Darkest Crusade


A Note on Copyright

DARKEST CRUSADE is COPYRIGHTED -- NOT Public Domain -- and FREE under the following conditions:

Dedication:

Darkest Crusade is dedicated to ...
A. The peoples of the former Soviet Union and of Poland who fought and won the biggest war front against Nazi evil.
B. My children Rebecca, Robert, Rohan, and Johanna, in the hope that they may never have to go through a world war:

The more we learn about the Second World War, the better our chances that it will be the LAST world war.

A Request: If you do assemble and play this free game of mine, PLEASE let me know at ELCOAT@hotmail.com what you think of it and whether, after more than a couple games, you think one side or the other has an advantage. Thanks!
And now: Here are Darkest Crusade's components, to print off and assemble so that it may be played. Players-students will also need a single six-sided die (or chits numbered 1-6, to be drawn out of a hat) for the randomized combat results tables.

First, here is a mini/introductory version of the game using the same map but larger and/or fewer units for far greater simplicity. Use the normal Darkest Crusade rules below, except when they are modified by the minigame.
German armies/panzergruppen do have movement-blocking zones of control and still must be attacked if they are UnDisrupted and Russians units adjacent to them are attacking. Attacking is a maximum of 3 units per hex-side at a time. (Remember that defenders can be attacked more than once by different units.) For the Axis, 2 of these can be armies and 1 of those can be a panzerarmy/gruppe. (A maximum of) any 3 units ... per wave ... for the Russians. Even a 1-factor unit has a 50% chance of disrupting 1 enemy unit. This should be a REALLY FAST and intense game. The Russians MUST risk attacking, to try to Disrupt the German attack ... as historically.
The Russian player may choose to secretly deploy his units at the start with them - including the white Siberians, which are removed for their later use once the game starts. However, if he does so, the German victory requirement is one Victory City less.
The Siberian reinforcement schedule is now 1. and 3. Shock armies and 1. Guards Korps for the first turn, and 4. and 2. Shock armies for the second and third turns. (See Siberian Reserve Gamble in the rules, although they automatically/safely enter the game in Dec41 otherwise.)

And now the full, corps-level version:
  • The game map, revised 22Jan17 - 80 miles per hex, terrain shaded. The area north of Minsk and of the Dvina River (now labeled) is better now. The northern map segments below, for a larger map, are corrected as well.
  • The OLD game map, for comparison.
  • The map in portions, halves or quarters, to increase playing area - in the case of quarters for multi-player games.
  • Turn Record Track
  • COMING SOON: Historical and Game Design Commentary with more explanations of design rationales and with Advice on Play of the Game.
  • COMING SOON: Accounts of games played, in HTM with photos.
  • Game Analysis and Results FormTo have a momento (and analysis) of your games.

    Comments by myself and others about the game can be read on ConSimWorld

    If you are a friend, and/or if you would like to share info and ideas about military and naval history and game designing and cardstock model shipbuilding, and/or you have any questions about Darkest Crusade feel free to e-mail me at ELCOAT@Hotmail.com

    Thank you for your interest in Darkest Crusade ....

    2015, revised 23Jun18 (DCMiniRules and page organization)