VERDUN

Units in Verdun do not have ‘steps’ or become ‘reduced’ in any

way. When a unit is eliminated, it is removed from the map.

The Game of Attrition The front of each unit (the side with the higher combat strength
and movement points; printed in black) is called the Good Order
By John Hill side.

1. INTRODUCTION The back of each unit (the side with the lower combat strength and
Verdun, The Game of Attrition covers the initial period of the movement points; printed in white) is called the Demoralized side.
German attack in February-March, 1916. Known as ‘Operation When units become Demoralized, they flip over to their back side
Gericht’ in German (meaning ‘Place of Execution’), this battle was and remain that way until they Rally, at which point they are flipped
designed to bleed the French Army to the point of surrender. back over to their front side.
Instead, it merely bled both the German and French Armies to the
point of exhaustion, not surrender. 3.2 Markers
There is a selection of markers included in Verdun to ease the
2. COMPONENTS burden of remembering game events. They are shown on the back
of the Terrain Effects Chart.
A complete game of Verdun should include the following:
 one 22x34” mapsheet Rules pertaining to marker use are detailed in the relevant rules
 one rulebook sections.
 one Player Aid Card
 one Set-up and Reinforcement Card
 two different sheets of counters 4. VICTORY CONDITIONS
GERMAN TACTICAL VICTORY: Kill at least 50 French units and
Additionally, the players will need to provide one six-sided die. have French unit losses at least 25% higher than German unit
losses.
GERMAN STRATEGIC VICTORY: Kill at least 70 French units and
3. THE COUNTERS have French unit losses at least 50% Higher than German unit
There are two kinds of counters in Verdun: units and markers. losses.
Units represent the combat troops of both sides while markers are FRENCH TACTICAL VICTORY: Prevent both German victory
strictly information reminders. options and hold all three Verdun hexes.
FRENCH STRATEGIC VICTORY: Kill at least 25% more German
3.1 Units units than French unit losses and hold all three Verdun hexes.
Pictured on the back of the Terrain Effects Chart are the two types
of units, infantry and artillery. Infantry units have only two numbers Notice that it is impossible for both sides to win, but it is possible
on them: combat strength and movement points. Artillery units for both sides to lose; meaning that each side failed in their
have a shell factor instead of a combat strength and in addition objectives. In the actual battle the French barely won a tactical
have a range number and a caliber number. victory, or the Germans barely won a tactical victory, depending on
which source is used for casualties. It was that close.
Combat Strength is a measure of a unit’s ability to both attack and
defend. Artillery units have a defense-only Combat Strength of 1
that is not printed on the counter. It is fully modifiable as any other 5. INITIAL SET-UP
combat strength. Place all units as indicated on the Set-up and Reinforcement Card.
Note that the French reinforcements are fixed and the Germans
Movement Points represent how fast a unit moves every turn. are not fixed.

Shell Factor is the ‘weight’ of an artillery unit’s bombardment when Place the weather marker on the Weather Table in the Clear box
it attacks. (weather is not rolled for turn 1). The Game Turn marker is placed
in the February 21st box of The French portion of the Set-up and
Range is the maximum distance in hexes that an artillery unit may Reinforcement Card.
attack with its Shell Factor. It includes the target hex but not the
artillery unit’s hex. The French player sets up his units first, south and west of the
southern barbed wire line. Note the placement restrictions stated
Caliber is the size of the guns making up an artillery battalion. It is on the Set-up and Reinforcement Card when placing units. Units
noted purely for historical interest. must set up within stacking limits.

Size shows that all of the units in the game are battalions. The German player then sets up his units north and east of the
northern barbed wire line. Note the placement restrictions stated
Flamethrower-capable German units are shown by both an ‘F’ next on the Set-up and Reinforcement Card. Also note that there are 4
to their infantry type box and also have their combat strength in hexes in which the German player is not required to place units
red. (but he may if he wishes). These hexes are noted on the Terrain
Effects Chart and in the map with a black triangle. The German
Railroad-bound artillery units have their movement points shown in player may also overstack any hexes by up to two additional units
red. These units may move along railroad hexes ONLY. over the normal stacking limit during set up.

Counter Battery-capable artillery units are those that have their 6. SEQUENCE OF PLAY
artillery type box printed in white. These are the German ‘77’ and There are 19 turns in Verdun. Each turn is composed of the
French ‘75’ guns. Note that these units may not perform Counter following steps which must be performed in this order:
Battery fire if they are Demoralized (their flip side artillery type
boxes are not white).
1. GERMAN MOVEMENT: The German player rolls one die and After all of the above steps have been completed, the French
determines the weather for the current game turn on the Weather player advances the Game Turn marker on his Set-Up and
Table (located on the map). He rolls a single die to see if he Reinforcement Card and begins the next turn.
receives any reinforcements this turn. He adds 10 to his artillery
ammunition. Starting on the March 1+2 turn, he rolls to receive his 7. WEATHER
phosgene Gas! marker. The German player may move any of his
At the start of each German Movement Step, before any units are
units. Artillery units may exercise Strategic Movement; place a
moved, the German player rolls the die and looks at the Weather
Strategic movement marker on those that do. After all German
Table printed on the map. The resulting weather is in effect and
movement is completed, the German player places Attack!
remains so until the next turn’s die roll. The listed effects are
markers on his attacking units, indicating which hex they will attack
enforced during this time.
in the German Infantry Assault Combat Step.
Do not roll the die on Game Turn 1; the weather is always
2. GERMAN ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT: The German player
assumed to be clear.
may fire any of his artillery units that do not have a Strategic
Movement marker once each, up to the limit of its range. All
attacks against a single hex must be predesignated before any are 8. MOVEMENT
resolved. Mark off all ammunition expenditures as each artillery During each player’s movement step, he may move any of his
unit fires. The German player may use his Gas! marker if he has units. Each unit is moved individually, spending movement points
received it. for each hex entered and sometimes for hexsides crossed. A unit
must stop when it cannot afford to enter a hex or cross a hexside
3. FRENCH COUNTER-BATTERY FIRE: The French player may or enters a hex with an enemy zone of control.
fire any of his Good Order ‘75’ artillery units that do not have a
Strategic Movement marker at any German units adjacent to Each hex and some hexsides have a movement point cost
French infantry units. Mark off all ammunition expenditures as associated with it as listed on the Terrain Effects Chart. When a
each artillery unit fires. Remove all Strategic Movement markers unit enters a hex or crosses a hexside, it pays the listed movement
from all French artillery units after all Counter Battery fires are points.
finished.
Units must follow all rules pertaining to movement. These include
4. GERMAN INFANTRY ASSAULT COMBAT: The German player Weather, Stacking, Zones of Control, Strategic Movement,
resolves all of his predesignated attacks in any order he chooses. Railroad Movement, and The Tunnel effects. All benefits and
penalties are cumulative.
5. GERMAN ISOLATION MORALE CHECK: Each Isolated
German unit must make a Morale Check to see if it is Demoralized 9. STACKING
(if Good Order) or eliminated (if Demoralized).
There is a limit to the number of units you may have in any one
hex. This limit is enforced only at the end of each movement step
6. FRENCH MOVEMENT: The French player checks the Set-Up
and each infantry assault step. During all steps, units may move
and Reinforcement Card to see which reinforcements he is due
through hexes in excess of their stacking limits.
this turn. He adds this turn’s ammunition allotment to his
Ammunition Track. He may move any of his units. Artillery units
At the end of the above steps, if the limit is exceeded, the owning
may exercise Strategic Movement; place a Strategic movement
player must eliminate as many units as required to bring the hex
marker on those that do. After all French movement is completed,
within stacking limits.
the French player places Attack! markers on his attacking units,
indicating which hex they will attack in the French Infantry Assault
The stacking limits are:
Combat Step.
6 in clear hexes
2 in forest and tunnel hexes
7. FRENCH ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT: The French player
4 in all other hexes
may fire any of his artillery units once each, up to the limit of its
range. All attacks against a single hex must be predesignated
During the Initial Set-Up, the German player is allowed to exceed
before any are resolved. Mark off all ammunition expenditures as
the stacking limits by two units. He must rectify any overstack
each artillery unit fires.
situations by the end of his first movement step.
8. GERMAN COUNTER-BATTERY FIRE: The German player may
fire any of his Good Order ‘77’ artillery units that do not have a 10. ZONES OF CONTROL
Strategic Movement marker at any French units adjacent to Each unit exerts a zone of control into all 6 adjacent hexes at all
German infantry units. Mark off all ammunition expenditures as times (Exceptions: units in tunnel hexes only exert a zone of
each artillery unit fires. Remove all Strategic Movement markers control into the two adjacent tunnel and entrance hexes; zones of
from all German artillery units after all Counter Battery fires are control do not extend across river or bridge hexsides).
finished.
Friendly units do not negate enemy zones of control for purposes
9. FRENCH INFANTRY ASSAULT COMBAT: The French player of movement, but they do negate enemy zones of control for
resolves all of his predesignated attacks in any order he chooses. purposes of tracing supply.
Remove any Railroad Movement markers.
When a unit enters an enemy unit’s zone of control, it must stop
10. FRENCH ISOLATION MORALE CHECK: Each Isolated moving.
French unit must make a Morale Check to see if it is Demoralized
(if Good Order) or eliminated (if Demoralized). If a Good Order unit begins its movement step in an enemy zone
of control, it may move directly into another enemy zone of control
11. Advance the Game Turn marker one space on the Set-Up and but must then stop movement. In doing so, the moving unit may
Reinforcement Card. not become Isolated. Demoralized units may not perform this
movement option.
 with or without Saturation. A player may not use both Standard and
Being adjacent to enemy units does not require units to attack. Intermittent Barrages against the same hex during one
Attacking is completely voluntary. Bombardment Step; only one type of Barrage may be conducted
against each hex.
11. ARTILLERY STRATEGIC MOVEMENT All bombardments against one hex must be predesignated before
An artillery unit may move up to twice its printed movement points
any results are determined. Once a player begins resolving
during a movement step. In doing so, it has a Strategic Movement
bombardments against a hex, he may not assign more artillery
marker placed on it.
units to it this Bombardment or Counter Battery Step.
An artillery unit with a Strategic Movement marker may not conduct
Artillery unit shell factors may be modified due to weather,
friendly Artillery Bombardment or Counter Battery Fire.
Saturation and target hex terrain. All effects are cumulative.
All Strategic Movement markers are removed from friendly units at
When using the Artillery Bombardment Table, find the highest
the end of a player’s Counter Battery Step.
column that doesn’t exceed the firing shell factor total and roll one
die. Results include ‘D’ (target Demoralized) and ‘E’ (target
12. RAILROAD MOVEMENT eliminated). Demoralized units are flipped over and Eliminated
Only the French player may move units by rail. This is called units are removed from the map.
‘railroad movement’. For a unit to use railroad movement, it must
start and end the French Movement Step on a railroad hex. Units 14.1 Standard Barrage
may move any distance by railroad when using railroad movement Design Note: The Standard Barrage is just what the name implies.
and must stop if they enter an enemy zone of control. Place a Historically, a target would be registered, the guns assigned, and it
Railroad movement marker on any unit that moves by rail and would be hammered until the specified shell allotment had been
remove it at the end of the French player’s turn. Only three units expended.
may use railroad movement per turn. Units may not attack after
using railroad movement. To perform a Standard Barrage, the player simply totals up the
number of shell factors of all guns firing on a specific hex and rolls
Each player has several artillery units with red movement point once for EACH UNIT in the hex.
numbers. These units are railroad-bound and may NEVER leave a
railroad hex. They do not count against the French player’s railroad
14.2 Intermittent Barrage
movement limit.
Design Note: The Intermittent Barrage was more subtle. The guns
would hammer at a position, then cease firing. The defending
13. THE TUNNEL troops would then come up out of their bunkers and prepare to
‘The Tunnel’ is the two hexes with the white railroad coloring. repulse the expected infantry assault. At this point the guns would
There are also two tunnel entrance hexes which are the hexes on open up again and hopefully catch the defenders out of their
either end of the tunnel with the entrance pattern (see the Terrain entrenchments and massacre them. Sometimes it worked, but
Effects Chart). sometimes the lull in the bombardment was the break the
defenders needed to keep up their morale. When it worked it was
A maximum of two units may use the tunnel per turn per side. This better than the standard barrage and when it didn’t, it was worse.
includes units remaining in the tunnel.
To perform an Intermittent Barrage, each artillery unit fires
To enter a tunnel hex, a moving unit must first begin in or enter an separately at the target hex (rolling once for each unit in the target
entrance hex (which cannot have an enemy zone of control in it) or hex) with the results noted after each attack. Should a unit be
the other tunnel hex, and then enters the tunnel hex. It may only Demoralized by one artillery unit and then be Demoralized again
move on the tunnel railroad hexes until it exits via an entrance hex by another artillery unit, it is assumed the defender fell for the trick
(which may have an enemy zone of control in it). and is eliminated instead.

