Combat Mission: Red Thunder

Combat Mission: Red Thunder is a tactical warfare game set on the Eastern Front during the summer of 1944. It covers the battles of Operation Bagration and the advance into Poland, from the swamps of Belarus to the gates of Warsaw. You command Soviet forces or the German Heer in battles fought across thousands of square miles, as the Axis’ ability to wage war begins to collapse.

Campaigns and battles

Two researched campaigns focus on key operations. In the first, you command the Soviet breakthrough and exploitation of a sector of the German front at Orsha at the start of Bagration. The second follows a successful German armored counterattack at Radzymin, Poland, which helped stall the Soviet push into Warsaw. The game also includes 18 standalone battles, numerous Quick Battle maps and large Master Maps used to create the campaigns, which you can use to make your own battles.

Command and combat

Combat takes place at battalion scale and below in a 3D environment. You command individual vehicles, teams and squads, drawing on formations with 84 vehicle types and dozens of heavy weapons. The simulation models morale, experience and leadership, alongside Fog of War, spotting, line of sight, command and control, and objectives. Physics, ballistics and battlefield effects shape combat, while weather and lighting conditions affect fighting abilities.

Game modes

Play in RealTime or WeGo, a turn-based mode. The Quick Battle system creates deliberate or randomized battles according to your specifications, and an editor lets you build maps, scenarios and campaigns. Play solo or head to head, including by email through PBEM+++.