Bastogne ...and the Battle of the Ardennes December, 1944 (1969)

About this game

Bastogne ...and the Battle of the Ardennes December, 1944 was first released in Strategy & Tactics magazine #20 (December 1969) along with Anzio Beachhead. It was also available in SPI's "white-box" and "Flat Pack" lines. This was Dunnigan's first (of several) Battle of the Bulge games. Per Dunnigan: "Bastogne was an attempt to do the Bulge with max accuracy. The map was a tedious effort to create, working from Belgian government maps from the 1930s. After Bastogne I decided to emphasize playability in my Bulge designs." (e-mail with Neopeius, 9-9-11)

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 2.5/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.