Not all board spaces were created equal. Many spaces have tactical significance, and some have more sentimental value. What is your favorite Battle of the Bulge space?
Perhaps it's the crucial crossroads at Spa or the renowned St. Vith. Or perhaps your selection criteria is entirely arbitrary. Whatever it is, we want to know! Post your nominee here.
Here's the plan:
- Post your nominee for favorite space in the this thread. Just list the space name and a few reasons why.
- We will close the nominations on Sunday, 13 October. At that point the top 5 nominees will be selected for final voting.
- We will post a poll here where you can vote on your favorite of the nominees and help us select the community's favorite Bulge space.
Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
Nomination from Eric Lee Smith:
My favorite space on the Bulge map is Arlon, because for the Allies it is where reinforcements enter, so it must be held, and for the Axis because it’s the key to cutting off Bastogne. It also has an important road junction. In most games as the Axis I try to take it early; when playing the Allies I try my best to hold it.
My favorite space on the Bulge map is Arlon, because for the Allies it is where reinforcements enter, so it must be held, and for the Axis because it’s the key to cutting off Bastogne. It also has an important road junction. In most games as the Axis I try to take it early; when playing the Allies I try my best to hold it.
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
Nomination for David Dunham:
For me, it has to be Charleville-Mézières. Not only for having what is probably the longest name on the map, but for its position in the most remote corner of the map. Any time a unit is in that space, I smile. I figure if I can ever take it as Axis, I can finally say I’ve beaten the game.
For me, it has to be Charleville-Mézières. Not only for having what is probably the longest name on the map, but for its position in the most remote corner of the map. Any time a unit is in that space, I smile. I figure if I can ever take it as Axis, I can finally say I’ve beaten the game.
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Meridian99
- Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
- Posts: 18
- Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:32 pm
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
It has to be Huy for me. All the times I ponder Do I hold it as the Allies, do I retreat behind the Meuse? Or as the Axis do I use that space as a springboard from Werbomont or do I try and go in through Ouffet? It always gives me food for thought, which is what I love about wargames.
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spacerumsfeld
- Lance Corporal - SdKfz 222
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 2:46 pm
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
I like Fosse because it is named after two of my favo(u)rite people.
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
My vote goes to Eupen, a place that looks tailor-made for highly effective defensive battles.
On more than one occasion I forced the Axis player to take the long way around the Northern Shoulder by clinging on to this spot.
When playing as Allies, the Eupen defense looks very much like the actual battle for Krinkelt-Rocherath (called "the Panzer Graveyard" by a 12 SS Pz. commander).
On more than one occasion I forced the Axis player to take the long way around the Northern Shoulder by clinging on to this spot.
When playing as Allies, the Eupen defense looks very much like the actual battle for Krinkelt-Rocherath (called "the Panzer Graveyard" by a 12 SS Pz. commander).
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
Before I share my nomination for my Favorite BotB space ... here are the runners up:
First runner up, Trois-Points/Houffalize: Like the center of the chessboard, these two forest spaces are critical to both sides. For the Axis, these are the main routes for armor heading to Liege. For the Allies this is an important place to slow the opposing armored advance while waiting for Monty.
Second runner up, Werbomont: If Trois-Points/Houffalize fall, then Werbomont grows very interesting. For the Axis, Werbomont is the launching point for any exit off the map (unless they've managed to take Verviers). The problem is that darn river makes the three panzer stack less formidable. For the Allies, the river around Werbomont becomes the second line of defense after Trois-Point/Houffalize.
My nomination for my Favorite BotB Space is a second to vladn's compelling nomination for Eupen. Eupen flanks both Verviers and Spa, no bridges between them, no rivers - nothing to slow down those three panzer stacks. If the Axis has Eupen it makes it hard for the Allies to hold Verviers and Spa. So the Allies really need to hold Eupen to hold Viervers. Viervers strategic not only for the 2VPs, but this is also where a lot of Allied reinforcements are scheduled to show up.
For the Allies, Eupen is conveniently out of the range of the Axis artillery, and provides a launching point for counter-attacks into Malmedy if the Panzer supply lines get too thin.
