Defiant Russia: Soviet Options
The Final Cut
This is the promised companion piece to
my earlier installment of Axis
Options: The Final Cut. Now it’s
time for me to complete the long-delayed Triumphant
Russia, but YOU can keep playing!
Axis Minor Restrictions
These rules almost made it into the game under 11.4. However,
despite its overall simplicity, Defiant Russia has
a fair amount of chrome and special rules for a game of its
size. I did not want to overwhelm the novice.
Units of Axis minor countries may only stack with units
of their own nationality or German units. Except for Finnish
units and the lone Spanish unit, no Axis unit may operate
north of hex row 26xx.
Black Death
The Soviet Union performed more amphibious operations than
any other nation except the United States. They were mostly
small-scale assaults, but were pivotal in the coastal campaigns.
Deploy the 1-3 marine division at start, in Sevastopol. It
has no ZoC, does not count for stacking and never needs to
trace supply. It can never move more than three hexes from
the Black Sea/Sea of Azov coast.
Guardian of the Revolution.
A Black Sea Fleet marine.
The marines can naval move in the Soviet Movement Phase
from port to port (Odessa, Sevastopol, Rostov, Novorossisk,
and theoretically Constanta) if both ports are Soviet-controlled.
It can also begin in a port and move to any coastal hex, though
if it does this the Axis player rolls one die and the unit
dies on a result of 1 (1 or 2 if landing in an Axis ZoC).
This uses its entire movement allowance. Sea movement of the
marines does not require the Black Seas fleet, but cannot
be done at all if the fleet has been eliminated.
Free Poland
 For
a state that on paper was committed to human progress, Stalinist
Russia fell far short of Utopia in building socialism. The
Katyn Massacre was just another of Stalin’s betrayals
of humanity and the Marxist ideals he claimed to hold. While
the Red Army would eventually form Polish exile units on Soviet
soil, it wasn’t until much later in the war.
For our purposes, however, if Katyn never happened, it would have been entirely
possible for Polish units to rally around the Hammer and Sickle
in 1941. The Soviet player receives the (2)-3 Polish Exile
corps as a turn five reinforcement. A unit with a combat value
in parentheses defends using that combat strength, but attacks
at half that value. The unit has only one step, but rates
as a corps. Thus it has a zone of control and counts for stacking.
It can never be replaced and is worth one casualty point per
13.0.
Red Finns
 The
Red Army had two weak Finnish divisions operational during
the Winter War. Here they are retained as a full-strength
rifle division for the Continuation War. The Red Finns are
a division-sized unit, thus with no zone of control and not
counted for stacking. It has a value of 1-4 and becomes available
as a turn three reinforcement at Leningrad.
The unit can never be replaced and is worth one point per
13.0. In addition, the unit can never move or attack south
of hex row 37xx. Like the White Finns, it is always considered
to be in supply if in Finland.
Helmsman of Communism
 Substitute
the Sariego piece for the Stalin piece. It (He? I?) follows
all the normal rules for Stalin, but the Soviet Union is now
a much nicer place to live (no purges, gulags, etc.) and communism
is achieved. Hey, its my bloody game so give me my non-materialistic
ego trip!
Try this rule to go with the piece. True collective leadership
means no man is indispensable; the new general secretary is
not worth a VP under 13.0. Thus only 12 Victory Points are
possible, allowing for ties. With Moscow no longer a potential
3-pointer, you will find the complexion of the game will change.
Can an Austrian noble scion lead the people?
The Sariego coat of arms.
Trotsky
 Stalin
remains a minor functionary, a ‘gray blur’ within
the party leadership. Democratic Centralism remains the norm
in the Party and Leon Trotsky is first among equals in the
Politburo.
Replace the Stalin counter with Trotsky, who also starts
in Moscow. Trotsky zooms across the Rodina in his armored
train, bringing reinforcements, supplies, and plenty of good
propaganda to spur the troops. Trotsky has unlimited movement
ability in the Soviet movement phase, but can only travel
along rail lines. He can move three hexes in the Soviet Exploitation
Phase.
Leon Trotsky, Comrade Sariego’s lost twin.
He does not count for stacking and neither does his movement
affect normal Soviet Rail movement. Trotsky can add +1 to
the attack of units he is stacked with only if they are attacking
along the rail line. He adds +2 to the defense of his stack
regardless of where any Axis attack is originating.
He can only retreat by rail. Roll one die if any Soviet
unit with which he is stacked suffers a step loss. He is eliminated
on a result of 1. If the Soviet stack is totally wiped out,
he is eliminated on a 1 or 2. If he survives he must retreat
if his stack did so. As he is tied to rail lines he can be
retreated separately from the stack, up to three hexes away.
If his retreat takes him through an Axis ZoC and no Soviet
unit is present, roll a die for each such hex. A roll of 1
and he is killed. Trotsky has the same Victory Point value
as Stalin in the original game.
To download the counters, click
here.
Click
here to purchase this game!
William Sariego
June 2005 |
