Welcome to new and returning players! We are glad that you decided to spend your valuable convention time competing in this event. We hope you find your experience enjoyable!

Overview & Format: The 2025 Russian Campaign tournament will be conducted the same as it has been for years now. The tournament utilizes the “Free Form" method which allows gamers to maximize their playing time while enhancing their schedule flexibility.

The tournament will utilize the 5th edition rules and a default 5-turn Barbarossa scenario with the bidding of replacement points for sides to ensure that a player can play the side he wants (for a price!).

Players can play any number of matches during the free form phase in order to qualify for the Semifinal. Any questions about the tournament should be directed to the GM. If he is not on site, you can call or text him at (224) 656-4914.

Rules: TRC 5th Edition rules are in effect as the default rules for this tournament. Those rules are available on-line at https://issuu.com/consimworld/docs/russian_campaign_final_web?fr=sNjQ1ZjU3NDk1MDI&fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR3CSOPID__FyFYPGvZRyUxYgst8FqeTH_Nd7OQinJqlQO4nbyUcxmti7dQ.

No optional rules, except for what is outlined in the scenario section below, are part of the default for this event. The players can utilize other optional rules with the consent of both players. The optional rules agreed to by the two players should be clearly written on the event form at the start of the game.

Tournament matches will feature the five-turn scenario described below as the default scenario. Players may agree to play with any other scenario that they agree to including the campaign game as long as they understand that the five-turn is the default scenario.

The players may also choose to play with the 4th edition (or even an earlier edition) game and rules, provided both players agree to utilize that game in advance. All games will be AREA rated.

Due to the size of the 5th edition map (5 inches longer from east to west), players are recommended to utilize the 4th edition map for this tournament to optimize the usage of the tables available for the tournament. Space permitting, we will do our best to accommodate the larger 5th edition map for players that want to play with that version. For those of you that know the 4th edition rules but are new to the 5th edition, these are the known differences between the two editions, which have a potential impact on the 5-turn scenario:

• Leaders have a ZOC in the six adjacent hexes and not just their own hex
• Rail junctions count as a city for rail control: Control of a rail junction is determined as if it were a city, see Rule 17.2.1. When rail control is being assessed at the end of each player’s turn, treat rail junctions as cities.
• Combat EX result – no change of control in cities, oil wells or rail junctions
• OMB – allows Russian replacements and not just Russian reinforcements
• Archangel replacements are a die roll and not automatically 3 factors. Clarification on rule 22.4 – the note on the map on the Russian replacement pool for the Archangel DRM of (-1) is wrong. The rulebook is correct.

The above list may not end up being all inclusive. Any questions on rules prior to playing should be brought to the attention of a GM or AGM. If something comes up during a game, reach out to us and we’ll clarify the ruling for both players as needed.

Schedule: Swiss rounds end at 5PM on Friday. Any game not completed by 5 PM on Friday can be adjudicated if the two players can’t agree on who will win the game.

There will not be a challenge round held in 2025. For each game completed, the winner should fill out and submit a completed scoresheet for their game.

Semifnal

Matchups: Swiss round matchups during the free form portion of the tournament are self-selected, facilitated by GM and AGMs, as needed.

Advancing to the Semifinal and Final: Player performance ratings using the approved GrognardCon scoring system will determine the top four players who will advance to the Semifinal. In general, but subject to change, those rules include the following:

• Base score points are earned for a maximum of your three best (win vs loss) games played
  • 10 points for a victory if it is the first game between two players
  • 2 points for a win if it is a second game against the same opponent
  • You get 1 point for a loss
  • As a result, you can earn from 3 to 30 points from this method regardless of whether or not you play or win more than 3 games. Based on our past history in this event, a player most likely must win at least three games to have any hope of advancing to the single elimination phase
• In addition, you can earn bonus points:
  • 2 bonus points for every win that EVERY opponent you beat (in a 1st game vs them) gets
  • Bonus points are not awarded for either player in any rematch games against that same opponent!

For example, if you win 4 games and lose 1 in the free form rounds, you will get 30 points as your base score. Next, if the 4 opponents that you defeated had wins in 13 of their games in total, you’ll get 2 bonus points for each of those 13 wins for a total of 26 bonus points. Your score would be 56 in this example. Ties are brokens by the first tiebreaker which is the first head-to-head match between the two tied players determining the winner. Subsequent ties are broken based on the GrognardCon system which can be provided upon request.

Default Tournament Scenario: Barbarossa “The Breaking Storm" – the 5-turn scenario covered in rule 27.2 of the 5th edition rulebook is the default. (Players may agree to play other scenario’s/optional rules provided they both agree to it.) The Semifinal and Final must use the default scenario.

Determining Sides: Players bid for sides using optional rule 26.8 of the 5th edition rulebook.

Victory Conditions: The Axis player wins the match if his Victory Point total equals or exceeds MINUS ONE (-1) at the end of the Russian January/February 1942 turn using the “Fall Blau" scenario line. The Axis player wins IMMEDIATELY if he controls Moscow at any point in 1941. The Russian player wins by preventing an Axis victory. Campaign Game and Sudden Death victory conditions are not used.

Special Scenario Rules:

• Any time STAVKA (can be multiple times) or Stalin is eliminated, one is added to the Axis VP count
• Each Axis HQ eliminated or the loss of Hitler reduces the Axis VP count by one
• If Clear is rolled in Sept/Oct 41, the weather is automatically Snow in Nov/Dec 41
• If Light Mud is rolled in Sept/Oct 41, the weather is automatically Light Mud in Nov/Dec 41
• The Russians only receive two paratroop brigades; the 8th Brigade is not brought into play
• Each side is limited to one sea invasion

Scoring Victory Points: As described in rule 27.12 of the 5th edition rulebook, the following explains how VPs are determined

• Major cities and oil wells are worth 2 points each while minor cities are worth 1 point each
• Each city east of the Fall Blau 0line CONTROLLED by the Axis player counts as positive victory points (VP)
• Each city west of the Fall Blau line CONTROLLED by the Russian player counts as negative VP
• Uncontrolled cities do not subtract from the VP total of the player whose side of the line that city is on
• For your convenience, the following “border" cities are on the Russian (east) side of the “Fall Blau" line: Leningrad, Kalinin, Moscow, Tula, Voronezh, Rostov, and Sevastopol.

Here are some examples of end game scores:

Example 1: If Kiev is uncontrolled at the end of the scenario, the Germans will not lose any VP.

Example 2: If the Germans control Sevastopol while the Russians control Kursk, Kharkov, and Stalino, the total VP count would be MINUS THREE. Since the VP needed for a German victory is MINUS ONE, the Russians would win.

Example 3: same as Example 2 except the Germans also control Leningrad, for a total VP count of MINUS ONE. The Germans would win.

MOST IMPORTANT RULE: Thanks for playing and enjoy the games!

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