Last Stand: The Battle for Moscow 1941-42

About this board game

Last Stand: The Battle for Moscow 1941-42 is a strategic wargame for 1–2 players, with scenarios lasting approximately 3–10 hours. It simulates the German offensive and Soviet counterattack around Moscow from October 1941 through January 1942.

Players command forces at division scale across a map divided into 17.2-kilometer hexes. Each turn represents ten days, while the campaign tracks the German drive toward Moscow and the growing impact of winter on the battlefield.

The game features a detailed sequence of play for both sides. German turns include supply, weather, movement, combat, Soviet reaction movement, and exploitation movement; Soviet turns add Katyusha gun operations, morale checks, German reaction movement, and combat.

• Variable victory conditions: neither player initially knows exactly what is required to win, and German objectives become clearer as the offensive advances.
• Morale and uncertainty: Soviet unit strengths are unknown, while Soviet national morale can fall, recover, or break down during the campaign.
• Supply and weather: supply consumption, isolation, attrition, air points, and the arrival of General Winter all influence operational decisions.
• Three scenarios: play the Soviet Counterblow, the German Attack, or the complete Campaign Game.

Scenario One focuses on the Soviet counterattack and takes about 3–4 hours. Scenario Two covers the German attempt to defeat the Soviets before winter in roughly 5–6 hours, while Scenario Three combines the offensive and counterattack into an approximately 10-hour campaign.

With a medium complexity rating, very good to excellent solitaire suitability, 560 counters, a full-color rulebook, and two player aids, Last Stand presents a substantial yet manageable simulation of a decisive Eastern Front struggle.