Devil Dogs: Belleau Wood 1918

Devil Dogs: Belleau Wood 1918 is a two-player World War I wargame from Worthington Publishing covering the Battle of Belleau Wood, one of the defining battles in the early legend of the U.S. Marine Corps. Designed by former Marines John Poniske and John Poniske Jr., it uses a card-driven hex-and-counter system with a distinctive diceless combat model.

Instead of rolling dice for attacks, the game builds combat around cards, orders, terrain, proximity, and unit type. Cards are played into four battlefield sectors, initiative determines the orders available in each sector, and the turn resolves through fire, gas drift, movement, and combat. The result is a battle game where planning, timing, and positioning matter more than lucky rolls.

The game includes five scenarios covering different points in the battle, with some scenarios playable in about an hour. Units include headquarters, infantry, mortars, engineers, and machine guns from the U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, French Army, and German Army. The large hand-drawn map by historical artist and cartographer Rick Barber emphasizes the key terrain of the Belleau Wood battlefield.

Publisher: Worthington Publishing
Designers: John Poniske and John Poniske Jr.
Players: 2
Playing time: Around 90 minutes, depending on scenario
Format: Standalone card-driven hex-and-counter WWI wargame
Setting: Battle of Belleau Wood, 1918
Combat system: Diceless combat
Age: 14+

Contents include: a large hand-drawn game board, over 200 large rounded counters, a scenario book with five scenarios, faction card decks, and units for American Marines, U.S. Army, French Army, and German forces.

Note: This product appears to be out of print, so copies are limited to stock on hand.