Subject: [consim-l] SPI's Bulge From: Scott Holmgren After reading Stephen Ambrose's "Citizen Soldiers" and conversing at length with a good friend who was in the 82nd Airborne (504th PIR, Co. I), I decided to acquire a game on the Battle of the Bulge. I wound up with a copy of SPI's BULGE (1979, designed by James Dunnigan, development by Eric Smith, and graphics by Redmond Simonsen). When I opened BULGE up, I was surprised to find a game roughly the same in size as a majority of DTP wargames being published. I felt a bit of kinship as I began to examine what I considered a precursor to the current DTP wave of wargames. Game scale is at a day per turn, 8 km per hex, with units mostly divisions and a few smaller formations. The 11 x 17 map stretches from the West Wall in the east to the Meuse in the west, and from Neufchateau north to Spa and Huy. The very slim, 8-page, rulebook contains more meat to chew on than at first glance, with several pages devoted to a repro of the 100-piece countersheet, design notes, and charts and tables. BULGE hinges on the differential in victory points between the German and Allied players. VPs are accumulated by both sides for eliminating enemy combat strength points and by the Germans for exiting units off the north and west edges of the map. Different roads off have differing factors of point multiplication. The northwest corner beyond Huy and Namur provides the richest rewards; if the 1st SS Panzer division can exit there, its 7 SPs are multiplied by 4, for a total of 28 VPs gained. But the real rub is that each turn victory is determined against an established total that can potentially end the game on any turn! For example, on turn three, if the VP differential is more than 40 the Germans immediately win, if less than 8 the Allies immediately win. Three turns later those numbers shift to 80 and 18 respectively. This factor instills a sense of urgency in both players, knowing that it's easier to win the sooner they can do it. A game turn in BULGE begins with the Weather Phase. The weather can be played either historically or variably, with modifiers present to nudge results toward the historical forecast. The outcome (clear, mist, or overcast) determines how many air points each player can use to assign air missions for that turn. Missions include ground support, CAP, interdiction, or resupply. Points are assigned simultaneously, but the Allies have the advantage every turn. The best the Luftwaffe can hope for is interdiction when the weather is clear, whereas the Allies can count on combat and supply support as long as the weather holds. All air missions are carried out immediately. The German player then goes first followed by the Allied player. Both sides have the opportunity for pre-movement combat, then movement, then post-combat movement. The first round of combat is voluntary; the second is mandatory. Movement is pretty standard: all units have an allowance of 5, but mechanized units can use roads at 1/5 MP per hex. Additionally, up to three Allied infantry units can use mech movement per turn. ZOCs are locking; units may only exit a ZOC as a result of combat. And Allied units project a three-hex radius that automaticly interdicts bridges for purposes of German movement and supply regardless of terrain, enemy units, or ZOCs. This rule forces the German player to create an alley wide enough in the Allied line for him to rapidly move units through. Combat is unique in that there are two CRTs to choose from when fighting occurs. The Primary table simulates all-out attacks, whereas the Secondary CRT is conducive to holding or delaying actions. This provides some interesting choices players must make when making those mandatory attacks, especially when you're hoping for a retreat because you'd like to reform your units somewhere else. The fighting itself is based on an attacker-to-defender strength differential with terrain adding strength points to the defender. With the map full of woods, rivers, and towns, you quickly learn to maximize your attacks; strength points can't be wasted. For example, even two SS Panzer divisions (a 6 and a 7) attacking the 9th Division (4) in heavy woods (+3) on the Primary CRT (using the +5 or +6 column) still can roll a "Ct" result (Contact), which is really no result. Now put the 9th in Trois Ponts with the Germans attacking across the Ambleve (13 v. 4+3+3=10) and the Americans can ignore any retreat results since they're in a town, and you've got the German player wishing he'd brought more firepower along. This may seem fruitless for the German player, but the fact is that there is a lot of room for maneuver on such a small map. If the German player moves fast enough (which was what Hitler was wanting all along) he can cut off Allied units and rush to exit the board. Once the Allied player performs his half of the turn, players check for automatic victory and go on to the next turn if necessary. Some extra game chrome includes the option of a German airdrop, Germans getting a "surprise" combat bonus on turn one, and all German units in supply the first three turns. My first run through the game went very poorly for the Germans. I was too focused on trying to open an alley to run units through and forgot about eliminating American formations. As turn 3 (Dec. 18) came to a close, the VP differential was only 6 (10 Allied SPs eliminated v. 4 German SPs gone), 3 short of keeping the game going. The Germans had advanced to Vielsam and Houffalize but had only eliminated a handful of the isolated regiments that begin the game strung out along the Allied line. All in all, BULGE is a fun, tense, and engaging game worthy of repeated playing. If for no other reason than the challenge to get beyond turn three! -------------------------------------------------------------- sholmgren@solagroup.org Scott Holmgren Current Gaming: Bulge (SPI) Last Three: Victory in the Pacific , For the People 2, War at Sea -------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jfdunnigan@aol.com Subject: Re: [consim-l] SPI's Bulge In a message dated 3/13/2001 5:39:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, sholmgren@solagroup.org writes: > > All in all, BULGE is a fun, tense, and engaging game worthy of repeated > playing. If for no other reason than the challenge to get beyond turn