Before we begin properly on how the Rýchla Divízia plays in Unity of Command II, I thought it a reasonable idea to provide a brief history on the real-life division.


Above: Soldiers of the 'Pilfousek Brigade', following the brutal fighting at Lypovets.

The day before Operation Barbarossa began, the German puppet state of the Slovak Republic became aware of the forthcoming invasion. They offered to participate in it, which the Germans accepted, although no troops would be ready for the day that the operation began. The 'Slovak Expeditionary Army Group' was hastily assembled from the Slovak 1st and 2nd Divisions, the latter of which had almost no combat experience. As Army Group South began its push into Ukraine and occupied Poland, parts of both divisions as well as reserves from home helped form the 'Pilfousek Brigade', an ostensibly mobile cadre of the Slovak Republican Army. This was the genesis of the Rýchla Divízia.

Rushed into combat, the Slovak Expeditionary Army Group spent most of June and July moving from area to area, trying to chop down pocketed Soviet forces. The 1st and 2nd Divisions spent the rest of July in this security role while the Pilfousek Brigade advanced to assist in the Battle of Uman. It was here that the brigade fought its first proper battle at the village of Lypovets, suffering heavy casualties against the Soviet 44th Mountain Division.

Perhaps realising how badly they had botched their contribution this early on, in August of 1941 the Slovak Republic made the decision to reorganise both the 1st Division and the Pilfousek Brigade into a single 'motorised' division - this became 1st Mobile Infantry Division, commonly referred to as the Rapid (or Fast) Division, or "Rýchla Divízia". It would serve in a reserve role near Kiev as the Germans completed their grand encirclement there, but was rushed forward to keep up with the 1st Panzer Group following that victory. It fought in heavy engagements along the Dnieper and supported 1st Panzer Group's push to Rostov, occupying positions on the Mius River during the winter of 41/42.


Above: Soldiers of the Rýchla Divízia crossing a river.

It stayed there until Fall Blau, when it helped push to Rostov along with the German 17th Army. It is here that it fought its "finest hour" in capturing the city, earning praise from its Axis overlords. Attached to 1st Panzer Army for Operation Edelweiss, it would push towards Maikop as part of LVII Panzerkorps, along with 13th Panzer Division and SS Division 'Wiking'. During the campaign it was detached from 1st Panzer Army (along with SS 'Wiking') and given to 17th Army, fruitlessly spending the rest of 1942 in battles north of Tuapse; these battlegrounds were in the mountains of the Caucasus and completely unsuitable to the light motorised forces of the Rýchla Divízia.

After the Stalingrad disaster, the Rýchla Divízia was pulled into the Kuban bridgehead, fighting sporadically around Krasnodar until being one of the first units evacuated to Crimea in February of 1943 (presumably due to morale reasons). Having lost most of its heavy equipment during the evacuation from the Kuban, the Rýchla Divízia spent its time on garrison duty in the Crimea, no doubt suffering from even worse morale problems (why fight for your racist overlords when they're clearly going to lose?). From here, there are very few official records to work with. During its time in Crimea the Rýchla Divízia was apparently downgraded back to a normal infantry division in August 1943 (which it more or less was already since leaving the Kuban). Shortly afterwards, the Soviets launched their offensives towards Melitopol, which anchored the safety of the Crimea. The division was sent north and from here there are two different accounts: first, that the division moved north of Melitopol along the Molochna River where it was completely smashed in the Soviet offensive; and second, that shortly after leaving the Crimea the division more or less disintegrated by itself. In either case, the main culprit for the division's destruction appears to be huge numbers of desertions, leaving only a shadow force to return to the Slovak Republic. Although the 1st Infantry Division would be reformed at a later date, the "Rýchla Divízia" was finished, and had arguably been that way since leaving the Kuban.

As of May 18th 2023, the Rýchla Divízia is depicted in the 'Barbarossa', 'Moscow 41', 'Stalingrad' and 'Don 42' campaigns. In both the 'Barbarossa' and 'Stalingrad' campaigns, it is a unit that is under your control. In 'Moscow 41' and 'Don 42', it is an enemy unit that can be fought. In the 'Barbarossa' campaign, the Rýchla Divízia is depicted by the 'svk_mot_41' unit model; in 'Moscow 41' it is depicted by the 'svk_mot_dlc3' model; in 'Stalingrad' it is depicted by the 'svk_mot_dlc4' model; and in 'Don 42' it is depicted by the 'svk_mot_dlc5' model. All four models are identical in both looks and statistics, and in this section we will focus on the former. Let's take a look:



The model depicts a soldier in the khaki uniform of the Slovakia Republican army, with an immediately identifiable blue trim around the helmet (such a trim was used to differentiate themselves from Soviet forces to avoid "friendly" fire incidents with other Axis armies) as well as a truck in similar colouring. Both the soldier's helmet and the door of the truck depict the famous Slovakian 'double cross', a national symbol, which was used liberally throughout the Rýchla Divízia. However, the truck appears to be an Opel Blitz, seemingly identical to the ones used in the German motorised unit models. This is a shame, as the Rýchla Divízia used a mix of Praga RV (which was the mainline truck used for carrying infantry), Walter PN, Tatra 27 and Skoda 6ST6 trucks; none of which look anything like the Opel Blitz. And while the Praga RN (which was supplied to the Rýchla Divízia in 1942) and the Opel Blitz are very similar looking trucks, the Opel Blitz's sharp bonnet as opposed to the Praga RN's curved version gives it away. The decision to re-use the Blitz is made more egregious in the 'Stalingrad' campaign, due to the brand-new Fiat truck models given to the Italian motor-transport units, whereas the Rýchla Divízia's model is reused from the last two expansions.

