Ardennes ’44: The Battle of the Bulge

About this board game

Ardennes ’44: The Battle of the Bulge is a two-player World War II board game about the German offensive in the Ardennes, with a playing time of approximately 360 minutes. Designed by Mark Simonitch, it covers the campaign from December 16 through December 26, 1944.

Three German armies launch 26 divisions against thinly held American positions in Belgium and Luxembourg. The German objective is to break through the Ardennes, cross the Meuse River, and advance toward Antwerp, while the American player must slow and stop the attack at critical crossroads and defensive positions.

The game features a highly detailed order of battle and an accurate map stretching from the Our River to the Meuse. Each turn represents 12 hours, while each hex covers 1.6 miles. Units are represented at regimental level, with tank units and some infantry shown as battalions.

• Night turns, weather, air supply, and traffic jams
• Tank destroyers, armor ratings, and corps-level artillery
• Bridge demolition and construction, roadblocks, and disengagement
• Determined attack and defense options
• Historical special units including von der Heydte’s parachute battalion and Skorzeny’s 150th Panzer Brigade

Ardennes ’44 gives both sides opportunities to alter history. German attacks can follow the historical advance routes, while the Allied player may attempt to hold Elsenborn Ridge and contest Rockerath and Krinkelt. Bastogne and St. Vith can develop into broad defensive perimeters rather than single stacks concentrated in the towns.

The game includes two shorter, one-map scenarios covering the opening stages of the offensive, along with 570 counters, one and a half mapsheets, a 40-page rulebook and playbook, player aids, a quick-start setup display, and two dice.