From: Steven Bucey Subject: Panzerblitz and Panzer Leader (and Panzerbush, tree, gully...) Panzerblitz is the older system, covering tactical combat in Russian, mostly 43-44. Units are platoons for the germans and (mostly) companies for the russians, time scale of 5 minutes and map scale of 250 meters per hex, with terrain from gullies to hills, clear to woods and towns. Units are rated for attack, range, defense, movement, target type (armored or non-armored), and weapon type (infantry small arms, armor piercing, high explosive cannon or mortor). The germans can stick 3 units per hex, while the russians can stack only 2. Normal mode of attack is direct fire. Compare the attack to defense as a ratio and cross index on a CRT to get a result, normally needing at least 2-1 to have a chance of a kill, though a chance of dispersal is possible down to 1-3 odds. A unit with an AT weapon firing at half range against an armored target is doubled. It is halved at all ranges against non-armored targets. H/M weapons are normal at all ranges against non-armored targets and any armored targets within 6 hexes, but halved against armored targets at greater ranges. I weapons are normal at all ranges against non-armored targets and ineffective against armored targets. Normal direct fire combat has three aqward mechinisms, depending upon the number of intened targets and their type. If you want to attack only one unit, you have to pick the 'weakest'. If you want to attack more than one with separate attacks, you have to attack in weakest order with at least 1-1 odds on each. If you want to attack the entire stack there are no restrictions (but often little point). Units which fire can not move. Woods, towns, slopes and hills block line of sight and fire. Non-armored units in towns are treated as armored units. In addition, all units in a town must be combined attack (no selective attacks). Gullies act as sort of inverted slopes which units can also hide in sometimes. Units in towns or woods have to be spotted by an undispersed friendly unit which is adjacent. No exceptions. Line of sight is determined very oddly, requiring following the hex pattern instead of using a straight edge. The typical vehicle can move 8-11 hexes per turn, while infantry move 1, but russian cavalry are included which move 3. Non-vehicle (except cavalry) units can be carried any vehicle unit (one per vehicle). Armored vehicles with AT or H weapons which don't direct fire can overrun anything in clear terrain (except units on blocks, wrecks, forts, etc). Overruning units ignore weapon type versus target type modifiers, get a one column odds shift in their favor, and get a -2 CRT die roll modifier. It's by far the most effective way to attack. Infantry I weapon units which don't direct fire can close assualt anything. Again, weapon versus target type modifies are ignored, but unless an engineer is involved they only get the -2 CRT die roll modifier. You also get mines, forts, blocks, and wrecks (for destroyed armored vehicles). Optional rules are provided for bare bones Indirect fire, 'Real -Space' line of sight, Panzerblitz assualt (infantry riding on overrunning tanks get to jump off and rub salt in the defender's wounds) and ammunition depletion for intensive fire. Experimental rules are given for hidden deployment, additional indirect fire rules, and impulse movement. The game is full of problems. First, the russian rifle companies are simply massive. Dispite being weaker in absolute terms, since they can stack two companies per hex they can equal any German crack infanty stack. And you need heavy artillery to deal with them. Spotting requires suisidal charges and LOS is a pain to figure. The russian tanks, unlike their infantry cohorts, are patheticly weak. It takes 10 tanks (one Russian company) to equal 5 german (a platoon), and since the russian can stack only two to the german three, he is at a severe disadvantage. The direct fire methods are a pain to deal with, and the town defense rules are stupid. The weapon versus target type rules are simplistic in the extreem. The lack of any additional spotting, oportunity fire, and indirect fire encourage a lot of odd tactics. ****************** Panzer leader uses the same underlying system. The differences are as follows. First, all units are platoons. Most units have reasonable combat factors (no need to down grade them like the Russian tanks). Stacking is four per hex for both sides. The restrictions on normal direct fire are gone, allowing you to attack any combination of defenders in the stack. Indirect fire is added as a normal rule and beefed up considerably, though it has problems (like dividing the total attack by the total number of defenders, resulting in stacking trucks with important units to water down any such attacks). No area fire, a spotter is still required to have spotted a target unit or be adjacent. Line of Sight is straight edge. Spotting includes being able to spot units which fire. You no longer need to be adjacent to see such units, and trucks and wagons may no longer spot. Streams, unlike gullies, are a permanent barrier to vehicles, leading to some odd tactics involving stacking armored vehicles on bridges as sacrifices to clog it up to the attackers (wrecks count for stacking in both games, but here it is critical on bridges). Engineers now add a lot of chrome, with demolitions and clearing minefields and blocks. The allies also get some neat engineering vehicles to clear mines, lay bridges, and use flame throwers. There are rules for amphibious landinigs and Airpower (allies only). Figher bombers can terrorize German tanks, though the Germans get some AA to shoot back. Optional rules include Infantry quick march, Opportunity Fire, Naval Support Fire, and Panzerblitz assualt. I consider the Opportunity Fire a required rule, which alleviates much of the panzerbush problem, but it is flawed in that if you don't kill the target, it undisperses at the end of that player's CURRENT turn. Experimental rules inclued Functional Mobility for Turreted AFVs (which is not strickly historic as only the American Sherman had gyro stabilized gun, and that only in elevation), Artillery Field of Fire limitation, and Smoke shells. Steve -- --------------------------------------- The Columbus Area Boardgaming Society web site: http://web.jadeinc.com/spqr Happiness comes in packages marked, "Batteries not included." From: BillR54619 Subject: Re: Panzerblitz and Panzer Leader (and Panzerbush, tree, gully...) In a message dated 5/6/98 6:53:29 PM, cratex@jadeinc.com wrote: >Indirect fire is added as a normal rule and beefed up considerably, >though it has problems (like dividing the total attack by the total >number of defenders, resulting in stacking trucks with important units >to water down any such attacks). No area fire, a spotter is still >required to have spotted a target unit or be adjacent. This is actually a very significant difference between PB and PL. In PB, if you have enough artillery around, you can wipe out any defensive position a piece at a time, assuming you can keep your spotters alive. In PL, indirect fire gets diffused, the bigger the stack (actually the obverse of what should happen - area fire effects should increase incrementally the more concentrated the target), the less the effect of artillery. Bill R.