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The Dark Sands: War in North Africa, 1940-42
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Stalin's War
2010
Rules assistance for Stalin's War
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Stalin's War
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Stalin's War is a board game released in 2010 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Ted Raicer and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Stalin's War is a unique card-driven, hex-based game, a combination that allows players to experience a broad range of strategic and tactical options as they maneuver their forces across a large hex map that stretches from Berlin to the Urals. Stalin's War allows player to recreate WWII's greatest battles of encirclement as Axis Armies and Panzer Corps clash with Soviet Fronts and Armies on a front a thousand miles wide. Simple but effective rules allow you to use your mechanized forces to blitz the enemy's front line and exploit deep into your opponent's rear. Can you as the Soviets survive the slashing Panzer attacks of Operation Barbarossa and Case Blue in 1941 and 1942? Can you as the Axis player stand against the crushing Soviet Deep Battle operations that destroyed Army Group Center in 1944? Stalin's War will test both player's operational skills to the limit. But there is more to Stalin's War than directing your forces on the map. Both sides have their own deck of 55 cards, needed to launch offensive operations, mobilize their forces, replace losses, introduce new weapons, and deal with the larger strategic context of a World at War. Card Events include combat leaders, weapons (from German Tiger Tanks to patriotic Soviet mice nibbling the electrical wiring of the panzers), the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, Manstein's Backhand Blow, Stalin's and Hitler's meddling, the Battle of the Bulge, and much more. Stalin's War allows players to combine the best of WWII operational play with the strategic depth and tactical chrome of a card driven design. A genuine new look the the most important theater of WWII, this is a game you want to play again and again. (Taken from rear of the game box) Scenarios In addition to the full campaign game, a shorter tournament scenario is included that comprises 8 game turns and covers the time period of June 1941 through to Winter 1943.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
Questions and answers
Stalin's War 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 Stalin's War is 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 Stalin's War 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.
Stalin's War has a complexity rating of 3.1 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.
Stalin's War belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. 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 Stalin's War are: Ted Raicer. 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 Stalin's War 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.