Panzer Leader (1974)

[Whiterook]

By the Avalon Hill game company, this was the game that got me into wargaming back in the mid-80s and one of my very first purchases, brand new from a Boston area game shop.

Panzer Leader is a tactical platoon level hex and counter board wargame depicting WWII tank and infantry combat on the Western European front.

It features 4 geomorphic map tiles, which can be put together in a variety of ways to play the provided scenarios (which are printed on cardstock, showing all the necessary information for a scenario) or home-made scenarios. The 20 provided scenarios cover various battles on the Western Front, with most of the scenarios involving the Normandy campaign or the Battle of the Bulge. Two scenarios cover the amphibious assaults on Omaha and Gold beaches and include special rules for naval fire. While based on PanzerBlitz, the rules were cleaned up and included additional mechanics such as for air attacks and engineers, as well new spotting rules to prevent PanzerBush tactics - units could no longer fire from concealment without revealing themselves to enemies. Several optional and experimental rules are provided, including one for opportunity fire to further nullify PanzerBush maneuvers.

The Panzer Leader map boards are interchangeable with the PanzerBlitz maps, and one could combine the two sets to make a larger battlefield. The scale is the same with the two games. The German units are interchangeable, and if one wanted, players can try a "what if" scenario with American/British forces vs. Soviet forces.

Avalon Hill Complexity Rating - 7

Sister game to PanzerBlitz and The Arab Israeli Wars.

Components
384 (including 7 blanks) British, US, and German counters
4 geomorphic boards
20 scenarios
Terrain Effects Chart (two-sided)
Combat Results Chart
Rules of Play and Designer's Notes booklet
1 six-sided die

…she may be an oldie, but she’s a goodie!!!

[Whiterook]

I was looking through my files on my iPad, as I knew I had downloaded a lot of Panzer Leader material, and lo and behold, these updated Rev 6-97w.3 JANUARY 2017 rules! It’s supposedly updated rules and errata, garnered with use of Avalon Hill’s, The General magazine. I’m not really sure how different these are from the original, but I figured I’d use these for my reentry into the game this week.

Printed copy on my printer and bound with my spiral binder, clear cover and black back cover. That spiral binding machine paid for itself after six rulebooks done, versus going to a print shop to have it done.





The funny thing is, already five pages in (there are about 15 pages of actual rules), I am struck with the relative ease of my absorbing, or in this case reabsorbing the rules. Now yes, I played the game several time through the years, so I am familiar with the rules… this is technically a *refresher*, but in truth, I probably forgot most of the actual rules. However, I was just pondering as I read, at how at the time of my being introduced to this game from a work colleague, it being my first-ever wargame, how difficult I thought the rules were back in those mid-80s days. In fairness, I had never seen a game with rules so intricate and complicated (to me, at the time), which both intrigued and excited me as much as it kinda terrified me. Breezing though the rules now, I marvel at how far I’ve come in wargaming…this is such an easy read for me, now. It’s really hitting me how diffferent modern day me is with wargames, compared to when I started out.

[Whiterook]

WOW, I’ve said these words a few times in the past, but: I forgot how much I really love this game! Complexity-wise, it’s hovering just shy of 4 (Medium Heavy), so it has some weight to it; to be honest, I like games that are in the 3-4 range anyway, as they have plenty of challenge without burning out too many of my last remaining brain cells!

The mechanics are really nice in this game, particularly movement, which is straightforward; I really like the road movement rules of 1/2 MP per hex…so simple and gets the point across… gives troops a little more horsepower, compared to the usual *1 extra hex* mechanic.

Combat is straightforward as well, using a Ratio of combat odds, yet calculating anything is not my strong suit, so it pushed me out of my comfort zone… I suck at any kind of math!

Artwork… any game with armor silhouettes is automatically on my radar, and it obviously made an impression on me when I was first introduced to not only this game, but wargaming as a hobby. I am much m ore comfortable with NATO symbols these days…I remember it being a bit difficult back in the 80s. The map artwork is tolerable… again, gets the point across, but I am, spoiled with modern game artwork!

Really glad to be back into this system, and I can see already my branching out into the cool variants out there.

[mikeh]

Nice looking job of spiral binding that rule book. I found an in shrink copy at a antique store, unpunched but when I opened it up almost all the counters were out of alignment, some with almost half on the counter, half on the tree or whatever its called. Man was I bummed out. I know I can download counters from Imagnative Strategist but I was just so bummed out at the time I never did.

[Whiterook]

Jun 4, 2024 13:48:03 GMT -5 mikeh said:

Nice looking job of spiral binding that rule book.

Thanks! It’s quite easy to use, but the damned thing is bigger than a 1950’s typewriter!

Jun 4, 2024 13:48:03 GMT -5 mikeh said:

I found an in shrink copy at a antique store, unpunched but when I opened it up almost all the counters were out of alignment, some with almost half on the counter, half on the tree or whatever its called. Man was I bummed out. I know I can download counters from Imagnative Strategist but I was just so bummed out at the time I never did.

Oh man, that sucks!!! I would have been heartbroken, too… it’s not like you can write to Avalon Hill anymore. Since it’s in otherwise mint condition, it might be worth buying a used copy on the cheap for better counters. So dang, now I have to check out my game, lol!

[Whiterook]

After Mike mentioned, the Imaginative Strategist, I went online and found their site… what a great resource of materials on the related games! On Panzer Leader in particular, I was excited to see the Map Set A/B/C/D (looks like with 5/8 inch hexes), which were sold as 8” x 22” maps of the originals, but with upgraded artwork. Unfortunately, I can’t find anyone selling these, but I am curious to see if the PDFs can be printed at a print shop to size! You can download the full map (or in sections, if you wish) at the bottom of each individual map page… I just wish their logo “Imaginative Strategist” wasn’t printed on each map.

The four maps that were in the original game, but with upgraded modern artwork, abutted together…



The four individually…









…these can really take this game to the next level!

[Whiterook]

So yes, These are indeed downloadable as PDFs, in multiple formats (full, half, and quarter maps). I downloaded all 12, Maps A-L (…the rest I’ve included all of them here in this post, so you can see them all) and brought them to a print shop, Staples; they are working on them now, of which will cost about $4 USD each… a bit pricey at $50, but after hesitating a bit, pulled the trigger on purchase. I chose a wear-resistant paper used for most game maps that area gamers choose, instead of heavy cardstock, as they are going to be used under plexiglass anyway…the real question of roll them, or fold them.

   

     

     

    

I’ll hope for the best and see what I get. It’s definitely a roll of the dice, and an expensive roll at that, but we’ll see. Part of my decision to go for it with these are, in rereading the rules after decades, I see how much I loved this game and I know I will continue to play the hell out of it. I also figured that beyond the four maps that came with the games, as represented accurately in Maps A-D, I will have plenty of map choices to design my own scenarios; all the maps are geomorphic, so almost endless battlefields are possible. Fort all I know, there may be scenarios out there that were designed for Maps E-L. And also, I see the potential for use with games/counters of my own design.

I love the look of these maps… very much akin to Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kit maps, but at the platoon-level view, rather than squad. I also can’t help but wonder what other system games I have that may be used with these maps, like Panzergrenadier. I think these are going to be a boon in use.

[Whiterook]

Got a call… maps are done and ready for pickup tomorrow!!!

[Whiterook]

Found this cool tidbit in the Avalon Hill magazine, The General, from MAY-JUN 1975

WHAT YOU ALWAYS NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT PANZER LEADER
(But Thought You Already Knew from Playing PanzerBlitz)





…would have taken me forever to type it up so, lets try pics of the article!