are directed at the target by staff officers who have taken refuge close to the line of fire, accompanied by radio operators. The detachment, intending to go from the flank, landed straight into the minefield. The Russians seem to be fine. But the assault has been going on for a long time, the ammunition of the defenders is running out, and the enemy is being supplied by a whole convoy of trucks. The roar of the anti-tank gun ceases, and the emboldened Germans go on a decisive attack. All this - down to the details - is now possible within the board game.

Before us is almost an independent desktop. Why only almost? And it's very simple - the wealth of opportunities is a bit cramped within the framework of one set. Often in scenarios that offer to recruit an army at the player's request, the indicated number of points is so high that all the units that are in the box go into battle.

The benefit of new recruits is easy to recruit. If players want to move from small skirmishes involving two dozen squads to large-scale battles, additional sets are at their service. So far, they are limited to small and budget boxes with individual squads, mostly already found in the original selection. But if the game continues to develop, new participants and even parties to the conflict are not far off.

The first time you start a game, it is important to be patient. Models, for all their external charms, are prefabricated and sometimes include very small details. In addition, learning the rules takes quite an impressive amount of time. But in the end, the game is worth the candle: the system is quite clear, and most importantly - deep. There is where to turn around and show your tactical genius.

Something, but leaving the cubes during the game will be more than once. The attack takes into account four main indicators.

Effectiveness depends on who is attacking whom. One and the same unit is a scourge for someone, and for someone - like a pellet for an elephant. So, mortars for a tank are an empty phrase, and ordinary infantry is only dangerous if they get close.

The power of the attack, that is, the number of dice rolled, depends on the type of unit and its size. They suffered losses - the platoon began to fight worse. This is especially noticeable in the case of the infantry: when one half is killed, the second becomes almost helpless.

The distance to the target affects accuracy. It is easier to hit up close, and therefore many throw results are considered successful. At the maximum distance, only the ones rolled are always considered successes.

After the damage is dealt, the unit's defense indicator is subtracted from them, reflecting its training and armor thickness. After that, one unit of strength for each hit is finally crossed off the card and a morale check is made.

And all this - not counting the abundance of possible modifiers, special conditions and the influence of morale! But it is important to understand that already in the second game, many pieces add up to a single picture and thinking moves from the level of cubes to the realities of war. The mechanics are logical and therefore quickly assimilated.

Creating Art of Tactic, the developers first of all set themselves the goal of achieving simultaneous moves, and they succeeded. As a result, we have a rather cumbersome, but unparalleled system. Each unit on the field corresponds to a characteristic card. On the front side, it shows all the indicators of the detachment. The back one serves to assign tasks to the move.

All squads are assigned numbers that are written on their cards with a marker, of which there are two included with the game. During the ordering phase, the opponents secretly note what their subordinates will do this time. When both are finished, the players begin to act in turn, opening unit after unit. At the end of the turn, the marks are easily erased, and new orders can be given.

Even the simplest units, like an infantry unit, have a dozen possible orders. What can we say about sappers, magicians of all trades? At first, it's time to get confused, especially because of the abundance of icons. But in fact, everything is intuitive: just think about what such a detachment could do in reality. Rest assured, he will be able to do this in the game, and within the framework of the mechanics, any decision will be significant. If you want, the unit will quietly wait in ambush for the approaching enemy. If you want, it will go to the tank with grenades. If, of course, the soldiers have enough spirit.

In addition to the set of rules, players are also provided with a script book. Of course, you can play the usual skirmishes, agreeing on their scale and introducing, for example, checkpoints. But the battles composed by the developers definitely deserve attention.

The eight scenarios included in the starter set play on the most common military plots. Here is the defense of the bridge with a gradual approach of reinforcements, and the battle for a strategic height, and the battle for the city. There are a dozen approaches to each battle. There is only one catch: some plots are clearly designed to expand the base armies.

When the book is played, replayed, the official site of the game is at your service. Previous collectible miniatures, in particular the fantasy Ring of Rule, did not receive proper support from Zvezda and died out over time. Fortunately, in the case of Art of Tactic, the future looks brighter. A successfully launched project lives, develops and is already looking towards Europe.

Fascination 3
dignity that short, that long parts are worth a different film about the war
flaws the base set is not enough to unlock the full potential of the game
Interaction 3
dignity simultaneous moves, all the possibilities for a sharp confrontation
flaws with a single order card, things would go even faster
Study 2
dignity tactical depth without heaviness and congestion
flaws not all scenarios are brought to mind, there are a lot of rough edges in the rules
Atmosphere 2
dignity the system is conducive to memorable games
flaws detachments are faceless, scenarios are conditional
Quality 3
dignity outstanding miniatures, budget
flaws the box is not suitable for storing models, assembly time

Verdict: It is still a rare case when a domestic developer managed to create an international project. Many of the finds are really fresh, and the system as a whole, although it requires a number of patches, allows the tactical skills of the players to unfold.