Lost Battles is a two-player operational wargame in which one player takes the role of Soviet forces, and the other controls the Germans. The four included scenarios are hypothetical rather than historical, and are intended to convey the flavor of combat along the southern front from
Belgorod to the
Sea of Azov rather than simulate actual battles.
Components The original edition, published as a pull-out game, included: • 22" x 28" paper
hex grid map scaled at 2 km (1.2 mi) per hex • 255 die-cut counters • map-folded rules sheet • various charts and player aids The
boxed set edition also included an errata sheet dated May 1973 and a small six-sided die.
Gameplay The game uses an alternating "I Go, You Go" system, with the following phases: • First Movement • Combat • Ranged Artillery Combat • Initial Armored Combat • Final Ground Combat • Air-Strike Combat • Second Movement Once one player has completed these phases, the second player is given the same opportunity. This completes one game turn, which in turn represents 24 hours of game time. In order to simulate
fog of war, both players are randomly given one of several possible objectives to complete to win the scenario. Each player must discern their opponent's objective and attempt to prevent its completion based on their opponent's play. ==Publication history==