
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,372
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Battle for Moscow
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 1986

1979
Rules assistance for Road to the Rhine
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Road to the Rhine is a board game released in 1979 for 2–3 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Frank Chadwick and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
Road to the Rhine is a two-player Operational level board-wargame simulation of the post-Normandy campaigns from September 1st, 1944 to April 1945 on the Western Front. The game covers the initial attempts by the Allies to maintain the pace of their advance in the face of a rapidly deteriorating logistical situation, the German recovery culminating in the Battle of the Bulge, and the final Allied drive across the Rhine. There are 5 scenarios including the full campaign game. Scale is "grand operational" with division and brigade/regiment-size ground units and air wings. Hexes are 7 miles across, turns are weekly. Medium complexity, low stacking, and some book-keeping. Combat mechanics are quite standard and typical for a wargame of this era, but the sequence of play is very flexible and arguably far ahead of its time - multiple impulses within each player turn triggered by supply expenditure, and interspersed with reserve movement and combat phases. There are also rules for airborne assaults, commandos, air support, specialized armor and many more. Combat is odds-based with shifts and strength modifiers but no DRMs. Logistics are very important in play, with port capacity driving how many units you can operate at full capacity.
Road to the Rhine supports 2–3 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 Road to the Rhine is 360 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 Road to the Rhine 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.
Road to the Rhine has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Road to the Rhine 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 Road to the Rhine are: Frank Chadwick. 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 Road to the Rhine 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.