Rzhev Summer

“I was killed near Rzhev,

In a nameless bog,

In fifth company,

On the left flank,

In a cruel air raid.”

The poem by Alexander Tvardovsky describes the human cost of the massive operations in and around “The Rzhev Meat Grinder,” where Soviet forces lost more than 1 million dead and injured.

Far more dominated by choke points than the Rzhev Winter, artillery and long-range weaponry are key to victory here. While there are hedges and other types of shot-blockers, Elefants and ISU-152s can still position themselves to cover multiple key locations simultaneously. Battlefield fortifications are quite handy at the key choke points leading to Victory Points, but the real trick is coordinating artillery strikes with assaults. Constantly barraging an opponent can keep the pressure on, but you’ll need to be aggressive about seizing ground and attempting to knock out enemy Katyushas, SU-76s, SU-85s, ISU-152s, Panzerwerfers, and Elefants. Half-tracks are less useful here than on other maps due to their vulnerability and the relatively short distances from the bases to key locations on the map, but in the earlier portion of the game their forward reinforcement ability can prove decisive in allowing one side to successfully hold ground after forcefully taking it.

Southern base.

Northern base.

This Standard Territory Point will be securely within the South’s control for the most part. It’s a good location for a Fuel or Munitions Cache early in the game. If the North is pushing aggressively in the east, place an HMG in the house above this point.

This area is quite important because of its proximity to the center Victory Point. The house at the top is the ideal garrison location for an HMG, as it covers both the Standard Territory Point and the center Victory Point, but the house in the bottom right can be used as an alternate to shut down travel in this area. Place mines along the road, especially on the bridge. As the travel paths are so restricted, AT guns excel as compared to fast, light vehicles and tanks.

Access to the center Victory Point is restricted by the river, meaning the water path to the north and the one off-screen to the east are typically used by the North. As the North, it’s best to rely on long-range units like artillery, Mortars, StuGs, Elefants, SU-76s, SU-85s, and ISU-152s positioned on the northern banks of the river. The brush around this area does block sight, so be sure to consider your lines of fire when choosing a position. The building at the top is a good location for an HMG to protect against aggression from the South, but it’s too far away to effectively cover the Victory Point. Snipers can be useful in defending this area and providing sight, but they’ll be in quite a lot of danger if Mortars and artillery are common.

This point is often a staging area for the South in attacking and defending the center. The open lake restricts infantry and vehicle movement, but long-range units can fire straight across it without issue. Try positioning an Elefant or an ISU-152 on the bank with mines along the roads to the left and right. The building on the left is a good position for an HMG if the North tries to push into this area, and it can cover the center Munitions Point to some extent.

This point will rarely see fighting and it’s a great location for the South to place a Fuel or Munitions Cache. It can be worth placing a mine on the road to the left to avoid harassment and flank attacks from the west if the North holds that area.

The South ought to station long-range units here to provide fire support over the western Victory Point. So long as these forces remain, it’ll be difficult for the North to threaten this point. The building on the right is a good location for an HMG to protect this area from infantry attacks along the northern road or even against units flanking around the river from the west.

The western Victory Point is quite a deadly area, as the access routes are limited and there isn’t much cover to be found. Mines on the bridge at the top and river path to the right are advised. A bunker is a good option for locking down this area for the Germans, though you’ll need to prepare units to take out enemy Mortars and artillery. AT guns and HMGs are ideal for covering the access routes.

The western Fuel Point is typically controlled by whichever side has overall control of the west. Apart from defending the area near the Victory Point, both buildings here are solid locations for HMGs, especially the one above this point because it can cover the Victory Point. As the North, you must watch for attempts by the South to attack from the path around the river in the west. Place mines here and be sure to have an AT gun near your HMG that you can reposition as needed. This area is much easier for the South to lock down because the bridge to the north then becomes pretty much the only major access point.

This Standard Territory Point will receive attention from an aggressive South, but in most games it serves as a staging ground for the North in attacking the western Victory Point if they do not control it. Place an HMG in the larger building and use the tree line at the bottom to protect your infantry and vehicles from long-range enemy vehicle fire. Station your own Mortars and artillery here to provide fire support when attacking the west and the center Munitions Point.

The center Munitions Point is a high-traffic area that isn’t too difficult to access despite the presence of the river. Note that the water to the left is shallow enough for units to cross, though they’re slowed considerably. For the North, you’ll want to attempt to seize this and set up defenses as far south as you can, away from the water, so additional units that you send to reinforce this area won’t be attacked while on the water paths. As with the entire center of this map, long-range units excel, as do artillery and Mortars. Mines anywhere around here on the road are effective in thwarting major attacks.

This area only ever sees fighting if the South is very aggressive in the west and center, and the North won’t have much difficulty defending it so long as they place an HMG in the building. It’s a good location for the North to place a Fuel or Munitions Cache.

This point should never fall into the South’s hands because it’s an important staging area for attacks against the center Munitions Point and center Victory Point. The hedges along the bottom block sight, so position a Mortar here. The small hut on the left can be used by an HMG though it’s quite a fragile building—be sure you don’t leave a unit inside if it’s being shelled by artillery or tanks.

The North will only lose this point if the game is practically lost, meaning it’s a wonderful location for a Fuel or Munitions Cache. There’s no need to defend it because it’s far behind the front lines.

This point may see a fair amount of action, depending on how aggressive the South is in the east. Units stationed around here can defend the eastern Victory Point effectively, especially if an HMG is placed in the building at the top. The hedges along the bottom block sight, so place Mortars and artillery around there to fire upon the center Victory Point and any enemy units in that area. You might desire to place a mine on the bridge at the right if you suspect your opponents to attack with light vehicles or mobile armor, like T-34s.

The eastern Victory Point has very restricted access and practically no cover. The North can place units across the water to the left in cover for defense, as this area provides strong firing lanes. If the South happens to take it, attack from the north and the west simultaneously, and consider stationing units along the northern shore of the lake on the right for fire support. Mines along the roads are desirable for both sides.

The eastern Fuel Point is separated from the eastern Victory Point by a lake, making it quite possible that the two points won’t be controlled by the same side. The building here dominates the Fuel Point and an HMG in it can also fire across the lake at the Victory Point. As it’s so important, rushing an early Combat Engineer or Pioneer squad here while bypassing near points is a good idea if you wish to take this area. Later in the game, an HMG and AT gun can lock down this area quite solidly, so rely on a Mortar or artillery to displace defending units.

The eastern bridge is an important travel path for the North to access the east. It’s a good spot for the South to place mines if they control the Victory Point.

The road in the far west can be used by the South to access the western Fuel Point and Victory Point, and by the North if they wish to flank the center. The building is a strong one for the South if you wish to control the road, but as your opponents can simply choose to ignore this area, it isn’t a good location unless you are positive that an attack is coming. Instead, use barbed wire and mines if you need to keep enemy forces out of this area.

The access route for the South to the east, and for the North while flanking the center Victory Point, long-range vehicles excel here because flanking opportunities are difficult to come by. Scatter mines around here to deter enemy vehicle attacks and blunt infantry assaults.

This is another view of the North’s staging area for attacking the center Victory Point. If the South is aggressive in this area, the building is a fantastic location for an HMG in pushing across to the northern bank of the river.

This is another view of the river and access paths between the western Victory Point and the center Munitions Point. Note the proliferation of bushes and hedges that mess with line of sight. Mortars, artillery, and Snipers are effective in this area, as the two sides are likely to have forces within long range of each other but unable to get close without significant difficulty.

These two buildings are critical for the North in defending against early infantry assaults in the west and center. It’s also a good area to repair vehicles in relative safety.