- BGG rank
- BGG #3,898
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South
2000
Rules assistance for Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 360 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South is a board game released in 2000 for 2–4 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark Simonitch and Tony Curtis and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
About the game
On August 3rd, 1943, less than two weeks after the Kursk offensive, the Soviets launched a massive offensive near Kharkov that ripped open the German line. The ensuing battle began their summer offensive that would take them across the Ukraine to the Dnieper River. During August the two sides were equally matched and a tremendous war of attrition raged from Kharkov to the Sea of Azov with neither side willing to give ground. In September, bled white by the never-ending Soviet attacks, the German army retreated in haste to the safety of the Dnieper River. In October, the battle raged along the length of the Dnieper and for the Perekop Peninsula, the only land exit to the German 17th Army in the Crimea. During this three month period German reinforcements poured in from every sector, but it was never enough. Three Soviet Tank Armies and four Soviet Fronts ground through nineteen panzer and panzergrenadier divisions. German and Soviet losses were staggering. Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, fell on November 6th. [1st edition] Ukraine '43 attempts to simulate this important campaign in a moderately complex game. The design uses the conventional move-fight-exploit sequence of play and the popular Zone of Control Bond rules. Soviet tank armies and German panzer corps spearhead constant attacks and counterattacks. With both sides able to attack, the game becomes a tense battle of skill and nerves. Game Features: German Panzer Corps/Russian Tank Army capabilities Soviet massed artillery German tactical proficiency German Tiger tanks Soviet sappers air power differing capabilities for Marshal Zhukov and General Manstein Zone of Control Bonds COMPONENTS (1st edition) 280 1/2" full-color counters One One 22x29" full-color mapsheet and one 5x29" full-color mapsheet which form a 26.75 x 29” map 32-page Rule Book 2 full-color 11x17 Player Aid Cards 1 8.5x11 Sequence of Play Card (w/ Historical Setup on the reverse side!) Three 6-sided dice [2nd Edition]The 2nd Edition has been re-designed to play much faster using the system used in France '40 and Normandy '44. Players familiar with those games will find the new Ukraine '43 very easy to learn. All the components will be upgraded -- the counters will go from half-inch to 9/16 size, the map will be enlarged so the hexes can accommodate the larger counters, and each scenario will now come with a setup card to facilitate setting up the game. NEW FEATURES: Larger units Larger hexes Additional Sturmgeschütz brigades and Tiger Tank battalions in the order of battle. All Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions, Soviet Tank and Mechanized Corps now have a 3rd step (remnant unit). Simple, classic igo-ugo system. OLD FEATURES THAT HAVE BEEN RETAINED: Russian Tank Army and Shock Army capabilities Soviet massed artillery German Tiger tanks air power differing capabilities for Marshal Zhukov and General Manstein Zone of Control Bonds COMPONENTS (2nd edition) 9/16" full-color counters (one and a half counter sheets) * Two full-color mapsheets which together form a 36.5" x 34" map 28-page Rule Book 5 full-color Player Aid Cards (2 Combat result/Terrain effect chart, 3 At Start/Reinforcement cards) Two 6-sided dice TIME SCALE 5 days per turn MAP SCALE 10 miles per hex UNIT SCALE Primarily divisional. NUMBER OF PLAYERS One or twoDESIGNER: Mark Simonitch DEVELOPER: Tony Curtis MAP ART: Mark Simonitch COUNTER ART: Mark Simonitch (source: GMT website and user's description)
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Ediciones MasQueOca
- GMT Games
- NAC Wargames
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South is 360 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 Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South 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.
Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South has a complexity rating of 3.5 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.
Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. 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 Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South are: Mark Simonitch and Tony Curtis. 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 Ukraine '43: The Soviet Summer Offensive Against Army Group South 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.