Although the Battle of Verdun was truly unique in so many ways, it was also a prototypically brutal First World War slugfest. Characterized by pulverizing “rain of steel” artillery barrages, murderous trench assaults across No Man’s Land, vicious close quarter fighting utilizing everything from entrenching tools to flamethrowers, and all other aspects of this primeval style of warfare, Verdun indeed epitomized early 20th century industrialized total warfare. Aside from the characteristic bloody and chaotic fighting, the command, control and logistical challenges of this era of warfare were also prevalent. Representing all these relevant aspects of World War I combat, particularly at Verdun, in a board wargame while keeping the game playable was indeed a challenge. In my previous article, I discussed how we attempted to capture the unique events that occurred specifically at Verdun, and I will now attempt to explain how A Hell So Terrible also simulates the idiosyncrasies of World War One combat in an approachable manner.
German Command and Control
The German High Command was a finely tuned, elite, and professional institution that excelled at commanding large bodies of troops in an efficient and skillful manner. But like almost all other aspects of World War One warfare, it had its limits and those limits were quickly reached in the murderous slog at Verdun. A Hell So Terrible uses Command Points (CP) as an easy way to model German command and control at the battle. These are used by the player to perform all sorts of special functions. You can mitigate bad luck by re-rolling a Combat die (Inspirational Leadership), deploying Stosstruppen units, redeploying troops to critical parts of the battlefield, maintaining a successful attack’s momentum (by being able to keep a good pair of dice assigned to a unit but ticking down both values by one pip), increasing air sorties, and reinforcing a local offensive. These CP provide you with some powerful tools that, if wielded correctly, can give you some huge advantages. However, Command Points are a finite commodity and subject to the fickle friction of war. The supply dwindles quickly during the course of play, reflecting not only the attritional effects of the prolonged battle on lines of communication as well as command and control, but also the wavering confidence the German commanders on the field had in Falkenhayn’s overall plan of attack and its goals. So, you begin with an abundance of CP to start the game and earn more every game turn, but the amount gained decreases rapidly. You therefore need to be wise in choosing how to spend these Command Points as they can disappear quickly. Again, a rather simple way to simulate a complex problem.
The German Officer Corps
Not only were the German generals at HQ a talented group, but the German junior officers leading the troops on the frontlines were exceptional, as they had been since the Franco-Prussian War. Exercising not only tactical skill but allowed to use their initiative to take advantage of local battlefield conditions, these officers gave the German formations a decided advantage. Rather than use a complex series of rules and mechanics to simulate this tactical effect, I came up with the German Command Efficiency mechanic. Since we assume that these junior officers are always doing their best job throughout the game, this mechanic just highlights those times when these skills really come to the forefront. Very simply, if you assign two of the same Activation Dice (i.e., a “doubles” roll) to a unit, you gain a bonus that models the unit’s officers displaying their superior training and tactical acumen while leading the unit forward more effectively. When you assign these dice, you can choose to apply one eligible bonus while activating the assigned unit. You may either increase the unit’s Movement result by one category (for example, change a “Spent” result to a “Cautious Move 1” result), or reduce the normal Strength Point loss result from the Casualties die by one, or move the unit’s Support marker up one area. The proper application of these bonuses can make a huge difference in the performance of your units. So be ready when the opportunity arises to take advantage of this feature.
Heavy Artillery Bombardment
One of the most evident and overwhelmingly deadly weapons on this, or any other First World War battlefield, was the obliterating effect of heavy artillery. In fact, during the preliminary bombardment on the morning of February 21st, German artillery poured more than one million artillery shells down on the French positions in front of Verdun (simulated with a special “Trommelfeuer” pre-game bombardment phase). This had a devastating shock effect on the French defenders, rendering them almost inanimate and defenseless (with some notable exceptions, mentioned in my previous article). Once again, wishing to avoid a prolonged new set of rules, procedures, and dice rolls, I’ve opted to import a solution I came up with a long time ago while designing In Magnificent Style. This involves the placement of “Bombardment” and “Big Bertha” (super-heavy artillery) markers. During the Bombardment Phase, these markers are randomly drawn and placed face down on selected French units. They remain face down on the map during play until revealed by a German unit entering their area, or when the player conducts a Reconnaissance action there. Therefore, the player does not know how effective the bombardment really was until they can check it out for themselves – and this is a realistic effect as this lack of detailed information about the enemy’s condition was a huge issue for commanders. The markers indicate the actual effect on the French unit on their hidden side. This could be a reduction to that unit’s SP value, it could be “No Effect”, or in some rare cases a “Big Bertha” marker may have a “Target Obliterated” instruction, eliminating the targeted unit outright! The player’s use of these markers is a key strategy in reducing the French defender’s resistance and opening holes in their lines for rapid advances. But an unrealized ineffective bombardment may lead your units into a deadly trap. Bottom line is that all these artillery bombardment effects are handled quite easily with the placement of markers and the application of the results they impose on the target unit. No cavalcade of extra die rolls and modifiers … just read the markers when they are revealed.