Let's take a look at the unit tooltip of the models used for the Rýchla Divízia (as all four models use the exact same base statistics, we will be treating all four models as a single model from here on out):



The Rýchla Divízia's fixed stats are as follows:

• The unit can have a maximum of seven (7) steps and one (1) specialist step, and belongs to the 'Axis' faction.
  
• It is defined as a 'mechanised' unit, meaning that each individual step is made up of a single specific infantry component and a single specific armour equipment; and that the unit's armour penalty from attacking into cities and forests is '-1'.
  
• Each of the aforementioned mechanised steps is made up of one 'Slovak' infantry component and one 'German' armour equipment.
  
• Each individual mechanised step has two (2) attack and two (2) defence, with an armour value of one (1). At maximum strength then, the Rýchla Divízia will have an attack of fourteen (14) and a defence of fourteen (14), as well as an armour score of seven (7).
  
• The unit is identified as 'Slovak Motorised' and part of the 'Slovak' sub-faction, which means that it can only take specialist steps from the 'Slovak' sub-faction and the 'German' main faction. As there are no specific 'Slovak' specialist steps in the game (as of May 18th, 2023), the Rýchla Divízia can only use 'German' specialist steps.
  
• The unit has a movement allowance of four (4) hexes with an additional three (3) hexes in extended movement. The movement type for the unit is 'mobile' which prevents the unit from entering mountain terrain (unless passing through via a road) as well as suffering from severe movement penalties in a large number of other types of terrain.

Now that we've covered the Rýchla Divízia's base stats, I will now give a gameplay overview of the Rýchla Divízia independent of its presence in scenarios:

Let's get it out of the way at the start: this unit is bad. It isn't horrible but it is bad, especially in comparison to its German allies - your basic German infantry has double the attack, 50% better defence and can take two specialists instead of one. It fairs even worse in comparison to the German motorised infantry; regardless of whether it's the 'Barbarossa' or 'Stalingrad' German motorised units, they far outscale the Rýchla Divízia in attack and defence, while having the benefit of the second specialist slot. Even the Rýchla Divízia's best attribute, speed, is one hex less than its German cousins. The only advantage it has is over the 'Barbarossa' German motorised infantry's armour score - that unit has 1 defensive armour score per step instead of the Rýchla Divízia's 1 normal armour score per step. This advantage is rendered almost completely moot by the Rýchla Divízia having 3(!) less attack per step.

Left: The Rýchla Divízia and an SS Motorised Unit - three guesses as to which is better.

The Rýchla Divízia only comes into its own when compared to other satellite Axis units, especially in the 'Stalingrad' campaign. While the Hungarian 'Gyorshadtest' of 'Barbarossa' is virtually identical, the Italian motortransport units of 'Stalingrad' are godawful by comparison: the Rýchla Divízia beats them in size and speed, while only missing out on the unique Italian specialists. Likewise, the similarly attack and defence statted infantry of Romania, Hungary and Italy all lose out to the Rýchla Divízia's speed, with only Italian Alpine infantry arguably better - their stronger attack stat and 'mountain' type movement give them a solid edge over the Rýchla Divízia in certain situations. However, the Romanian and Hungarian armoured divisions crush the Rýchla Divízia statistically as well, although Romanian infantry components become more expensive than the Slovak ones as the 'Stalingrad' campaign goes on.

So, how do you play the Rýchla Divízia? For starters, you have to use the unit's best attribute: speed. 4+3 (four hexes of base movement, plus three hexes in extended movement) is fantastically speedy, capable of outrunning the Soviet motorised and cavalry formations, and keeping pace with their armour. While it's one hex slower than the German formations it'll be running with, the Rýchla Divízia can keep the pace for the most part, providing the much needed "bodies" for the far-reaching offensives of "Blitzkrieg". The problems begin when it actually goes into battle; 2 attack is dreadful, the same as German security forces, and means 1:1 trades with unentrenched Soviet infantry is common. The lack of a second specialist step hurts as well - one is enough to cover some weaknesses, but the second would have actually given it some swinging power. On top of that, the 'mechanised' identification gives it a negative armour penalty shift when attacking into terrain such as forests and cities. While this is a problem that the Panzer divisions and German motorised divisions can overcome through their strong base attack and pair of specialists, it means the Rýchla Divízia should stay away from sieges.

