PanzerBlitz Solo Play Situation #1 (first 3 turns)

I’m playing PANZERBLITZ for the first time and it is a solo experience, so might as well record it so I am ostensibly not speaking to myself. Instead, now I’m instructing teeming masses of interested Grognards and WWII enthusiasts on different approaches one can take with this wargaming fossil.

If you are here reading this blog post you must know something about the PANZERBLITZ story, the most important being, the game was released in 1970! It is old school as draughts. Is it still playable and enjoyable as a tactical wargame? With all the water under the bridge of boardgame development shouldn’t it be relegated to the dusty shelves of old and forgotten wargames?

By the enthusiasm with which this simple wargame is still played and modified the answer is clearly yes to the first and no to the second. Over the intervening years the game has been put through its paces and has been played millions of times and there are a few features which repeatedly get called out as flaws to what otherwise is a fast-moving tactical wargame fun to play. These flaws are claimed to wreck the enjoyment of the game for many wargamers. Specifically called out are the spotting rules, lack of “opportunity” fire and putting more units into a hex reduces the effect of Artillery and Mortar fire into that hex. There are lengthier lists.

But that is not my point or focus of this play-through. No, the purpose of the exercise is to determine if a homemade variant eliminates these perceived warts and if the change in gameplay is worth the brain damage in learning and building these changes. I am going to play the game two times, same scenario both times. The first play will be according to the rules as written. Of the four possible optional rules only two will be used; Panzerblitz Assault and Indirect Fire. None of the Experimental Rules are going to be in effect.

The second game will be run per the “Panzer Warrior” rules, a Panzerblitz/Panzer Leader rules consolidation incorporating optional rules by Byron Henderson and some new rules by Fred Schwartz. Panzer Warrior is only one of many variants but seems committed to following the RAW as much as possible in this attempt at improving play. I hope this exercise will enlighten me on how I am going to best enjoy this game over repeated play.

Situation #1 is an attack by the Russians on a German Signal Coy. hunkered down on the high ground in woods, town and a few fortifications. The Germans are all in on holding their position on the plateau. The CP far to the north is going to be left to fend for itself. Here is the initial German deployment in detail. 

The Russian coy. commander is a no-nonsense sort and picks the shortest path to his target, the village on the plateau. He has been ordered to clear out the town of the German Fascists and wastes no time executing the attack. 

Turn 1

There is no combat for the Russians this turn so we begin movement. The armored units, with the submachine gun coy.s riding on top, drive north on the road up the hill and pull up under cover of the ridge short of the minefield on the road. The submachine gun coy.s dismount and prepare to follow the armor into town. The other T-34 and SU-76 continue past another hex and expose themselves on the open approaches to town. I do not have to fear being fired upon this turn because the German setup has left the 50mm’s with obstructed lines of sight to these Russian armored units.

The rest of the attack group; cavalry, horse-drawn artillery, move along the road at their slower rate, remaining limbered.

The German Commander, realizing they cannot fire, does some limited maneuvering in town. The engineer platoon is sent forward to contest the south of the village. And this concludes the German’s turn and turn 1 itself.

Turn 2

Time to kick the door in! I drive the SU-76 and T-34 at the west side of town. The other two T-34’s go at the center of town and take position on the west side of the road to avoid the minefield. The infantry units spread out and move up on either side of the road. Cavalry and artillery continue their slow pace of advance.

The Germans are up, and the first shots of the war are to be fired! I review my combat options. They are a) Normal Attacks, b) Overrun Attacks and c) Close Assault. Normal Attacks are further broken down into more options which need to be understood.

Every available unit will fire on the SU-76 platoon in a Selective Attack. My possible attacking stacks are of mixed types so all the effects to the AF and DF need to be figured before an odds ratio for the combat can be determined. The two “I” units are prohibited from firing on armored units, so they need to hold tight. The 50mm ATG gun and 20mm FLK have no such problems. They open up with everything they have in a barrel-burning fusillade.

I total up the AF of the direct fire weapons and adjust per WEC. If I am doing the math right, I end up with 20:9, or 2:1 odds, on the Russian assault gun. The roll is 4, D, Dispersed! The line of SU-76’s sputter on their approach and seek cover from the heavy fire. The counter is flipped over reflecting its Dispersed condition.

I imagine the defending infantry holding their fire as the first T-34’s move through town. The battalion commander must have orders to only attack when the enemy is close! Close Assault takes place after movement, but the Germans have no maneuvers to make so the hastily laid ambush is sprung. The close assault is being made by units in separate hexes so the Engineer plt. does not receive their effectiveness bonus during the attack. The attack will be made at 1:2 odds with only a -2 die modifier. Result of 3, no effect. The German Infantry is unable to turn back the tank coy.’s push. And so ends Turn 2.

