Counter-Attack: The Battle of Arras, 1940

About this board game

Counter-Attack: The Battle of Arras, 1940 is a two-player operational-level wargame with an approximately 480-minute play time, simulating the British and French attack on mobile German elements near Arras, France, on May 21, 1940.

The game focuses on a critical moment during the German advance toward the Channel. British forces launched a counter-stroke southwards from Arras, creating a brief fear that the panzer divisions could be cut off before the infantry divisions arrived to support them.

This historical situation gives the battle its distinctive tension. The German advance had reached a vulnerable point, while the Allied attack posed a threat that was regarded as more serious than any of the French counter-attacks.

Players take part in a focused operational-level treatment of this clash between mobile German elements and the attacking British and French forces. The setting places the action in northern France at a pivotal stage of the 1940 campaign.

The historical importance of the engagement is reflected in the words of German Army Group “A” commander von Rundstedt, who described the British counter-stroke as a moment when his forces faced the possibility of being cut off. His account highlights why the action near Arras became such a critical episode.

Released in 2019, Counter-Attack: The Battle of Arras, 1940 is designed for two players seeking an extended historical wargame centered on a specific operation. Its long playing time allows the battle’s operational situation and high stakes to remain the central focus from beginning to end.