Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Korsun Pocket is a grand tactical/ operational simulation of what the Soviets called the Korsun Shevchenkovsky Operation and the Germans called the Tcherkassy Pocket.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Movement Points
Spend a movement allowance across spaces with different costs.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Combat Results Table
Compare opposing strength as a ratio, then consult a table to resolve combat.
Read the full game description
Korsun Pocket is a grand tactical/ operational simulation of what the Soviets called the Korsun Shevchenkovsky Operation and the Germans called the Tcherkassy Pocket. This battle, which raged from January 25 through February 17, 1944, was the first large scale encirclement of German forces after Stalingrad and marked the end of the German attempt to stalemate the Red Army on the banks of the Dnepr. Korsun Pocket is played on a 1:100,000 scale map, with one mile per hex. The day is divided into two five hour day turns and a night turn that is 14 hours long, including the optional Extra Night Turn. Most units are battalions, representing at full strength 600-900-men, 60-70 tanks, or 8-12 artillery pieces. The game took SPI's 'Wacht am Rhein': The Battle of the Bulge, 16 Dec 44 – 2 Jan 45 game system and added new armor rules which changed the flavor of the game to better simulate the Russian front. GAME COMPONENTS One Rules Book Six Counter Sheets (2400 couters) Map Sections A,B,C, and D Three Situation Maps (Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 10) One plastic die Three Air Base Cards Two Turn Record Tracks One set of Play Aids (from the rulebook and user's description)