Road to the Rhine

About this board game

Road to the Rhine is a two-player operational-level board wargame for 2–3 players, with games lasting about 360 minutes. Released in 1979, it simulates the post-Normandy campaigns on the Western Front from September 1, 1944, through April 1945.

The game follows the changing fortunes of the campaign: the Allied effort to sustain its advance despite worsening logistics, the German recovery culminating in the Battle of the Bulge, and the final Allied drive across the Rhine. Five scenarios are included, including the complete campaign game.

At a grand-operational scale, ground units represent divisions and brigade- or regiment-sized formations, while air wings also take part. The map uses seven-mile hexes and weekly turns. Medium complexity, low stacking, some bookkeeping, and rules suitable for solitaire play define the overall experience.

• Flexible sequence of play: multiple impulses during each player turn can be triggered by supply expenditure.
• Interspersed operations: reserve movement and combat phases occur within the flow of each turn.
• Specialized forces: rules cover airborne assaults, commandos, air support, and specialized armor.
• Logistics-driven decisions: port capacity determines how many units can operate at full capacity.

Combat uses odds, shifts, and strength modifiers without dice-roll modifiers, offering a familiar wargame combat framework. Yet Road to the Rhine stands out through its flexible turn structure and the importance of managing supply.

Whether played as a shorter scenario or the full campaign, Road to the Rhine focuses attention on operational choices, reserve timing, combat, and the logistical limits behind the advance across Western Europe.