Highway to the Reich

In September 1944, Allied paratroopers attempted to seize 100 km (60 mi) of German-held highway and bridges in the Netherlands to open a bridgehead over the Rhine.

Highway to the Reich simulates this operation on a massive scale, using thousands of counters, a map board almost 3 meters (9 ft) long, and a 106-turn campaign game that can last hundreds of hours.

[2] In the Chicago Tribune, Roger Verhulst thought this monster game was "for the ambitious and those with a fondness for historical accuracy."

"[6] In Issue 9 of Phoenix, Tony Dinsdale complimented the production values of the components, writing, "the counters are quite adequate and packed with information, though it is the map which takes the prize for artistic merit.

Dinsdale concluded with a strong recommendation despite its perceived flaws, saying, "even in view of these facts, I consider HWTR to be an excellent simulation, especially for the more experienced gamer.

Even in the mini-scenarios using one map, the quantity and complexity of combat calculations each turn, never mind the need to keep a careful eye on all the other rules, makes for hard work."

Even with the second edition of the rules addressing many problems, he still found issues of historical accuracy with artillery, attrition, travel, as well as each of the four main scenarios.

[1] In the next issue of Phoenix, Barnard offered a general review of World War II tactical games, and complimented Highway to the Reich for its novel rule for infantry units that have been damaged in combat.

Barnard noted that Highway to the Reich was unique in offering the player a choice of either the standard "digging in" rule, or retaining its mobility and combat values at the cost of even more damage.