Battle for Moscow

Saturday, while my son was engaged in video game pizza making (I kid you not), I managed to get in two plays of Battle for Moscow.  If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a game ostensibly based on the 1941 German drive to capture Moscow. More than a history lesson, it's intended introduce people to hex and counter wargaming (perhaps I should have started here myself!). 

I first came across it in the wilds of the internet years ago when I was just getting into wargaming, albeit with miniatures. You can view the components or even download the entire game, legally from Grognard.com.

I'm not a fan of printing my own counters - they never feel right to me - so, I've been on the look out for a copy of the game ever since. When I happened to find a copy for $5 at the 2020 Atlanta Military Figure Society Show (one of the last things I did pre-COVID-19 lockdowns but of course, I didn't get around to playing it until January 2021.), I scooped it up.

It's a simple game, no doubt about it. 

Still, it introduces the basics like turn sequences, moving and terrain effects, zones of control, combat and a result table with the requisite odds calculations, step reduction, lines of communication, etc. It has no particular solo mechanisms but as it's an attack-defend scenario, it works well for solitaire play.

Initial setup locations are printed on the map. All of the Russian units, save one, are the same, so their setup doesn't matter. The Germans have more options and it does matter.

A later turn illustrating the step-wise reduction of unit strength.

I rather like it as a way to get in a quick game when I have time, but not time enough for anything involved. It has a minimal number of pieces, it's quick to setup, and the rules are quite short. Even O.G.R.E. Pocket Edition feels more complex!