For the motherland !

For the Motherland! The Russian Front, 1941–44 is a strategic wargame covering the Eastern Front from Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 through the major Soviet offensives of 1944. Designed by Masahiro Yamazaki, it is a streamlined reimagining of his acclaimed War for the Motherland, preserving the historical scope while delivering a shorter and more accessible playing experience.

Players command either the German Axis forces or the Soviet Red Army, managing offensives, reinforcements, logistics, attrition, and the gradual shift in strategic momentum.

Game system

The game is a hex-and-counter strategic wargame focused on maneuver warfare, reserves, and operational attrition.

Units primarily represent:

• German corps;
• Soviet armies;
• Axis minor armies.

A key feature is the combat strength chit system, in which Soviet combat effectiveness gradually improves throughout the campaign, accurately reflecting the historical evolution of the Red Army between 1941 and 1944. Supply, encirclements, armored breakthroughs, and replacement management are central to gameplay.

Included scenarios

Operation Barbarossa

June–December 1941

The German invasion of the Soviet Union.

The Road to Stalingrad

1941–1942

The advance toward southern Russia and Stalingrad.

Fall Blau

1942–1943

The Caucasus offensive and the Soviet counteroffensive.

War for the Motherland

1941–1944

The complete campaign covering the entire war through the Soviet offensives of 1944.

Objective

The German player must exploit early operational superiority to destroy Soviet forces and achieve decisive strategic objectives before Soviet strength becomes overwhelming.

The Soviet player must trade space for time, rebuild military strength, and eventually launch powerful counteroffensives to drive the Axis back.

Players

1–2 players

Playing time

• Scenarios: approximately 2–5 hours
• Full campaign: 8+ hours

Complexity

Medium

A streamlined strategic system offering substantial historical depth.

Game scale

Period: 1941–1944

Level: Strategic

Scale:

• Turn: 1–2 months
• Hex: approximately 74 km
• Units: German corps, Soviet armies, Axis minor armies

Replayability

Four historical scenarios

Full campaign

Dynamic Soviet combat improvement

Reserve and attrition management

Strong asymmetry

High strategic flexibility

Components (indicative)

1 mounted map

5 countersheets

Rulebook

2 player aid cards

German and Soviet reinforcement displays

1 six-sided die