14 DAY TRIAL // 
Running a massive military operation is incredibly hard, even in the video game space. Can a commander simply push forward, relying on the force of his regiments and his artillery support to deal with strong points? Is careful recon doubled by airstrikes and maneuver the best way to reach an objective? Should I spend precious PP to boost an armored spearhead or is it better to get some extra troops and supplies?
Decisive Campaigns: Ardennes Offensive was developed by VR Designs and published by Slitherine. The game is available on the PC and offers a combination of classic and modern wargame mechanics with some impressive historical elements.
The action is set, as the game’s title explains, on the Western Front during the last major German offensive operation. This was an attempt to break through American lines to threaten the coast at Antwerp and split the Allied lines. The series has previously focused on bigger operations, but the new smaller scale adds to the mechanics and the atmosphere. This new title comes complete with two major campaigns and a range of smaller scenarios, covering all the biggest engagements in the Ardennes from the perspective of both sides.
This new entry in the Decisive Campaigns series is, at its core, a hex-focused, turn-based, action point-driven wargame. Days are divided into four turns and each battlefield is carefully modeled. All units are modeled on real-world historical counterparts, with each side also able to use strategic assets and reinforcements, accessible via cards. Hexes are now no longer directly owned by one side, opening up more opportunities for infiltration and adding an extra focus on scouting. Weather, especially when it’s set in the options to not follow historical patterns, can blunt an attack or even make whole regiments useless.
Political power, gained from achieving objectives, powers the card system. On a strategic level, it allows the player to get units, but it is more importantly used to gain access to replacements, extra supplies with the means to deliver them, and airstrikes. But PP can also be deployed at the tactical level to boost units in different ways, giving them more space to react to challenges or to achieve that extra-important breakthrough.
Ardennes Offensive is a deep and carefully constructed simulation that will challenge even long-running fans of the genre. Start off with one of the smaller operations to get the lay of the land and learn what the opposing armies were hoping to achieve. It is important to decide where PP can have the biggest impact and the importance of going for victory points rather than simply destroying enemy formations.
The Germans need to be a little reckless to move forward at a good pace. The Allied commander needs to ask himself where’s the best place to make a stand and see how he can use his better strategic assets. The two long campaigns require a lot of careful planning. I love to play them with the Uncertainty option on and with random weather, to introduce some variety into the outcome.
Ardennes Offensive is the kind of game that not only makes a player want to learn about real-world history but offers clear starting points. There are descriptions for all the engaged forces and it’s actually hard to get anywhere without knowing what the two sides wanted to achieve and what plans they created.
The big issue with this Decisive Campaigns installment is that it doesn’t innovate on the wargame formula. I loved role-playing as Halder, trying to find ways to keep a massive war going while dealing with outsized personalities in Barbarossa. The Ardennes scenarios have more detail and more dynamic engagements but feel less alive.
Decisive Campaigns: Ardennes Offensive doesn’t fundamentally improve the presentation that series regulars are accustomed to. The new terrain and new rules for line of sight and intercept create a more exciting tactical map. But the interface requires some getting used to, especially when coming to the series fresh, although it makes perfect sense after playing for a few hours. The music and the sound design work are decent but unimpressive so get ready to put on your favorite war movie soundtracks for this one.
The Good
- Deep military simulation
- History hooks
- Battalion level action
The Bad
- Limited presentation
- Requires some historical knowledge
- No interpersonal interactions
Conclusion
Previous entry Barbarossa managed to compensate for this by making inter-personal relations a major part of the gameplay. But in the winter of the Ardennes, there’s no place for favors or moral choices. The battle will be won by paying attention and implementing the best tactical approach, for which the new Decisive Campaigns offers plenty of maneuver room. Get ready for hours of solid tactical action that will allow players to both understand history and re-create it.
Review code provided by the publisher.
