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Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942
2017
Rules assistance for Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120–240 min
- 16+
- Complexity 2.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 is a board game released in 2017 for 2 players, 120–240 minutes per game, and ages 16 and up. It was designed by Vance von Borries and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Demyansk Shield: The Frozen Fortress, January - May, 1942, From 22 June 1941 Axis armies attacked the Soviet Union on a broad front. While the northern group of armies (Army Group North) pushed towards Leningrad in a war of rapid maneuver its 16th Army covered the flank in the Lake Ilmen – Valday Hills area. Here, fighting began to settle down in early fall 1941 and by January had become static. Then the Soviets attacked. By late January the Soviet 11th Army had broken the German front in several sectors and threatened to surround perhaps 70,000 Germans around Demyansk. When 3rd Shock Army broke the southern wing of German 16th Army Soviet advances threatened now to destroy 16th Army and open the flank to Leningrad. It is at this stage that game-play begins. Demyansk Shield recreates the World War II campaign in the Valday Hills region of Russia, from late January 1942 through May 1942. One player will control the Axis forces (Germans), while his opponent controls the Soviet forces. The playing pieces represent the actual units that participated in the campaign and the map represents the terrain over which those units fought. The players maneuver their units across the map and conduct combat according to the rules of play. One player wins by capturing certain specified objectives while his opponent wins by avoiding those victory conditions. Game Scale: Game Turn: 6 days Hex: 2 miles / 3.25 Km Units: Battalion to Brigades Game Inventory: One 22 x 34" full color map Two dual-side printed countersheets (352 5/8" counters) One 28-page Demyansk Shield rulebook Six single-side printed scenario set-up charts Two single-side printed player aide charts Six plastic zip storage bags One 6-sided dice Solitaire Playability: Medium-High Complexity Level: Medium Players: 2 or more Playing Time: 12+ hours
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Legion Wargames LLC
Questions and answers
Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 is 120–240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 for ages 16 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 has a complexity rating of 2.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 are: Vance von Borries. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Demyansk Shield: the Frozen Fortress, February-May 1942 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.