Roads to Moscow: Battles of Mozhaysk and Mtsensk, 1941

About this board game

Roads to Moscow: Battles of Mozhaysk and Mtsensk, 1941 is a two-player game with an approximately 180-minute playing time, depicting desperate battles in the Soviet Union during the German drive on Moscow in October 1941.

The game presents two separate battles, each named for its main objective city. At Mozhaysk, west of Moscow, German forces fight across the old Napoleonic battlefield of Borodino. At Mtsensk, south of Moscow, a Soviet ambush disrupts the advance of Guderian’s panzer spearhead and gives the 6th Guards Rifle Division time to establish a defensive position.

The German player commands an excellent fighting machine, but must contend with limited fuel and a strict timetable. Objectives must be captured before mud and snow bring the offensive to an end. The Soviet player begins with the rearward remnants of once-immense armies and must avoid encirclement while waiting for high-quality reinforcements from the Far East.

Using the same mechanics as Roads to Leningrad: Battles of Soltsy and Staraya Russa, 1941, the game uses a chit draw to activate formations. Motorized units can execute overruns, combine arms, and move reserves, while special rules cover Soviet rocket artillery, NKVD units, self-propelled guns, and fuel supply shortages.

• Two battles: Mozhaysk and Mtsensk
• 12-hour turns and hexes measuring 1.4 km at Mozhaysk and 1.2 km at Mtsensk
• Units ranging from companies to battalions, with brigade and division headquarters
• Three counter sheets, a double-sided 22″ x 34″ map, setup cards, charts, rules, a playbook, and a ten-sided die

Designed by Vance von Borries, Roads to Moscow focuses on the tension between German momentum and Soviet resistance during the struggle for the approaches to Moscow.