Units occupying tunnel hexes may participate in combat 14.3 Counter Battery Fire
against/from adjacent tunnel and entrance hexes ONLY, with no Counter Battery fire may only be performed by Good Order
penalty or bonus. Any unit involved in combat while occupying a German ‘77’ and French ‘75’ artillery units. These units have a
tunnel hex is automatically eliminated after combat. This loss does white artillery-type box. They may not fire Counter Battery when
not count towards a side’s combat losses. Demoralized (note the lack of a white box on their Demoralized
side).
14. ARTILLERY
Design Note: In World War I artillery was responsible either directly Counter Battery fire may only be performed against enemy units
or indirectly for at least 60% of the total casualties. The battles adjacent to a friendly unit during the friendly Counter Battery Step.
were usually won by the side that made the most efficient use of It is a Standard Barrage and may be conducted with or without
their guns. In Verdun, artillery will be the key to victory. Saturation.

Artillery units may attack enemy units during their friendly Artillery 14.4 Saturation
Bombardment Step only. Additionally, German ‘77’ and French ‘75’ Design Note: In a Saturation Barrage the guns would be assigned
artillery units may attack enemy units during their friendly Counter their targets and the shells would be cranked out as fast as they
Battery Step. Artillery attacks by using the Artillery Bombardment could be loaded with little regard for correction of fire. While this
Table. type of barrage could be frightening, it was a gross waste of
ammunition.
There are two types of bombardments (Standard Barrage and
Intermittent Barrage) that may be performed during a Any artillery unit firing Saturation doubles its shell factor, but
Bombardment Step and either type may be done with or without expends triple the normal ammunition.
Saturation. Counter Battery may only perform Standard Barrage,
Saturation is available to all artillery units, no matter what Barrage 15. INFANTRY ASSAULT COMBAT
technique is used. Any given barrage against a target hex may
During each player’s friendly movement step, Attack! markers are
have some artillery units using Saturation while others do not.
placed on attacking units with their arrows pointed at the defending
hex. Each attack may have only one defending hex. Attacking is
14.5 Ammunition completely voluntary.
Each player tracks his available ammunition on his Ammunition
Track using the ‘x100’, ‘x10’, and ‘x1’ markers provided. During each player’s friendly Infantry Assault Combat Step, that
player must conduct all predesignated attacks, even if the odds
Artillery ammunition is received during Initial Set-Up and during have changed due to enemy Counter Battery fire.
each player’s friendly movement step. This is noted in the
Sequence of Play and the amount is listed on the Set-Up and Players can resolve their attacks in any order desired. Each attack
Reinforcement Card. must be resolved before the next is begun.

Whenever an artillery unit fires, an amount of ammunition is

15.1 Resolving an Infantry Assault
expended equal to the unit’s shell factor. If Saturation is being
When an attack is resolved, the following steps must be performed
used, triple the amount of ammunition expended.
in this order:
14.6 Off-map Artillery a) Apply all relevant modifiers to the attacking units combat
Artillery units may be stationed off-map. A player simply tells his strengths and total the result.
opponent which battalions are being held out and how many hexes
away from the edge of the board they are and in which hex b) Apply all relevant modifiers to the defending units
column. Use this distance when figuring if a target hex is within combat strengths and total the result.
range of the artillery unit. Off-map units are assumed to be in a
clear hex. c) Compare these numbers as a ratio of attacker:defender,
rounding in favor of the defender.
All German off-map artillery is considered to be off the north edge
of the map. All French off-map artillery is considered to be off the d) Determine which table is to be used, either the Defender
south edge of the map. in Good Order Table or the Defender Demoralized
Table. Only if ALL of the defenders are Demoralized, do
Off-map artillery can be bombarded like any other unit if within you use the Defender Demoralized Table. If there is at
range. least one Good Order unit in the defending hex, use the
Defender in Good Order Table. German Flamethrowers,
14.7 German Phosgene Gas German phosgene gas use or Surrounded Attacks will
Design Note: Phosgene gas was a new surprise the Germans had change the table used from Defender in Good Order to
for the French at Verdun. Unlike other gases in use, phosgene Defender Demoralized automatically.
could penetrate the existing French gas masks. Fortunately for the
French, the appropriate gas shells did not arrive until after the e) Roll a die, modify if required, and read the resulting
offensive had bogged down. number across the proper table until the correct odds
column is reached-this box has the combat result.
Starting on the March 1+2 game turn, the German player rolls a
die to see if he receives the Gas! marker. If he rolls a 5 or 6, he Number results indicate the quantity of units eliminated by the
receives it. The German player may use it on this or any following attacker and/or defender. The first number is the attacker’s losses
turn that does not have Heavy Snow. He receives only one and the second number is the defender’s losses. The owning
allotment of gas during the game. Using the Gas! marker requires player chooses which units to eliminate with the exception that
neither an artillery unit nor ammunition. German Flamethrower units are eliminated first followed by
Demoralized units before any other units can be removed.
When used, the Gas! marker is placed on any target hex by the
German player, who then rolls one die to determine the wind A combat result of ‘R’ indicates the defender has been Routed.
direction to see which way the wind carries the gas. See Figure 1 Eliminate all defending units (with no attacking unit losses). The
in the Gas! Resolution Charts. attacking units may immediately move up to 4 movement points
and make another attack. If these attacking units achieve another
After the direction has been determined, use Figure 2 to establish ‘Rout’ result, they may immediately move up to 2 movement points
the gas dispersion pattern. The number in each hex indicates the but not attack again due to exhaustion.
gas equivalent of artillery shell factors which immediately attack all
French units (NOT German). Roll individually for each attacked If the defender’s hex is completely vacated, then attacking units
unit. (up to the stacking limit of the hex) may advance after combat into
the previous defender’s hex. This is defined as a “Successful
Additionally, due to the psychological effect of the new gas, ALL Attack” for the purposes of 15.6 and removing enemy wire
German attacks this turn are rolled on the Defender Demoralized hexsides. If no attacking unit moves into the hex, then the attack is
Table. If an attack would already qualify for the Defender not successful.
Demoralized Table, then use the Defender Demoralized Table and
subtract 2 from the die roll. 15.2 German Flamethrower Battalions
Only the German player has these specially equipped units. They
If the wind blows the gas back in the German’s face (due to an are the six infantry battalions with the ‘F’ next to their infantry-type
unlucky wind direction roll), do not attack German units in the gas symbol and combat strengths in red.
dispersion hexes. However, German units in the gas dispersion
hexes may not conduct any attacks this turn. Immediately remove Anytime one or more of these units is used in an attack, the result
any Attack! markers they may have. is determined using the Defender Demoralized Table. If the
defenders are ALL Demoralized, use the Defender Demoralized
Table and subtract 2 from the die roll. 16. ISOLATION
At the end of each player’s turn, that player must determine if his
Anytime a Flamethrower battalion attacks, it will ALWAYS take the
units are in supply or Isolated.
first German loss.
A German unit is in supply if it can trace an unlimited path of hexes
A Demoralized Flamethrower battalion has neither an ‘F’ nor a red
free of French units or their zones of control off the North side of
combat strength and thus confers no bonus.
the map. A French unit is in supply if it can trace an unlimited path
of hexes free of German units or their zones of control off the
15.3 Surrounded Attacks South side of the map. A friendly unit in a hex nullifies an enemy
If a unit is attacked by enemy units from all six adjacent hexes, the zone of control in its hex. Any unit that is not in supply is Isolated.
result is determined using the Defender Demoralized Table. If the
defenders are ALL Demoralized already, use the ‘Defender Roll one die for each Isolated unit. If a ‘5 or 6’ is rolled, the unit
Demoralized’ Table and subtract 2 from the roll. becomes Demoralized if in Good Order and eliminated if
Demoralized.
15.4 Artillery Under Infantry Assault
Design Note: If artillery is assaulted directly by infantry it has a 17.0 DEMORALIZATION
combat factor different than its shell factor. After all, a railroad gun
Demoralization can occur due to artillery bombardment or
is not very effective against infantry climbing all over it.
Isolation. Demoralization is shown by flipping over a unit to its
reduced-value side.
All artillery units have a defense-only combat strength of 1 (if in
Good Order) or 1/2 (if Demoralized). They receive combat strength
Demoralized units remain so until eliminated or they are withdrawn
modifiers as normal.
off the map and Rally.
15.5 Defender Destroyed by Artillery To Rally a Demoralized unit, move it off-map. It remains off-map
Bombardment one complete turn and flips over to its Good Order side at the end
Should a hex be completely vacated of defending units by artillery of that turn. The unit may reenter the map as a reinforcement on a
bombardment, and has units with Attack! markers pointing towards following turn.
it, the assigned attacking units still attack the hex and automatically
achieve a ‘Rout’ result. Demoralized German units must move off the north or east edge of
the map and Demoralized French units off the south edge.
15.6 Barbed Wire
The German player owns the barbed wire on the northern side of 18. BRIDGES
No Man’s Land while the French player owns the barbed wire on There are three bridges across the river. Two are road bridges and
the southern side of No Man’s Land. one is a railroad bridge. Units may move across them at the road
(1/2) or railroad (1) movement rate.
As noted on the Terrain Effects Chart, units must pay three
additional movement points to cross enemy barbed wire hexsides. Bridges are immune to damage unless a player intentionally
In addition, units halve their combat strength when attacking destroys one. To do so, a unit must start a friendly movement step
across enemy barbed wire hexsides in either direction. in a hex adjacent to the bridge. The unit may neither move,
bombard nor attack during the turn. At the end of the player’s
After a successful attack through enemy barbed wire, place a Wire Infantry Assault Step, the bridge is destroyed.
Destroyed marker nearby, with the arrow pointing towards the
removed wire hexside. There are various styles of Wire Removed A Bridge Destroyed marker is placed on the unit destroying the
markers to reduce mapsheet clutter. bridge to signify that it may do nothing else this turn. When the
bridge is destroyed, remove the marker from the unit and place it in
Once destroyed, barbed wire hexsides may never be rebuilt. the hex.

