February 8, 2025

The Battles for the Ardennes Deluxe Edition by Decision Games

Aaron Danis, 16 January 2025

The Battles for the Ardennes (BftA) is a deluxification of the original Simulations Publications, Inc., operational-level game of the same name from 1978 designed by Danny “Mr. Bulge” Parker.

The new cover art (no King Tiger here) hints at the facelift inside.

click images to enlarge

 

BftA is different from other “Bulge” games because it includes counters and rules for 2 scenarios for 1940, when the Germans successfully blitzed through the Ardennes on their way to the French beaches. In between 1978 and 2024 there were two other editions of the game, the first by TSR (which bought SPI) in 1983, then DG’s first redo in 1994. By accounts I found online, the first is a straight reprint of the original with glossy counters, and in the second DG played with unit strengths and the order of battle, as well as implement several rules changes that some players didn’t like based on comments in the various wargame hobby forums. I will be assessing this version against the 1978 original, which I own. I received this copy gratis from DG (thanks Doc!) through the Armchair Dragoons (thanks Brant!) for review.

I had seen the DG deluxe version already at Foxcon in Plano, Texas in November, and that only added to my excitement. As you can see in the photo below, the four folio maps are now mounted into a full map, and the Celles and Sedan 1940 one map scenarios have a separate, back-printed map. The 3 sheets of 684 counters are glossy and larger (9/16”) with larger fonts for better readability (my old eyes are grateful for that, and Danny Parker agreed in a Facebook post). The rules, scenarios, and designer notes are now in one booklet. The play aids consist of several 6 set-up cards and 2 cards with charts and tables.

The picture from Plano.  The attractive wraparound mounted map measures 44”x 34” (which will fit my gaming table), and the 2-sided paper map is a standard 17”x 22” folio map on quality paper.

 

The game comes with eight scenarios, which is the same as the SPI original. Two are for 1940.

  • St. Vith: 6th Panzer Army Attack, 16 Dec.–21 Dec. 1944 (one map)
  • Clervaux: Breakout 5th Panzer Army, 16 Dec.–21 Dec. 1944 (one map)
  • Celles: Battle Before the Meuse, 23 Dec.–26 Dec. 1944 (one map)
  • Sedan 1940: Across the Meuse, 11 May–15 May 1940 (one map)
  • Blitzkrieg to the Meuse: 10 May–15 May 1940 (all maps)
  • The Opening Guns: 16 Dec.–20 Dec. 1944 (2 maps)
  • 22 December 1944: 22 Dec.–25 Dec. 1944 (all maps)
  • The Battle of the Bulge: 16 Dec. 1944–2 Jan. 1945 (all maps)

 

Comparison of the turn record tracks (TRTs) of the SPI original (top) and DG deluxe version (bottom) in the Celles scenario so you can see the counter improvements and changes in order of arrival.

 

Marker comparisons of the SPI original (top) and DG deluxe version (bottom), with two new markers added.

 

My comparison of the games revealed that much of the content is the same but packaged differently. The two game play aids have the same charts but laid out in portrait (1978) vs landscape (2024). The 6 set up cards replace printing the unit starting locations directly on the map in the original. The new rule book still uses the SPI case method for numbering rules for the major cases, but in the minor cases replace the numbers with bullets, which can make it harder to reference minor rules. Another thing DG has removed from the rules to shorten them is the “General Rule” section under each major case, which usually provided a description of why the rule exists and what it does.

Front and back comparison of the main play aids; SPI original (left) and DG deluxe version (right). The CRT removed the multiple terrain types across the top and replaced them with a list of the column shifts below the chart.

 

The SPI version (left) had many (not all) unit start positions printed on the map, which is hard to see. The DG version (right) has replaced those with colorful setup charts.
Rules comparison for Improved Positions; SPI original (right) and DG deluxe version (left).  Note the use of bulleted text in the DG version, and the removal of the General Rule section.  Sorry, I highlighted my original rules 46 years ago as a teen.

 

Most of the graphical and rules formatting changes are a matter of personal preference. Personally, I think the counters are a big improvement in readability, and finding unit symbols printed in heavy woods on the original map sheet was a pain and ruined the map for me. I like the original chart play aids better laid out in portrait orientation, but that is quibbling. Let’s get on to play.

I chose the Celles scenario to start with because I have played it before, it has low counter density, and its over in 7 quick turns. It also is the battle my grandfather fought in as a tanker in the 771st Tank Battalion (Separate) attached to the 84th Infantry Division around the town of Marche, so I have skin in the game. He survived the battle and the war.

