Beyond the Rhine: The Campaign for Northwest Europe

About this board game

Beyond the Rhine: The Campaign for Northwest Europe is a two-player operational wargame covering the Allied and German campaign from September 1944 to April 1945, with an advertised play time of 3000 minutes.

Across a large-scale Western Front, Allied material superiority meets German tenacity, rugged terrain, and difficult weather. The Allies must fight their way toward the Rhine, while the German player relies on defensive strength and still has meaningful offensive potential late in the campaign.

This 14th game in the Operational Combat Series uses 3.5-mile hexes and half-week turns, with units ranging from companies to corps. Its four-map campaigns let players view major operations—including Market-Garden, Hürtgen, the Bulge, Nordwind, and Remagen—in relation to the wider front.

• Rhine crossings: Bridges can be blown or repaired, while pontoons can be emplaced.
• Random events: Fifty-eight possible events include fuel shortages, artillery ammunition stockpiles, lost couriers, railway strikes, and dambuster raids.
• Strategic objectives: The Ruhr, Saar, left bank of the Rhine, and major ports such as Antwerp influence economic effects and supply.
• Campaign options: Rules cover the Wacht am Rhein counter-offensive, German Kampfgruppen, and additional restrictions on Allied independent units.

Beyond the Rhine includes three monster-sized campaigns using a 44×66-inch map layout and more than 1,000 combat units, alongside shorter scenarios such as Operation Queen, A Time for Trumpets, Nordwind, and a special-map Bulge game.

The complete package contains five mapsheets, 2,240 dual-sided counters, the OCS rules, dedicated game rules, charts and tables, player aids, and two six-sided dice. It offers a broad, detailed examination of the campaign before the Allies cross the Rhine.