''The Ardennes Offensive '', subtitled "The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944", is a

board wargame A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board game, board, as opposed to being played on a computer or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The modern, commercial wargaming hobby (as distinct from military ...

published by

Simulations Publications, Inc. Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board game, board Wargaming, wargames and related magazines, particularly its Flagship (broadcasting), flagship ''Strategy & Tactics'', in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an ...

((SPI) in 1973 that simulates the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Background

In December 1944, German forces staged a surprise offensive through the Ardennes, taking the Allies by surprise, since intelligence had not predicted any kind of winter offensive. The initial German assault punched a deep hole in the Allied lines, and the Allies scrambled to respond.

Description

''The Ardennes Offensive'' is a two-player board wargame in which one player controls German forces and the other Allied forces. The historical scenario portrays the historical battle. Several other "What if?" scenarios are also included.

Publication history

In 1969, shortly after forming Poultron Press, the predecessor of SPI,

Jim Dunnigan James F. Dunnigan (born August 8, 1943) is an author, military-political analyst, Defense and State Department consultant, and wargame designer currently living in New York City. Career Dunnigan was born in Rockland County, New York. After hi ...

published a complex "Battle of the Bulge" wargame called ''Bastogne''. Critic Martin Campion made special note of the movement system "that is brilliant in its reflection of reality – it is so accurate that each game general needs a staff of two in order to keep track of movement and supply." In 1973, Dunnigan designed ''The Ardennes Offensive'', a much simplified game, which was published by SPI with graphic design by Redmond Simonsen.

Reception

In a 1976 poll conducted by SPI to determine the most popular board wargames in North America, ''The Ardennes Offensive'' placed 54th out of 202 games. In ''The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training'', Richard Rydzel called this "a simplified version of ''Bastogne''." Ryzdel noted that, for educational purposes, "The game still shows, like its predecessor, that traffic was a headache for the Germans. It shows further how impossible the aims of the historical offensive were." In Issue 30 of ''Simulacrum'', Martin Campion noted that compared to its overly-complex predecessor ''Bastogne'', "''Ardennes Offensive'' simplifies he complexitydown to the point where one man on a side can handle the game. It is then a fairly accurate and playable representation of the battle."

Other reviews and commentary

* ''

Fire & Movement ''Fire & Movement: The Forum of Conflict Simulation'' was a magazine devoted to wargames, both traditional board wargames and computer wargames. It was founded by Rodger MacGowan in 1975, and began publication the following year. In February 1 ...

'' 65 * '' The Wargamer'', vol 1 #3 * '' Moves'' 89 * ''

Strategy & Tactics ''Strategy & Tactics'' (''S&T'') is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for publishing a new wargame in each issue. Beginnings ''Strategy & Tactics'' was first published in January 1967 under its original editor, Chri ...

'' 37 * ''American Wargamer'' vol 2 #1 * ''Pursue & Destroy'' vol 1 #4

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ardennes Offensive Jim Dunnigan games Simulations Publications games Wargames introduced in the 1970s European theatre World War II board wargames