Panzer Grenadier Battles on April 27th:
Arctic Front Deluxe #40 - Children's Crusade Broken Axis #14 - Târgu Frumos: The Second Battle Scenario 3: Sledge Hammer of the Proletariat
Army Group South Ukraine #6 - Consternation Road to Berlin #73 - She-Wolves of the SS
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Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge boxcover
AP Series Panzer Grenadier
Designers Bennighof,
Knipple
Game Type Standalone
Format Boxed
Release Date 2003-02
Availability Out of Print
Scenarios 51
Counters 495
Counter Type Die-cut
Maps 4
Tour Veterans
Battle of the Bulge Tour of Duty Ribbon
Overall Rating, 570 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.17
Standalone Rank: 30 of 38
Popularity: Ownership & Activity
Status Owned by 49% Played by 29% AAR'd by 23% Medaled by 1%
Rank 3rd of 163 4th of 152 5th of 150 42nd of 92
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for Battle of the Bulge
Total
Side 1 302
Draw 92
Side 2 186
box back

In one last attempt to stave off defeat, the German high command flung their panzer divisions at the Americans in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. Now re-fight this heroic stand of the American fighting man. Fifty-one scenarios cover the vicious tank battles and infantry fights of December 1944 that decided the course of modern history. Players take command of platoon-sized units representing American and German infantry, paratroopers, tanks, and artillery.

box back map map map map

Display Scenario List (51)


Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
United States Order of Battle
Airborne
Army
  • Motorized

Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Game's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Tank Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Anti-Aircraft Weapon Carrier: apply a -1 modifier to an air attack if within three hexes of the targeted hex (15.14).
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.

Display Errata (34)

34 Errata Items
Errata item for campsawyer

The trees lining the roads are just there to be pretty, and so the U.S. Army can march in the shade.

(campsawyer on 2010 Apr 29)
Errata item for campsawyer

For the Germans, some scenarios say "Luftwaffe", other scenarios "Para". These are the same units, the light blue pieces.

(campsawyer on 2010 Apr 29)
Errata item for Nick

NOTE - this rule postdates Battle of the Bulge, but is period appropriate. Its use is recommended. -- Infantry AT-fire in assault: Roll one die for each full strength, good order INF, GREN, PARA and ENG unit in the hex - defending units must be unactivated to attempt AT fire. On a result of 5 or 6, the unit gets to make a strength 6 AT attack against any enemy AFV in the hex - the only applicable modifier is +1 if there are no enemy infantry units in the hex (other than mortars and non-combat units). This fire occurs simultaneously with the assault, and units that fire AT still get to fire in the assault roll. Apply results of the AT fire after normal assault combat results.

(Nick on 2010 Jun 08)
Errata item for Grognard Gunny

Scen 14 -The German renforcements (part 2) state a result of 11 or better to deploy unit, I believe that this should be an 8. Also the Mot/Mech statement is moot.

(Grognard Gunny on 2023 Mar 11)
Scen 19

Setup instructions tell the American player to place Company B on board 8. Board 8 is not included in this game or the scenario setup. I believe this should be board 9.

(triangular_cube on 2021 Jan 27)
Scen 19

Visibility chart is missing from this scenario, unless it is intended to be daylight through the whole scenario starting at 0430? I used the visibility chart from scenario 18 which takes place on the same day to determine dawn.

(triangular_cube on 2021 Jan 27)
Scen 20

Setup instructions tell the American player to place Company B on board 8. Board 8 is not included in this game or the scenario setup. I believe this should be board 9.

(triangular_cube on 2021 Jan 30)
Scen 20

Special rules indicate .. Beginning with Turn Fifty-Eight (1945)... Turn 58 is not 1945.

(triangular_cube on 2021 Jan 30)
Scen 22

The 560th set up instruction makes a lot more sense if you swap the references to boards 10 & 11

(triangular_cube on 2021 Feb 11)
Scen 24

American reinforcement rolls begin on "Turn Twenty-Five (1000)". 1000 is turn 26.

(triangular_cube on 2021 Feb 16)
Scen 25

Terrain instructions only mention ignoring town on B11. In Team Desobry #1 these were treated as roads.

Special rule 3 indicates "turn 16 (1645)". Turn 16 is not 1645.