For the Axis, Eupen is a mixed bag. It's important, but it's rarely worth attacking. The forests of Eupen favor the defender. In the games I've played, I've found that spending too much time on Eupen will take the punch out of the assualt and chew up resources. You might as well send the troops to a bar to have a drink than send them in to attack Eupen.
Unless of course the Allies blink and leave it unguarded. Then the space is very interesting indeed.
Flanker
First runner up, Trois-Points/Houffalize: Like the center of the chessboard, these two forest spaces are critical to both sides. For the Axis, these are the main routes for armor heading to Liege. For the Allies this is an important place to slow the opposing armored advance while waiting for Monty.
Second runner up, Werbomont: If Trois-Points/Houffalize fall, then Werbomont grows very interesting. For the Axis, Werbomont is the launching point for any exit off the map (unless they've managed to take Verviers). The problem is that darn river makes the three panzer stack less formidable. For the Allies, the river around Werbomont becomes the second line of defense after Trois-Point/Houffalize.
My nomination for my Favorite BotB Space is a second to vladn's compelling nomination for Eupen. Eupen flanks both Verviers and Spa, no bridges between them, no rivers - nothing to slow down those three panzer stacks. If the Axis has Eupen it makes it hard for the Allies to hold Verviers and Spa. So the Allies really need to hold Eupen to hold Viervers. Viervers strategic not only for the 2VPs, but this is also where a lot of Allied reinforcements are scheduled to show up.
For the Allies, Eupen is conveniently out of the range of the Axis artillery, and provides a launching point for counter-attacks into Malmedy if the Panzer supply lines get too thin.
For the Axis, Eupen is a mixed bag. It's important, but it's rarely worth attacking. The forests of Eupen favor the defender. In the games I've played, I've found that spending too much time on Eupen will take the punch out of the assualt and chew up resources. You might as well send the troops to a bar to have a drink than send them in to attack Eupen.
Unless of course the Allies blink and leave it unguarded. Then the space is very interesting indeed.Flanker
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
Werbomont
Both sides usually need it at some point -- the Germans to get across first the Ourthe and then the Meuse (with so many choices about how to do that because the space borders six other areas, one of only three map spaces to do so -- by my reckoning, anyway), but then it also can be a critical river crossing point for the Allied counterattack.
And because it's a bit of a broken terrain "kill zone," battles there tend to be pretty bloody for both sides.
Both sides usually need it at some point -- the Germans to get across first the Ourthe and then the Meuse (with so many choices about how to do that because the space borders six other areas, one of only three map spaces to do so -- by my reckoning, anyway), but then it also can be a critical river crossing point for the Allied counterattack.
And because it's a bit of a broken terrain "kill zone," battles there tend to be pretty bloody for both sides.
Re: Nominate Your Favorite Battle of the Bulge Space
MARCHE
MARCHE is a strategically significant space. Situated in west part of the map It connects the North, the South and the East. Being one of the two spaces which is close enough to the River Meuse and at the same time have victory point benefits (the other one being VERVIERS), MARCHE becomes the perfect place for the Axis to gather its forces and easily threaten HUY, DINANT and GIVET (all are key towns short of the Meuse) without releasing the British reinforcements before Dec. 25th. However, in recent months, MARCHE, overshadowed by HUY, is considered to be useless and pitiful because now in many games, additional rules adopted by many players that fix the balancing issue define Axis victories as a rush solely for the Meuse.
MARCHE is a strategically significant space. Situated in west part of the map It connects the North, the South and the East. Being one of the two spaces which is close enough to the River Meuse and at the same time have victory point benefits (the other one being VERVIERS), MARCHE becomes the perfect place for the Axis to gather its forces and easily threaten HUY, DINANT and GIVET (all are key towns short of the Meuse) without releasing the British reinforcements before Dec. 25th. However, in recent months, MARCHE, overshadowed by HUY, is considered to be useless and pitiful because now in many games, additional rules adopted by many players that fix the balancing issue define Axis victories as a rush solely for the Meuse.