Panzer Campaigns Rumyantsev ’43 Released!

Hi All,

Wargame Design Studio are proud to release Panzer Campaigns - Rumyantsev ’43. This is the twenty-sixth game released in the Panzer Campaigns franchise and will not be the last.

We are excited to get this first, original title from Daniel (Dani) Asensio. Dani had previously modded and created new content for Panzer Campaigns and approached the WDS team to see if any of his work was of interest. It all was! Operation Rumyantsev, also known as the Fourth Battle of Kursk, was one of several major offensives fought in the Summer of 1943. We have mapped out several other related titles that will hopefully link to be the definitive coverage of the Soviet 1943 summer offensive. Dani has become an integral part of the Panzer Campaigns WDS team, and I doubt he will be a one hit wonder, with the pipeline he is currently working on.

Below is the information that will be up on the WDS web page.

Overview

For the Germans the Battle of Kursk was to be the premier summer operation in 1943, slowing the building Russian momentum. The battle was an Axis failure, and the Germans considered the operation finished by the middle of July.

For the Soviets, the early July battles were but the defensive phase of the Battle of Kursk, designed to wear out their German opponent. The Russian offensives that followed, first, Operation Kutuzov in the north, lasting from 14 July to 14 August, and Operation Rumyantsev from 3 August to 23 August were the culmination of the Soviet summer strategy.

Facing the Soviet Union's forces to defend Kharkov were the post Kursk, depleted 4th Panzerarmee and Army Detachment Kempf, soon renamed as 8th Army. Crisis both to the north at Bryansk during Operation Kutusov and on the Mius River to the south on the Azov Sea, saw the Axis forces at their weakest as the Soviets prepared to take back Kharkov in the fourth and final battle for the largest city in Eastern Ukraine.

In Rumyantsev '43, as the commander of the three Russian Fronts - Voronezh, Steppe & Southwestern, you have multiple armies at your disposal to defeat the vaunted but battered German Wehrmacht. As the German commander you will have at your disposal the still powerful panzer forces able to wreak havoc upon their Soviet foes. Included are scenarios that let you recreate all the major phases of the campaign from the initial German assault on the southern flank of the Battle of Kursk, to the culmination of Operation Rumyantsev, approaching the mighty Dnepr River. The stage is set! All that is lacking is for you to kick off one of the most significant campaigns of Summer 1943 on the Eastern Front!

Scenarios

Panzer Campaigns: Rumyantsev ‘43 covers the major actions of 21st Army Group between July and August of 1943, including

• The Zitadelle Southern Flank assault: July 5-14 1943
• Operation Rumyantsev: August 3 - 23 1943
• Operation Rumyantsev - First Phase: August 3 - 13 1943
• Operation Rumyantsev - Second Phase: August 11 - 23 1943

There are 49 scenarios in total including the above-mentioned campaigns. Campaign scenarios range in length from 90 turns up to 218 turns. Smaller scenarios ranging in length from 9 to 123 turns, will provide players with plenty of challenges and battles of variable length and size.

Features

Game features include:

• Game scale is 1 hex = 1 km, 1 turn = 2 hours, with battalion and company size units.
• 49 Scenarios – covering all sizes and situations, including specialized versions for both head to head play and vs. the computer AI.
• The Master Map covers 70,384 hexes and includes much of Southern Russian and the Ukraine.
• Three Order of Battle files covering the Soviet Voronezh, Steppe and Southwestern Fronts and opposing elements of Heeresgruppe Süd during the period July-August 1943, including ground forces from the Soviet Union and the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
• Order-of-Battle and Scenario Editors which allow players to customize the game.
• Sub-map feature allows the main map to be "chopped" up into smaller segments for custom scenario creation.
• All new images for unit art on both sides, including guns and vehicles.
• Extensive Designer notes providing historic background to the scenarios and explanation of design decisions

Rumyantsev '43 provides multiple play options including play against the computer AI, Play by E-mail (PBEM), LAN & Internet "live" play, and two player hot seat.

Panzer Campaigns: Rumyantsev ’43 is also the first title released in the series updated to our latest 4.01 standard. Extensive changes to the User Interface, game play and other features are included. You can read more about what is included in the 4.01 updates here: Version 4.01 Upgrade Information

Below are some images from the game. All can be clicked for full-size.

You can get the game now from Wargame Design Studio on this link; Rumyantsev ’43 Product Page

You can also get more information on the game as well as several free downloads under the ‘Updates and Downloadable Files’ tab at the bottom of the product page.

We hope you enjoy this latest Panzer Campaigns title and a big thank you to Dani and all in the team again!