Kursk: History’s Greatest Tank Battle, July 1943

About this board game

Kursk: History’s Greatest Tank Battle, July 1943 is a two-player operational-level board wargame of the largest tank battle the world has ever known, with play time listed at 360 minutes and 4–9 hours.

Set during the war between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, the game presents the finest German armies advancing against a numerically superior and well-entrenched Red Army. Players manage the battlefield’s vital elements, from movement and attack modes to anti-tank units, artillery barrages, air support, Soviet partisans, and German Kampfgruppen.

The battle includes iconic forces and commanders, from Tiger I, Panther, and Elephant tanks to SS divisions, Red Army Guards, Zhukov, and von Manstein. Three scenarios capture the battlefield action, offering a focused study of a crucial World War II engagement for historians and wargamers alike.

• Two-player game for ages 12 and up
• Moderate to high complexity
• Moderate suitability for solitaire play
• Original components include a 22×34-inch map, 600 counters, a 25-page rulebook, and German and Soviet deployment displays

The Six Angles edition expands the presentation with a 22×34-inch map, a small DIN A4 map, 960 counters, and several thick playing aids. Its 64-page magazine includes the rules, designer’s notes, player’s notes, historical notes, and an after-action report by Masahiro Yamazaki.

The rules are essentially the same but clarified and corrected, with optional rules and a five-turn introductory scenario using the mini-map. First released in 1980, Kursk: History’s Greatest Tank Battle, July 1943 offers a detailed operational study of armor, firepower, terrain, and battlefield command.