15.7 Cumulative Effect of Benefits Destroyed bridges may not be repaired during the game.
In all cases, every benefit and penalty is cumulative.

For example: Should a German attack with a Flamethrower vs. a

19. FRENCH FANATICISM
The French were frantic in their passion to hold Verdun. No Boche
Demoralized French battalion in a Surrounded configuration, the
would be allowed to sit in Verdun. Remember, “They shall not
attack would be resolved on the Defender Demoralized Table with
pass!”
a total of 4 subtracted from the die roll.
Any French unit defending a Verdun hex has its combat strength
Demoralized units are entitled to all terrain benefits.
tripled in defense.
For example: A Demoralized unit in a fort has a combat strength of
Any German unit in a Verdun hex must have an attack designated
6 in defense.
against it during the French player’s Movement Step. This attack
must be at a minimum of 1-1 odds if at all possible or it is not
If a modified die roll produces a result of zero or less, take the
conducted.
difference between that number and 1 and shift the odds to the
right the same number of columns and still use a die roll of 1.
In this case, if the odds had been 1-1 and the attacker was entitled 20. THE TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART AND
to a -2 and a 1 was rolled, the attack would be resolved on the 3-1 THE MAP
odds column with a die roll of 1. If a 2 had been rolled, the result
Clear hexes include the lighter green hexes found at the top of
would be read on the 2-1 odds column with a die roll of 1.
slopes and the grey hexes that comprise No Man’s Land. The shell
holes have no game function and are purely for aesthetic the game of VERDUN, the Germans enjoyed a considerable
purposes. artillery advantage. Most of this advantagewas due to the superior
German guns, since the French rapidly built up an equal number of
The top edge of slopes is the slightly darker brown line. weapons.

