Panzerkrieg

Overview

Panzerkrieg is an operational level game of the battles fought between German and Soviet forces in Southern Russia during 1941-44. Unit scale are divisions for the Germans and corps for the Russians. The 22"x32" map depicts the southern steppes of Ukraine and Russia. Unit scale are divisions for the Germans and corps for the Russians. Each turn represents one week of real time.

Scenarios

There is no campaign game in this one. Instead, the game is divided into 8 historical scenarios, each focusing on a particular battle, ranging from the encirclement at Kiev to the slugging match at Kharkov. An additional 9th scenario explores a hypothetical situation.

The historic scenarios are:

1. Kiev Pocket (Aug - Oct 41) - This is the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa. The German player is presented with an opportunity to isolate and defeat a large force of Russians defending around Kiev.
2. Winter Counteroffensive (Jan - Mar 42) - The Soviets launch an offensive against German positions towards Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk.
3. Drive on Stalingrad (Jun - Sep 42) - The Germans, after weathering the Soviet Winter Counteroffensive, renew their drive towards Stalingrad and the Caucaus oilfields.
4. Stalingrad (Nov 42 - Feb 43) - Operation Uranus. Soviet offensive overwhelms the flanks of von Paulus' Sixth Army. Can the German reinforcements keep the lifeline to Stalingrad open?
5. The Backhand Blow (Feb - Mar 43) - von Manstein siezes opportunity to counterattack when the Soviet offensive runs out of steam. The end result is the famous battle of Kursk.
6. Aftermath of Zitadelle (Aug - Oct 43) - A Soviet summer offensive in the aftermath of the Battle of Kursk forces the Germans to conduct a fighting withdrawl to the Dnepr river line.
7. Battles for the Dnepr (Oct - Dec 03) - Russian attacks Dnepr river line in attempt to force a crossing.
8. Pocket at Korsun (Feb - Mar 04) - Germans desperately try to relieve elements of two corps encircled at Korsun, and reestablish a defence line disintegrating defence line in the face of fresh Soviet attacks.

Turn Sequence

Play is by alternating turns, during his turn, a player does the following:

1. Supply Determination - Supply status is determined by tracing a valid supply route back to a rail line that leads to a player's board edge. Units unable to trace the supply line is considered out of supply, and has its combat and movement factors penalised. Due to the scale of the game, units with the exception of airfields are never eliminated solely due to loss of supply.
2. Movement - Units may move to the extent allowed it by its movement factor. Special rules govern the use of rail and sea movement. Air units are also allocated to their targets at this time.
3. Combat - Friendly units adjacent to enemy units may attack them. Units are never obliged to attack (except when refighting a previously stalemated attack), but to do so, they have to be in valid command control of a headquarters unit. Air units may be attack either in conjunction with friendly ground units, or separately to disrupt enemy ground units. Disrupted units forefeit their upcoming turn. Armor units and certain named generals also provide combat advantages, both on offence or defence.
4. Exploitation - After a successful attack involving an armored unit, adjacent armor units not involved in the attack may use exploitation movement and subsequently attack again after completing their movement.
5. Administration - The player may construct fortifications, take replacements and recover from disruption.

The opposing player then takes his turn.

Detailed Mechanics

Game mechanics include most of what anyone can ask for in a game of this scale. The superiority of armoured units is emphasied in this game which focuses on Blitzkrieg. Panzer/tank units enjoy distinct combat advantages against unsupported infantry divisions.

Armoured and motorised formations may combine to form larger units (Tank Armies for Russians and Panzer Corps for Germans) to gain the benefit of extra firepower, but at the cost of flexibility. Better quality units can withstand combat losses and still continue to function effectively. Indeed, the presence of even a depleted German panzer kampfgruppe is sufficient to prevent a Russian breakout by denying them armoured superiority (1 column shift!).

Other features include air power, supply, breakthroughs, anti-tank units, leaders and even the use of reserves to provide in-depth defences.

Comments

For its scope and subject, this is a great game. It has all the ingredients that make blitzkrieg such an engrossing subject.

One of the features of this game I particularly liked is its emphasis on HQ units. HQs are required for depleted battlegroups to be rebuilt. HQs are required to dispatch reserves to a threatened defence position. HQs are even required for a unit to initiate attacks against enemy units.

This is not a game where you find fanatical HQ companies covering the retreats of armoured divisions.

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