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- BGG #7,292
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The Battle of the Bulge
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1981
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,672
- BGG rating
- 7.7
A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944
2020
Rules assistance for A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 12+
- Complexity 4.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 is a board game released in 2020 for 2–5 players and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Bruno Sinigaglio and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
"A Time for Trumpets" (ATFT) is a battalion level wargame of the Battle of the Bulge. The game system incorporates a number of concepts from two of the highly playable games on the same subject: Bitter Woods by The Avalon Hill Game Company and the iconic battalion level Wacht am Rhein from SPI in 1977. In addition, the command and control concepts devised for the TAHGC version of The Siege of Jerusalem were utilized. The Divisional compositions include HQ, the front line battalions and the combat support battalions: recon, engineers, anti-tank, anti-aircraft and artillery. The individual field battalions perform game functions that attempt to simulate the battlefield actions of their real-life models. The aircraft squadrons include those that were most numerous over the battlefield in December 1944: P47, B26, ME109, JU88 and ME262. The game map is at the scale of one hex equals a mile and was developed using the 1-50,000 1943-1944 GSGS 4040 and GSGS 4507 topographical maps. Players will easily recognize the influence of the Bitter Woods game map as terrain is easily recognized and differentiated. Game concepts include: HQ activation status (active or resting), fatigue and exhaustion, command and control, formation supply, supply by air, German fuel shortages, American supply dumps, ground conditions, atmospheric conditions, air strafing and interdiction, construction of defensive positions and bridges, demolition, sacrosanct formation boundaries, limited winter movement across rivers and streams, strategic movement, infiltration due to limited visibility, over-run of vulnerable units, German night combat advantage, Kampfgruppe Peiper Breakout, German Nebelwerfer Operations, German FA Operations, Allied FA Operations, Time on Target, terrain effects for ground combat, weapons effects on ground combat, exploitation after combat, etc. 5 full size game maps (65" x 48" total playing area); 12 counter sheets (2304 playing pieces). Time Scale: 4 turns per day. Map Scale: 1 mile per hex. Ground Unit Scale: Battalion. Air Unit Scale: 25 aircraft per counter. Number of Players: 2 to 5. Solitaire suitability: 6 out of 9. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
Questions and answers
A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The catalogue lists A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 has a complexity rating of 4.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 are: Bruno Sinigaglio. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.