CREDITS Until well into 1917, the Allies were critically short of medium and
heavy artillery, even, after mobilizing all of their obsolete and
Game Design: John Hill
fortress pieces. The Germans were lavishly supplied with heavy
All Graphics and Package Design: Todd Davis
guns, on the other hand, and Falkenhayn envisioned the German
Proofing: Christina Davis
artillery as eliminating the forces opposing him, thus avoiding any
heavy German losses. The Germans had been using their superior
Thanks to John Hill for allowing me the opportunity to graphically
weapons for two years and thus knew their abilities and had
update and publish his classic game and for all the hours of
developed tactics to suit them. The French could hardly develop
enjoyment I have received playing his designs over the years.
adequate tactics when they were using a patchwork mixture of
weapons with few common characteristics.
Many Thanks to Don Lowry for allowing use of articles from
Panzerfaust magazine to enhance the game!
Most symbolic of the German artillery superiority was the 21 cm.
~Todd
Morser. This was the weapon that killed most of the Frenchmen,
and was the most feared. As a trench bombarder it was unequalled
C 2004 Cool Stuff Unlimited
by anything the Allies possessed. It had a rate of fire nearly equal
1819-A E. 20th St., Farmington, NM, 87401
to a 155 with a shell 2 to 3 times as large. It also had excellent
[email protected]
accuracy and a better-than-average tube life. It's shell was nearly
ideal for trench bombardment - it was heavy enough to penetrate
VERDUN earth and thin concrete and powerful enough to collapse trench
walls and "bombproofs". It was easily mobile and small enough to
THE SITUATION & THE GAME be concealed without major construction and could thus be used
By Jerrold Thomas closer to the lines - thus despite it's short (10,000 yd) range, it
deserved it's reputation.
First published in Panzerfaust magazine, issue #67
Other Weapons
Most people tend to think of the Western front in WW I as one
The Super-Heavy Howitzers (mortars) were a strictly German
long, uniform, trench line, with any one section much like another.
invention, with only a few examples made by the Allies. They were
Two places, however, had conditions far worse than the average
based on the German recognition that they would face fortifications
These two places, Verdun and Ypres (Flanders), have come down
wherever they went, and were designed as Fort-destroyers. They
to us as symbols of the futility of WW I strategy and tactics, and the
were successful in that role, but were called on often to destroy
horrors of trench warfare.
trenches and "pillboxes" because of their phenominal accuracy -
the concussive effect of their heavy shells was exceptional for this
In both cases, the area was a small allied salient which contained
purpose also.
some objective which, for primarily psychological reasons, the
Allies were not prepared to yield. The Germans held the
Present at Verdun were thirteen "Gamma-M" 420mm Howitzers
commanding ground for most of the campaigns in both areas, and
and seventeen 305mm "Beta Guns" of Austrian manufacture; the
the extensive trench and dugout systems of other fronts were often
guns were refered to as "Berthas" and "Emmas".
precluded in them, at Ypres because of the swampy nature of the
ground, and at Verdun by the incessant bombardment. The
The Railroad Guns were most often naval pieces on rail
casualties on both sides were increased by the constricted nature
mountings, although the French used rail mountings for some of
of the battle areas - there was no room to defend in depth, so the
their older heavy howitzers as well. The larger calibers could be
trenches were more heavily manned than was usually the case.
used as fort destroyers, and were so used by the French who
Verdun was unique - a battle designed not to be won, the
lacked Super-Heavy Howitzers. The Germans used theirs primarily
quintessence of all WW I battles in that its purposes were nothing
as interdiction weapons, attacking targets far behind the lines. The
more or less than attrition. The name for the operation, "Gericht" or
Germans has two 380mm Guns (called "Max E.") at Verdun, their
"execution place" was unusually apt.
range varied from 38 to 45,000 yds depending on the projectile.
The French had larger numbers of railroad pieces, ranging from
The Conflict Game Company's VERDUN succeeds in reflecting
12" (305mm) guns up to two 400m Schneider-Creusot Guns which
many aspects of the "mincing machine" characteristics of combat
were brand new.
in these circumstances, and it does so with remarkably little
complexity. Naturally, certain aspects of the game can be altered
Medium Guns were the long range 130s and 150s (German) and
to better reflect the actual situations, at the cost of adding some
155s (French). They had two main functions; long-range
additional complexity.
interdiction of troops and supplies, and their primary function of
engaging the enemy artillery units (counter-battery fire, except that
Historical Background and Context the term in the game has a different meaning).
The following is a discussion of some of the important aspects of
the Verdun fighting, after which are a number of independent In addition, the German 130s were used for a kind of large-scale
suggestions for additions and changes to the existing game. sniping, because their muzzle velocity was so high that the shell
and the sound arrived almost simultaneously, giving no warning;
First and foremost is the Artillery. More than anywhere else, the because of this trait they were called "whizz-bang" guns. Once
artillery dominated Verdun. There were two reasons for this; the again, all the German guns were of modern manufacture, while the
small area of the battle, and the continously high rate of artillery newer French 155s were levened with ancient pieces having no
shell expenditure -- a quiet day would have 10 rounds falling per recoil systems, severely limiting the rate of fire.
yard of front -- bombardments would have four to ten times this
intensity. During the first phase of the battle, the period covered by
Medium and Heavy Howitzers were the troop killers; theirs was the Each barrage consisted of many separate operations, many
job of primary trench bombardment, and they inflicted most of the different sub-barrages, all going on independently at the same
casualties, While the French made do with a mixture of many types time.
and vintages of 155s, combined with a scattering of older heavier Basically, three types of barrages made up most pre-attack
pieces, many stripped from fortifications, and just a few newer 220 bombardments.
and, 240mm pieces, the Germans were relatively lavishly equipped
here. They had modern 150mm howitzers which would go 1) Trench Shelling this was designed to wipe out the enemy forces
relatively unchanged into WW II, and had on hand 128 superlative in the trenches, dugouts, and pillboxes, or wherever they were
210mm howitzers, which were unmatched by the French. located; it was generally the work of the medium or heavy
howitzers.
Also present were some modern 280mm howitzers, a cross
between the 210s and the Super-heavies. The shortage of medium 2) Counter-Battery Fire this means fire directed on enemy artillery
and heavy howitzers was the weakest point of the French artillery positions to silence the enemy guns - counter-battery fire could be
system, and reflected the initial French viewpoint that their famous performed by any Gun or howitzer of sufficient range to reach the
"soixante-quinze" (75) could do all the jobs on the battlefield. The enemy position.
starting deficiency in heavy weapons would not be really made up
until 1917. 3) Interdiction Fire This fire was generally to interrupt enemy troop
and/or supply movement, and was of two types.
Light Field Guns constituted the one area where the French a) a "cordon barrage", close behind the lines at the point of
excelled. Their 75mm M1898 was unmatched in it's day, even saw assault, to prevent reinforcement of the assaulted sectors, and
service in WW II. The German 77mm gun of the time was limited in
range by it's construction, though later models would be improved b) long range interdiction, directed at roads or railroads, route
in this respect. The French 75 was called on to do all kinds of junctions, etc., to cause confusion, disruption, and delay of the rear
artillery jobs, and it even had a system of discs to give it a area services.
trajectory like a howitzer. While it was superlative at counter-
battery fire on attacking troops, it's capabilities were not up to The Germans mixed shrapnel, High Explosive, and Gas in all
trench bombardment. these fires, but the proportions tended to vary. High Explosive (HE)
was used most heavily in the Trench Shelling, and Gas was used
The Germans were also using at this time an excellent weapon in most in the Counter Battery work, because it tended to kill the
the brand new (M1914) 100mm Gun. This could far outclass the 75 horses and blind the Gunners even when their gasmasks were
while being almost as mobile, but it was hampered in its effective against it. Though shrapnel soon passed from use in
employment because the artillery doctrinists were not sure just trench shelling, it was still useful in killing horses and disrupting
how to use it. services. The Germans had a "mixed" round which was part
shrapnel and part HE which they used for this purpose.
Mine-Throwers
This was another German invention, which the British were to turn The French made somewhat less use of gas and HE, primarily
into the modern Mortar. The Germans had 152 special giant because their industry was not yet producing the right shells in the
"Minenwerfers" at Verdun. They had a very limited range (600 yds. right quantities. Much of the French shell at this time was still of an
or less) but fired a very heavy projectile which had an impact much inferior grade and made out of cast and wrought iron, an expedient
more powerful than its size would seem to indicate because the necessary to boost production from the wholly inadequate prewar
projectile was almost wholly explosive. These mine throwers were production estimates. Such shells tended to burst Gun barrels with
used in a kind of "intermittent barrage" -- the artillery would fire and alarming frequency - at several points in the War's early years,
then cease, and the close-range mine throwers would then be right losses to burst gun tubes exceeded those to enemy action. The
on the scene to eliminate any remaining pockets of resistance. shell also had less room inside for shrapnel or HE or gas because
Once the front began shifting into open ground, the mine throwers they had to have thicker walls even to meet a reduced standard.
became less useful because their short range left them very The initial German Barrage was a mirror of the tactics to be used
vulnerable to enemy fire. successfully in 1918, that is, it was a hurricane barrage of hours,
rather than days, duration, though a reduced level of fire was
Shell Weights continued throughout the day.
As the Verdun artillery CRT indicates, casualties were usually
dependent on the tonnage dropped on a given area; accordingly, For the attack, 2,500,000 rounds had been stockpiled; a six day
below are some of the shell weights of the various calibers of supply for a four hour barrage (at 100,000 shells per hour) with
weapons: some left over for continuing fire. While later battles were to use
more rounds, the Verdun bombardment was unique in the
In any given gun, the weight of the projectile will also vary with the concentration in a small area and the high proportion of heavy
type of projectile - shrapnel shells are the heaviest, then H.E.- shell rounds (even later in the war, the Allies usually had at least a
shrapnel mixes then H.E., and Gas shell are the lightest. Some 2-1 ratio of light guns; at Verdun the Germans began the battle
guns had lighter projectiles which they could fire to gain greater with a 4-1 ratio of medium and heavy guns to light guns). Though
range; it generally meant a small shell and more room for the this initial bombardment did not wipe out the defenders, it did
propellant charge. produce a considerable demoralization and a complete breakdown
in communication and supply. French defenders went for days
During the whole (10 month) battle, over 45 million of these shells without food or wine (they didn't drink water), and their artillery was
were fired by both sides, and at the peak of the initial unable to give any effective fire support, even wiping out their own
bombardment, 100,000 were falling each hour, a concentration units on several occasions.
unequalled in any other battle.
The French artillery owed much to General Petain, who believed in
(NEED TO INSERT THE PICTURE FROM THE ARTICLE) its importance and rushed many guns to the area, as well as
reestablishing a viable supply system. He also helped to improve
The Barrages coordination between the French Artillery and Infantry, which did
much to boost morale. (Nothing hurts more than to be shelled by For the start of the battle, the Germans created a new concept --
your own guns.) "air power" -- they had assembled 4 Zeppelins, 14 tethered
"Drachen" balloons, and 168 Aircraft. While this massive
Several new things were tried out at Verdun. In June, when the concentration of Air Power was ill-used, it still sufficed to allow the
Germans renewed their offensive, they initiated the massive use of Germans to completely dominate the skies over Verdun, and to
"green cross" gas (phosgene - called green cross because of the direct the constant devastating bombardment of the initial days.
distinguishing marks on the shells) which while it did not cause The French, with uncharacteristic rapidity, responded to this threat
extensive casualties, did completely neutralize the French Artillery and had over 200 aircraft on the Verdun front in a month.
and cause much demoralization.
Most significant, however, was the "Groupe des Cigognes"
Another innovative technique the Germans tried was the use of (Storks), which was formed for Verdun, and which contained most
"dummy" shells -- shells whose fuses had been removed -- these of the greatest French Aces: Nungesser, Fonck, Guynemer, et, al.
were used to keep the defenders (who assumed that the barrage Almost immediately after this group began operations at Verdun, in
was continuing, and that the shells were "duds") pinned down early March, the Germans were swept from the skies. The French
while the assault force (who knew better) stormed the position. attained a quick air superiority that was only challenged for a few
weeks when Oswald Boelcke brought his talent and ideas to
The French, near the end of the battle, introduced the "Creeping Verdun for the Germans.
Barrage", where the barrage advances at a fixed rate (hopefully)
just ahead of the advancing troops, thus giving the defenders no However Immelman, the other German air hero, was killed shortly
time to man their defenses. This barrage was dandy when it after his arrival, though not until he had evolved the idea that was
worked but a disaster when it didn't. As was mentioned earlier, the to lead to the "Flying Circus". Once he left, French air superiority
Germans also used "intermittent" fire, both with artillery and with was uncontested for the rest of the battle.
their giant mine throwers. The use of "Intermittent" Fire also
reflected another barrage handicap -- once it had started, all This air superiority not only gave them good observation, but it was
observation ceased due to the smoke and dust unless it stopped a morale booster for the troops in the trenches to see the skies
for a while to let the observers observe. Also, planes were all but filled with friendly aircraft, just as it depressed the op posing
banned from the area when a barrage was ongoing because the troops. The only consolation or the Germans was that by the time
high-trajectory shells made the airspace untenable - the 420's, for the French had assumed air superiority, the Germans had
example, peaked out at about 16,000 feet - above the operational possession of Fort Douaumot, which had an unexcelled view of the
ceiling of most of the aircraft of the time. surrounding terrain. One French writer estimated the cost to the
French of losing this position (Douaumont) was 100,000 men over
Observation the course of the battle.
The masses of artillery employed by both sides at Verdun required
effective observation to achieve their ends. This was especially The Forts
true at Verdun where, after the first days, friend and foe were likely
to be quite close together, and where the front was very (NEED TO SCAN A PIC OF THE DOUAUMONT FORT)
constricted,
One of the things which contributed to the pychological
For a battery to fire on a target, someone had to see the target, significance of Verdun to the French was its situation as one of
and then tell the battery where it was, and then, often correct the their strongest fortresses. The northern linchpin of the "De Rivieres
battery's fire if it was not falling correctly. Line" built after the debacle of 1870.
Three main methods were employed by both sides to achieve this
spotting of targets. The system of fortifications around Verdun included twenty major
and forty minor forts (or "ouvrages"). These were sited on
First and simplest was to position the battery where it commanded commanding hills and ridges around Verdun, with Fort Douaumont
a wide field of view, so that it could do its own observation, or to occupying the highest crest. The area of the VERDUN Game Map
send an artillery observer to such a commanding point and have includes nine of the major forts (two of them must be added by
him direct the fire of the battery. This had the drawback that the hand) and 10-12 of the minor forts. The major forts on the Game
commanding points were usually exposed to enemy fire, and often Map are most of those actually involved in the battle; they form
were not available. The Germans were also hampered in this three lines; first Forts Douaumont, Vaux, and Voulainville, second
method because their observers had to be in a line between the Forts Tavannes and Souville, and last Forts Belleville, Michel, and
battery and the target, while the French had evolved a method Belrupt.
using Trigonometry which made the observer independent of the
battery. Across the Meuse is Fort Vacherauville, one of five forts on the
Bois Borrus ridge that were significant in flanking the initial
The second method, and the one most favored by the Germans, offensive and holding the expanded offensive which the Germans
involved the use of tethered balloons in telephone communication launched later on that bank of the River.
with the batteries. This was the optimum method as
communication was constant, but it did have sighting limitations, The Forts were of widely varying ages and strengths; most had
and the balloons were vulnerable to attack by enemy fighter been started in the 1880's And subsequently had been
aircraft. modernized, some, like Fort Douaumont, as recently as 1913.

The third method, and the one that was to be revolutionized at These forts showed very little above the level of the surrounding
Verdun, was the use of Aircraft. Aircraft communicated with the ground, most of the height of their sloping Glacis (the "wall" of the
batteries through primitive radios, or more frequently through maps fort) was taken up by the deep ditch or dry-moat with which they
marked with target or shellfall locations and dropped to the were surrounded. The net effect was to give the forts a turtle-like
batteries in containers. This was often the only method of appearance.
observing the heavily defiladed positions that occurred in the hills
around Verdun. The illustration of Fort Douaumont shows the general structure of
the forts, which were built to a shape first advocated by Vauban in
the 18th Century. The scale can be indicated by stating that the evacuate the plain, though it had not yet been attacked, because
entire Fort was about a mile (440 yards) across. the German guns could so completely dominate it.

The Ditch was lined with flanking Gallerie which could direct fires The Infantry
into every part of it, but which were below gound level. These At Verdun, once the initial advances were over, the infantry took a
Galleries were connected to the center of the Fort by deep tunnels greatly subordinate role to the dominating artillery. The infantry
so that they could not be cut off from reinforcement. They made could do little but dig and die. The obstacles of trenches, barbed
the ditch a "moat of fire" that was theoretically impossible to cross. wire, and machine guns became secondary to the incessant,
Atop the sloping glacis were observation, machine-gun, and concentrated bombardment, which levelled the trenches almost as
artillery turrets -- in the modern forts these were all disappearing, fast as they could be dug, making the contest one of the shovel vs.
that is, they could be lowered flush with the top of the fort when not the shell.
in use. Also present were artillery casemates and embrasures to
allow the infantry garrison of the fort to fire on attackers. Thus In the initial phases of the battle, all the difficulties belonged to the
these forts represented, in theory, a considerable obstacle to the French. Using, in the woods, a form of the infiltration tactics to be
German offensive. used in 1918, and the surprise of their new flamethrowers and
giant minethrowers, the Germans made rapid progress, and
In actuality they were to contribute little. There were two 'reasons established a three to one loss ratio against the French. Once the
for their in effectiveness; First, the critical Allied shortage of artillery woods had been cleared in the first rush, these methods no longer
had led the Forts to be stripped of every gun that could be worked so well -- the front was now too open and too constricted
removed, usually everything but the tur- reted weapons, to for infiltration, and the flamethrowers and minethrowers became
augment the futile Allied offensives of 1915. Second, the French very vulnerable to enemy fire.
offensive doctrine had always downgraded fortifications, which Infantry tactics then became the standard Barrage - Rush -
were essentially defensive, The experiences of 1914. when Counterattack tactics of most WW I battles, with the difficulties for
France's newest and strongest Fort, Manonviller, had been forced both sides compounded by the density of artillery. The Barrage
to surrender by the German siege Guns, had led to an official could involve one gun per defender, and the counter-barrage (the
opinion that forts were only "shell traps', and were to be ignored. correct term for what is referred to as counter battery fire in the
The result of this was that when the battle opened, there were no game of VERDUN) could involve everything up to heavy artillery,
active army personnel in any of the forts, and no infantry at all. Fort since both sides had many guns available and waiting for a target.
Douaumont, which was all but delivered to the Germans, had a
total garrison of 56 Territorial (3rd line reserve) Gunners. Not only Trench warfare reached new levels of horror. The troops dared not
were the forts all but vacant, they were even under the command stir from their trenches on either side, and it was not unusual for
of the Governor of Verdun, rather than the General commanding troops to be on the line for months and never see an enemy
the area Corps. The General was actually denied admittance to soldier. Patroling was unheard of -- just getting to or moving back
Fort Douaumont shortly before it fell because he did not have the from the front line often involved 10 - 30% losses, even when done
Governor's authorization. at night.

