Stalingrad Pocket: The Wehrmacht’s Greatest Disaster

About this board game

Stalingrad Pocket: The Wehrmacht’s Greatest Disaster is a World War II wargame for 1–2 players, with a listed playing time of 900 minutes. It covers the Soviet counteroffensive Operation Uranus and the German attempts to keep its pincers apart during November and December 1942.

The German army holds much of Stalingrad, while Axis allied troops of uncertain quality defend the extended flanks. Opposing them are the shock troops of the Soviet winter counteroffensive, ready to begin the encirclement that will create the Stalingrad Pocket.

Soviet players must make the best use of the ponderous and fragile Red Army of 1942. German players rely on mobile forces, concentrated reserves, and rapid hit-and-run attacks intended to disrupt the Soviet advance. The game is the first Standard Combat Series design from The Gamers, offering a system intended to be fun, fast, and simple without being simplistic.

• Race to Kalach: a three-turn introductory scenario.
• Wintergewitter: a five-turn scenario covering Operation Winter Storm, the German attempt to relieve the trapped 6th Army.
• The Stalingrad Pocket: a sixteen-turn campaign game.

Each game turn represents two days, while each hex covers 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers). Units range from battalions to divisions, creating a focused operational view of the campaign. The set includes a full-color map, two countersheets, dedicated game and Standard Combat Series rulebooks, and two six-sided dice.

With low complexity and high solitaire playability, Stalingrad Pocket provides an accessible entry to the series while preserving the pressure of a major historical encirclement. It won the 1992 CSR Award for Best World War II wargame.