Holdfast: Russia 1941-42

About this board game

Holdfast: Russia 1941-42 is a strategic World War II campaign game for 1-2 players with an approximately 180-minute play time. It focuses on the Russian Campaign and is the first game in the Campaigns of World War II series.

Wooden blocks create fog of war, while hex movement gives the campaign a clear spatial framework. Clean mechanics and a manageable number of units keep the game focused, allowing the entire campaign to be played in an evening.

The central objective is straightforward, but achieving it is not. To win, a player must hold two of the three victory location cities at the end of the game. Every decision takes place under changing battlefield pressures that can make a secure position difficult to maintain.

• Wooden blocks support hidden information and fog of war.
• Hex movement structures the campaign map.
• Mud and supplies remain constant factors throughout the game.
• German armor is always a threat.
• Winter boosts Russian resources and manpower.

These elements create a campaign in which clear objectives meet difficult conditions. Mud can affect plans, supplies demand attention, and the German armored threat keeps the Russian side under pressure, while winter changes the balance by strengthening Russian resources and manpower.

With its manageable unit count and accessible objective, Holdfast: Russia 1941-42 presents the Russian Campaign in a compact strategic format. Yet the opposing pressures ensure that neither side can simply assume victory: both must hold fast until the final position is determined.