The Longest Day (game)
Encyclopedia
The Longest Day is the name of a 1980 board wargame
designed by Randall Reed and published by Avalon Hill
. It simulates the D-Day invasion, Allied build-up and subsequent Normandy breakout
, with scenarios for the attack on Cherbourg, the Cobra Offensive, the Mortain Counterattack and the Falaise Pocket.
It is a "monster game" meaning the map is very large, and there are 1,600 game pieces. Setup takes 8 hours or more, while the full game can take over 100 hours to complete.
The game is known for its historical detail--for example, the Germans
forces are represented by several hundred, often unique pieces representing the historical units. Unlike most wargames of the era, the counters use not 1970s NATO symbols (cross, oval, blob and slash for infantry, armour, artillery and cavalry) but rather the symbols used on German World War II situation maps.
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...
designed by Randall Reed and 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...
. It simulates the D-Day invasion, Allied build-up and subsequent Normandy breakout
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II...
, with scenarios for the attack on Cherbourg, the Cobra Offensive, the Mortain Counterattack and the Falaise Pocket.
It is a "monster game" meaning the map is very large, and there are 1,600 game pieces. Setup takes 8 hours or more, while the full game can take over 100 hours to complete.
The game is known for its historical detail--for example, the Germans
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...
forces are represented by several hundred, often unique pieces representing the historical units. Unlike most wargames of the era, the counters use not 1970s NATO symbols (cross, oval, blob and slash for infantry, armour, artillery and cavalry) but rather the symbols used on German World War II situation maps.