Above: Here you see my first ever attempt at the Heeresgruppe Süd scenario, back when I didn't have a clue what I was doing in this game. Which was bad news for a certain Slovak motorised division...

And then there's the defence - a woeful 2, combined with a poor armour score, means that the Rýchla Divízia gets completely run over by even average Soviet armoured formations. While an anti-tank specialist might mitigate this factor, expending your solitary specialist slot so that you don't die to your average T-26 early war Tank Division, is rather a putout.

Ultimately then, the Rýchla Divízia is reduced to mostly what I would call "security in force" - to provide flank and supply line protection for your far-reaching "main troops". Panzer groups/armies in both 'Barbarossa' and 'Stalingrad' usually leave long sections of the map behind them without friendly units; thus a unit that can move with them and extend Zone of Control to halt interdicting Soviet forces is very much appreciated. What's more, while the Rýchla Divízia can't participate "head-on" in sieges, it is an excellent unit to open with a feint attack, giving your German forces just that little bit extra breathing room when fighting for the tough city objectives that litter the Eastern Front. Just be careful not to leave it in front of Soviet artillery/armoured formations; even with a strong specialist the Rýchla Divízia can evaporate rather quickly.

After reading all that, you might be wondering; "why have you made a guide on a singular bad division that has minor supporting roles in every scenario it plays in, while not covering the best and far more important units from the same campaigns?". This is an excellent question!

Now on to the real meat of the guide: the scenario-by-scenario guide itself!

Despite the fact it should technically be the 'Pilfousek Brigade' for its first couple of battles, the Rýchla Divízia appears in four (4) different scenarios of the 'Barbarossa' campaign and maintains 'persistence' in each one. All four of these scenarios are in the 'South' theatre of the campaign, with it first appearing in 'Heeresgruppe Süd'; it starts the campaign with five (5) steps, no specialists and 150 experience (regular). (For comparisons sake, the Hungarian 'Gyorshadtest' unit that first appears in the same mission: has identical stats, has a similar persistence rate and also starts with 5 steps. It starts with 50 less experience but in return it has an attached specialist; a strong Hungarian artillery step.)

Above: The Slovak Expeditionary Army Group prepares to go into battle.

As the 'Elite Replacements' card in the 'Barbarossa' and 'Stalingrad' campaigns does not include Slovak infantry, you will be unable to purchase new steps or specialists for the Rýchla Divízia in Heeresgruppe Süd and will instead have to wait for its next appearance in the 'Ukraine' scenario if you wish to upgrade it - this is because the Rýchla Divízia doesn't show up until Turn 3, where it arrives just north of Przemyśl. Due to arriving both late and far away from the main armoured push, the Rýchla Divízia's role in this scenario should be relegated to mopping up starved Soviet formations in order to farm experience (although superior German units should take priority in this regard). Even then, beware attacking into fortified enemy units especially if they are in rough terrain as you could very well end up losing a step, even on easy difficulty.
One advanced tactic to help make future losses less expensive is to reorganise the steps of the accompanying '1. Divízia' and '2. Divízia', the only other 'Slovak' divisions in 'Barbarossa'. As all three units are attached to the 'HG Süd' HQ, this will allow you to combine those Slovak infantry components with later-acquired German armour equipment for cheap replacements for the Rýchla Divízia. As the twin Slovak infantry divisions only appear in this mission and the next one in very small supporting roles, this is highly advised if you can spare the HQ points. Taking from the 'green' experience '2. Divízia' is especially recommended. Remember to take more than you need for possible future losses.

Ukraine is the first scenario where the Rýchla Divízia starts and therefore the first scenario where you can upgrade it. 'Slovak' infantry components cost ten (10) prestige and 'German' armour equipment costs ten (10) prestige as well, thus a single 'Slovak' mechanised step costs twenty (20) prestige - these prices remain constant throughout the 'South' theatre [EDIT: It appears that at some point later on in the theatre the price of Slovak infantry components becomes zero (0), making new Slovak motorised steps cost only ten (10) prestige, although this is not confirmed]. So if you hoarded 'Slovak' infantry components in 'Heeresgruppe Süd' then each new step for the Rýchla Divízia will only cost 10 prestige... although German infantry components are the same price and provide far greater value when purchased for even basic German infantry units.

The same can be said for specialists - the cheapest specialist step available for the Rýchla Divízia is the '88mm Flak' at 25 prestige. Due to the Rýchla Divízia's weak base stats, any specialist is a marked improvement for the unit: 'leFH 18' artillery and the 'Pzkw.II' specialists will allow it to best Soviet infantry on the open field, while either the aforementioned '88mm Flak' or 'PzJg I' will give it strong security against even the best Soviet armoured divisions/specialists in this campaign. The best choice is ultimately the 'StuG IIIB' specialist due to its all-round strength - the +2 defensive armour shifts give it respectable safety against Soviet armour, the arty shift gives it an extra option on the attack, and the base stats are the equivalent to an extra 2 and a half normal steps. However, not only is the 'StuG IIIB' a whopping 50 prestige, there is also only 1 of them available for this theatre conference; to gift such a powerful, expensive and exceptionally rare battalion to a below-average division such as the Rýchla Divízia would be a foolish thing indeed...

