They Shall Not Pass: The Battle of Verdun 1916

"In early 1916, the German and French armies faced each other in what appeared to be a stalemate. The German commander-in-chief, Erich von Falkenhayn, conceived one of the most cold-hearted plans in military history. Fall Gericht, which translates as 'Place of Execution,' would bleed France white by a simple battle of attrition, without regard to the suffering of his own soldiers.

For ten months, the German Fifth Army hurled itself against the old fortress city, its commander kept in the dark about the offensive?s true goal. The French Second Army stood firm, commanded by Henri Petain, who issued the famous order, 'They shall not pass.'

The new game system has the clean play of the designer?s masterpiece, Defiant Russia, and is crafted to fit the nature of combat in 1916. Artillery bombardment and assault combat take place separately. Elite troops have numerous advantages, and morale is a vital component of the game. Game pieces represent regiments and a handful of battalions. Units are rated for morale, attack, defense and movement.

The game sequence of play is as follows:

I. Weather Phase

II. German Organization Phase: The German player performs several key administrative functions, including checking for supply, rallying troops, and entering reinforcements and replacements.

III. German Bombardment Phase: The German player performs artillery bombardments. Bombardment can either be Barrage or Interdiction.

IV. German Movement Phase: The German player may move all Infantry and Headquarters units, and all artillery that did not fire in the previous phase.

V. German Assault Phase: The German player may attack any French units which are adjacent to German ones. Artillery not previously used may support attacks. After all German attacks are resolved, stacks containing a Pioneer unit may move again.

After the German player has performed all the above steps, the French player completes all the above Phases II-V with his or her units.

They Shall Not Pass - The Battle of Verdun 1916 is packaged just like Defiant Russia in a small box."(used by g2 with the permission of Avalanche Press from the AP website).

Avalanche Press is known for its high quality, easy to learn war games with quality maps and counters. Whether you are a Grognard or new to war games, you will appreciate the amount of effort that this company puts into its games and supplements.