PanzerBlitz RAW Wrap-Up

 We are now at the top of Turn 4, the dispersed German units were flipped back over to indicate they are 100% still in the fight, and the Russian Combat Phase is up.

Turn 4

The Russian decides to open up on the town again with his armor. All on the Engineer unit.

One of the Russian armor units opens up on the mixed stack in town, this is a selectec attack (one unit firing on one unit) at (12)2 = 24 AF’s. The Russian actually has to fire on the total stack of three because of the town hex. There is the usual +1 added to the attacker’s die roll per the TEC (Terrain Effect Chart. The German situation hasn’t changed much. Their defensive posture nets 10 DF. The odds break down 2.4:1, final 2:1 when the rounding factor is completed. Roll 3+1=4, the stack of Germans are cowering again under more rubble. The 4 nets a D (Dispersed) and the three German units are turned over to reflect this. If the Russians want to force this fight they will have to bring in more firepower. This comes in the T-34 plt.s rumbling into town to crush all who oppose them. There is no more attacks for the Russian and the moves are now completed.

20mm howitzers and 50mm armor piercing shells are hurled at the enemy from the only combat-ready troops in town. Their combined AF is 12, but the anti-tank gun gets to double its attack value because of the close range. Let us see how I am supposed to calculate values with a “mixed” stack. In the open a mixed stack would be determined by the “type” of units in the stack. Whatever is more is the target type. Ties and the attacker has to take the least favorable target for the attack. But this is combat in town so we can throw that all out.  This is where I might be getting my first rules interpretation wrong, but I double the AT gun from 8 to 16, and add the howitzers at their normal value for 20 AFs. Maybe the factors are combined before doubling, but this doesn’t seem right to me. Somewhere in the rules I will come across the rules for this. The Russian armor DFs are doubled for a total DF of 36 for a 1:1.8 odds ratio. Defender favor on round offs and the Germans are struggling with a 1:2 odds on attack. There is the +1 for fighting in the city. Total of 4 yields no effect.

Let’s take a look at the Russian submachine gun coy. In the woods south of town. Could the Germans in the town hex to the north, the ones which fired on the T-34s in town, has LOS on the Russian infantry. If there is line of sight those units wood be a “soft” target and may have had better odds? Brief look at the rules and the answer is no. I can trace a line of sight through an open hex and a town hex at the same distance to the target, line of sight is blocked. Then there is the nail in the coffin, the rule that bugs the shit out of everybody,  the Spotting Rules! When a defender is in a Woods or Town hex he may not be fired upon by units which are not directly adjacent. I’m going to give the designers the benefit of the doubt here. The spotting rules close in the battlefield. If there is a bunch of shit blocking your LOS this means you are going to have to get closer to your target. There are no grand tactical maneuvers to be made in this game. It is purely grab ‘em by the throat and kick their balls in till their eyes bleed!

I’m sending the security unit from the 88 in the woods and I have them running across the open ground to reinforce the fortification. This is really like not a good idea. If the Russian can get at them in the open they are smoked. I don’t think they can with a quick glance over the board. A German submachine gun plt. is moved out of the woods in the north and scurries under the nearby fortifications. The dispersed units are flipped back to normal and German turn 4 is done.

Turn 5-6 see Russians greasing boogies with the guts of their enemies. That is what I wanted to see! The battle heats up with a massive combined attack. 48 times 2?! 4 tanks all shooting at 24 AFs? This is 96 AFs versus 10 DFs. 9 to 1 on the attack is what I see. This is balanced out by the fact the CRT only goes to 4-1. The other attack factors are wasted. But check this out, 4-1 odds are all X’s, total kills. The tank coy.s on their right flank are looking at similar results. 4-1 odds means dead Germans.

I’m now at the  top of Turn 7 and have cavalry units charging over the clear ground at the German fortification, supported by the T-34s in town. I need to stop and read up now on fortifications to calculate accurate CRT odds.

The Germans are holding on to a tactical victory here in turn 7 but that should evaporate quickly. The Germans win by not losing units and the Russians win by destroying German units. The Russians have crushed 5 Germans at this point. But the sands of time are winding down. I think the game is playing as it should so far. If the Germans can figure a way to stall Russian attacks with successful dispersel they can get out with a marginal win. More than likely though, the Russians are going to bag 3-4 Germans before time runs out. For the Germans to win this one the player is going to have to give up on the idea of stopping the Russian advance and figure a way to suppress the Russian firepower as it approaches. Less shots means less deaths.

 I’ll stop here because I am satisfied the game is playing out as the designer intended. Further, I can see the scenario is well balanced. Each side can win this one and it won’t be determined until the last turn! The game turns must move pretty swiftly between players who have been playing it 4-5 times. If the variants mess with this fast, bloody play I hope it is giving something back in return. Any game is a system of compromises so I am undeterred from busting this game out with a friend who enjoys tactical war games and play RAW.

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.

Messing Around with Amoeba Wars

This simple Avalon Hill game sits on my shelf, and I always want to use it as a light weight gateway game for people who may have never played "wargames" before.

Problem is, I've also found it to have some game flaws which I've really wanted to remove and make the game more enjoyable.

There are a few stabs at it on Board Game Geek, but all raise some issues just as much as they try to solve some of the game's perceived problems.

What are these problems? The biggest complaint about the game is "turtling", a strategy where a player makes no moves each turn slowly building up his space armada in his home solar system and then making a single late game push to the center and the win.

Another issue is turn order and how with 5 to 6 players there is much down time in between your turn. Some players have made stabs at changing the turn order mechanics to create more interaction amongst players around the board. For new players to the game I don't think this is much of an issue. The novelty of the game and figuring it out has a tendency to create interactive banter around the board. This issue is more of one for veteran I feel because the game, despite its evocative title, lacks some personality which can bring down the excitement for veteran players.

This is where I've decided to launch my attack on reviving this 80's nostalgia nugget from the grave and getting it on the table. To give the game some additional personality. Amoeba Wars attempts to create some personality for your colored counters with the inclusion of Special Power cards which, as an optional rule, each player gets to draw one randomly at the beginning of play. While drawn secretly, once you use it the rest of the players know what you are packing for the rest of the game and can compensate.

Instead of using XXII. Optional Player Powers rule as written, I propose you get to draw a Special Power card when you have captured production points. 

One production point gets you one Special Power, two gets you two Special Powers, up to four production points gets you three Special Power cards. Once the cards are all gone, no one can get them anymore. This should also have the additional benefit of making the Turtle Strategy less viable as a neighboring player can accumulate some significant power through expansion while the turtling player twiddles his thumbs. Power which can put this strategy farther out of reach of success, hopefully. You should be able to put the power into play as soon as the card is acquired, and acquiring new cards will keep opponents guessing on what one is packing. 

We will see.