Above: I'm a FOOL

As for how the Rýchla Divízia should be used in Ukraine, it can be surprisingly helpful here; the first thing you should do is send it north-east, towards Zhitomir. Here, you can split it off for one of two purposes, both security related: either put it on Zhitomir itself or one of the nearby swamps to help check the northern Soviet forces around Korosten, or send it after 1st Panzergruppe's divisions to provide security against any interdicting Soviet cavalry or armoured divisions aiming to capture your supply hubs.

It's role in Donbas Blitz is rather similar, but considering the tenuous supply lines that you'll have to hold in the northern part of the map, security is very important in this scenario. Use the Rýchla Divízia to check the multiple Soviet cavalry divisions that slink along the northern edge of the map while your best units rush the objectives. While the Rýchla Divízia isn't under any threat in this mission, proper placement is key to avoid the 1st Panzergruppe going out of supply. However, if you find that the Italian/German infantry and Hungarian cavalry can do the job well enough by themselves, then you can send it further up towards Stalino, to use either feint attacks or to cut the northern railway line.

Above: The Soviet 28th Cavalry Division is blocked from reaching the rail junction at Pavlograd by an assortment of units, but the rail line leading east (downwards in the picture) towards Stalino is vulnerable to interdiction. The only one who can intercede is the Rýchla Divízia...

Blocked!

The final scenario for the Rýchla Divízia, and the final one for the 'South' theatre as a whole, is Rostov and it can be a nasty surprise. The Soviet counterattack on Turn 2 will target the Mius River... which is about where the Rýchla Divízia should be at that time. Caught unawares, you could very well lose the Rýchla Divízia almost immediately, which could be worse considering this is the final mission it appears in. It should stay on either the west bank of the Mius, covering one of the crossings or you could blow the pontoon bridges and keep the Rýchla Divízia near Taganrog, but this will likely lead to the destruction of your Gebirgsjäger units near Krasniy Lutch. This scenario can come down to making some tough sacrifices and, unfortunately for the Rýchla Divízia, it is the weakest of your mobile divisions in this battle...

Above: The Rýchla Divízia's journey comes to an end at Rostov...

Ultimately, in 'Barbarossa', the Rýchla Divízia serves a minor role in the secondary theatre, but it can still prove useful - it's ability to almost keep pace with Kleist's Panzers gives it a weird hybrid role in both keeping security on the supply lines, while also being able to assist in the capturing of far-off objectives. However, as mentioned before, the 'Gyorshadtest' Hungarian motorised division serves a very similar role while having the benefit of starting with a strong specialist and appearing in the '1st Kharkov' scenario as well. Sadly, throughout this campaign the Rýchla Divízia will play second fiddle to a second fiddle - but in 'Stalingrad', the Rýchla Divízia's importance will increase dramatically...

I will be brief in this section, as the 'Moscow 41' campaign sees you play as the Soviets and not the Axis forces - thus the Rýchla Divízia doesn't appear as a division under your command, but rather an enemy unit. Nonetheless, I feel this guide wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Rýchla Divízia's role in campaigns such as this, even though it sits on the opposing side.

The Rýchla Divízia's first of two appearances is in the Rostov Offensive, where at the start of the scenario it remains out of sight, halfway between Taganrog and Mariupol. It has four (4) steps, an active 'LeFH 18' artillery specialist and 100 experience (regular). On Turn 1 it will race up to help defend Bolshekrepinskaya, unless you take Taganrog on Turn 1, in which case it will try to help the Germans retake it. While far weaker than the panzer divisions, don't let the artillery specialist catch you off-guard - it will most often hit you with a suppressive fire, allowing the stronger German units to get better chances at overruns. Focus on cutting off 1st Panzergruppe and isolating individual units - the Rýchla Divízia won't last long after that.

Left: The Rýchla Divízia. Colonel Turanec was quoted as saying; "This is fine."

The second and final appearance of the Rýchla Divízia is in the Barvenkovo Offensive. If you successfully took and held Taganrog in 'Rostov Offensive', then the Rýchla Divízia will be located to Taganrog's southwest, across the mouth of the Mius River, on the other side of a destroyed bridge. Otherwise it will start further north, still alongside the Mius, facing across from an empty hex in front of the 136. RD and 353. RD. In either case, it will have four (4) steps, no specialists, 200 experience (veteran) and be entrenched. Unlike at Rostov, the Rýchla Divízia plays virtually no part in the Barvenkovo Offensive. Far from where the main action takes place and already entrenched, the AI will be very reluctant to move it, sometimes leaving it to starve to death if you can cut off Stalino early. Ironically, it's remoteness might make it one of the few Axis units to survive such a bloody scenario.

Above: The Rýchla Divízia is trapped against the Sea of Azov. Not pictured: immediate conversion to the Soviet cause.