three! > That was my intention and Bulge was one of those rare designs where it worked out that way. I intentionally tried to make it simple, yet elegant (a phrase I coined to mean playable, yet realistic.) The game proved popular as well. Out market surveys already indicated that the core wargaming audience was getting older and had less time to play. That's why all the Quad games were published (and were bought, and played, in large quantities.) Subject: [consim-l] More Bulge From: Scott Holmgren BULGE Second Game Turn 1 The Germans begin with a roll for the Heydte paradrop; it fails. Pre-movement attacks roll forward (receiving a 2-column shift): the US 99th Div is pushed back in front of Elsenborn; the 14th Recon Regt is swept aside by the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Div; and the US 106th Div, 109th Regt, 110th Regt, and 112th Regt all give ground before the German advance. But in the south the Germans take a beating: the 276th Div must fall back, and the 212th Div is ripped to pieces. The Germans then drive toward Ettelbruck and Clervaux to the south, the bridges south and east of St. Vith, and Elsenborn to the north. Fire shatters the American line with terrible effect (benefiting from the 1-column shift). Both the 109th and 112th US Regts melt away, and the 99th Div dissolves, but not without mangling the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Div in the process. Bravely, the 106th Div hangs on in the face of three enemy divisions. The Americans reel from the attack and try to regroup. The US 2nd Div pushes away the depleted 12th German Div, and the other US units fall back. The Americans then stand firm to the north and hold Elsenborn with room to spare. But as the turn ends, the VP differential is only 1! 6 US SPs were lost while dragging down 5 German SPs. The differential gives the Americans a victory on Turn 1. Yuck. I've got to completely rethink what I'm doing on the first turn as the Germans. Let's go back to the drawing board. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BULGE Third Game Turn 1 The German airdrop doesn't happen (again). Pre-move attacks: the US 14th Recon and 110th Regt are eliminated, while other American formation have to withdraw a hex. Now, special attention is paid to maximizing the placement of the Germans to eliminate the most US SPs. But for all the work involved, only 1 SP is eliminated (112th Regt). However, with several "contact" combat results, the Americans will have to fight back at not-so-hot odds, and still no German units lost. The Americans jockey for position, make a few secondary attacks (in a attempt to disengage), but are left pretty much where they're at. Now the post-movement combat begins, and the US sees a disaster in the south when the 4th Div is destroyed by the German 212th Div at Echternach. In the north, the 2nd and 99th Divs hold firm. So now the VP differential is +7 for the Germans (7-0). Much better start. They key for the Germans early on is not to lose any units. They will surely get at least two of the isolated US Regts which is enough to keep the game going. Turn 2 Using the historical weather chart, it's misty. Allies pull a Ground Support mission, but the Germans aptly counter with CAP. It's a wash. The Germans make on pre-move attack which causes the US 109th Regt to fall back. The Germans don't advance though. We'll try keeping the Germans as mobile as possible in this game. Next comes movement, with only prudent attacks being set up. Nothing happens in the way of eliminations, but US forces are slowly being pushed back in preparation for more of a breakout next turn. The Americans strike back with the SS Pz Bgde eliminated in the woods south of Elsenborn. They then sit tight as reinforcements mech move into position at Wiltz and along the line between Vielsam and Elsenborn. The post-move attacks go well for the US and result in maintaining contact with the enemy without losses. The VP differential drops to +6 for the Germans (7-1). The game goes on, but the Germans must kill two more SPs than they lose next turn, or get a unit of the map, in order to avoid an American victory. Turn 3 December 18 dawns misty, and both sides opt for air interdiction, which get placed strategically to foil rapid enemy movement. With roads blocked to the west and north, the Germans need to focus on knocking out American units with the most minimal of losses. A huge victory occurs when the German 26th Div pummels a regiment of the 9th Armored Div just east of Houffalize. Suddenly the way is wide open through to the Meuse! In a sprint the Panzer Lehr Div and the 2nd and 116th Pz Divs race through occupied Houffalize, over the Ourthe River, and off the board at a x4 VP exit hex! That scored 48 VPs right there; the Germans have the game if they can prevent a miracle American counterattack. Meanwhile the Germans assault the US 106th Div at St. Vith. The Americans are driven west as the 3rd Fallschirmjäger Div occupies the town. The Americans are now hard-pressed to take out some German units to avoid a loss. As the 101st and 82nd Airborne motor into blocking positions, an all-out attack is necessary. The 2nd and 30th Divs assault the West Wall near Monshau and annihilate the 326th Div. Four US divisions plow into three German divisions at St. Vith and lose an armored regiment while taking out the 18th German Div. But as the smoke clears, it appears that not enough damage was done. The VP difference stands at +53 for the Germans (58-5), more than the 40 VPs required for a German victory. Well, as it did in my very first game, the game ends at Turn 3 but in a German victory! I guess the Americans spread themselves too thin in the center while fortifying St. Vith more than necessary. This game makes it clear that every reinforcing American unit needs to be placed very carefully, keeping in mind of existing and future holes that can occur in their front lines. This game is great fun to play, with many facets that need to be kept in consideration or else it's easy to lose embarrassingly fast. Scott -------------------------------------------------------------- sholmgren@solagroup.org Scott Holmgren Current Gaming: Bulge (SPI) Last Three: Victory in the Pacific , For the People 2, War at Sea --------------------------------------------------------------