Needless to say, once Douaumont fell like a ripe plum, the policies In this situation the lines became so fixed that the gunners didn't
were hastily changed, but it was too late to replace the missing need to see in order to fire on the trenches or access routes. In
guns or repair those forts which, like Fort Vauk, were in need of it. these conditions, bringing up food or evacuating wounded could
Thus the forts became solely assembly points and large shelters, only be done, sometimes, at night. It often took ten hours to make
rather than the offensive-defensive bastions which they could have a 3 mile approach march to the trenches, with the heavily laden
been. (60 to 80 pounds) troops sometimes drowning in shell craters, or
being wounded and left to die because another shell might be
Along with the major forts were the minor Forts or "Ouvrages", incoming on the same spot. One man moving might attract a whole
which could hold about a company or so of troops or artillerists. battery's fire.
These were often "shell traps," as they were not heavily
constructed as were the Forts. Still, heavy fighting raged around For most of the battle the French, being inside the salient with an
several of these ouvrages, notably the Thiaumont works and the inferior artillery and inferior supply and medical establishments,
Damoup Battery. Usually when one side or the other finally took suffered more than the Germans, though at times the difference
undisputed possession there was nothing left. was marginal. The battle left a profound psychological impression
on all who participated in it, but it was particularly significant to the
The Terrain French.
The terrain at VERDUN was dominated by a ridge of low hills, the
"Cotes du Meuse". They paralleled the river, extending out roughly At one time or another 70% of the French army saw service at
to a line connecting Ornes and Eix. The highest crest of this ridge, Verdun, due to a system called the "Noira", whereby a division
1200 feet high, was occupied by Fort Douaumont, which had a would be on the line for only a few days or weeks, and would be
commanding view over much of the terrain. pulled out of the line before it was decimated. Seventy-six French
divisions passed through the inferno of Verdun as opposed to
The ridge wag somewhat wooded and marked by numerous forty-six German divisions. The relative significance of the infantry
ravines and gullies which were observable from the other side of is indicated by the fact that casualties in the ten-month battle were
the river b not from the front. Much fierce fighting took place in almost exactly in proportion to the tonnage of shells or their
these defiles, and it was the French advantage of observing from numbers - it took 200 rounds to kill one man, or 50 to wound one.
across the Meuse and bringing devastating fire into these ravines
that led to the German decision to extend the attack to the west One significant aspect of the VERDUN infantry CRT is its reflection
bank of the Meuse. East of the ridge was a very flat and open of the nature of infantry combat - if a position was not carried at
area, the Woevre Plain. The heights of the ridge, upon which Forts first rush (i.e. a ROUT) the attacker was in for enormous losses,
Douaumont, Vaux, and Moulainville were situated, completely regardless of the relative "odds" of the situation. The only problem
commanded this plain, which was the main reason that the with the CRT is that, if anything, losses are too low - there is no
Germans attacked in the wooded hilly area only. When the provision for the enormous "wastage" present at Verdun, except
Germans had seized Fort Douaumont, the French were forced to for the French reinforcement rate.
 barrage fires a barrage and then fires another barrage from other
Also well reflected in the Infantry CRT is the importance of morale. guns on the same target. This allows the cumulative effects of the
Unshaken troops could (and did) repulse attacks by enormous fire to take their toll. Like the designer states: "When it worked it
odds, even though the troops might have taken grevious losses was better than the standard barrage; when it didn't, it was worse,"
from artillery fire -- such was the case with French Colonel Driant, The saturation barrage is a rather wasteful way of increasing your
whose two battalions of Chasseurs took over 90% losses and yet combat factor. When using the saturation barrage you double your
still held out for several days against overwhelming odds. combat factor (8 becomes 16), but you triple your ammo
expenditure (to 24). Like I said, wasteful. The counter-battery is for
In contrast, demoralized troops would surrender without firing a French "75's" or German "77's", and could be used to disrupt
shot, as happened with the French initial reserves, who were infantry attacks,
African Colonials who had never endured such a barrage before,
and who broke under it. Play procedure for each turn then is as follows:
1. German Movement
VERDUN 2. German Artillery Bombardment
3. French Counter-Battery Attacks.
DESIGN ANALYSIS 4. German Infantry Combat
By Harold Totten 5, The French player repeats the above, with German counter-
battery fire.
First published in Panzerfaust magazine, issue #58
Other little things; forests double your combat strength whether
Verdun is the latest game from the Conflict Game Co, P O. Box attacking or defending, There is a "French Fanaticism" rule forcing
2071. West Lafayette, Indiana, 47906; and lists for $8.98. The box the French to counter-attack any German units in Verdun. There is
is very attractive, showing a gas-masked and feldgrau-clad a tunnel on the mapboard, more there for looks than anything else
German soldier against an orange backdrop. The orange color it appears. There are also provisions for phosgene gas attacks and
reminds me of the Panzerblitz box. The box is plastic wrapped multiple infantry combat situations.
and is bookcase size (8 x 11). It is somewhat more sturdy than the
old Guidon Game box (we have a new one) and lacks the slip All in all, the mechanics are good and easy to understand. They
cover found on AH games. are also a very good simulation of the situation covered. Like I
said, there are similarities with Breakthrough at Sedan, although
The mapboard is three colors (brown, green and blue) printed on Sedan features limited intelligence, armor, and artillery interdiction
slick paper and mounted on heavy duty vinyl backed cardboard. of movement which are not present in Verdun. Both games deal
The graphics are not outstanding but are clear and easy to with battalion level conflicts. Sedan's scale is one kilometer per
recognize for the most part. The unit counters are perhaps the hex, and Verdun's, although not specified, appears to be close to
most disappointing graphically. They are completely hand-drawn that figure.
and lack any sort of professional numbering or unit symbols, which
is quite unfortunate for a game of its caliber and price range. The It is interesting to note that in infantry combat the attacker will
die-cutting is fair in quality. The French counters are blue-grey and usually take on the greater casualties. This means the game is
the Germans are yellow, 150 for each. These counters are also generally pro-French. However, the Germans have superior
protected by plastic wrap, and measure 5/8" square. artillery capabilities, and may be able to take victory quickly by
breaking through the line and rushing headlong at Verdun.
Also included in the box are the rules sheet and an insert, the CRT
for infantry and artillery, French OoB and Time Record, German HISTORICAL ACCURACY: I must confess I know little about the
OoB, Alternative French OoB, and one die. Battle of Verdun. However, it appears as though the game is quite
realistic. Specifically the infantry and artillery tactics are quite
The rules are for the most part clear. They were written assuming realistic. For instance, for the most part the attacker is at a
complete familiarity with wargames however. But an insert called disadvantage unless the defending units have been demoralized
"The Art of Wargaming" is included to explain to the newcomer to by arty fire or flame-thrower battalions.
the hobby, but I'm afraid the game would still be quite confusing
without someone who knew what he was doing. Anyway, this does The game is a battle of attrition, just as the actual battle was. For
allow a stream-lined set of rules which are easily comprehended those of you who are extremely bloodthirsty, this game is an
by the previous wargamer, The organization of these rules is a little absolute must. Because artillery can range over most of the board,
haphazard, and it appears that the production of this game was a the German will initially have the ability to crush any area he
little rushed (to say the least'). Anyway, let's hope the next product desires. However, he soon runs out of ammo. Thus, the middle
from Conflict Games has much better unit counters. game consists of both players trying to build up their ammo
supplies and to take more ground. Then, in the end game the
The innovations in the game remind me somewhat of a game I French player gains the artillery advantage because of his superior
designed for Vern Stribling's 'zine Battle Flag (which should be out ammo supply. If the German is losing at this point, the end game
under the title Breakthrough at Sedan). The artillery can perform will seal his doom. If he is winning, it means a counter-offensive on
four different roles; standard barrage, intermittent barrage, the part of the French player.
saturation barrage, and counter-battery fire, Artillery fires its
combat factor into a hex and that is rolled on the Artillery CRT. The STRATEGY: The strategy for the game is relatively simple, but
number of defending units, their types, or the defensive terrain quite important in terms of overall effect. The terrain shown on the
have no effect on artillery fire - the only thing that counts is the tons mapboard is excellent defensive terrain and tends to give
of shells you pour into an area. Also, the players receive an ammo advantage to the French player. The center contains good
supply which is used up when the guns are fired, recreating (quite defensive terrain, dominated at first by the forest, then by the
accurately, I might add) the ammo supply problems of the ridges and forts. The French left flank (west) along the Bragnot-
offensive. Verdun road does not have so much good defensive terrain, but it
is defensively a narrow defile and is easily defended because of
The standard barrage is simply firing off your combat factor and the mobility imparted by the road.
expending the same number of ammo factors. The intermittent
The southern area (French right flank) between Dieppe and the The extra turns can be very helpful indeed. Also, this alternate
southern edge of the board has good defensive terrain and a road OoB was not included with all the games that were sold. If you
to speed reinforcements. The French strategy is relatively simple, didn't get one you can obtain them from Conflict Games free of
kill Germans and keep them out of Verdun. Because the center charge.
area (Orne-Mogeville-Dieppe) has few roads, the French player
must prevent a German breakthrough there. Thusly, I prefer the TACTICS: The tactics involved are basically attrition. Kill as many
strategy of holding top center strongly and leaving the flanks lightly units as you can and you'll be in good shape. The CRT's tend to
defended. favor the defender when the defending units are in "good order",
and they favor the attacker slightly when the defending units are
The center would thusly be strongly held, but the French player Demoralized.
would not concentrate units which would be vulnerable to German
artillery fire. The French should also maintain local reserves in the Since I have already explained the artillery procedure, I will
center because of the lack of good roads. This means that on the immediately go into its effects. The artillery bombardment table is
second turn the only thing to hold the front will be the units in analyzed in the CRT analysis (see box). For the most part the
reserve if the Germans break through. efficiency of the standard barrage is straight-forward. The
saturation barrage is useful in counter-battery fire, because it
The strategic concept here is simple. Because the defensive allows more muscle to be brought to bear. It does waste ammo,
terrain across the entire front is excellent, the French player invites however.
attack in the areas that have roads and can be reinforced readily -
both from Verdun and the forces in the center. I also did a mathematical analysis of the intermittent barrage to see
whether or not it is more or less efficient than the standard
The French do have the alternative strategy of drawing in the barrage. For the most part the intermittent barrage is useless, as
Germans in the center and keeping the flanks strong. This isn't there is a greater probability of failure when using the intermittent.
quite as good as the other strategy because of the lack of mobility.
This is especially true when using the French Alternate Order of However, there are a couple of important exceptions. For instance,
Battle. Strategically, the French Alternate Order of Battle allows no a standard barrage of 24 factors has a 33 per cent chance of
really strong area - so this strategic problem is reduced due to lack demoralizing and a 67 percent chance of eliminating the target. An
of the forces. This OoB also balances the game quite readily. intermittent barrage of 18 and 6 respectively will increase those
odds to 75 per cent elimination and 25 per cent demoralization. But
The Germans have three rather well delineated strategic options. a barrage of 18 and 4 respectively give the same results as a
The first is along the Eix-Verdun axis. This is probably the easiest standard barrage of 24, saving 2 ammo factors. A similar event
area to attack initially. The offensive will at first find great success. takes place when firing 30 factors. Demoralization has 17 per cent
However, the French have excellent defensive positions in the Eix chance and elimination 83 per cent. The intermittent barrage of 18
area with the presence of the forest and Forts Tavennes, Vaux, and 12 change this to 92 per cent elimination and 8 per cent
and Douaumont. This area will require a heavy concentration of demoralization. The intermittent barrage of 18 and 10 yields the
artillery to take. same results as the standard 30 - another saving of 2 ammo
factors. Then, if you want to insure the destruction of a unit, fire 18
The center has many advantages and disadvantages. The and 18 in an intermittent barrage, giving 100 per cent chance of
presence of the forest can prove to be a major inhibiting factor or it elimination.
can be overrun quickly. The major advantage the German player
has in the center is the lack of roads on the French side. If the For the most part the intermittent barrage can save a good deal on
French concentrates forces there in stacks, the Germans can kill ammo expenditure in large scale artillery assaults. Otherwise, the
more units by artillery attacks on these stacks. tactic proves useless, as a table I worked out shows. I haven't
included the table with this article because all it shows is what I
The third option lies along the Bragnot-Verdun axis. Getting across have stated in the above.
the Meuse River without having to fight across it will be a major
factor in the German success. This will probably happen, as the Because all infantry battalions have the strength of 4 in combat,
French do not have enough troops to garrison the whole length of the tactics of infantry assault are obvious and quite simple. The
the river. This makes a pincer attack on Verdun possible. For the attacker will usually use an artillery assault to demoralize the
success of this strategy, it is also advisable to take the woods defender and then attack with infantry.
between Haulflont and Beaumont quickly.
An interesting offshoot from the artillery rules is the problem of
Interestingly, none of these strategies are really clearly superior to concentrating for the attack. If the attacker stacks enough units to
another. If the German opts to attack a weakly defended area, he get good odds, then he leaves himself open to a devastating
doesn't kill more units, but he will collapse a major section of the artillery attack. The only way to avoid this is to set up your attacks
front, which will be hard to close up easily. If he attacks a well so as to insure a Rout result. This is usually done by using the
defended area he will not open up a large frontage, but he will kill a intermittent barrage of 18 and 10, followed by an attack at about 6-
large number of units. 1 odds or so. When a Rout result is achieved, the attacking units
advance and fan out.
Strategically, the French have a very great advantage in the
historical game. In the alternate OoB for the French the chances Early in the game the German should try and force the French
are about equal for both sides. The alternate OoB is a "what if?" for player to attack. In the middle game there will be turns in which the
what would have happened if the battle started two days earlier. In German player and the French player will have no artillery support
the original battle, the Germans were all prepared and ready to go, at all. By the time the end game comes around the German should
but the heavy snows delayed them for two days. In the meantime, be hoarding his ammo for the French counter-attack which will
the French realized what was about to hit them. They reinforced come with increasing French ammo supplies.
the area and the Germans struck.
RECOMMENDATIONS: I would recommend this game to anyone
The alternate recreates the original situation as it was but this time interesting in WWI or in this type of battalion level conflict. The
the German rolls for weather, just like he does in the actual game. price is rather stiff considering the components, but because new
components will be made available I would not worry much about