Turn 3

Combat before movement, that is the PANZERBLITZ way. Except for Close Assault, this type of combat action happens after all units have moved. And Overrun Attacks. They are conducted while your units are moving. Subtle distinctions, but part of the subtle rules which create the PB Experience. I have two direct fire attacks to make. The T-34 in the stack with the Dispersed SU-76 will shoot at the 50mm ATG. But since it is in a town hex the Russians have to attack the entire stack, not an individual unit. Let us do the math. The tank’s AF is doubled for firing into a town hex giving an AF of 24, but also suffer a +1 DRM. The stack of German units nets DF 8. 3:1 odds. The roll is 3+1=4. DD Special Dispersed. All 3 defenders are flipped over to show their dispersed state.

The other 2 tanks fire on the Engineer plt. The math says the tank’s total AF is 48. Engineer DF 10, 4:1 odds with a +1 DRM. The result is another 4, enemy eliminated! The T-34s bring the town down around their ears wiping out the German plt.

Now for movement. The supporting SMG infantry coy.s moves up one, bypassing the minefield and getting set up to take the town. The cavalry climbs the road and looks to hook left. Finally, the Dispersed SU-76 assault gun is flipped back over indicating it is back to normal and Turn 3 passes to the German side.

The German’s are looking at combat ineffective troops face to face with the Russian armor. Being Dispersed they cannot move or shoot. Like their Russian opponents, the Dispersal will not be removed until the end of the German’s turn. This doesn’t leave many options. Even Indirect Fire is out because I don’t have a CP with line of sight on any targets, even though units are currently spotted. I conclude the best move the Germans have is to do nothing for Turn 3. The Russians are going to have to slog their way through town and eat the business end of 88s when they get to the other side. Dispersed German units are flipped over now, clearing this condition.

I need to go to sleep now, so I will pick up and run a few more turns tomorrow.

Blood of Heroes Second Session Report

The recording of my vocals failed to capture me (though it recorded the players just fine) today so I will do a written session report to keep up with the game.

I have some of the audio because the two players, who have never played together before, used today’s second session to expand on their roleplaying and crafting this new superhero relationship in our Neo-Gotham, Capitol City! I will latch it onto this blog post after I get NCH to recognized my fucking software licenses, again, and I can finish the edit. 

After a discussion with Bug on defining how his insect mimicry “displays” we continued the battle which we stopped last session in the middle of. Mettle has knocked Creepazoid unconscious, and Bug continues to tangle with Bak-Trak as this zebra-mutant comes to aid his fallen comrade as a third mutant monster makes its way out of the river-side sewer drain. Mettle grabs 2 tons of metal debris and drops it sight unseen where she thinks the outlet is. Shortly thereafter a heavy thunk is heard as the debris is promptly launched into the air followed by the splashdown in the river. The creature calling itself Leather-Neck shambled up the bank onto the street where Mettle stands over the fallen Creepazoid. Disturbingly, Mettle sees the unconscious Creepazoid start liquifying into a jelly-like substance and soak into the cracked pavement.

Leather-neck is a heavily modified ape, its muscular body grafted in the most make-shift way with electronic components, cybernetic attachments and bristling antennae.

“Leave Bak-Trak alone!” Leather-Neck bellows and discharges an electrified net from its wrist gauntlet, wrapping up Bug. The hero topples over spasming and foaming from the paralyzing jolt. Mettle is staring at two angry enhanced monsters and is reminded of the zoo-animal theft reported in the news last week. An ape and a zebra were reportedly stolen from the Capitol City Zoo. A very odd theft to say the least, but here in front of her are an intelligent ape and zebra with strange and elaborate firepower.

“I can’t take both of them on myself,” Mettle thinks to herself. She gathers up more metal debris from the run-down dockside factory buildings and smashes it all into the zebra wielding those disturbing plasma eye beams. The impact sends Bak-Trak and the debris sailing 150 feet, downriver this time. The hit does what Mettle had hoped and the cyborg ape jumps into the air and out into the river to rescue his friend from the fast-moving Stewert River.

With the object of the fight still in her possession, Mettle scoops up the unconscious Bug and leaves the scene, the mutant’s “turf”, with the GoPro in pocket and Little Billy told to run home. Mettle gently levitates through the evening sky setting down in front of the local Elmview Urgent Care and brings beaten but breathing Bug into the waiting room. After she gets admissions sorted she walks back out onto the sidewalk.

“Time to see what is on the GoPro.” She says and hits play. The scene is of a squad of officers, FBEE agents by the logo on their flak vests, moving down the night street, weapons drawn. They post up along a chain link fence looking over a section of harbor. SUVs, pick up trucks and a panel truck are parked together in an open lot overlooking the river. The lot has the usual shipping equipment, container cars, cranes, fork lifts. The pick up trucks and SUVs are providing the illumination on the scene. Looks like gangsters doing gangster shit.

