Compass Games Bitter Woods: Designer Edition

(from Compass Games website:)

On December 16th 1944, Germany launched its last, desperate offensive in the West. The result was The Battle of the Bulge, a brutal struggle in a dismal winter landscape set against an enemy imbued with a fanatic conviction that victory could be snatched from defeat. It was the United States Army’s greatest and fiercest battle of World War II. Over a million men and thousands of guns, tanks, and other fighting vehicles were engaged. In those “Bitter Woods,” fighting against heavy odds, the American soldier slowed and then stopped the spearhead of two elite Panzer Armies, forever emblazing themselves in the annals of military history.

Compass Games presents the Designer Edition of this Charles S. Roberts and ORIGINS award nominee. New to this edition are updated unit counter graphics, additional scenarios, and an extended campaign game to allow the Allied counterattack to be fully realized. In addition to the 6 and 8 turn tournament games, Patton’s famous relief of Bastogne can be recreated via scenario play. Specific rules include: Mechanized Exploitation Movement, Hidden Fuel Dumps, Leader Units, Reserves, Random Events, Bridge Demolition, Kampfgruppe Peiper Breakout, Skorzeny Infiltration, Air Power, and Artillery Support.

Designer Edition Bitter Woods is the premier edition of this highly acclaimed regimental level Battle of the Bulge game and includes all aspects of the original game plus the expansion edition. The potential for mechanized exploitation movement and an appropriate Allied counterattack capability ensure an exciting challenge for both sides. Designer Edition Bitter Woods is highly playable, yet historically accurate, further ensuring a game you will want to revisit for years to come.

Complexity: Medium (5 out of 10)
Solitaire suitability: 8
Time Scale: 1 turn = 12 hours
Map Scale: 1 hex = approximately 2 miles
Unit Scale: Primarily regiments and brigades
Playing Time: Small Scenarios: 3-4 hours, Full Campaign: 8+ hours