Designer: Magnus Nordlöf
Artist: Stefan Ekström, François Vander Meulen, Magnus Nordlöf
Publisher: Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社), Multi-Man Publishing, Three Crowns Games
The Game
A Victory Complete: The Battle of Tannenburg, 1914, is a boardgame covering the battle of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes in August 1914 between Germany and Russia.
The Scene:
The battle for Tannenberg and the Masurian lakes is one of the most famous battles in history. Even though the battle was insignificant in numbers of forces engaged compared to other battles fought during WW I, it represent a master- piece of exercising modern military strategy. One of the most astonishing victories ever was scored in a classical battle of local superiority and maneuver.
Tannenberg 1914
The game covers the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes during mid August through mid September. Two ill prepared, yet superior in numbers, Imperial Russian armies attack East Prussia in August 1914 in order to honor the Franco-Russian Alliance of 1894.
Even though the Russian attack turned out to a disaster, it played an important role on the Western Front. German reserves were pulled from the West to East Prussia, that otherwise would have been used in the crucial battle of the Marne north of Paris.
The Game Design
The game mechanics includes a chit-pull procedure. The low density of units provides a fast-pace battle where every move is vital for victory.
The game is taught in 30 minutes and is easy to digest yet a challenge even for the more experienced players.
Game Scale:
Turn: 2 days
Hex: 6.2 miles / 10 km
Units: Brigade to Army
More on the Game Design
The game addresses the players on the classical elements 20th century warfare.
·Importance of finding local superiority
·Balancing between attack and defense
·Timing of maneuver and decisive blows
·Command and Control
·Lines of Supply
The German player has to work with small means and time his strategies in order to succeed and keep the Russian player from pressing far in to East Prussia. The Russian player must press on to force out the reinforcements from the western front and use his superiority in order to come out as victor. All is set for yet another classical engagement!
Game Inventory (Special Ops #3 edition):
One 22 x 34" full-color mapsheet
One dual-side printed countersheet (252 1/2" & 5/8" counters, of which only 146 are used in this game)
One 12-page A Victory Complete rule booklet