Crossing the Line – Aachen 1944 Reviewed

By Mark Greenwald

Crossing the Line is part of a series of games developed by Vuca Simulations in Germany. I came across it a few years back and put it on my Christmas wish list. But a second edition with a mounted map was just published this year. So I picked it up for myself.

It arrived last week and as soon as I could find table space, I set it up to do some solo learning.

Vuca Simulations is probably a company most have never heard of, but they are putting out some really nice games with nice reviews. This series includes two other games right now, Across the Bug River – Volodymyr-Volynski 1941 and Operation Theseus – Gazala 1942. It is an operational-sized hex and counter wargame with a nice twist on the standard IGOUGO turn sequence.

*Solo status board. Shows turn 1 in progress. Markers include formation activation levels, DRM for initiative and a track for Action Points (AP) gained each activation of a formation.*

I usually try to learn a game solo before trying to find another player. Crossing the Line is not designed as a solo game, but while playing it, I did notice it is noticeably more suitable than many games for solo play. The game utilizes an Initiative Determination method for the player sides to activate a formation (such as the 1^stInfantry Division “Big Red One”) which allows a player to do several actions generated by a table based on die roll and cross-referenced to the formation activation level.

*Close-up of 3AD and 1ID after their opening moves. 3AD trying to get over the Dragon’s Teeth.*

Germans counterattack the 3AD recon element. Looks bad for our boys during a turn. A formation has a set number of activations and each one lowers the available actions players can take during the turn. In this way, a turn is multiple operations by both players, sometimes players can take two or more in a row if the dice rolls occur. But each time you activate a formation, your opponent gets a die roll modifier to increase their chance of going next.

Additionally, if you move next to an enemy unit, your opponent can try to get a Reaction formation activation based on HQ rating. If successful, your enemy can interrupt your actions with their own. They might even get to do a spoiling attack or retreat, forcing you to spend more actions. I think it is a very good mechanism – similar to some of the CDG games now use.

*Combat of the nearly surrounded Recon element. Combat chits are drawn to provide combat multiplier for Battle Strength.*

One of the reasons this is great for solo is at any given point in a turn you can stop, walk away and come back later to pick up where you left off with the next roll for initiative. I think this is pretty great myself, as I was playing the second scenario over the course of three days while doing other things. It does require you to complete a formation activation, though.

Each formation activation allows a player to move the component units of the formation. Most of the components are infantry battalions, and combat commands (of the US armored division, or German Kampfgruppen). During activation, you get a random number of action points to spend. Moving cost only one while doing a prepared attack costs three. As you do action, units can be moved more than once, allowing you to conduct an attack and then exploit the resulting gap (if any).

*Close-up of the Combat Chit for the Germans.*

*Three Hits taken, which will eliminate the Recon element.*

Combat in the game is attritional, with a wide band in the middle that gives one to two-step losses for the units involved, as well as retreats and a disruption chance. Disrupted units can only attempt to recover during the operations phase, so they become static, and easier targets to attack.

The combat chart is interesting, as terrain modifiers do not influence the dice roll. Instead, they shift attacks from left or right along the results prior to rolling. This seems more intuitive than doubling/tripling combat factors. Also, Combat Chits are randomly drawn. These influence the strength points of both attacker and defender based on unit posture and effectiveness.

Then die roll modifiers are added up for HQ and supporting units as well as how much armor or anti-armor is involved. As a result, some of the German tank units, with a high value for tanks, can do low-value attacks with a high die roll modifier to actually succeed. At first, this looks pretty complicated, but after a couple of goes, it all starts to click into place.

*Overhead view of the end of turn 1 after replacements and reinforcements added*

*Solo status board setup and ready to go for turn 2*

After each player activates a formation, the number of activations remaining decreases to simulate the fatigue of the units. When both players pass, the turn ends, and the next turn starts with an administrative phase. Both sides can recover HQ activation points for the upcoming operations cycle with the Germans being subject to air interdiction to influence their recovery. Replacements are assigned and any reinforcements or withdrawals are completed.

*Chits read both far-right rows, so 21 German vs 72 US (tank side not shown)*

*So 3:1 in town, even on DRM, (-4 tank defending +4 US HQ), roll of 7 equals 2 losses for each side.*

*End of turn 2. The biggest push came from the 1ID. 3AD did not get any further.*

End of turn 3 and the scenario. US forces received some independent tank BN for 1ID who used it to push very hard all the way to Aachen. Gaining a city hex means a decisive US win. The US had 50 VPs as well, but no need to push with the 3AD for more.

I really enjoyed my first solo outing and look forward to more solo as well as getting an opponent involved. If you like a good, interesting, re-playable WW2 wargame, I highly recommend picking up Crossing the Line – Aachen 1944 by Vuca Simulations.