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The fourth installment of the long-running Close Combat series takes on the famous winter campaign in the Ardennes with a new operational level and several tweaks to the tactical system. While much remains of the original tactical engine, there is enough new in it to challenge all but hardcore Close Combat devotees. There are also some interesting twists in the campaign game worth looking at.

The game comes in three flavors: straight ahead scenarios; operations, which pit one battle group against another in a series of engagements; and campaigns, ranging from the entire Bulge to important segments of the battle such as the northern advance of Kampfgruppe Peiper.

Unlike other games in the series, there is no buying or allocating equipment. What your battle groups come with is what you're stuck with. Getting the most out of your battle groups versus those of the enemy is what this game is all about.

The Campaign Game
Patton's finest prepare for the big push
The campaign system in Close Combat: Battle of the Bulge is essentially a point-to-point, area movement wargame intended to simulate the heavy dependence on roads in the thickly wooded terrain of the Ardennes. Because no more than one battle group per side can end up in one area, traffic control is a major consideration — particularly if you're playing as the Germans. Controlling critical road junctions such as Bastogne and holding supply dumps are also keys to winning the campaign game.

One of the more interesting and challenging campaign games follows the advance of Jochen Peiper along the Northern Shoulder. Taking that campaign game as an example, and playing as the Germans, is a good way to get into working with the strategic map.

Peiper's advance continues. Note that recon are swapping with the infantry
In Peiper's first wave are a tank battle group and an infantry battle group already in contact with the Americans. You'll be given the option to assign air and artillery support. Assign as much as you can, keeping in mind that, if you don't actually use this support in a battle, it will be available for the second half of the day. Try not to use this support unless it's absolutely necessary, but if it's already the second half of the day, then blaze away. Keep in mind as well, that assigning air support doesn't mean it will actually show up.

The artillery support comes in the form of an 80mm mortar barrage, so it's not particularly good against armor, although it can take out half-tracks. If you have to choose, assign artillery to a battle group that's going against infantry and hold your fire until you've located a troop concentration. Air strikes, if you can get them, can be pretty deadly against armor if you get the right aircraft, so send them against enemy recon and tank targets. Ideally, you'll want to assign both types of support to your spearhead battle group.

A cautious deployment with armor concealed while infantry spot the enemy
Control of key victory points is critical to ensure movement from one area to another. On a map where both sides have control of some victory locations, you can only exit via controlled roads. The best way to gain these objectives is to win a total victory on the tactical map by breaking the enemy's Force Morale. Failure to win a total victory also means that you'll have to waste time fighting a continuing battle.

On the Northern Shoulder, you should be particularly aggressive with Kampfgruppe Peiper, pushing on to take those critical supply dumps. Unfortunately, the battle groups you destroy reform at those same supply dumps. This is important to remember because enemy units will reform there even after the map area is controlled by you.

Mop up time for Kampfgruppe Peiper
The Germans get a recon battle group in the second wave. Assuming you've taken your initial objectives, push Peiper ahead and bring the infantry battle group up behind to hold the captured dump. The recon unit can swing south to advance along Peiper's left flank. Remember too, that battle groups on the same side can swap locations.

There are a few reasons why you should send the infantry north. First, American armor is guaranteed to reform at the supply dumps in Peiper's rear and you won't want to divert him cover his own supply line. Second, units rest if not ordered to move, allowing them to dig in after deploying. Any infantry unit and anti-tank gun unit on defense will build a trench or weapon pit if they are deployed into an open area. This is a great use of your infantry battle group because there will be several American armored groups popping up along your supply lines.

A skulking anti-tank team (lower left corner) takes out an American command tank
All battle groups move only one area per turn, but armor and recon are faster than infantry, so your recon unit should be able to head off any infiltration of your rear areas. From time to time, you might also get valuable information on locations of enemy battle groups from your spy network. Use your recon to intercept and smash these formations. Although it is weak on infantry and tanks, it has one or more Jagdpanthers that can crush anything (except perhaps tank concentrations) with ease.

At some point, you will have control of most of your objectives, but American reinforcements and reformed battle groups will appear and take back much of your hard-won terrain. Make sure you have taken as much ground as possible before this happens so you can spend your remaining time mopping up these nuisances.

A helpful spy points out American reinforcements
You have the option to voluntarily disband battle groups that will reform in your rear area supply dumps. This may be useful if the battle group is really beat up or blocking traffic, but if you're fighting your tactical battles properly, you should never have to disband a battle group due to heavy casualties.

On the battlefield
Ultimately, all of your strategic planning and maneuvering will come down to winning or losing on the battlefield. Depending on the strategic situation, you will have to fight either a set piece action (as either the defender or the attacker), a meeting engagement, or a continuing battle. Each type of battle requires its own approach, further modified by the type of opponent you are facing.

Massed tank-fired smoke rounds cover an infantry advance
In any of these situations, deployment is the most important (and most time-consuming) key to victory. You can spend all day checking lines of sight and finding special pieces of ground to occupy, but there are a few ways to cut down on the futzing around.

Taking the Peiper campaign once again, that infantry battle group will be able to deploy dug in and will be facing armor. By this period of the war, German and, to a lesser extent, American infantry carry potent anti-tank weapons. Dig them in behind buildings near critical road junctions. Put your anti-tank guns further back to cover other potential routes of advance. You will be able to pick off the armor one by one as they advance. If they send in infantry, call in your artillery support.

Concealed infantry pick off American armored cars with ease
If you are on the attack, you have to decide (based on your deployment area) if you will do a cautious advance — scouting the battlefield with your infantry until you can determine where to commit your tanks — or if you should put everything up front for a first-turn shootout. The latter is risky, but may be the best choice given a tight deployment area with little cover.

Whatever you do, remember your rockets. In this installment of the Close Combat series, rockets rule. A promised patch will minimize the chances of having rockets, but unpatched, they are absolutely devastating. Keep the battle overview map open and zoom to any red dots the moment they appear. If you've spotted an anti-tank gun or armor, fire away — you've only got six shots, so make them count. And keep your rockets well back in dead ground. They really don't need a direct line of sight to do their evil deed.

Indirect rocket fire makes short work of some Shermans
Similar advice applies to meeting engagements. If you have armor facing armor, you'll have to start concealed and let your infantry and rockets pick off some enemy tanks before you commit yours. If your armor is facing infantry, keep your indirect fire ready to destroy anti-tank guns. These can be more dangerous than enemy armor because they are so hard to spot. If you have infantry facing armor, set up ambushes and let them come to you.

Even with only 15 teams in your battle group, you can be swamped by the enemy AI in a stand up fight, so try to use concealment and maneuver to confuse your foe. While the enemy is milling around, you can pick them off with hit and run attacks until the odds favor a stand up fight.

Continuing battles should be avoid by wiping out the enemy the first time around. These are particularly dangerous because the deployment areas are often jumbled, making it hard to determine the direction of the biggest threats. Also, both battle groups will have been refitted, often with superior weapons than available in the initial encounter. In this case, you must strike hard at one area before turning to deal with the others.

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Page Updated Mon Feb 28, 2000 8:25pm EST