Battles of Normandy: A Solitaire Wargame (2022)

Overview

As part of the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944, the British 6th Airborne Division took part in Operation Tonga, to capture and destroy several bridges on the Orne River and Caen Canal and to secure important villages in the area. Bad weather and difficult landing conditions meant that units were scattered and often had to fight in smaller, weakened forces. Fortunately, the German resistance was, on this occasion, inefficient. In Battles of Normandy, you will be commanding whatever British units happen to be available in order to take strategic positions on the map. German forces may not act with the full efficiency that the German army was known for, but they will nonetheless put up a fight. This book builds on my previous book-based game, The Fields of Normandy. It is not a sequel, and the rules are different, but it is aimed at the same audience – those who are relatively new to wargaming and would like to “dip the toe” and those who, like me, would rather play something than have time for nothing. The aim here was to produce a fairly traditional hex and counter wargame experience with simple rules and a manageable “opponent” which will not take up too much time or effort to operate, especially once you have grasped the basic system.