that department. An Interview with John Hill
Conflict Games is trying to upgrade their component quality, and
of The Conflict Game Company
By Harold Totten
they need it. For the most part there were few problems with this
game. The next two products from CG should be interesting,
First published in Panzerfaust magazine, issue #58
namely Kasserine Pass and Overlord. And there will probably be a
comparison of SPI’s Normandy and Overlord.
Thanks to the cooperation of John Hill, we present the following
"interview" which is intended to let you know a little more about the
As some of you probably have noticed, I have dropped the
newest game company on the scene. Because a couple of
numerical rating system. It's basically useless. Instead, I will use a
questions were redundant, I have taken the liberty to rewrite them,
written evaluation and let you take it from there.
but Mr. Hill's answers remain unchanged in any way.
The game is quite playable and moves rather quickly and evenly. It
Totten: What can we expect from Conflict Games · to date you
appears to be accurate and realistic, while the complexity is only
have published The Brotherhood and Verdun - what's next?
about average. The components are poor graphically and require
improvement, and the organization of the rules seems somewhat
Hill: The next game from us will be Kasserine Pass. It is a daily
haphazard. The combat mechanics are excellent and quite
battalion level recreation of that rather infamous first blood of the
realistic. Play balance is good when using the French alternate
Americans in Tunisia. This will be out, hopefully, by February 14,
OoB, and rather pro-French using the regular OoB. Overall, I
the actual starting date for the battle. Following this will be
would recommend the game to anyone interested in the subject. I
Overlord, a regimental level game on the Normandy campaign
would not say this is a game for the novice player or for the player
from the landing to the final fling in the Falaise pocket. This should
who likes mobile battles (as opposed to the player who likes
be ready June 6. I'm really not sure what will be next after those. In
attrition battles).
any case we'll keep the readers of Panzerfaust informed.
Official Rules Clarifications
Totten: How are you presently marketing these games - any
It is my game-reviewing policy to try to find and correct errors that
advertising?
pop up in a game's rules. I tried this with Phalanx but did not
receive an answer from SPI. So when I wrote John Hill concerning
Hill: At present we have about zero advertising. We'd like to but
the "interview" which is sandwiched in this article, I added a few
the budget will not allow it at present. In marketing we prefer to
questions. Here are Mr. Hill's replies, and they are officially binding
operate through the normal chain of sales. That is from
for the Verdun game.
manufacture - to distributor – to dealer - to consumer. If anybody
wishes to purchase our games direct from us they may. In any
1. Must a stack be treated as one defense factor, or are players
case, it does look like they will be available from either Lowry or
allowed to "soak-off"?
one of the "Squadron Shops" and other wargaming shops.
Yes, a stack must be treated as one defense factor. There is no
Totten: In the future then, will you encourage designers to
"soaking-off" within one stack. However, it has been my
approach you, or do you plan to do all your designs "in house"?
experience in playing the game, to very seldom see stacks, since
they are more vulnerable to artillery fire than single units.
Hill: As far as giving encouragement to "outside designs" I'm afraid
Remembering that arty fires on each unit in the stack.
we can't be too encouraging. As it stands we have more than
enough potential game designs to keep us busy for some time. We
2. Does the presence of a bridge have any effect on combat?
welcome suggestions for new games, but please don't send us
games until we ask for them.
No, the presence of a bridge has no effect on combat. If you attack
across a river you are halved even if there is a bridge there.
Totten: There's the inevitable question of why you started doing
this. Do you envision competition with the established game
3. Can units cross the river quicker at the railroad bridge?
companies like AH, Guidon, SPI, or SDC?
I never though about the railroad bridge, that's a goof on my part.
Hill: Well, first of all, I got into the game business through the back
So, for the sake of definition, it seems to me that infantry could
door. My primary occupation is that of a hobby shop owner, but I
march across with no movement point penalty, as could light arty,
used to design games for our regular wargaming customers to
such as the 75's and 77's. But since it was a narrow gauge, light
generate new business and give our store a "gimmick". Well,
duty span, all the other arty must stay off. And this would include
enough people seemed to like some of the games that I decided to
the railroad guns.
start producing them on a part-time basis. I am still primarily a
hobby shop owner though and probably will remain so. As far as
4. Does demoralized artillery firing at 1/2 factor use its full ammo
being in competition to the other game companies, I really doubt it.
expenditure or just 1/2 its expenditure? Also, the same question
I rather imagine that all of us will do fairly well. My major concern
applies to arty in heavy snow.
right now is to improve the component quality of our games.
In regards to demoralized arty - yes, even though it fires at 1/2
Totten: I was rather put off by the unit counters in Verdun. Will
factor it uses up a full factor ammo allotment, since it would waste
these new components be available, and how much will they cost
that many more shells. The same applies to snow, and that is
us?
critical. In firing in snow it takes twice as many shells to hurt the
target than otherwise; this is why the Germans preferred not to
Hill: As far as obtaining the new updated components, as far as
make heavy bombardments in heavy snow; the lack of effective air
they are produced, we will send them out free to any original
spotting and range finding meant that many more shells were
purchaser of the game. We don't want anybody to feel ripped off.
wasted.
Totten: Do you have any intention of publishing a gaming 'zine to
promote your products? This pattern was repeated over and over again, in gross regularity.
The whole problem of how to break this pattern was what the
Hill: I don't think we'll be publishing any game 'zine. There are carnage of 1915 through 1917 was about. First there was the
more than enough good ones out now. Also, I doubt we would British solution, courtesy of General Haig. And that is, admittedly
have the time. you will lose troops to the enemy's counter barrage, and admittedly
you will lose more to his positions should your arty prep fail. But,
Totten: Well, then what will be your objective, or "theme", in you solve the problem simply by putting in more troops.
publishing your games? For instance, SPI stresses historical
realism above all else. What will be your "game plan"? To him it was simple. If it takes ten men to knock out a machine
gun position, and you expect to lose thirty trying to approach it, and
Hill: We, at Conflict (“we” means my wife and I) are very another sixty to the counter barrage, you simply attack each
concerned over game balance. After all, it's no fun to lose all the suspected point with at least a hundred men, or if you want to
time, no matter how realistic the game. That is why we brought out make sure, hit with two hundred. The "Haig Solution" was tried out
the Alternate French Order of Battle (in Verdun). It was actually on the Somme and in one day 20,000 British lay dead.
more probable than the original one. This new one gives the
German a much more "fun" chance of winning. With the original This then is what the game, tactically, should portray: this pattern
the French usually had to make some gross error for the Germans of barrage, counter-barrage, and assault. And should the "Haig
to win. In your review, I would appreciate it if you could spend Solution" be attempted the attempting wargamer should suffer the
some time discussing the game balance and compare it in both same debacle.
variants.
At this point we must also consider the other battlefield possibilities
We can thank John Hill for supplying us with the above answers to that occurred from time to time, the rout. Often, the defender,
my questions. We'll keep PF readers up to date on this new instead of holding his position, would bolt in panic and confusion
company, including reviews of Kasserine Pass and Overlord and the attacker would take the position with no loss. Sometimes
when they come out. Mr. Hill also informs me the new counters for the very sight of an attacking horde would be enough to trigger the
Verdun are already available, but he asks $.25 to help cover first reaction, and the bigger the horde the bigger the possibility.
class postage. I have seen printers proofs of these new counters, However, the bigger the attacking horde also the bigger the losses
and they are quite good (being professionally done). You should if the defender doesn't panic, because then you get one bullet
receive the counters within a week. going through two or three people. Admittedly with the vast horde
you will probably have enough fire power to take the position, but
- Harold Totten you took it because you stacked up such a pile of bodies in front of
the enemy machine guns that finally they couldn't fire any more.
VERDUN But nevertheless, the horde attack did give you a definite
possibility of a rout.
DESIGNERS NOTES
By John Hill And this was the hope of the French General Robert Neville. He, at
Verdun, saw the rout effect happen a few times when a single
First published in Panzerfaust magazine, issue #58 position was suddenly hit with an overwhelming attack. He then
concluded that this was the key to breaking the pattern. The
It is very difficult to say what "designer's notes" should be. I do not "Neville System", as he called it, was to smother the enemy's
feel that they should be a history of the battle, or a detailed counter batteries with a short but savage bombardment and then
discussion of the "arms and men", but rather they should be an hit the enemy's key positions with high odds and great "élan" and
explanation of why things are the way they are in a particular thereby "guarantee" the rout. It was tried against the Chemin Des
game. This is especially important in Verdun since it, in many Dames position, and while a few isolated Germans did rout, the
ways, is a strange game. If you are primarily used to World War II- overall result was disappointing.
type of games, you are in for a surprise. You do not pile up your
counters as high as you can, make the odds as big as you can and True, German prisoners on the first day numbered almost ten
blast your enemy at an 8-to1. You may certainly try it, but you may thousand. But the price had been obscene, despite the few routs.
receive a very nasty shock. French losses were on the average three to four times as high as
the Germans and on a few points the French had lost six battalions
In trying to design a game based on the trench tactics of the First to eliminate one. But Neville kept pressing, convinced that his
World War, the first major problem was the nature of the combat system was sound and that he had merely suffered a few bad "die
itself. At this point then, let's take a close look at a "typical" battle rolls". The net result was that, after ten days, France had lost
of the period. Let us assume that the French are holding some another 187,000. And the French army mutinied. And if you should
piece of ground and the Germans mean to take it. The Germans try the Neville System, it might work, but only if you are very, very
will carefully plan their attack, including both the infantry assaults lucky.
and the artillery preparation. Then at H-Hour, the guns will open up
and soften the targets, and the infantry will go over the top Another often-used tactic that both sides experimented with from
attacking their pre-assigned objectives. However, the attacking time to time was the idea of making a series of "wave" attacks
infantry will not know if the arty prep has been successful or not against a position rather than a single attack. In other words, if four
until they actually reach the enemy positions. Also, should any battalions were scheduled to attack one battalion they would attack
direct artillery, the support batteries of 75's, be left intact they will in four successive one-to-one's rather than one four-to one.
quickly lay down a counter barrage in front of their own trenches in
an attempt to break up the attacking Germans. Then, after crawling It was hoped that by attacking in sequence rather than as a horde
through this counter barrage, the German infantry is at last able to they wouldn't suffer the high casualties that usually attend a horde
attack the French defenders in the trenches. Then as luck often attack. To some degree it worked, particularly if the first attacking
had it, the poor German found out that his side's opening barrage unit got an "exchange".
had failed and the defensive positions were still in good shape, and
consequently he was mown down by the French machine guns.
Then the follow-up units could occupy the position, but a poor one time it had been used and the then-existing French gas equipment
if you were hoping for a rout and a possible breakthrough. couldn't cope with it. In gas technique, the Germans differed
However, it also held the possibility that every single one-to-one somewhat from the Allies. The British preferred to focus all the-gas
would lose, and four battalions would have been sacrificed for in one heavy concentration, at one point, hoping to get complete
nothing. Nevertheless, it was still preferable to either the Haig or kills on any units that might be there. The Germans, on the other
Neville attack. hand, preferred to mix in the gas shells with the normal daily
shelling over a wide area, hoping not so much for kills but rather
Now let's look at the German solution. The credit for this probably demoralization along an entire front.
goes to General Von Hutier and Colonel Bruchmuller. Working
primarily on the Eastern Front, they came to the conclusion that For a big push they often would hit one area harder than another,
the key to breaking the pattern was artillery and hitting the "right" but seldom as hard as the British would do to a single point. The
number of infantry. Also they studied the effects of artillery shelling, French doctrine was somewhere in between and varied from area
and concluded that since everybody's troops were usually well dug to area and time to time.
in the probability of destroying a unit by shell fire was fairly low, but
the probability of demoralizing him was fairly good. Also, if the Another point that was inherent in all the battles was that, usually
enemy's support batteries could be shaken up badly enough by the in about ten days, the ground would be so churned up that
opening barrage they wouldn't be able to give counter battery fire movement physically slowed. What's more, troops, even good
during the critical ten minutes of final approach of your attacking ones like the German Strosstruppen, were usually battle weary
infantry. Then, and only then, would an infantry assault have a after ten days of combat. Exhaustion and fatigue would always
reasonable chance of success. take their toll. And should the battle continue in the same general
area, as Verdun did, a super bog factor would set in and retard
In discussing trench fighting, it would be appropriate to talk about operations even more. This then is why, in the game, the initial
the German infiltration tactics of 1918, though they are beyond the turns are one day long, but by the end you are playing three days
scope of the Verdun game. In reality they were simply a further turns. It was either lengthen the turns or "muck up" the movement
refinement of the Hutier-Bruchmuller solution mentioned earlier. factors. Both would be correct, but I feel the former detracts the
The artillery concept was kept and the only change was in the least from playability.
mode of infantry assault. Rather than directly attack a position they
would slant attack it and have the assaulting troops side-slip off to On replacements, another curious event usually occurred. And that
the flank in hopes of bypassing a particular kernel of resistance. It was the disappearance of units. In a continuing meat grinder
was exceptionally flexible, and demanded a high degree of battle, as was Verdun, there were never as many available units as
training. the replacement officers claimed. And the reason for this is a bit
gross.
Whenever possible, only successful attacks would be reinforced so
as to fully exploit any possible breakthroughs. The advantages of Let us take, for example, a three-day period at the height of the
this method are obvious: lower casualties and probably deeper battle. At this time the French were getting roughly three battalions
penetrations. The disadvantages are not so obvious. And that is, a day, or in a three day period, nine battalions. However, in that
along a whole-front offensive, using these tactics, the attacks same three-day period three battalions would be rendered unfit as
tended to develop into their own particular pattern with no real combat units due to disease, battle fatigue, and desertion; and
strategic direction. So once a defender became used to the another three would simply cease to exist, having been broken up
technique, he could often effectively channel the attacks in such a to provide individual replacements so that other battalions could be
way that the attacker would get himself into a position that would brought up to strength. The net result was that it would take nine
be ripe for a counter-attack. Nevertheless, it was probably the most battalions of replacements in order to make a net increase of three
advanced infantry assault tactic used during the war. in the line.

