Watch “Smitty Unboxes Donnerschlag,” a board game unboxing for Donnerschlag: Escape from Stalingrad from Smitty's Game Table on BoardGameVideo.
Description provided by Smitty's Game Table on YouTube:
Smitty unboxes VUCA Games Donnerschlag, a two player game where the Germans attempt the relief and rescue of the encircled and beleaguered Sixth Army in the Stalingrad Cauldron. Donnerschlag focuses on not just the operational aspects of this campaign, but uses and enhance Fog of War to add greater tension. The Axis side will attempt to secretly establish and reach a meeting point, a rendezvous to meet and free the 6th Army, serving as shepherds to this flock of dispirited and staring soldiers, while the Soviet will try to defeat the relief.
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
