Von Manstein’s Backhand Blow
2002
A low-complexity East Front simulation of Manstein’s dramatic 1943 reversal, with unpredictable combat and events for one or two players.
1 - 2
player(s)
Medium Heavy
About this board game
Von Manstein’s Backhand Blow is a low/intermediate-complexity two-player game for one or two players, simulating the dramatic reversal on the Eastern Front in Southern Russia during early 1943.
In February, two powerful Soviet Fronts launched Operations Star and Gallop against a patchwork German line, aiming to destroy the remaining Axis forces in the region. Six weeks later, battered Soviet formations were retreating from German panzer spearheads. Soviet overconfidence contributed to the disaster, while Field Marshal von Manstein’s ability to gather enough panzer formations helped restore German tactical and operational superiority.
The game uses the Turning the Tables: The Axis Defeat of the Soviet Spring ’42 Offensive system. Its rules are easy to learn and master, but combat remains difficult to predict. The Combat Chit Draw and Random Events Table inject uncertainty into every battle, making each game unfold differently and supporting solitaire play.
- Time scale: two days per turn
- Map scale: 8 kilometers per hex
- Unit scale: Soviet corps and divisions; German regiments, kampfgruppen, and battalion-sized units
Designer Dirk Blennemann provides detailed orders of battle based on Russian- and German-language sources. Soviet forces include divisions and corps, while the German side ranges from regiments to the many ad hoc kampfgruppen used to halt the Soviet advance.
Released in 2002, Von Manstein’s Backhand Blow combines a focused historical situation with uncertain combat outcomes, offering a tense East Front contest for one or two players.
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