The Stalingrad expansion introduces a new campaign game for Tide of Iron players. This particular campaign requires players to acquire and manage severely limited resources through a series of linked scenarios as they assume command of either the German 6th Army or the Soviet 62nd Army.
In this campaign, two players play through the four linked scenarios presented at the end of this guide. One player plays various German forces attacking Stalingrad, while the other player assumes the role of the Soviet defenders of the beleaguered city.
The Stalingrad campaign game is very different than the 29th Division campaign game that appeared in the Normandy campaign expansion of Tide of Iron. The 29th Division campaign followed a single American infantry division from Omaha Beach to the Siegfried Line in 1944. As such, the rules for upgrading the 29th's order of battle reflected the increased combat experience of the division through continuous engagements. The Stalingrad campaign game is an entirely different experience than the 29th Division campaign game, and does not modify or alter the 29th Division campaign rules in any way.
The Stalingrad campaign game does not follow a single unit. but focuses on key actions of the battle. Stalingrad was a duel of logistics as well as one of armed might. Both sides faced shortages of men and resources in a brutally hostile environment. To simulate the importance of these resources, players compete to earn command of three different types: ammunition (ammunition), supply, and morale. After each scenario, players spend the command that they earned during each scenario to purchase advantages for their side.
Although designed for the campaign of linked scenarios, each of the four scenarios can also be played as stand alone scenarios. Players wishing to play through the four scenarios as a linked campaign should play them in the order presented. However, players wanting to play the scenarios individually or launch the campaign from a different starting point can do so. However, the resource management system embedded in the scenarios does not have as great an impact if played out of sequence.
After choosing which side each player wishes to play in the campaign, begin play with the first scenario: "Ramming Speed."