Now about terrain…in World War I its use or misuse was much This then was the nature of the actual fighting and the tactics used
more critical than in World War II. Each side constantly to handle it. And these, basically, were the considerations and
maneuvered to gain every possible advantage from every shred of effects we tried to build into the Verdun game. There are
cover. Even a blasted out forest was highly coveted due to the undoubtedly further improvements we can make, and given time
concealment and protection its withered trees might offer; slight we will make them. No game is perfect, but with each edition of
though it may be it was still a lot better than rushing across a wide Verdun, we will try to make it a little better. If you enjoy the game,
open no-man's land. High ground seemed to confer an almost holy fine. If you did not, tell us why.
advantage, and whether this advantage was real or imaginary it
was there. Troops dreaded the uphill attack, because you moved
slower, and the slower you moved the longer you were out in front VERDUN
of the enemy's machine guns. Another peculiarity of this was the THE VARIANTS
down hill attack. By Jerrold Thomas

For some reason it seemed to confer an advantage to an attacker. First published in Panzerfaust magazine, issue #67
This is hard to explain for some analysts felt it was due to the
psychologically increased attack impetus, due to running down on Note: On the Verdun Variant Counters sheet (un-made as yet), I
"top" of an enemy. Others felt it was due to the fact that since the have added a small black dot to the upper right-hand corner of all
attack started on "higher" ground the individual attacking units associated with this variant. TAD
lieutenants and sergeants could better see the enemy's defenses
and thereby plan a better attack. In reality, it probably was a
The Initial Order of Battle
combination of the two.
The initial O.B. is crucial in Verdun, since it embodies the
Germans' "surprise" factor which contributed so much to their
One of the most characteristic weapons of the trench war was
success. There are significant errors in both players' OBs, but the
poison gas. However, by 1916 both sides were using gas so
Germans are most heavily shortchanged.
regularly that unless a new wrinkle was developed, it was no big
thing. At Verdun that new wrinkle was phosgene. It was the first
XV Corps The area of the present map contains two additional Forts which
The game is accurate in the number of battalions in the original do not appear. It also contains about ten minor forts or "Ouvrages"
attack; three corps were involved (the VII Reserve, XIII, and III) which were significant in the Verdun battles. The reduced map
with 54 infantry battalions plus flamethrower detachments. The section shows their location.
corps involved, however, made up less than half of the line as it
appears on the game map, only the portion from the Meuse River The effect of forts in the game is also in need of some refinement.
to Ornes! The remainder of the line east of the Meuse was held by In actuality the Forts had a very limited ability to hold troops. Each
the XV Corps, and the small section across the Meuse was held by Fort, therefore, may provide Artillery protection and increased
the VI Reserve Corps, which can be ignored. The XV Corps Infantry Assault defense for only one Infantry and one Artillery unit
contained, nominally, 18 battalions, but was somewhat under - except for Forts Douaumont, Soubille, and Moulainville which
strength. may provide protection for two units of each type. Other units may
occupy the hex, but they are treated as being in the terrain of the
For game purposes, the XV corps consists of: hex only.
 14x Infantry Battalions,
 2x 77mm Gun battalions, Artillery and Forts
 1x 150mm Howitzer battalion, In actuality, the effect of artillery on units protected by forts
 1x 150mm Gun Battalion, and depended primarily on the caliber of the artillery, since the lack of
 30x Ammo Points. "walls" meant that only a shell's weight could help it to penetrate.

