by Marc Seutter, Marcel Nijenhof and Niek van Diepen
This game has been played in the Multifunctional Center Maldensteijn, Malden on the 19^th of October 2024. It will be restaged at the XXXVII. GHS Hexacon, Haus des Gastes, Braunfels, Germany, on the 30^th of May 2025.

The Battle of Arnhem is a well known and famous Second World War Battle. In september 2024, it will be 80 years ago that the Allies tried to force a breakthrough across the Rhine. If they would have succeeded in taking all bridges along the route to Arnhem, a breakthrough towards North Germany would have become possible and with it a faster ending of the War.

On the 17^th of September 1944, paratroopers of 3 airborne divisions landed near Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem to take the bridges. The intention was that they would be relieved within several days by ground troops of the British 2nd army. The advance on the ground, however, was slowed down by heavy German resistance and despite the efforts of the British paratroopers, they had to withdraw from the Arnhem bridge after a week. Without the Arnhem bridge, the operation had failed, but the Allies had come very close to their target.

On the 19^th of October 2024, Stichting Megagames NL organised another version of the Operation Market Garden Megagame. Players are assigned to teams where each team commands a formation from the original battle. Command levels range from teams commanding divisions, to teams commanding corps in overall control. Within a team, players must work together to ensure their formation is properly organised and supplied, that the enemy actions are monitored, and that the players at the next level up the chain of command are kept informed.

The game was played in the Multifunctional Center Maldensteijn, Malden.

We have a new game system based on blockspiel and Holland 44.

The system is played with battalion sized units on an open map. Map players will decide where and how to attack or defend. They decide on where to spend their command points and other resources.

The headquarter players try to organise the battle on the complete map, giving orders to the map players to coordinate the attacks between the divisions. They are also responsible for reinforcements and resupply.

• Allied
  • HQ
  • UK 1^st Airborne Division
  • US 82^nd Airborne Division
  • US 101^st Airborne Division
  • UK Guards Armoured Division
  • UK VIII Corps
  • UK XII Corps

• German
  • HQ
  • Kampfgruppe von Tettau
  • II SS Panzer Corps
  • Korps Feldt
  • Kampfgruppe Walther
  • 15. Armee
  • 1. Fallschirm Armee

Most roles have a maximum of 2 players per team except II SS Panzer Corps (3) and UK Guards Armoured Division (3). It is possible that we recast players to different roles, while the game is progressing.

This game will be played on the 30^th of May, 2025 at the XXXVII. GHS Hexacon in das Haus des Gastes, Fürst-Ferdinand-Straße 4a, Braunfels, Germany.

The Hexacon is the yearly gathering of the GHS (Gesellschaft für Historische Simulationen), which lasts a full week (this year from the 26^th of May till 1^st of June 2025) during which the GHS members (and non members) can participate in all kinds of boardgames and wargames (usually but not always) with a historic background.

The Market Garden megagame is free of charge for all who have payed the GHS Hexacon entrance fee for the day of the game, provided that you have registered yourself with us prior to the game. Registration for the game is quite necessary so that we can setup a role casting for the game. We will try and publish the casting two weeks before the game, so that you can prepare yourself.

For this game, we aim at 28 players. However, just prior to the game, we might fit some additional players.

• Video:
• map