Copyright © 1976, Decision Games
The Siege of Bastogne is a battalion level simulation of the battles that took place in December 1944 near the town of Bastogne in southern Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge (the German Ardennes Offensive). The battle was divided into two distinct phases, and a scenario is provided that covers each phase as a self-contained game. Also included is a Campaign Game that allows the Players to re-fight the series of engagements as a single, continuous game. The first Scenario, Spearhead, treats the period from December 18-24, 1944. It presents the phase pf the battle when the spearhead of the German 5th Panzer Army first approached the vital road and communication centre at Bastogne. The second Scenario, the Relief of Bastogne, depicts the situation of December 21-26, the period of Patton's drive up from the south to relieve the siege of Bastogne and open a supply line to the defenders. Each Game-Turn represents one-half day of actual time, and the scale of the map is approximately 850 meters per hex.
Both Players receive Reinforcements as directed by the Reinforcement Schedule fore each Scenario. These units appear during the Owning Player's Movement Phase on the Game-Turn indicated on the Reinforcement Schedule. The Reinforcement Schedule states the Game-Turn of appearance, the Strengths and designations, and the map edge on which they enter.
During the movement Phase, the Owning Player places each Reinforcing unit on any of the specified hexes on the map edge, as designed on the Reinforcement Schedule. They may be brought into play in any order and at any time during the Owning Player's Movement Place.
The hex first entered by a Reinforcement units must be one of those map edge hexes designed for that unit by the Reinforcement Schedule. All Reinforcement unit must expend Movement Points according to the Terrain Key in order to enter that first hex. All terrain restrictions apply to entry hexes.
When the entry hex contains a road (or trail) leading off of the map. Reinforcement units may enter that hex at the road (or trail) movement rate.
Any number of units may enter through the same entry hex. There are no movement penalties or restrictions imposed on subsequent reinforcement units entering through the same hex during a single Movement Phase. [Units may never end the Movement Phase stacked.]
Once on the map, Reinforcement may be moved normally. The Owning Player may sequence the arrival of his Reinforcements with the movement of his already present units in any order he sees fit.
A Reinforcing unit may enter an Enemy-controlled hex (but it must cease movement there in).
A Player may deliberately withhold Reinforcements from Game-Turn to Game-Turn, bringing them into playing (if at all) on some later Turn. Regardless of which Turn Reinforcements are brought in, they must appear in one of their scheduled hexes.
Reinforcements that have not yet entered the map have no effect upon the movement of either Player's units.
The German player is required to exit units from the map. As existing unit must expend Movement Points to enter an imaginary hex presumed to be adjacent to the map edge. The terrain in this imaginary hex is presumed to be similar to the terrain in the hex from which the unit exited. This includes the use of road and trail movement by exiting units moving off of the map through hexes that contain roads or trails that lead off the map from the exit hex.
Once a unit exits the map, it may not return.
A unit may not exit the map as a result of combat. If it does so, then it is eliminated. Units may only exit the map during the German Player's Movement Phase.
The Airborne units on both sides are to be treated as infantry units. These units were employed strictly as infantry, even though the U.S. airborne troops were trained paratroopers. German airborne units were parachute in name only.
Neither Player may add more Ground Support or Artillery Strength Points (either Barrage or FPF) to an individual combat situation than there are Friendly Ground Strength Points (Attack or Defense) participating. The maximum number of Artillery Strength Points allowed is determined by totalling the appropriate (Barrage or FPF) Strength of the participating Friendly non-Artillery units. Both adjacent and non-adjacent Artillery units count against this limit. Each unit's Strength is considered an integral whole, which may not be divided or reduced.
The instructions for each Scenario include: Historical Notes, detailing briefly the events and circumstances of the Scenario: each Player's Initial Order of Battle and the initial units' deployment hexes; the Reinforcement Schedule for each Player; Special Rules in effect for that particular Scenario; the length (in Game-Turns) of the Scenario; and the special Victory Conditions of that Scenario.
Unit designations are listed first, followed by the unit type and quantity in parentheses. (No quantity is shown if there is only one unit of that type.) Units are deployed according to the instructions which precede each group of units. Unit designations are provided for reference only. Players may ignore them.