The Germans are racing to the Meuse River, led by the 2nd Panzer Division, the Panzer Lehr, the 116th Panzer, and 2nd SS Das Reich. Opposing them initially are the 84th Infantry, 75th Infantry, part of the 3rd Armored, and the sledgehammer 2nd Armored Division (27 combat points!) led by MG Ernest Harmon, one of the U.S. Army’s best and most aggressive armor division commanders. While this battle has been covered in at least 2 stand-alone games (3W’s Race to the Meuse and Celles: The Ardennes by Revolution Games; I own both), and as a scenario in other larger Bulge games, this one hits the sweet spot for me. The Germans are up against the clock with dwindling fuel, while the Americans are building combat power to prevent them from reaching the Meuse bridges (which are guarded by the Brits just in case, but it would be embarrassing as the American commander to have to involve them!).

To win, the Germans need to be across the Meuse with 3 supplied units in any supply phase (decisive sudden death win) or capture at least 4 towns/cities by the end of 7 turns (a marginal win, increasing if they capture up to 8 towns/cities). For Plan A, I went for broke initially with the 2nd Panzer and the Lehr and got to within 2 hexes of the bridge at Dinant before the 2nd Armored descended and lived up to its nickname: “Hell on Wheels.”

 

The end of the iron dream: The desperate and strung-out Lehr and 2nd Panzer (left) meet their match against “Hell on Wheels” (right).  The Brits avoided getting engaged although they were released.

 

Plan B was to grab and hold at least 4 towns and cities, and despite amazing American bridge-blowing prowess, the towns of Rochefort, Marche, and La Roche were firmly in German hands when 2 regiments of the 2nd SS steamrolled a US airborne battalion in improved positions on the eastern map edge and grabbed Manhay in Turn 6. With reinforcements from 9th Panzer Division and the Führer Begleit Brigade, the Germans hung on for the marginal victory.

 

While “Hell on Wheels” was focused elsewhere, the Wehrmacht had success to the east with the 116th Panzer and 2nd SS.  They controlled 4 towns (clear yellow tokens). Sorry about the glare!

 

I found gameplay to be very close to the original and very straightforward. There are some subtle changes to the original rules. For example, in the SPI version you needed all three regiments of a division to get divisional integrity in the attack (a 1 column shift in the attacker’s favor); now only 2 of the units are needed for the shift. This is helpful for the Germans as the Lehr Division has 4 units, and now can form 2 stacks that can each get the integrity bonus. All three still are needed for a 1 column shift left in the defense. There are also two new optional rules, one is for heavy snow in game turns 27 and later, which limits advance after combat. The other covers emergency bridge demolition which allows the non-phasing player to blow a bridge when an enemy comes within 3 hexes of a bridge for the first time. I have no problem with either of those additions; they make sense.

If there is anything I miss in this new version it’s Danny Parker’s original research material for both 1940 and 1944. His 1978 and 1994 version designer notes are both included, but all the material in the 1978 historical background is gone. Certainly, historical scholarship has advanced in 46 years, but that and the loss of the “General Rule” overviews I mentioned earlier take some of the original flavor out of the game. If you are knowledgeable of the Ardennes Offensive, you probably won’t miss it. There certainly is no shortage of works on the topic, including Danny’s original book which has great photos.

Until next time grandpa; go Railsplitters!

 

I plan on playing the one map Sedan scenario next and report back.


Early errata for the Celles Scenario (this has been cleared through Doug Johnson of DG):

  • Add – 629th TD Bn begins the game sets up in any hex occupied by a regiment of the 75th Inf Div.
  • Add – CCB/7 arrives GT 3 at hex 1128
  • The British 34th Armored Brigade is missing from the Celles counters, use the 34th British Arm Bde (4-6 tank unit) from the campaign counters group on counter sheet 3.
  • Celles small paper map: along south side, hexes numbered 1104 to 1106 should be 0104 to 0106.  Also, the bridge markings are missing on the Homme River between hexes 0408/0409 and 0116/0117.

 


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One thought on “The Battles for the Ardennes Deluxe Edition by Decision Games

  1. Thanks for the comparison review. This is something I’ve been hoping to see since Decision for announced a “Deluxe” edition way back when… I personally feel Decision misses the preproduction advertising mark creating ( or not in this sense) a lack of excitement in forthcoming products. Just this one gamer’s point of view.

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