Overview

Conflict of Heroes: Storms of Steel! covers the massive tank battles around Kursk in 1943 on the Eastern Front. Building on the Awakening the Bear system, this game adds extensive armor combat rules, expanded vehicle units, and new terrain. Each counter represents a squad, gun, or vehicle. Players alternate activating individual units using action points, with the game’s signature accessible wargame design.

Components

• Hex map boards (Kursk terrain)
• Unit counters (German and Soviet tanks, infantry, guns)
• Action point markers
• Dice (2d6)
• Firefight scenario cards
• Player aid cards
• Hit markers, spent markers
• Command Action Point (CAP) tokens

Setup

Same as Awakening the Bear: select a firefight scenario, set up the map, place units, distribute CAPs.

Turn Structure

Identical to the base system: alternating unit activation with 7 APs per unit per round, plus shared CAP pool.

Actions

All actions from Awakening the Bear, plus expanded vehicle rules:

Action	AP Cost	Effect
Move	Varies	Move unit to adjacent hex
Fire	1 AP	Attack enemy in range/LOS
Assault Move	2 AP	Move and fire combined
Rally	1 AP	Remove hit markers
Opportunity Fire	0 AP	React to enemy movement
Vehicle Overrun	Varies	Tanks move through enemy infantry hexes

Armor Combat

• Tanks have front, flank, and rear armor values.
• Anti-tank attacks compare penetration value vs. armor.
• Flanking shots are more effective (lower armor values on sides/rear).
• Terrain provides hull-down positions for defensive bonuses.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Per firefight scenario: VP from controlling objectives and eliminating enemy units.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Tank duels: Armored combat adds a new layer of tactical depth.
• Hull-down positions: Vehicles in certain terrain gain defensive bonuses.
• Combined arms: Infantry supporting tanks (and vice versa) is critical.
• Smoke: Can be used to screen movement from enemy fire.
• Air support: Some scenarios include air strikes.
• Fully compatible with Awakening the Bear for combined scenarios.

Player Reference

Armor Values
Front: Strongest
Flank: Moderate
Rear: Weakest

Unit Budget: 7 APs per unit per round

CAPs: Shared pool for flexibility