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NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game
1998
Rules assistance for NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
Rules assistant for NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game is a board game released in 1998 for 2–4 players and 120 minutes per game. It was designed by David McElhannon and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
"NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge" is a card wargame for 2-4 players recreating the famous World War II battle in which the German Army mounted a surprise attack on the thin U.S. forces deployed in the Ardennes region, hoping to break through to the English Channel and split the Allied Forces. Each player controls either the German or the U.S. and British forces. Players draw cards in each daily turn from their own decks, then play the cards as they see fit. Many cards can be played during the opponent's turn so there is constant interaction. Each deck is complete; there are no cards to collect or trade. NUTS! comes in two 150-card sets (North and South). Each set is complete and can be played on its own, or the two sets can be played together. (From the back of the box by Decision Games) The cards have actual photographs of units, events, cities, and equipment from the battle. Cards comprise of units (infantry, artillery, mechanized), events like bad weather or supply drops, and terrain to include cities, major forest, rivers, and ridges. Units are rated in strength values for infantry, armor, artillery, and cohesion. The objectives are for the Germans to get three panzer units (six if playing both decks) from their start side off the Allied side of the board. The Allies must prevent this and stall the offensive until adequate reinforcement arrival. Although this is a card game, it plays very much like a board game. Battles are resolved via dice rolling. The rules do include important factors such as supply, town encirclement, weather, blitzes, cohesion checks, and the like. Overall, an easy to medium game to grasp the rules and play. (comments by Walt Mulder)
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Decision Games (I)
Questions and answers
NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game supports 2–4 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 listed playing time for NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game is 120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game has a complexity rating of 2.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game belongs to these categories: Card Game, Wargame, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game are: David McElhannon. 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 NUTS! The Battle of the Bulge Card Game 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.