A Victory Denied Boardgame

Just finished playing through A Victory Denied by MMP.

Here's the game's description from the MMP Website:

In July of 1941, the German Army stood at the very door of Moscow. The Soviet forces before them had been routed and the path to yet another great victory for the Wehrmacht was seemingly undefended. But it was here that the Russian Army successfully rallied. For the first time in this terrible war, the Germans faced an enemy that was implacable and resolute. With victory so close, and with Germany closer to world domination then they would ever be before or since – the Russian line held – it was A Victory Denied.

Building on the enormous critical success of A Victory Lost, A Victory Denied is a wargame that offers the same elegant simplicity of A Victory Lost but also covers the unique aspects of this great battle. While the system remains the same, upgraded supply rules and command structure rules will be added to model how important these problems were in this battle – and air power and Stalin’s Organs will make their first appearance in the system. But what made A Victory Lost so special will still be in full force – easy rules, unpredictable chit pulls, wild game play, and the ability to play the game almost right out of the box.
Components:

• 1 32 by 22 map
• 280 1/2” counters
• 16 page full color rulebook

Details:

• Solitaire rating: Excellent
• Complexity: Low
• Playing time: 6 hours
• Scenarios: 1

Designer: Adam Starkweather
Developer: Nick Richardson
Graphic Artist: Niko Eskubi

 What a tremendous time I had playing through this. Played it out over several days for approximately 6+ hours. The game says it should take 4. I think this is realistic especially with two players who know the rules.  I was solo and learning the rules, so it's bound to take longer.

After listening to Gun, Dice, and Butter Podcast, I got the itch for operational level games. Not at the level he discusses, but something bigger than the tactical minis and boardgames I'm used to. However, I didn't want loads of rules to learn. This fit the bill perfectly. Low rules overhead and fairly straight forward play.  I felt tension the whole time playing. Also, I could play it simply as I read through the rules.  Also, I can see how, with a better understanding of how the rules work, I can spend some more time thinking through my strategy and tactics.

However, the game doesn't seem to get a lot of discussion on the forums. So, I'm wondering that if it's possible to "figure it out" after just a couple of plays. I've not seen anything to this effect.   I just wish there were more battles covered in this series. I really like the mechanics.

Next operational level game, I hope: Normandy '44 by GMT. OOP, but have been searching like crazy and think I've found a source.  This will be my fourth attempt.

Here's a review of the game, by Marco.  My next post will be all the videos from my play through