Storm Over Arnhem

About this board game

Storm Over Arnhem is a two-player wargame released in 1981, with an approximate playing time of 300 minutes. It simulates the ferocious battle for the Arnhem Bridge from September 18–21, 1944.

The game begins with British forces holding the area around the bridge while German forces surround them. The British must try to hold out for as long as possible, creating a focused contest of pressure, position, and endurance.

Storm Over Arnhem uses the Area-Impulse system, the first of Avalon Hill’s games to use this approach. Each full turn represents eight hours and is divided into many smaller turns, or impulses. During an impulse, a player can move or fire a small number of units.

Once a unit has moved or fired, it becomes committed. A committed unit cannot move or fire again until the next full turn, giving every action lasting importance and making the timing of impulses central to play.

• Players: 2
• Playing time: approximately 300 minutes
• Setting: the battle for Arnhem Bridge, September 18–21, 1944
• Complexity: rated 3 out of 10 on Avalon Hill’s difficulty scale

Combat compares attack and defense values, with both sides adding the results of two dice. If the attacker’s final total is higher, the difference determines the number of casualty points the defender must lose through retreating or destroying units.

With its relatively low complexity for a wargame, Storm Over Arnhem offers a concentrated historical battle shaped by limited actions, committed units, and steadily mounting casualties.