Unity of Command II

Publisher: 2x2 Games · Creator: Tomislav Uzelac

🔗Official site

Anecdote

Developed by the Croatian studio 2x2 Games under the direction of Tomislav Uzelac and published in November 2019, Unity of Command II established itself as the most elegantly streamlined operational wargame of its generation. The title covers the western European and Mediterranean Allied campaign from 1942 to 1945, from Operation Torch in North Africa through to the crossing of the Rhine, taking in Sicily, Italy, Normandy, the liberation of France and Belgium, then the Netherlands and Germany. Director Tomislav Uzelac, who had made his name in 2011 with the first instalment devoted to Stalingrad, pushed the logistics-centred simulation philosophy even further: each unit must be supplied through a functioning chain of corps commanders, and the severing of lines of communication often proves more decisive than direct confrontation. The elegant and legible three-dimensional hexagonal representation clearly distinguishes American, British, Free French, Polish, and Canadian units, while accurately conveying the real terrain of the battlefields. A single mission lasts between one and three hours, and the full campaign requires around forty hours. The strategic card system allows the course of a scenario to be altered through historically attested decisions — landings, encirclements, breakthroughs. The expansions Blitzkrieg, Moscow 41, Stalingrad 42, Barbarossa, and Desert Rats have extended the theatre to encompass the entire European conflict. Composer Toni Leys contributed an orchestral score punctuating each transition. The title was recognised by specialist critics as one of the finest modern wargames and remains an ideal entry point into the genre for players accustomed to contemporary strategy games.