Review
Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge
A welcoming wargame trip to the Bulge that does not require a staff college first. It keeps enough historical flavour to matter, enough strategy to invite another try, and enough dice to start arguments.
Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge
- Published
- 2006
- Designer
- Larry Harris, Jr.
- Publisher
- Avalon Hill, Renegade Game Studios
- Players
- 2
- Playing time
- 180 min
When a younger player starts asking for wargames instead of the usual digital fare, you do not keep them waiting. Axis & Allies: Battle of the Bulge gave us a return to the Ardennes: some war music, some German phrases pressed into service as dubious dice charms, and then an honest scrap across the map.
This is not Axis & Allies at its full, heavyweight scale. It is loosely built from the broader Axis & Allies experience, and it works as a gateway wargame. Players choose their approach to the conflict, test a strategy, and let the dice add their own rather unsubtle handwriting to the plan.
Then comes the question you want to hear: “When is the rematch?”
TheCuttlefish
What matters is that the conflict feels historical enough without smothering you before play begins. You watch the other side prepare its next move, work out where to answer it, and when something goes wrong there is an immediate culprit: the dice, naturally. Then comes the question you want to hear: “When is the rematch?”
I had a very good time, and the younger player is already planning new strategies for another go. For a game that opens the door to wargames and leaves you wanting a second battle, that is a considerable success.
For a game that opens the door to wargames and leaves you wanting a second battle, that is a considerable success.
TheCuttlefish
Source: BoardGameGeek
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