(triangular_cube on 2021 Mar 15)
Scen 26

Panzer Lehr's onboard procedure calls for rolling a die on every turn, as well as every full hour. I believe the every turn mention was copy-pasted and is erroneous, otherwise the special per hour instruction makes no sense.

The eponymous LT Col Cherry does not appear in this scenario. Team Cherry's highest leader is a CAPT. I dont know if this is intentional, but it seems incorrect.

(triangular_cube on 2021 Mar 21)
Scen 27

Confusing set up directions for Germans: "...within 3 hexes of the east edge and withing 3 hexes of the north edge."

Could mean within 3 hexes of the entire north edge and within 3 hexes of the entire east edge. Or it could mean a 3 hex by 3 hex zone in the very northeast corner.

Since even triple stacking all the German units wouldn't fit in the little northeast zone, I interpret the instruction to mean all across the north and east edges.

(arixius on 2014 Sep 03)
Scen 28

Replace the German "SPW250/9" unit with a "Sdkfz 234/2".

(campsawyer on 2010 Apr 29)
Scen 38

For all reiinforcements except the American M4, the turn numbers and times do not match correctly given the 0815 start time for the scenario:

Second German group listed as Turn 28 (1530) but T-28 is 1500 American Company C listed as Turn 39 (1815) but Turn 39 is 1745 American Company F listed as Turn 55 (2215) but Turn 55 is 2145

I used the turn, not the time, for all

(splat99 on 2012 Feb 04)
Scen 39

As with Scenario 38, there are two time-turn conflicts given the 1115 start:

Second American group is listed as Turn 18 (1600) - Turn 18 is 1530 American OBA listed as Turn 12 (1430) - Turn 12 is 1400.

I used Turn for reinforcements, time for OBA.

(splat99 on 2012 Feb 04)
Scen 40

The Turn(time) instructions for reinforcements and artillery rules are out of sync by two turns. I used the turn indicated rather than the time indicated.

(triangular_cube on 2021 May 01)
Scen 42

There is a desync of 2 turns between the turn(time) indicators for reinforcements and special rules. I used the turn indicator rather than the time.

(triangular_cube on 2021 May 07)
Scen 43

Scenario has a major river but no ENG units, so the river crossing numbers should be ignored, unless players wish to invoke the 3rd edition optional rule that in such cases you can use the crossing numbers without ENG assistance. The crossing numbers of 5/3 are from the era of 1d6 (not 2d6).

(petermc on 2017 Jul 31)
Scen 43

There is a desync of 2 turns between the turn(time) indicators for reinforcements and special rules. I used the turn indicator rather than the time.

(triangular_cube on 2021 May 08)
Scen 44

There is a desync of 2 turns between the turn(time) indicators for reinforcements and special rules. I used the turn indicator rather than the time.

(triangular_cube on 2021 May 08)
Scen 48

Turn/time indicator for the Turn 16 German reinforcements are out of sync.

(triangular_cube on 2021 May 12)
Scen 48

Countermix does not have enough Heer officers to fully support this scenario. I used the included Luft leaders to fill in the gaps.

(triangular_cube on 2021 May 12)
Scen 49

Reinforcement Turn(time) indicators are out of sync by two turns.

(triangular_cube on 2021 May 13)
Overall balance chart for 2

Two 105mms (ID#s 1204, 1205) have "16-31" fire values in black (direct fire), when they should be in white (indirect fire).

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 41

All SS PzIVH tanks should have a movement of 8.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 63

The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 49

This unit is interchangeable with the StuH 42. Technically there never was a StuG IIIh. The StuH 42 was a StuG III with the main armament replaced with a modified 105mm howitzer. The StuG IIIh and StuH 42 counters have the same values, so there is no affect on play.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jan 30)
Overall balance chart for 54

The movement allowance on the counters in Airborne is misprinted. It should be "3."

(rerathbun on 2012 Jan 30)
Overall balance chart for 51

One Wespe (ID# 1201) should have an armor value of 1 on the front and back of the counter.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 39

Reduce strength direct fire value be came 5-5 in Army at Dawn.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 25

The M18 has a special rule in Battle of the Bulge but it applies globally: "A two-step M18 unit can fire one anti-tank shot and move half its movement allowance (retain fractions) in a single impulse. The order in which it does these two actions is the player's choice."

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display Nations (2)

Nations at War - Scenario Appearance Percentages
Germany
100%
Germany
United States
100%
United States

Display Battle Types (9)


Display Conditions (6)

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