The Rýchla Divízia (or, as it has mysteriously and pointlessly been misnamed in the 'Stalingrad' campaign, the 'Rýchla divize' EDIT: As of the 'Desert Fox' release the Rýchla Divízia has its proper name back!), features in a grand total of eight (8) different scenarios in the 'Stalingrad' campaign... although considering how the campaign is split into two different scenario tracks entirely, it can only appear in a maximum of five (5) scenarios in a single playthrough of the campaign. One of these tracks follows the 'historical' route in the 'South' theatre, while the other 'alt-history' campaign track is played in the 'Caucasus' theatre. Therefore, I will be splitting the guide to the Rýchla Divízia in 'Stalingrad' into each of these scenario tracks. We will first deal with the 'South', or "historical", theatre:

Regardless of which tracks you wish to go down, the first four scenarios of 'Stalingrad' are the same. The final of these four scenarios is Fall Blau II, which is the first scenario that the Rýchla Divízia can appear in. The Rýchla Divízia can be found entrenched on the Mius River, attached to the 'AOK 17' HQ, with five (5) steps, no specialists and 240 exp (veteran). Those of you that know how experience works in this game will eye the obvious opportunity immediately: you can raise the Rýchla Divízia to its maximum step allowance while still having it be of 'veteran' experience! (Each new replacement step will drop the Rýchla Divízia's exp by 20, meaning it'll still be at 200 exp (veteran) at the end of reinforcing it to its maximum of 7 steps). This is made easier with the 'Stalingrad' campaign - 'Slovak' infantry components are now only five (5) prestige, which means a 'Slovak' mechanised step is now only fifteen (15) prestige, and these prices stay the same throughout the campaign.

Above: How the Rýchla Divízia starts the 'Stalingrad' campaign

Thought must be given as to what specialist to buy; unlike in 'Barbarossa', there are multiple lethal Soviet divisions/corps found throughout the campaign - the new T-34 model Tank Corps can crush a defenceless motorised division in moments! Your best bet is the '88mm Flak 41' specialist, with its absurd +6 defensive armour shift allowing it to neutralise the strongest part of the new Soviet tank forces, and a base defence of 6 can move a fully formed Rýchla Divízia up to a respectable 20 defence overall. The price of 30 prestige is relatively reasonable considering it gives your Rýchla Divízia a massive boost for the rest of the campaign, if managed correctly.
However, there is another, riskier, absurdist option - the brand new 'StuG IIIF' assault gun specialist. At a whopping 60 prestige, you get +5 defensive armour shift (which, unlike the 88mm, can be used on offence), slightly more attack and a very valuable artillery shift. At the cost of one defensive armour shift, your Rýchla Divízia can now be "solid" on both defence and offence. But only an absolute FOOL would spend such an absurd amount of prestige on a weak motorised division, especially considering the litany of far superior German motorised and panzer divisions that badly need reinforcements...

Above: I'm a FOOL

Along with the '3. DC 'Duca d'Aosta'' cavalry, the Rýchla Divízia is wasted on the Mius River - the Soviets will only launch offensives if you remove most of your units from the river, so only remove these best two divisions and send them north after the panzers. It's in 'Stalingrad' that the Rýchla Divízia shows more of its value than it did in 'Barbarossa'; without the superior 'Gyorshadtest' to compare it to, the Rýchla Divízia is leaps and bounds ahead of its Italian competitors, and it outruns all the Romanians sans their single armoured division. It will, however, be playing a similar role in this scenario as it did throughout most of 'Barbarossa' - forming a second echelon behind the panzers of 'Pz-AOK 1', either supporting them on their pushes or providing security for their stretched supply lines. During Fall Blau II, once the Rýchla Divízia has passed Starobelsk, you might want to split it off early to help form a northern pincer on Voroshilovgrad. While it might be tempting to stick to "historical" roleplaying with the Rýchla Divízia and push straight at Rostov, this will most likely lead to a lot of devastated steps and is not recommended.

Should you have captured the 'Sevastopol' objective in the 'Störfang & Trappenjagd' scenario, you will be given the option to put a new strategic plan in action at the next conference: you can stay on the 'Historical Track' which will keep you in the 'South' theatre, or you can choose to 'Focus on the Caucasus' for 50 prestige, which will move you onto the alt-history track and shift the campaign to the 'Caucasus' theatre. As stated at the top, for this section we will continue to focus on the Rýchla Divízia's appearances in the 'South' theatre of the 'Historical Track'.

It is here that the infamous Edelweiss scenario begins. Due to its proximity to Rostov at the start of this scenario, the Rýchla Divízia will no longer be playing a supporting role; you need every fast division you can get if you want those primary objectives! Picking up a 'StuG' specialist here may not even be a bad idea, as giving the Rýchla Divízia some punching power may be necessary to help you on the road to Pyatigorsk. First, get your quickest divisions to Tikhoretsk as fast as possible but don't leave them there; they need to bounce to Armavir as soon as possible. By the end of Turn 4 the road to Salsk should be cleared out and crossing(s) towards Armavir should be secured - the Rýchla Divízia should probably help with the former, considering it is slightly slower than its German counterparts, who should be as far forward as possible.

