Vimy Ridge

The German strongpoint at Vimy Ridge had held off numerous assaults from British and French forces during the previous two years, its position commanding the front for miles in every direction. The Germans understood the ridgeline at Vimy could not be given up because of the high advantage ground would give the Allies, particularly positioning their artillery spotters atop the hills to rain down fi re upon the Germans’ rear areas. However, in 1917, the Canadian Corps had been assembled for the fi rst time in one place, along with a huge concentration of British artillery and airpower. Unlike previous assaults, this one would rely on thorough planning, meticulous timetables, and a massive creeping barrage to attempt to dislodge the German positions once and for all. Vimy Ridge utilizes a new adaptation of the popular Fire & Movement folio system, modifi ed to model World War 1 operations. The game includes limited support fi re to simulate the nature of the fi ghting during the war, but also features more detailed bombardment rules to simulate the intensity of warfare in 1917. Trenches and frontal assaults are the primary feature of the game, resulting in very high rates of attrition, requiring players to rely on their artillery to breach enemy positions, or blunt enemy attacks. But, without the benefi t of direct fi re support, the landscape’s natural terrain may dictate the course of the battle. A Canadian infantry regiment, having just cleared an enemy trench line, may fi nd itself advancing up a heavily-defended hill, only to come across a secondary enemy trench line, necessitating more preparatory bombardments; but, other Canadian regiments have utilized all of the available artillery. A direct frontal assault may be the only alternative. In Vimy Ridge, the Combat Results Table simulates the nature of battles on the Western Front. Units are typically two-sided formations that can incur casualties, accurately replicating the realities of combat and the high losses sustained by both sides during the actual fi ghting during the battle of Vimy Ridge. Winning the battle is a matter of maneuver, fi repower and target prioritization.