Fall of Army Group Center

Joni Nuutinen

About this game

Fall of German Army Group Center 1944 (Operation Bagration). From Joni Nuutinen: by a wargamer for the wargamers since 2011. Updated October 2025.

In the summer of 1944, the German Army Group Center was wiped out after the Red Army launched Operation Bagration. Can you maneuver the Germans out of the biggest disaster they ever experienced on the WWII Eastern Front?

The key to the success of Soviet Operation Bagration and the resulting destruction of the German Army Group Center was the difference in mobility: US lend-lease gave the Red Army more trucks than Germany made in the entire war. Suddenly, Soviet rifle divisions moved 200 km per day instead of just 2, so any previous experience Germans had fighting the Red Army was now obsolete. Meanwhile, the German Army Group Center had barely any Panzer or Panzergrenadier divisions left; many units were ordered to sit tight and hold stronghold cities in spite of nearby breakthroughs by the Russians; and Soviet air force and partisans limited movement in the rear areas.

The end result of this difference in mobility was that in less than two weeks, more German men and materiel had been destroyed than at Stalingrad over a year earlier. Even STAVKA's order were at times a week late from events of the front line because the speed of the Red Army advance so unprecedented.

Fair warning: Embrace yourself for a difficult initial defensive struggle before there can be any hope of starting to turn the situation around.

“The German generals placed their trust in a topographical symbol indicating an impenetrable swamp, leading them to embrace the mistaken belief that advancing through the swamps would be impossible. However, Russian combat engineers swiftly constructed multiple corduroy log roads across the wetlands. As a result, on the first day of the offensive, the 65th Army managed to breach German defenses by advancing as far as six miles.”
-- Colonel General Pavel Batov

FEATURES:

+ Historical accuracy: Scenario mirrors the historical setup.

+ Settings: Countless options to alter the gaming experience: Change difficulty level, what resource types are in play, hexagon size, Animation, choose icon set for units (NATO or REAL) and cities (Round, Shield, Square, block of houses), turn supporting unit types like Generals/Airforce/Minefields ON/OFF, allow Storms and supply depots for combat units, and much more.

Ratings and reviews

One of the more difficult games in this series, but also quite rewarding to beat. The initial Soviet onslaught will leave you with little room for error; one small misstep could mean you lose a handful of divisions encircled, and that could be the different between victory and defeat. Attrition is the name of the game here. Lead a fighting withdrawal toward more defensible positions, keeping your forces as intact as possible and shuttling in reinforcement by rail. Weigh your options carefully.

I've played a few of Joni's games. I like them. This scenario feels like a form of masochism. If you like being in a numerically weak position with poor maneuverability and conducting a fighting retreat in the face of the Soviet steam roller this is the game for you. You can have a little anxious fun winning victories on the flanks but you get crushed all the same. Played it a few times. I can't crack it. It's no fun being Jerry on the Eastern Front late in the war

Excellent game, you have to conduct a fighting retreat across Russia in the face of surmountable odds in order to regroup and strike back. Avoid encirclement and make a stand on the major rivers and natural obstacles. Allow the Russians to overextend themselves and when your strength has returned, encircling the attackers and defeat them. Do not stay in weak defensive positions and use all resources available.

What’s new

+ Separate dugout replacements
+ Green checkmark on hexagons that can be moved into during the early no-withdrawal period
+ Cliffs (default OFF)