Right: The Rýchla Divízia helps force the Don.

On Turn 5 the majority of your armoured units in this sector should get across the Kuban River - by the end of the turn the Rýchla Divízia should be in a position to push towards its final objective. Due to its lower speed I recommend this objective be Maikop, with Khadyzhensk beyond it. Because Maikop will most likely have a veteran/entrenched unit on it, the SS 'Wiking' makes a good buddy division for this offensive (which, interestingly enough, is more or less historically accurate!). Be careful however; even if the Rýchla Divízia is elite by this time, it will still likely take losses in almost any attack into a city. You might even be out of range of the parent 'AOK 17' HQ for most of this push as well.

Above: The Rýchla Divízia and SS 'Wiking' prepare to capture Maikop.

After seizing Maikop, you'll want to garrison the city with the Rýchla Divízia until reinforcements (such as the Romanian cavalry divisions) arrive. It'll come down to personal preference on which units you want to use to support 'Wiking' as it pushes to Khadyzhensk - if you've upgraded the Rýchla Divízia to maximum size or given it an offensive specialist then it's probably the division to send, but if not then the Romanian cavalry divisions are the better choice as they won't have the armour penalty when attacking into the Khadyzhensk objective due to its location on a forest hex. Ultimately, the objective doesn't need to be taken until at least Turn 11, regardless of difficulty, giving you plenty of time to play it smart.

The next scenario is Novorossiysk, which the Rýchla Divízia is entirely unsuited for: this mission features prolonged sieges and mountain warfare. Therefore, despite being in the thick of the action around Tuapse, it should play a defensive role, garrisoning Neftegorsk until the 'Sich. Reg. 4' arrives. Nonetheless, on Turn 1 it should use feint attack/suppressive fire to weaken the 395. RD so that 'Wiking' can smash through the hilly "gap" to the west of Tuapse (note: it is a great idea to double up on 'Pioniere' specialists for 'Wiking', especially with the new 'Sturm Pionieres', to help crush the fortified unit in Tuapse later in the scenario). While 198. ID (preferably with the usual German set-up of engineers/arty) follows 'Wiking' into the gap, send the Rýchla Divízia east to occupy Neftegorsk on Turn 2, freeing up one of your Jäger divisions to help with the push on Tuapse. From here on, use what spare feint attacks you can (as suppressive fire will be useless in the mountains) while keeping Neftegorsk safe.

Above: The Rýchla Divízia guards the Axis left flank as a breakthrough is formed on the right.

You might notice that during this mission, the Rýchla Divízia shows that it won't be appearing in any more scenarios - which, historically, is correct. However there are up to two more scenarios that the Rýchla Divízia can appear in within this very same campaign, starting with one in the very same conference:

If you successfully captured the Tuapse objective in 'Novorossiysk' then the Rýchla Divízia will next show up in Grozny, arriving as reinforcements on Turn 7. By this point you should have taken, or are about to take, Ordzhonikidze, and the Rýchla Divízia will have some catching up to do. Because of this it's probably best to move it into Mozdok and entrench it, freeing up the better statted infantry to go on the offensive. Otherwise it can once again work in the security role it excels in, helping to clean up any units in the hills between Mozdok and Grozny, or in the forests and hills east of Ordzhonikidze. While I cannot confirm this myself, rumours abound of a way to take both the Volga Raid and Caspian Raid objectives by Turn 2, and that it involves the Rýchla Divízia itself! Again, I cannot confirm this...

Above: I-Impossible!

Finally, should you succeed the 'Link up' objective in 'Wintergewitter' you have the option of switching to an a-historical track for the final conference. Should you follow the 'Historical Track' you will fight in '3rd Kharkov', where the Rýchla Divízia doesn't appear. However, should you decide to 'Hold positions on the Volga' for 50 prestige then the alternate final scenario is 3rd Rostov, where the Rýchla Divízia makes its final appearance! (Note; the Rýchla Divízia shows up in 3rd Rostov regardless of whether it appears in 'Grozny' or not).

Below-right: The Rýchla Divízia returns to Rostov.

Appearing on the very southern end of the map, the immediate goal of the Rýchla Divízia should be clear: along with SS 'Wiking' and 9. ID, you should destroy the Soviet 18. TC and secure the supply route across the Don (granted, the two German divisions can probably do this themselves). Once the Soviet bridgehead is destroyed, its time for the Rýchla Divízia to do what it does best: you guessed it, security. You have a long supply line to Stalingrad, and it will be up to the Rýchla Divízia to help protect it. By Turn 3, it should be in a position to guard the railstop at Zimovniki, although it will likely need support from the German motorised units in the area ('Wiking' should probably be used in the offensives north of the Don, but that's a judgement call). From here on out, it's a pitched battle against the Soviet Southern Front and successfully taking out the enemy supply hub here as early as possible will make this fight far easier. Once they've been broken, use the Rýchla Divízia to clean up what's left while the rest of your motorised divisions head north to reinforce Stalingrad; the Rýchla Divízia will join them once you've cleared any lingering threats to the south.

