Triumphant Return:
The Soviet Liberation of Kiev, November 1943


Publisher:      Moments in History, 1998
Designer:       John Desch
Developer:      Ulrich Blennemann
Components:     (ziplock) 17’’ by 22’’ map, 240 counters, 22 page rules booklet, 
4 player aid cards


TR is an operational level, low complexity game related to the Ring of
Fire and Eastwall games. It portrays the fighting between the 4th Panzer
Army and the 1st Ukrainian Front near Kiev. Solitaire suitability is
given as high. 

The map (by Joe Youst) covers an area from the river Desna in the East
to Korosten and Zhitomir and beyond in the West, at 7km per hex. The
North is swampy and wooded; the center is fairly open terrain. The faint
field patterns in clear hexes give a nice graphic touch. 

The Soviet player has large rifle corps at his disposal, with a
smattering of smaller units, and no fewer than 38 tank brigades. Most
German infantry units are regiments, with the odd security division and
Korps Abteilung mixed in. Panzer units (17 total) are divisions,
Kampfgruppen and heavy tank (509th) and assault gun battalions. Soviet
rifle corps and the Kampfgruppen of the 1st and 1st SS Panzer divisions
(two each) have four steps while other Soviet units and the remainder of
the Panzer units has two steps, German infantry regiments have but one
step. The Soviet player has four air units and the German has two, which
apparently represent about 250 sorties each. 

Tank and Panzer units have color tank icons on their counters, T-34,
KV-1 and Stug III, Pz IV, Panther and a lone Tiger I. Infantry units
have NATO symbols. 

Furthermore the counter sheet includes 84 game markers and five
replacement counters for the Eastwall predecessor (German 213 and 454
Security and 79 division, Soviet 23 and 49 rifle corps). 

The longest of the four scenarios has 14 turns, representing between 4
and 8 days each, depending upon on the weather. A game turn is divided
into two player turns which each consist of a replacement, movement,
combat, reserve move and reserve combat phase. A player may commit his
previously designated reserves during his own reserve phases or his
opponent’s combat phase. 

An interesting concept is that a lone unit does not exert a zone of
control into adjacent hexes. Instead, a ZOC link must be made with a
friendly unit one hex away for the customary ZOC rules to apply, i.e.
their ZOCs meet halfway in the intervening hex or on the intervening
hexside. The combat phase consists of an attack declaration, opponent
reserve commitment, tank combat and a regular combat segment. 

Units with a tank silhouette must engage adjacent enemy tank units
during the tank combat segment. Each tank unit has an effectiveness
rating, between one and four. Tank combat (‘firing’) is resolved on the
tank combat table. Tank type units may only engage in tank combat once
per player turn; however, they can participate in regular combat (which
is voluntary) that same turn. 

Victory is determined by control of various geographical objectives,
including Kiev and the Soviet bridgeheads across the Desna. 

The rules contain many designer notes and examples of play. 

Eastwall has been severely battered (i.e. on Consimworld) for being a
‘broken’ game that needs house rules to make it work. Opinions about TR
have been milder, although it does seem to have its problems too.
Contrary to Eastwall, the German player appears to have a hard time
winning. Comments have also been made about the relatively low combat
strength of the Soviet tank brigades (between three and five) as opposed
to the ‘monster’ four-step Soviet rifle corps (between 14 and 10). 

So, should you buy it? Well, if you like the subject, scale and
complexity, then yes. The game is small enough to fix any major faults
without too much trouble, and the components are quite nice. If you
don’t find the above appealing, then this game is not for you. 

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