Circle of Fire: The Siege of Cholm, 1942

About this board game

Circle of Fire: The Siege of Cholm, 1942 is a low-complexity historical conflict simulation for 1–2 players, with games lasting approximately 240 minutes. It recreates the first ten days of the battle for Cholm, when the Soviet 3rd Shock Army attempted to capture the town, its food, and its vital road hub.

The opposing forces have distinct advantages. The Soviet side has more men, stronger artillery, and armor, while the German side begins with the town, the high ground, and air power. With Hitler declaring Cholm a festung and forbidding withdrawal, the battle unfolds amid waist-deep snow and sub-zero temperatures.

Designed by Michael Rinella, the game uses an updated version of the area-impulse system first used in Storm Over Arnhem. It also adds the “sudden death” mechanism, which can bring turns to an unpredictable end and helps create uncertainty during the siege.

Circle of Fire is designed to be easy to learn, quick to set up, and fast to play for its subject. Its low complexity makes it an introduction to both area-impulse games and conflict simulations, while the historical situation provides a sharply asymmetric contest between an attacking Soviet force and a German force defending a surrounded town.

• One full-color 22 × 34-inch map produced from aerial photographs and situational maps
• 176 full-color, 5/8-inch die-cut counters
• Eight pages of rules and two pages of charts and tables
• Low complexity and low solitaire suitability
• Published in 2014

Whether commanding the Soviet assault or organizing the German defense, players face a battle shaped by terrain, firepower, air support, and the pressure of an unpredictable turn. The result is a focused game about one of the Second World War’s notable small-unit sieges.