German Support Markers and Tactical Artillery Suppression
There are nine German Support markers (one for each German unit) which abstractly represent tactical artillery batteries and logistical support for the associated German combat unit on the same track. These markers represent the logistical lifeline and supporting artillery batteries for the frontline combat units. Located in a unit’s rear area, they are a safe place to rally and regroup. These Support markers serve an important function in that they allow the player to place “Bombardment” markers on French positions that are within two areas of the marker. In addition, having proper Support also allows the player to substitute the normal “Friction” Casualties die with a better “Suppression” die, reducing potential German casualties. This quickly and easily simulates the tactical artillery support the German attackers needed in close proximity to the battle zone. One of the common tactics used by the local field artillery units (and some higher-level heavy artillery units as well) was to blast the enemy positions with an intense barrage (called a Hurricane Barrage) and/or a closely coordinated moving barrage that fired in front of the advancing infantry (called a Walking Barrage). When benefitting from such support, the Germans could cross “No Man’s Land” more easily and often minimize the typical friction and high casualty rate normally resulting from such an assault. As mentioned above, this “Suppression” die is freely substituted for the “Friction” die if a German unit is stacked with, or adjacent to, its Support marker. Again, no separate combat operation, extra page of rules, or crunchy resolution is required to account for this factor – just replace the die used. However, the problem for the player is that these Support markers are very hard to move up and the advancing German infantry units will often outrun their support. This was a common problem during World War I offensives and is especially true at Verdun. This encompasses the push-your-luck aspect of the design: you will want to advance as quickly as possible with your units, as you are short on time. But without your Support markers keeping pace, the combat units are vulnerable, and you’ll need to manage the advances and halt your units at the right time to allow the Support marker to catch up. A simple mechanism for the player to implement, but a tough one to manage properly and one that feels like a realistic nuisance.
Stosstruppen
Many of the German divisions that took part in the opening phases of Operation Gericht, especially those in III and VIII Corps, had Stosstruppen companies (literally meaning “shock troops”) attached, which were trained in the special assault tactics of infiltration and surgical strikes first developed in 1915 by Captain Willy Rohr. These elite units were also equipped with specialized weaponry (such as grenades and flamethrowers). The Battle of Verdun was to be the first large scale deployment of the Stosstruppen and they were tremendously effective. Rather than have individual unit counters for these formations and a set of special rules, I’ve opted for a nice straightforward solution – the “Infiltration” Activation Die. This die represents the deployment of Stosstruppen units to spearhead a swifter and more potent assault by the activated German unit. If the player spends the requisite number of Command Points (the number of CP depending in which Sector you wish them deployed), then the normal “Advance” die is replaced with the “Infiltration” die for that unit. By doing so, the activated German unit not only gets better odds of a successful move but also a possible multi-Area advance.
The Air War Over Verdun
In the skies above Verdun, a violent and swirling air combat was ongoing as the “Knights of the Sky” from both sides parried and thrusted their way through the clouds. This air campaign encompassed bombing runs, fighter versus fighter dogfighting, and balloon busting – all elements of World War One combat that, by 1916, were a fairly well-developed mode of combat unknown of in any previous war. This phase of the battle is handled by first determining which side, if any, has Air Superiority. You will resolve a quick Dogfight to determine which side achieves a tactical edge in the skies. The Air Superiority factor has effects throughout the game, determining whether Reconnaissance can be conducted, affecting the interdiction of “La Voie Sacree”, German artillery bombardment effectiveness, and the viability of bomber air raids. Again, the effects of this important aspect of the battle are intertwined with the game’s cards and procedures for a smooth, realistic effect on the game.
Conclusion
Further to my previous article here covering A Hell So Terrible, the goal is to present the game player with a flavorful, historically accurate, and yet highly playable (and also replayable) wargame. I’m hoping that you’ll see that this combination of the immersive and challenging aspects of World War One combat, along with the specific narrative historical details of the Battle of Verdun itself, will provide a satisfying gaming experience.
Thanks again for reading and good gaming!
-Hermann
Previous Article: A Hell So Terrible: Capturing the Flavor of Verdun Through Cards and Mechanics
Author: Hermann Luttmann
