A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944
Anecdote
A late-career work by Bruno Sinigaglio for GMT Games, A Time for Trumpets reconstructs the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944 to January 1945 with remarkable operational precision. The battalion-scale hex-and-counter system is built around a highly detailed map covering the Belgian and Luxembourgian Ardennes. A full game requires approximately thirty to forty hours, but shorter scenarios allow players to tackle Saint-Vith, Bastogne, or Celles in eight to twelve hours. The learning curve is demanding and the title is aimed at the most experienced wargamers. Sinigaglio drew on Hugh Cole, Charles MacDonald, Danny Parker, and German primary sources to build a simulation of exceptional fidelity. GMT's production is very strong, featuring a superbly drafted map and clear player aids. A Time for Trumpets offers a complementary approach to Simonitch's Ardennes '44 — more granular and more demanding. Its critical reception was excellent, earning several major awards including a Charles S. Roberts Award. The title's influence can be seen in the new wave of in-depth operational wargames faithful to the great simulationist tradition. The community is very active, feeding Vassal and BGG with variants and scenarios. No French translation exists, but the material remains accessible to experienced French speakers. For diehard enthusiasts of the Battle of the Bulge, this is arguably the definitive treatment. Sinigaglio, a former Avalon Hill collaborator, delivers here the culmination of forty years of research on the battle. The title represents the pinnacle of GMT Games' editorial craft in modelling great WWII battles. It is as much an object of study as a game, faithful to the simulationist legacy of SPI and Avalon Hill.
Popularity & reception
Distinctions — Charles S. Roberts Award - Best WWII Boardgame (2020) · Golden Geek - Best Wargame (2020) · International Gamers Award - Historical Simulation nomination (2021) · BGG Top 50 Wargames
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