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Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda
1980
Rules assistance for Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda is a board game released in 1980 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jim Dunnigan and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
"Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda" is one of several games in the Central Front Series published by SPI in the 1980s. "Fifth Corps" appeared in the September/October 1980 issue of Strategy & Tactics magazine #82. Both the game and series depict the early days of World War III in West Germany. Combat is conducted at the company, battalion, and regiment level, with a map scale of 4 km per hex. The map covers the Fulda Gap and includes the major West German cities of Frankfurt and Mainz. Fifth Corps uses a collection of mechanics, including "Operations Points" and "Friction Points", variable length game turns, and Zones of Control to simulate modern battlefield conditions. As with most modern warfare games, Fifth Corps includes rules for airpower, airmobile operations, and nuclear/chemical warfare. The game includes three scenarios: an introductory "Rhein-Main Raid", a more advanced "The Battle for Fulda", and the campaign game, "Fifth Corps". The Rhein-Main Raid Scenario: Three days after the next war began, the Soviets had not crossed into the Fulda/Frankfurt area. All Warsaw Pact lines of advance had been to the north and south of Fifth Corp's area of operations.Thus, NATO vacated the area to reinforce other hard hit sectors. NATO was surprised then, when two Soviet motorized rifle divisions entered the Fulda Gap supported by attack helicopters, aiming to seize a NATO nuclear site at Giessen, the Wiesbaden Airfield, and the critical Rhein-Main Airbase... A mobile, confusing engagement ensured, independent of the major battles along the rest of the front. The Battle for Fulda Scenario: At the outbreak of the next war, few areas were harder hit than the Fulda Gap. Here an entire Soviet Army and various support units, including an airborne regiment, were committed on the first day... Those [NATO support units] that survived were ordered to "contain all enemy breakouts" until the arrival of the 5th Panzer Division. Fifth Corps Scenario: Following the initial attack by 8th Guards Army, the Soviets sought to seal the fate of NATO in the Fulda/Frankfurt area by committing the 1st Guards Tank Army to the action... The race was on for the important Pomcus and Reforger sites.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.)
Questions and answers
Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda 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 Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda is 120 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 Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda for ages 12 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.
Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda belongs to these categories: Wargame and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are 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 Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda are: Jim Dunnigan. 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 Fifth Corps: The Soviet Breakthrough at Fulda 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.