From: Roberto Chiavini <mumaye@mail.dada.it> 
Subject: One more review 

Kharkov (S&T 68)

In my research of old games that I haven't played before, I've recently
found this simulation of the battle of May 1942 on the Russian Front,
made in 1978 by SPI for his magazine S&T.

Graphics are very bland for today standards, but almost good for more
than 20 years ago. The only drawback are the Russian units that are
green (!!) colored. The system for this game is almost an exact copy of
the one used a couple of here before for Panzergruppe Guderian, a
breakthrough design destined to make the history of our hobby.

So, even in Kharkov are the Russian untried units (you don't exactly how
a Russian unit is worth for combat until the first combat it takes part
into) and a mechanized second movement phase (only for the German
units); there are also Panzergruppe and PanzerGrenadier, that doubles
their strength if all the units in that command are stacked together for
the attack and nearby for the defense.

Units are rated for combat and movement (Germans) or for attack -
defense - movement (Russians). Maximum stacking is three units. Russians
have also Army HQs that limit their offensive possibilities, as most of
the units, to be effective, must be inside the HQ command radius (3 to 5
hexes). ZOCs are rigid for most of the game for the Russians, while
Germans are more flexible in their leaving enemy ZOCs. Combat uses a
standard ratio CRT, with numbered losses that may be transformed in
retreat hexes, plus the usual elimination result. There are several
particular rules that reflects the specific situation, that limit the
initial movement of a good part of the German units and of almost half
the Russians. There are also special rules for the Russian attacks of
the first 4 turns of the game (the end after 10 turns) and the necessity
for both players (even if for different reason) to try to have an
uninterrupted front from north to south as long as possible (otherwise,
the Russian player receive victory points, while the German may move all
his southern units.

Victory points are awarded at the end of the game for taking possession
of the 3 cities on the map (Kharkov, Poltava and Dnjepropetrovsk), for
destroying enemy units (most of the Russians are one step units, apart
from the guard, while most of the German infantry division have 4 steps
and the armored battalion normally 2, with three different units making
a division) and for a few other things.

The gaming situation shows a surprise central north-central attack by
the Russians that should take Kharkov in 2-3 turns, while trying to
moving turn after turn more of their reserve units toward the western e
southwestern edge of the map, aiming to the other two cities on the map,
while the German player is forced to a fighting retreat. 

All in all, the game works, but most depends on the luck of the draw od
the Russian units, as it could make all the difference in the world if
on an important attack you have three 5 or 6 points attacking infantry
units instead of three of 1 point each.

I rate this game 6 on a 1-10 scale.