Watch “Donnerschlag Teach & Play with Patrick Gebhardt,” a how-to-play guide for Donnerschlag: Escape from Stalingrad from Homo Ludens on BoardGameVideo.
Description provided by Homo Ludens on YouTube:
In this video we cover a game from a rather new publisher, VUCA simulations. This German company has drawn some attention for the quality of the production value of its game.
Today we will be covering one of their latest releases, Donnerschlag, that depicts what could have been an attempt in December 1942 at a breakout of the German 6th army caught in the Stalingrad cauldron.
Timecode:
00:00 Introduction
01:28 Designer Interview
23:47 Rules Overview
35:27 Play-through
1:24:40 Debrief
Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
Mainly unboxings. Donnerschlag: Escape from Stalingrad is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 5 reviews, 1 how-to-play guides, and 10 unboxings.
2 players
300 - 480 min
Medium weight: Teach it in one sitting
About Donnerschlag: Escape from Stalingrad, from BoardGameGeek:
Donnerschlag is a two player game which is playable in one sitting. It is more of a game than a simulation and intended to bring a high player interactivity and replayability to the player's table.
The Situation
From December 12 to December 23 in 1942, "Unternehmen Wintergewitter" was in progress. This was the code name for a relief attack by Heeresgruppe Don to free the trapped 6th Army in Stalingrad.
The Axis formations entered with 50,000 men and 250 tanks, while the strength of the Soviet formations was reported to be about three times that. For the enterprise to have any chance of success, the troops in the encirclement had to break out and meet the advancing Axis troops. The breakout had to be precisely coordinated with the advance of the relief troops and was to commence on the cue “Donnerschlag”. The breakout was never ordered and the troops in Stalingrad were never able to be relieved. This sealed their fate.
Players will be recreating this episode, with the Axis side attempting to secretly establish and reach a meeting point, thus effectively freeing the 6th Army, while the Soviet will try to impede such outcome.
The Scale
A hex represents 4 kms (2.5 miles) of terrain from side to side.
Each turn represents a period of 1-2 days.
Combat units are mostly Brigades & Regiments for the Soviets and Romanians, Battalions & Abteilungen for the Germans.
-description from the designer