Game of the Week, Aug 19 to 25

Hi everyone,

It’s Monday, so time for a new Game of the Week!

This week’s Game of the Week is Squad Battles – Advance of the Reich.

Squad Battles – Advance of the Reich is the latest 4.03.1 version, released in March, and our product description encapsulates this collection of scenarios on the early 1941-42 Eastern Front well:

When the German Army invaded Russia in June of 1941, they expected a quick campaign, one that would lead them to victory. Instead, they found that they had started a long and bloody fight that would reach its zenith in the destroyed streets of Stalingrad at the end of 1942. Those first two years of the campaign in Russia would result in the furthest advance of the German Army, a point to which they would never return. From the initial invasion to defeat at Stalingrad, this period would be the Advance of the Reich.

Squad Battles – Advance of the Reich was the first Eastern Front Squad Battles title that John Tiller created. Following were the companion titles, Squad Battles - Winter War and Squad Battles - Red Victory.

There are 113 Scenarios and a new campaign included. Below is a list of the major engagements simulated, many with multiple scenarios:

• Barbarossa actions 1941 – Army Group North, Center and South.
• Operation Typhoon 1941 – Attack towards Moscow.
• Kharkov 1942
• Stalingrad 1942
• Operation Mars 1942

The game features detailed maps, including a massive 56,316-hex representation of Stalingrad, allowing players to navigate through iconic locations such as the Grain Elevator and the Tractor Factory. This level of detail not only enhances the gameplay experience but also provides a deeper understanding of the historical context.

Squad Battles – Advance of the Reich includes the aforementioned playable scenarios, and campaign, as well as a Getting Started scenario to introduce new players to the game system. The included scenarios are a good mix of small (company), medium (battalion) and large (regimental) engagements.

The Order of Battles include German, German SS, Russian, Russian Guards, Italian, Rumanian, Militia and Russian Naval soldiers.

We included a lot of historical documentation and notes with this title, you can review each by clicking on the links or images below.

Getting Started Guide

Designer Notes

Scenario Map 1

Scenario Map 2

     

There has been a range of books covering the Eastern Front in 1941 & 1942. Following are some representative books for anyone that would like some more background on the campaign and actions. You can click on the book images below to be taken to the Publisher or Amazon, if applicable.

Informational

Panzer Tactics written by Wolfgang Schneider. A must read, as per Amazon: Using period training manuals, after-action reports, countless interviews with Panzer veterans, and his own experiences as an armor commander in the modern German Army, Schneider describes World War II Panzer tactics, coupling his narrative with scores of illustrations that highlight armor concepts.

Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front 1941-1942: Schwerpunkt by Robert Forczyk. This book provides a detailed analysis of the German and Soviet tank battles during the early years of Operation Barbarossa. It covers the tactics, strategies, and equipment used by both sides, offering a comprehensive overview of armored warfare on the Eastern Front.

War Without Garlands: Operation Barbarossa 1941-1942 by Robert Kershaw provides a detailed and harrowing account of the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. The book focuses on the experiences of ordinary German soldiers and junior officers, using diaries, letters, and oral accounts to paint a vivid picture of the brutal campaign.

Small Unit Actions During the German Campaign in Russia [Illustrated Edition]. This is a very good collection of small unit actions on the Eastern Front and an analysis of tactics and learning. It is available direct for free from the US Army archives and is a very worthwhile read.

The Red Army Handbook 1939-1945 by Steven Zaloga. This comprehensive handbook offers an in-depth look at the organization, equipment, and tactics of the Red Army. It includes detailed sections on small unit tactics and the operational art of Soviet forces during the war.

Death of the Leaping Horseman: The 24th Panzer Division in Stalingrad by Jason Mark. This was Jason’s first book on Stalingrad and an absolute gem in that it covers the fighting from the start of Fall Blau across the steppe to the loss of all in Stalingrad. Jason is the preeminent author on Stalingrad and all his books are at a scale that is perfect for a range of wargaming.

Island of Fire: The Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory in Stalingrad by Jason Mark. As described by Amazon: For four winter months during the battle, German and Soviet forces fought over a single factory inside the city of Stalingrad. Lavishly illustrated with photos and maps, Island of Fire presents a day-by-day—at times hour-by-hour—chronicle of that pitiless struggle as seen by both sides. The book is unparalleled and exhaustive in its research, meticulous in its reconstruction of the action, and vivid in its retelling of the street-by-street, hand-to-hand fighting near the gun factory.

Now for video content:

Jim Owczarski did a fun multiplayer livestream of the Assault on Wielke Dzial scenario. Turn the elevation slopes on Jim!

A new to Squad Battles player, Iratespartan13 tried out the Getting Started scenario and gave his thoughts on the game overall.

Soviet Squad Tactics in World War 2 based upon Charles Sharp’s Soviet Infantry Tactics in World War II.

Following are some in-game screen shots of what to expect. Each image can be clicked for a full-sized view.

 

 

As mentioned, the build we are making available today is the latest 4.03.1 version that was released in March. A range of new features are included, and you can read the Changelog here. All new purchases will be this latest version.

If you already own Squad Battles – Advance of the Reich, please note that you will have a new installer available in your store account. There will not be an update available for existing Modern Campaigns – Korea ‘85 installations.

Beginning with the recent Squad Battles updates, then Panzer Battles then Musket & Pike updates, Civil War Battles and now on to Panzer Campaigns - we have been requiring a complete clean install of your games to get the new version. There's a variety of reasons for this - core changes to file formats (moving to PNG files in some cases), new infrastructure for future A/I enhancements, Windows 11 compatibility changes and the enormous size many of the updates have grown to be. Regarding that last point, many of the updates were retaining backwards compatibility with ancient installers, in some cases back to the HPS days! This required inclusion of a huge number of files, and in some cases an additional Batch file to reorganize everything into the new file structures. It was getting problematic on several points, not the least of which was some security software packages were blocking the batch files from running.

So, these fresh installs will resolve all of those problems in one fell swoop. You uninstall your existing copy of the game using the built in Windows "App Management" feature in the Control Panel. You then do a clean install of the game, and everything is in its proper place. 

We will be doing this for every game series we publish, in time - if all goes well during the course of 2024. Once the new "base line" is established we will begin to offer incremental updates again on the site. These will only include files changed since that new baseline for that series. With that said, you can ALWAYS do a clean install at any time, and the installer linked in your Store Account is the most recent version.

So, again, how do you get these new versions? 

You must go and login to your Store Account to download new full installers. 

Notes regarding Store Accounts.

1. If you go to login using one of the above links and it tells you "no account found" - don't worry! - just send us an email at the Help Desk and we will locate your records. It's just a matter of completing the account setup process.
2. When you login you will see all your orders listed there. Under each order number is the word (Downloads). If you click that it will take you to a page where you can do a new download of the game and it will also display your serial number. Again, each of the installers is fully up-to date with the latest patches already included.

If you don’t already own this title, what are you waiting for? You can buy it directly from the dedicated product page.

We hope you enjoy this week’s, Game of the Week.  Like all WDS titles, there is a lot of game play included at a very attractive price.