The Russian Campaign

About this board game

The Russian Campaign is a two-player historical wargame about Germany’s 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, with a listed playing time of 360 minutes and a 1974 release year.

Based on Operation Barbarossa, the game follows the dramatic opening of the campaign: the German blitzkrieg, the capture of hundreds of thousands of prisoners, the advance toward Moscow, and the arrival of winter. Players must apply the subtle skills, advantages, and tactics associated with the historical commanders to achieve victory.

Designed for substantial strategic play while remaining accessible, The Russian Campaign combines historical accuracy with a broad selection of military operations. Movement and combat possibilities include rail movement, sea movement, invasions, and the double impulse movement capability.

• Stuka units and SS units
• Partisans
• Automatic victory and sudden-death victory conditions
• Seven scenarios covering important battles within the full campaign

The game includes a 22-by-28-inch mapboard, playing aids and charts, and a twelve-page rulebook. Its Avalon Hill complexity rating is 4 on a scale from 1 to 10, while its listed playing time is six hours or less.

Acclaimed as one of the finest wargames around, The Russian Campaign is intended to convey the feel of the actual campaign without losing playability. It was also the inspiration for Russia Besieged. Later fourth and fifth editions, as well as the Designer Signature Edition, have different game entries.