By the time it arrives at Kalach, the city should either have fallen or be about to fall - the Rýchla Divízia is always good for a feint attack or two. Alternatively, if you've yet to clear out Soviet forces near Malye Derbety, then the Rýchla Divízia can keep that eastern flank contained. Once Kalach is seized and Stalingrad made safe, then the Rýchla Divízia's job here is practically over. While it has been overshadowed by its German cousins throughout the campaign, the Rýchla Divízia has gone from the Mius, to Tuapse, to Grozny and finally to Stalingrad itself!

Successfully capturing 'Sevastopol' in the 'Störfang & Trappenjagd' scenario will allow you, after successfully completing the second conference's set of scenarios, to 'Focus on the Caucasus' for 50 prestige. Doing so will start the alt-history track, in which the Rýchla Divízia appears in three (3) different scenarios.

It first appears in Caspian Shores, assigned to 'Pz-AOK 1' HQ, and located to the north-east of Rostov. Unlike in 'Edelweiss', the Rýchla Divízia starts a whole turn away from the main offensive and thus won't have much of an effect on the first turn. For the rest of the scenario however, it will be performing much as it did in 'Edelweiss' even if it's role is diminished somewhat by the influx of mobile formations you receive; have it keep up with your main forces, with a secondary role in security. At around Tikhoretsk, beware of Soviet reinforcements from the direction of Salsk, unless you took care of them already. It will be mostly performing "keep up" until Mozdok and Grozny, at which point sending it to fight the North Caucasus Front around Ordhonikidze is recommended. If you don't have the time or the forces to fight this Front, then garrisoning Grozny is a good way for the Rýchla Divízia to end Caspian Shores, as your panzers race to the titular coast.

Above-left: Three of the most iconic Axis divisions of the war: Großdeutschland, SS 'Wiking' and... the Slovak Fast Division.
Below-right: Defensive work along the Terek.

The Rýchla Divízia should spend Baku Coup on defensive duties around the Terek River. The Soviet northern offensive should arrive on Turn 3 and any units north of the Terek should be on either rearguard or counterattack orders. You'll probably want to pull all your units behind the river line on Turn 4 and the Rýchla Divízia's speed should be used to shore up any gaps where Soviets might force a crossing. Even if you've been understandably reluctant to splash prestige on the Rýchla Divízia, it might be prudent to purchase a 25 prestige '50mm Pak 38' specialist to make the Soviet AI think twice about forcing the river wherever your Slovaks are. As long as you hold a solid defensive line (and, optionally, blow up the crossings) then the Soviets shouldn't mount any serious attacks, allowing your main forces to attack Baku and Tbilisi.

Finally, the Rýchla Divízia must step into the fires (and ice) of Astrakhan. The Rýchla Divízia holds an interesting starting position as part of 'Pz-AOK 1', at an equidistant point between the northern prong aimed at Abganerovo and the north-eastern offensive towards Astrakhan itself. Due to the difficulty in taking the Abganerovo objective on time, its best to send it north in support of 16. PzD. During your push to Abganerovo you will likely encircle Soviet forces in a pocket east of Kotelnikovo - if its not needed for the objective itself, use the Rýchla Divízia to keep this pocket contained. Once its reduced, the Rýchla Divízia can continue north, this time towards Kalach. By this point, with proper play, you can create another pocket based around Kalach. While your stronger units hold against forces on the eastern flank/Stalingrad, the Rýchla Divízia can continue to hold pocket soft spots, keeping the Soviet forces from making a breakout. However, it should be noted that in this scenario there are huge numbers of tough Soviet Tank and Mechanised Corps and it is likely the Rýchla Divízia will suffer heavy damage during the initial offensives. With proper management however, the Rýchla Divízia can end the alt-history campaign in a similar way to the historical one - next to Stalingrad!


Above: The Rýchla Divízia is faced with serious choices - north-west or north-east? Fleeing or surrendering? Fighting on... or desertion?

The Rýchla Divízia rounds off its appearances in Unity of Command II in the 'Don 42' campaign, where it appears for a single, lonely scenario. It's harsh times for the German army in the east and it's no less harsher for the Rýchla Divízia.

The Rýchla Divízia appears in the Krasnodar scenario, just before it was historically evacuated from the Kuban. It forms a mobile reserve for the German 17th Army alongside the 13th Panzer Division, where the AI will try to send it to gaps in the line in an attempt to beat back your overwhelming number of infantry units. The AI may even use the 'Counterattack' order in an attempt to give the Rýchla Divízia a fighting chance against your formations, but it's still sorely lacking due to having base experience and missing its full complement of steps.

Above: Vacation time in Crimea is put on hold indefinitely for the Rýchla Divízia.

Should you capture Krymskaya turn 1 and cut off the entire 17th Army then the Rýchla Divízia will likely get caught up in the following mass encirclements. Regardless of whether Taman is captured or not, this is likely the end of the road for the Rýchla Divízia.

