They Shall Not Pass: The Battle of Verdun 1916

About this board game

They Shall Not Pass: The Battle of Verdun 1916 is a two-player game with an approximately 120-minute play time, focused on combat in 1916.

Its system is designed with the clean play associated with the designer’s Defiant Russia, while being crafted to fit the nature of warfare in 1916. The game separates two important stages of combat: artillery bombardment and assault combat.

Players command game pieces representing regiments and a handful of battalions. Units are defined by ratings for morale, attack, defense, and movement, giving each part of the force a distinct set of capabilities to consider during play.

• Artillery bombardment and assault combat take place separately.
• Elite troops have numerous advantages.
• Morale is a vital component of the game.
• Units use morale, attack, defense, and movement ratings.

This emphasis on morale and the separate handling of bombardment and assault reflects the game’s stated focus on 1916 combat. Elite troops also stand out through their numerous advantages, adding another important distinction among the forces represented on the map.

They Shall Not Pass: The Battle of Verdun 1916 was released in 2007 and comes in a small box, packaged in the same manner as Defiant Russia. For two players, it presents a compact treatment of the conflict through regiment- and battalion-level pieces, distinct unit ratings, artillery, assault, elite troops, and morale.