2009John H. Butterfield
- Videos
- 68
- Creators
- 20
1 - 2 players120 - 900 minHeavy weight

2022John H. Butterfield
Playthroughs. Enemy Action: Kharkov is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 3 reviews, 10 how-to-play guides, 272 recorded sessions, 9 unboxings, and 2 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
Enemy Action: Kharkov is the second game in John Butterfield's acclaimed Enemy Action series of card-driven games simulating pivotal battles in World War II, playable by two players or one player controlling either side in the conflict. Enemy Action: Kharkov portrays the Third Battle of Kharkov, the key Eastern Front battle in which the German Army ended a string of Soviet victories begun at Stalingrad. In the late winter of 1943, Soviet Operations code-named Star and Gallop drove the Germans from the city of Kharkov and threatened a complete breakthrough, only to be driven back by the German counteroffensive known as Von Manstein's Back Hand Blow. Each volume in the Enemy Action series features: Two-player competition with low complexity and constant decision points for both sides; Solitaire play of either side with systems governing all aspects of enemy command and tactics; Card-driven impulse system, with multi-purpose cards played to activate formations, implement command events, or gain tactical advantages in combat. Diceless and chartless combat system – players draw combat chits that build a narrative of each combat. The solo games add fog of war to the experience. Many enemy unit locations in the solo games are unknown until your forces move to contact. Enemy units behind the front line often disappear to reappear elsewhere, within realistic movement limitations. Features specific to Enemy Action: Kharkov include: Soviet partisans Offensive command quality Withdrawal under fire Armor depletion Von Manstein's Rochade (rapid redeployment) Soviet forward support Spring thaw and mud conditions Complexity: Moderate Solitaire Suitability: Designed for solitaire play Map scale: 7.5 miles per hex. Hexes are oversized for easy counter handling. Time scale: Three days per turn, with several impulses in each turn. Unit Scale: Regiments, brigades and divisions Players: One or Two (features Solitaire mode) Playing Time: 15 minutes to 5 hours for the full campaign -description from the publisher
Enemy Action: Kharkov has 296 videos from 18 creators: 3 reviews, 10 how-to-play guides, 272 playthroughs, 9 unboxings and 2 other videos. They date from 2022 to May 2025.
To learn the rules, start with "Compass Games Learn to Play 12: Enemy Action - Kharkov" by Moe's Game Table, which runs 1 h 24 min. For a quicker teach, "Enemy Action Kharkov Overview" by TheGimpyGamer runs 19 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Review | Enemy Action: Kharkov | Compass Games | The Players' Aid" by The Players Aid. 3 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Enemy Action Kharkov Soviet Solo Turn 1" by Dave's Gaming Cave, one of 272 playthroughs.
If you like it, try RAF: The Battle of Britain 1940, Conflict of Heroes: Eastern Front – Solo Expansion, SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD and D-Day at Tarawa, also by John H. Butterfield.
8 of 18
2009John H. Butterfield
1 - 2 players120 - 900 minHeavy weight
2015John H. Butterfield, Uwe Eickert, Gunter Eickert
1 players30 minHeavy weight
2018John H. Butterfield
1 - 4 players60 - 240 minHeavy weight
2014John H. Butterfield
1 players120 - 420 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
Enemy Action: Kharkov is the second game in John Butterfield's acclaimed Enemy Action series of card-driven games simulating pivotal battles in World War II, playable by two players or one player controlling either side in the conflict. Enemy Action: Kharkov portrays the Third Battle of Kharkov, the key Eastern Front battle in which the German Army ended a string of Soviet victories begun at Stalingrad. In the late winter of 1943, Soviet Operations code-named Star and Gallop drove the Germans from the city of Kharkov and threatened a complete breakthrough, only to be driven back by the German counteroffensive known as Von Manstein's Back Hand Blow. Each volume in the Enemy Action series features: Two-player competition with low complexity and constant decision points for both sides; Solitaire play of either side with systems governing all aspects of enemy command and tactics; Card-driven impulse system, with multi-purpose cards played to activate formations, implement command events, or gain tactical advantages in combat. Diceless and chartless combat system – players draw combat chits that build a narrative of each combat. The solo games add fog of war to the experience. Many enemy unit locations in the solo games are unknown until your forces move to contact. Enemy units behind the front line often disappear to reappear elsewhere, within realistic movement limitations. Features specific to Enemy Action: Kharkov include: Soviet partisans Offensive command quality Withdrawal under fire Armor depletion Von Manstein's Rochade (rapid redeployment) Soviet forward support Spring thaw and mud conditions Complexity: Moderate Solitaire Suitability: Designed for solitaire play Map scale: 7.5 miles per hex. Hexes are oversized for easy counter handling. Time scale: Three days per turn, with several impulses in each turn. Unit Scale: Regiments, brigades and divisions Players: One or Two (features Solitaire mode) Playing Time: 15 minutes to 5 hours for the full campaign -description from the publisher
Designer
John H. Butterfield
Artist
Knut Grünitz
Publisher
Compass Games
Categories
Mechanics