The following is a full index of every scenario the Rýchla Divízia appears in, along with its composition during standalone scenarios (as it is a persistant unit in both the 'Barbarossa' and 'Stalingrad' campaigns, its composition will vary in those campaigns depending on how you play with it.)
The Rýchla Divízia's statistics will be presented as short as possible, like this:

4/1("leFH 18", artillery: 0/6/0/+3), 200 exp(vet); (266,199)

In the above example the "4" refers to the number of steps it starts the scenario with and the "1" refers to the number of specialist steps - this can be followed in parentheses by the name, type and specific statistics of the specialist(s) (in order: attack/defence/armour shift/artillery shift). The "200 exp(vet)" refers to the amount of starting experience points and, in parentheses again, the experience level (which itself is shortened). Finally, the numbers in parentheses refers to the exact coordinates that the division starts on; depending on variants/en route as reinforcements, these will be denoted independently (unless stated otherwise, all coordinates are on the "europe_10" map).

'Barbarossa' Campaign:

• Heeresgruppe Süd - 5/0, 150 exp(reg); en route, arrives Turn 3 at (258,187)
  
• Ukraine - 5/0, 200 exp(vet); (275,189)
  
• Donbas Blitz - 5/0, 200 exp(vet); en route, arrives Turn 2 at (323,186)
  
• Rostov - 4/0, 200 exp(vet); (344,200)
  
  • "early_sevastopol" variant - 4/0, 200 exp(vet); (344,200)

'Moscow 41' Campaign:

• Rostov Offensive - 4/1("leFH 18", artillery: 0/6/0/+3), 100 exp(reg); (348,199)
  
• Barvenkovo Offensive - 4/0, 200 exp(vet); (351,195) [NOTE: entrenched]
  
  • "taganrog" variant - 4/0, 200 exp(vet); (350,199) [NOTE: entrenched]

'Stalingrad' Campaign:

• Fall Blau II - 5/0, 240 exp(vet); (351,195) [NOTE: entrenched]
  
  • "rossosh" variant - 5/0, 240 exp(vet); (351,195) [NOTE: entrenched]
• Edelweiss - 5/0, 200 exp(vet); (357,196)
  
  • "sal" variant - 5/0, 200 exp(vet); (357,196)
• Novorossiysk - 5/0, 280 exp(vet); (357,217)
  
• Grozny - N/A
  
  • "tuapse" variant - 4/1("50mm Pak 38", (towed) anti-tank: 2/6/+4*/0), 300 exp(elite); en route, arrives Turn 7 at (383,214)
• 3rd Rostov - 5/1("Marder II", anti-tank: 3/4/+4*/0), 280 exp(vet); (358,199)
  
• Caspian Shores - 6/0, 200 exp(vet); (359,193)
  
  • "krasnodar" variant - 6/0, 200 exp(vet); (359,193)
• Baku Coup - 5/0, 200 exp(vet); (398,215)
  
  • "makhachkala" variant - 5/0, 200 exp(vet); (398,215)
• Astrakhan - 4/0, 200 exp(vet); (384,197)

'Don 42' Campaign:

• Krasnodar - 5/1("Sd.Kfz. 250", recon: 8/4/+1/0), 100 exp(reg); (353,211)

This guide was very fun to make! While I'm not sure as to how useful it might be to anyone, I felt like making it because I fell in love with these guys while playing through the 'Stalingrad' campaign: because they're so much weaker than the panzers they want to keep up with, they felt like true underdogs throughout the campaign. Coupled with their unique "green" look, they were quite the sight in a sea of grey when crossing the Caucasus!

Despite my minor gripes about their appearance (which probably doesn't matter at all, as I'm perhaps one of the few people on Earth who thinks the truck should be different/noticed it in the first place) this guide wouldn't exist without the hard work put in by the devs at 2x2 Games. One of the best things about Unity of Command II, in my opinion, is the absolutely stalwart decision to get the Order of Battle as correct as possible in every scenario. Most other devs I feel would have forgotten about the Rýchla Divízia or simply reused a German motorised unit model to represent it. The little details are what make a good game great and 2x2 Games nail the little details seemingly every time!

A lot of my sources from the intro came from disreputable internet sites, although I also used both Robert Forczyk's "The Caucasus 1942-43" and "The Kuban 1943" books from Osprey publishing, as well as "Germany's First Ally: Armed Forces of the Slovak State 1939-1945" by Charles K. Kliment & Bretislav Nakládal.

In conclusion: the Rýchla Divízia plays a very minor role in Unity of Command II and will almost certainly have no significant effect on the outcome of any single scenario. Even in 'Novorossiysk', where it is one of only two mobile units under your command, its effectiveness is sorely lacking due to the poor terrain. Nonetheless, it can prove its value in a support role, and its presence throughout the many scenarios of the historical track of the 'Stalingrad' campaign might prove enough to invest in it. It's up to you to decide how to make best use of the Slovak Rapid Division!

I hope you had as much fun reading this guide as I did making it, and good luck in your future campaigns!