[UPDATE 03/2022: the online version of the game is available under this LINK. Enjoy!]

C3i is a great magazine, run by Rodger MacGowan. I really like that periodic, which is full of interesting, historical and games related articles, many new scenarios and additional tokens but also – always – at least one, full mini-game. A lot of them are GMT related, but I am glad to see also titles from other publishers.

Battle for Moscow is example of such a position. It was initially published in 1986 by Victory Point Games; with one of C3i magazines we have possibility to get second edition – with enhanced graphics, slightly revised rules but in essence – the same game as 30 years ago and still shining!

The main theme is German attack on Moscow in second part of 1941. This is good position for beginning wargamers. There is only 7 turns, limited amount of tokens, small board and rules which are 4-pages long. Still, it provides fun and learning opportunity. We start in September 1941 – below short session with my brother Jakub who was leading attack (Germans) while I was commanding defense (USSR):

Battle for Moscow 1
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Germans have to capture Moscow to win, USSR has to keep Moscow and at least one more city free of enemy control to win. In all other cases the game ends in draw – easy, simple and straightforward rules for victory.

Jakub for whom it was one of first wargames was commanding very competently and managed to get pretty close to Moscow. However, historically, his forces were bogged down there although he tried even encirclement maneuver:

Battle for Moscow 2
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Soviet forces – while not overly well equipped – were flooding the board in such numbers that even German tanks had to succumb to their numbers. Keeping Tula allowed me to achieve victory but that was not most important in that game – it was introduction to wargames and as such I think played its role!