Smolensk: Barbarossa Derailed

About this board game

Smolensk: Barbarossa Derailed is a 1–2 player Operational Combat Series game with a listed play time of 4,560 minutes, covering the campaign along the Moscow highway during the summer of 1941.

The game begins on 8 July, while Barbarossa is still advancing rapidly. As August arrives, the German advance stalls when Hitler diverts most of the panzers toward Leningrad and Kiev. By the final turn on 8 September, Soviet counteroffensives have pushed Army Group Center close to the breaking point.

Both sides must attack and defend in this asymmetrical campaign. German forces benefit from stronger typical Action Ratings, but face logistical and replacement contrasts, inexperienced panzer divisions, and rivalry between Heinz Guderian and Hermann Hoth that can make coordination difficult. Soviet forces are weaker overall, yet their tank divisions can deliver a powerful blow despite poor quality.

• A Soviet 1st Motorized Division featuring heavy KV-1 and T-34 tanks
• An Alarm Pool representing militia, tank, and anti-tank contributions
• Special markers for artillery ammunition and Katyusha effects
• Rules covering cut-off units, “tree bark soup,” and aircraft diverted to bomb Moscow

Smolensk: Barbarossa Derailed is designed as a relatively small and simple entry in the series, with special rules kept to a minimum. Its seven scenarios range from the half-turn Vitebsk introduction to the full 19-turn Smolensk Campaign, alongside later starts and three focused counteroffensive scenarios.

Across these scenarios, players experience a campaign in which the Soviets are more than punching bags and the Germans must struggle to hold their early gains. The road to Moscow is paved in blood.