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Battle of the Bulge (1991 game)
Encyclopedia
For other games with this title, see Battle of the Bulge (game)
Battle of the Bulge is a board wargame
published by Avalon Hill
as part of the Smithsonian American History Series. The game simulates the World War II
battle of the same name
and is designed for two players. It is based upon the general Avalon Hill system of combat and movement factors with a focus upon ease of play. The basic rules cover a single sheet of approximately legal-sized paper.
Aggressive gameplay is required by the German
player, who must exceed the historical success of his forces. The American
player must be able to transition from delaying tactics in the early game to assaults once force superiority is gained. The rules provide for a short game covering the initial five days of the battle (beginning 1944-12-16), a mid-length game covering the Allied counterattack, including the encirclement of the 101st Airborne Division
, and a long game covering 16 days. Advanced game rules include air power
, supply, and fuel usage.
, and Belgium
known as the Ardennes
forest with a hexagonal grid
. Geographic features include hills, forests, and rivers. Additional features like roads, cities, and fortifications are also provided. Important victory objectives like Bastogne
are noted directly on the board.
to regiment
al levels. Major units are 3/4" square in size, minor units 1/2" square. Additional counters denote damage and fortification, and in the advanced game, supply, fuel, aircraft, commando units, and more.
, the six hexes adjacent to every enemy unit. For example, fording a river necessarily slows a unit. Roads allow units to move at faster rates. Zones of control add an additional penalty for each such hex entered or exited, though the penalty does not stack. Additionally, units which avoid zones of control entirely for a turn gain movement point bonuses which are further amplified if only road movement is used. These bonuses effectively prevent that unit from entering combat for that turn. Movement is never mandatory, and any or all units may be moved each turn. Units may move over friendly units while moving (never enemy units) but must end their movement unstacked.
Combat results are based on the difference between the modified die rolls. All differences require retreats, moderate differences require an additional one step of damage, and large differences require a total of two steps of damage. The attacker does not move on a retreat; he is considered to have retreated from the attacked hex to where he began the attack. Large units (generally divisions) may take four steps of damage before being destroyed; smaller units (typically regiments) are destroyed by the first step of damage received.
Battle of the Bulge is a board wargame
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
published by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
as part of the Smithsonian American History Series. The game simulates the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
battle of the same name
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
and is designed for two players. It is based upon the general Avalon Hill system of combat and movement factors with a focus upon ease of play. The basic rules cover a single sheet of approximately legal-sized paper.
Aggressive gameplay is required by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
player, who must exceed the historical success of his forces. The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
player must be able to transition from delaying tactics in the early game to assaults once force superiority is gained. The rules provide for a short game covering the initial five days of the battle (beginning 1944-12-16), a mid-length game covering the Allied counterattack, including the encirclement of the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
, and a long game covering 16 days. Advanced game rules include air power
Aerial warfare
Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare, including military airlift of cargo to further the national interests as was demonstrated in the Berlin Airlift...
, supply, and fuel usage.
Board
The gameboard covers portions of Germany, LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
known as the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
forest with a hexagonal grid
Hex map
A hex map, hex board or hex grid is a gameboard design commonly used in wargames of all scales. The map is subdivided into small regular hexagons of identical size.-Advantages and disadvantages:...
. Geographic features include hills, forests, and rivers. Additional features like roads, cities, and fortifications are also provided. Important victory objectives like Bastogne
Bastogne
Bastogne Luxembourgish: Baaschtnech) is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes. The municipality of Bastogne includes the old communes of Longvilly, Noville, Villers-la-Bonne-Eau, and Wardin...
are noted directly on the board.
Counters
Double-sided cardboard counters represent land units from divisionalDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
to regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
al levels. Major units are 3/4" square in size, minor units 1/2" square. Additional counters denote damage and fortification, and in the advanced game, supply, fuel, aircraft, commando units, and more.
Setup
Gameplay always begins with the historical order of battle in historical positions. Reinforcements enter the field of battle on historical dates but generally possess some flexibility regarding entry position.Movement
Movement in Battle of the Bulge is not dice-dependent but rather based upon a fixed value per unit. Total movement is dictated by terrain and enemy zones of controlZone of control
In board wargames, zones of control represent the tiles adjacent to tiles occupied by objects. For example, in hexagonal tiled maps, the six hexagons adjacent to the hexagon occupied by a unit would be considered to be in its "zone of control."...
, the six hexes adjacent to every enemy unit. For example, fording a river necessarily slows a unit. Roads allow units to move at faster rates. Zones of control add an additional penalty for each such hex entered or exited, though the penalty does not stack. Additionally, units which avoid zones of control entirely for a turn gain movement point bonuses which are further amplified if only road movement is used. These bonuses effectively prevent that unit from entering combat for that turn. Movement is never mandatory, and any or all units may be moved each turn. Units may move over friendly units while moving (never enemy units) but must end their movement unstacked.
Combat
After movement is completed for all units, a player may elect to enter combat with any units adjacent to enemy units. Combat is resolved by each side totalling their combat modifier, based on the unit's printed combat factor, and adding it to a ten-sided die. Combat factors are modified by terrain, fortifications, and previous damage taken. Additionally, the attacker may combine multiple units into a single attack.Combat results are based on the difference between the modified die rolls. All differences require retreats, moderate differences require an additional one step of damage, and large differences require a total of two steps of damage. The attacker does not move on a retreat; he is considered to have retreated from the attacked hex to where he began the attack. Large units (generally divisions) may take four steps of damage before being destroyed; smaller units (typically regiments) are destroyed by the first step of damage received.