These units may not be committed until February 24th, and if they Accordingly, the effect of artillery fire varies with the caliber of the
are used the German player must maintain a continuous line of firing artillery unit as follows:
infantry units or their Zones of Control across the board, or he is  Special Guns (400mm or over) fire with 2/3 effect on
prohibited from making infantry attacks. Fort-protected units.
 Super Heavy Artillery - (Guns over 300m) fire with 1/2
Artillery effect on Fort-protected units,
Both players’ initial artillery OBs are in error, both in number of  Heavy Artillery (Guns 200-300m) fire with 1/3 effect on
units and in assigning factors to them. Fort-protected units.

For the Germans, delete the following units: Guns under 200mm have no effect on Fort-protected units (though
 2x 420mm, they may fire with full effect on other units in the same hex).
 3x 380mm RR,
 2x 305mm, Ouvrages
 2x 280mm, Ouvrages can provide protection against artillery and doubling
against infantry assault for one unit. Artillery factors firing on
 3x 210mm.
Ouvrage-protected units are halved for effect except for super-
heavy artillery and special guns. Flamethrowers cancel the
And add the following units:
defensive benefit of Ouvrages in infantry assaults.
 2x 420mm, Range 10;
 2x 380mm RR, Range 38, Factor 4;
 3x 305mm, Factor 6;
 5x 210mm, Factor 6.

For the French, delete the following units:

 2x 210.

And add the following units:

 1x Mxd, Range 16, Factors 4-1;
 6x Fort, range 6, Factors 1-0.

My reasoning is as follows. For the 420s, only the non-road-mobile

Gamma Morser had a range of 15,000 yard, and only one battalion
was produced. (The remaining initial 420 should be restricted to
moving within one hex of the RR.) The more extensively produced
Gamma-M Morser had a range of only 10 - 11,000 yards due to its
shorter barrel. There were only two 380mm Naval guns at Verdun,
and they were limited to a fixed 40 rounds per day per gun, (they
should not be able to use Saturation Fire), thus their numbers and
factors. The 305s and 210s were up-factored to better represent
their considerable abilities, and the considerable numbers of 210s
present, as well as the crucial role they played in the German
artillery tactics.
Note: In the first paragraph under “Forts” above, Jerrold mentions
The French ‘Mxd’ unit represents the 160 and 240mm Naval guns “about ten” Ouvrages - there are only eight on the map above. I
(field mounted) which were present at Verdun, and the Fort units provided ten Ouvrages in the variant counters. Feel free to use the
represent the fixed armaments of the forts. They should be placed extra two Ouvrages or not. TAD
one to a fort, except that one should not be placed in fort Vaux.
They do not count for stacking. Artillery CRT Variation

Forts The Verdun artillery CRT clearly shows that the most important
function of artillery units, as far as infantry assaults went, was
demoralizing the enemy. Depending on the overall morale of a artillery unit fires, a 1 or 2 on a die roll causes that unit's fire to
nation's troops, and the ability of a unit's commander, it was scatter one hex. Use the phosgene table, shifting the numbers
possible for artillery to cause enormous casualties without clockwise into the hexes.
destroying the morale of the survivors. This can be reflected in the
game through the use of "Decimation" results. German Handicaps
Falkenhayn, the German CGS, had some very peculiar ideas
Decimation results in the formation of a weaker (half strength) but about how the battle was to progress and more significantly, he did
good-order unit. Each player is limited in the number of decimated not communicate these ideas to the generals commanding the
units that he may have on the board in any one turn, and this is a troops. Falkenhayn's ideas can cause the German some problems,
factor dependent on morale level. A decimation result is always and they can be reflected in the following rules:
elective - a player may choose demoralization instead, and he may
only choose a decimation result when he is permitted an additional 1. CAUTOUS OFFENSIVE - Falkenhayn wanted to limit German
decimated unit on the board, Decimated units are returned to full losses, so he planned for the first day of the offensive, to make
strength just as demoralized units are. Decimated units may be only "strong patrol" actions, with the bulk of the German troops
demoralized, but may not be decimated again. A decimated unit held back until the second day. Accordingly the German can be
counts against the limit until it is returned to the board at full limited to using no more than 10 infantry battalions in infantry
strength, Included is a new Artillery CRT showing the decimated assaults on turn one. The German player can roll a die for General
results. Von Zwehl, who committed his whole corps anyway; a roll of 1,2,
or 3 lets the German commit an additional 15 infantry battalions on
DECIMATION LIMITS turn one.

Turns German French 2. PROLONGED BATTLE - Falkenhayn wanted to drag the French
To Feb. 27 1 unit 2 units into defending Verdun, so he did not want the attack to proceed
too rapidly; accordingly the XV Corps may not be committed, and
To Mar. 10 2 units 4 units no replacement division may be rolled for, on turns in which the
To end of game 2 units 2 units Germans advance more than one hex towards Verdun (measured
by the unit closest to a Verdun hex, not by each unit).

Handicaps 3. FLAMETHROWERS - The French soon learned the

Both players' armies had handicaps, the built-in "idiocy factors," weaknesses of the Flamethrower, and its effectiveness diminished.
that helped to make WW I the blood bath that it was. After February 25th, flip a coin with heads meaning that the
Flamethrower has no effect on the battle -- obviously, do this after
French Handicaps the attack has been committed.
The greatest handicap for the French was the "Grandmaison"
doctrine of the attack which resulted, until Petain put a stop to it, in 4. V RESERVE CORPS - This corps would constitute the first two
constant penny-packet counterattacks with no chance of success, replacement divisions entered, It was made up of unenthusiastic
and in a refusal to retreat even when it was mandatory. Alsatians and Silesian Poles - each division contains 5 "A" marked
battalions. On first contact with the enemy either attacking or
The following rules can reflect this doctrine and its effects: defending, use the same procedure as with the French "T" units,
1. NO RETREAT - Whenever a French unit wants to retreat - that and the same results - this effect lasts throughout the game.
is to move towards Verdun, it must roll a die - an even number
allows it to retreat, but the unit is demoralized at the end of its Observation
retreat. This rule is in effect through February 25th. An odd number The player with Air Superiority has no observation difficulties; the
allows the unit to move only if it is to execute an infantry assault player without air superiority must trace a Line of Sight from the
that turn. firing Artillery unit, to an undemoralized observing unit and thence
to the target. This LOS may pass through slope hex sides in one
2. COUNTERATTACKS - By the beginning of the February 26th direction only, which is up or down but not over a hill. The LOS
turn, the French must have made at least six infantry assaults; if may be traced across one ravine only. Each LOS is separate (one
they have made less, they lose the difference in battalions of the to the observer, another to the target), and the Artillery unit may of
German player's choice, at the start of the 26th turn. Units course trace its own LOS. Units unable to trace this LOS have their
executing counterattacks may move in any direction desired, they factors dropped one column on the Arty Shell Table (i.e. 8 factors
are exempt from the no-retreat requirements. would have the effect of 6, etc.) before any further adjustments for
protection.
3. MORALE - The six Infantry Battalions that start the game in
Verdun were African Colonials unprepared for the intensity of the The Germans have air superiority until March 11, and the French
Verdun barrages, and consequently, several units of this force have Air Superiority from the 11th until the 23rd, the Germans then
surrendered without firing a shot. have it until the end of the game.

Accordingly, whenever any one of these units is first Infantry- Use of the Artillery Shell Table
Assaulted, (they can be marked with a "T" for Tirailleur to identify
them), roll the die, with a one or two resulting in the immediate
demoralization of the unit, or it's elimination if already demoralized.
This effect occurs only the first time each unit is attacked, and
never after February 25th; switch attacked units to unmarked units
to identify those who cannot be subsequently demoralized in this
matter.

4. FRENCH ARTILLERY COORDINATION - The French had

difficulties with their artillery coordination at the best of times, and
especially at Verdun. Therefore, whenever a demoralized French
For each target hex, the number of artillery factors firing is read
across the top, and the die is rolled for each unit in the attacked
hex. The result is found in the column below the number of factors
firing.

If four units occupy an attacked hex, then the die would be rolled
FOUR times, and the results on each unit could be different;
conceivably, some units could be wholly eliminated while others
were unaffected.

The results have the following meanings:

"d" - the effected unit is DEMORALIZED and immediately moves
and fights at half factor;
"e" - the effected unit is ERASED and is removed from the board;
"de" - treat as a "d" unless the optional results are being used, in
which case the unit is DECIMATED and is replaced with an
appropriate weaker unit (which is in good order).

NOTE: A DEMORALIZED Artillery unit may not employ counter-

battery fire.

Additional Infantry Assault Cases

An "R" result signifies a Rout, this means that all the defending
units are removed and the attacker suffers no losses. Also, the
attacking units then have 4 movement points with which to move
and initiate another attack; should this attack also result in a Rout,
the attacking units have an additional 2 movement points, but may
not initiate another attack,

Whenever a unit is surrounded by units that are all attacking it, the
battle is resolved on the Defender Demoralized Table,

Whenever a Demoralized unit is Demoralized again, i.e., a

Demoralized unit that is surrounded or is being attacked by
Flamethrowers, 2 is deducted from the INFANTRY ASSAULT die
roll for each additional Demoralizing condition. Demoralization has
no effect on Artillery Shell Table results.

Stacking Limits
Plain Terrain: 6 units
Forest terrain: 2 units
Other terrain: 4 units