Then the situation lights up. The doors are pulled back on the panel truck and a 50 caliber machine gun opens up on the SUVs and the gang-bangers around them. There are orders to move in and the video takes to the air as the view shifts to a swirling night sky coming to land on top of the panel truck, crushing the cargo bay and the heavy automatic weapon. A disorientating flip and then a view of the panel truck being kicked into the SUVs and fire and people go everywhere. The GoPro then moves aggressively on a costume tough guy and once a pair of strong green arms strikes out and attaches to the masked man the view is back up in the night sky. The masked man trades blows with his assailant on the way down and splash into the Stewert River. Before the GoPro is swept away into the black current it is plain the green-armed assailant is drowning the masked man. Disturbed by the murder just witnessed, Mettel pockets the GoPro and walks back into the clinic to find out if Bug is patched up and good to go. The PA recommends Bug takes the rest of the week off from any heavy lifting and it would take some time to fully recover from the concussion(?) he had received from electrical shock and trauma. And take some of the Tylenol 3 she sends him out with.

Outside Mettel replays the footage again for Bug’s benefit. Like Mettel, he is disturbed by what seems to be the FBEE super known as Superfrog drowning another EE.

“Its on the news,” says Bug. “Not this per se but just over from where we were the Feds got into a gunfight with a criminal gang west of Adams Street Sewage and the Adams Street Bridge. Right down on the riverside docks there.”

Mettel wants to go see the crime scene. He wants to see if the digital video matches up with where the gunfight was.

“I don’t care if that guy was a criminal, you just can’t go drowning folk cause they have superpowers.” Bug agrees it is worth checking out. The question of what to do with the video may be answered there. North of Stokes Ave. in what used to be called Old Capitol City, the police and emergency services are crawling all over the place. There are multiple vehicles burnt out and smoldering from recently being foamed by the fire department. There are shell casings all over the pavement and the awful smell of burnt meat. Two rows of body bags, maybe eight in number, can be seen being loaded into ambulance. Everyone and anyone who isn’t cop is kept back by the yards of yellow tape.

Unable to get too close, Mettel gets into a conversation with Shamrock Bane, late night reporter for Channel 7 after overhearing an FBI and FBEE officer have an intense argument over lack of intel and the inability to plan an operation in Capitol City without the wrong people finding out about it the same day! Miss Bane gives the low down to the attractive party girl. A white-nationalist militia calling themselves the Civil Guard looked to try and deal dirty with the local Nubians. Drug deal, gun deal, not sure which, but either way the Civil Guard came to kill, not do deals. Looks like the FBEE got wind of this meeting and swooped into the middle of the gun fight. No one is talking, but she believes the numerous blazes were set by someone with a flamethrower on site. Maybe the arsonist which has been terrorizing the city? The FBEE is saying they made some significant arrests as well as some top gang leaders being killed in the exchange. Scene is just too damn chaotic. Hard telling who is working for the city’s good and who is working for their one self-interest.

Mettel knows the Nubians. She does work for them, moving drugs she imagines. She never looks at what she is transporting, currier code and all. This has all the potential of spirling out of control and the city’s underground business trade grinding to a halt due to an all out criminal race war. She asks Bug to come back to her place and think about what they want to do about the gang violence and the video they still have a hold of.

 

MEGS in the Morning

 Session 0.5 was accomplished this Sunday morning which inaugurates my use of Mayfair's MEGS rules as written in Pulsar Game's Blood of Heroes, Special Edition rule book.

Of four interested players, one couldn't make it, another has not commented since showing interest and the other two players showed up and we had a great morning game.

Not only is the original DC Heroes MEGS rules new to me, so are the two new players. The third player who couldn't make it is a friend of mine and he just makes my life more difficult. I will be seeing him again at the table with his fucked-up character.

We traded pleasantries, did what we could to get to know each other relevant to gaming and our interest in supers roleplaying. Next was going over their original characters and doing some full-on session zero work. 

Both were street-level, 450 point built characters. One player was all set with background and origins for Mettle, an enhanced entity born with augmented powers do to her mother being exposed to mutagenetic poisons. Not so easy life has brought her to a career as a drug courier in the crime infested south side of Capitol City. She keeps a low profile and makes her life as invisible as possible. Her powers are of magnetic control. Picking up, manipulating and throwing heavy metal objects around and all the neat shit Magneto would do. 

Bug, the other PC hero, was not completely formed, Bug's player was still struggling with their character concept. Great, this gave us all at the table to bang his character into shape for the upcoming campaign. Insect control, gives anyone an anxious, unnerving feeling when they are near Bug. Adults at least. Kids don't seem to mind him. Bugs literally are attracted to this hero, crawling out of his hair or out of his clothes. He mimics characteristics of an insect to increase his strength and make himself more resistant to physical damage. 

The player who wasn't there will be playing Mr. White, an exiled alien rabbit from the Dimension of Mirrors, the land of Alice and the Looking Glass. Mr. White searches for a way back home and wields magical guns and can turn two-dimensional. That is right, two-dimensional! How the fuck do you play that? Like I said, he is a friend of mine.

How the rules went with the session play coming up in next post.