- BGG rank
- BGG #7,328
- BGG rating
- 7.3
World War II: European Theater of Operations
- 2–5 players
- 240–1200 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 1985
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,159
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Onslaught
1987
Rules assistance for Onslaught
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Onslaught
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Onslaught is a board game released in 1987 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Douglas Niles and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Action Points.
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About the game
Wargame based around the WW2 Western Allied campaign from just after the Normandy invasion to the crossing of the Rhine. First significant mechanic is the unpredictable turn order - players dice for each turn, with the highest taking the turn. However, ties end that month's play (players draw fresh supply points each month, and the game ends after 20 months). Second significant mechanic is the use of (limited) supply points to activate stacks of units when it's your turn. Like games such as We the People/Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage/Rommel in the Desert/Napoleon, you don't have the resources to activate all of your units each turn, you need to decide what the current priority is in line with the current situation. Activation generally allows you to either move stacks or attack with stacks, but with an increased expenditure of supply points, you can take more powerful 'breakthrough' turns involving both movement and attack. These mechanics (unpredictable turn order, limited ability to activate units each turn) create a game of fluid tactical situations, where your planning has to be flexible - you never know who will get the next turn. The Allied player has to break out of the beach head and capture additional supply ports (which raise the number of supply points available to the Allies, and hence the number of activations possible) en route to Germany. The German player must contain the Allies in Normandy for as long as possible before falling back to the Rhine, while also denying the valuable supply ports to the Allies as long as possible. The Allies are up against a tight timetable; the Germans must work against as increasing disadvantage in supply points. Victory is generally determined by the difference in numbers between German units West of the Rhine and Allied units East of the Rhine at game end. Allied paratroops, the German Bulge offensive, reinforcements/replacements and strategic movement add to the game. The big mounted map with large hexes and counters remove the 'fiddle factor' which can blight wargames with lower production values. Republished in Command Magazine Japan #64 in 2005.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Protocol Productions
- Tactical Studies Rules (TSR)
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
Onslaught supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Onslaught is 240 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.
The catalogue lists Onslaught 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.
Onslaught has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Onslaught belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Action Points. 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 Onslaught are: Douglas Niles. 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 Onslaught 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.