| Game | Squad Leader | Complexity | High |
| Company | Avalon Hill | Time | Variable |
| Setting | WWII | Solitaire | Medium |
| Type | Tactical | Rating | 9 |
Squad Leader is a tactical level simulation of World War II combat. Units are 1 squad/vehicle per counter, with additional counters providing for exceptional individual like leaders, snipers and scouts.
The game is played in turns, during which players move and fire their units. The turn is subdivided into phases, which regulates when a player may perform what actions.
Squad Leader is very wide in scope. Almost everything anyone can want for WWII infantry combat is represented. From tanks to flamethrowers to trenches to snipers to artillery to ground-support aircraft. (You get the picture.)
Fortunately, there is no need to learn all the rules by memory. Most games use but a portion of the rules. Furthermore, the game is presented through Programmed Instruction system. Players need only read a portion of the rules before playing the first scenarios. As they progress through the scenarios, they add additional rules.
The mapboards used in Squad Leader are isomorphic. These boards can be arranged in multiple combinations to form a variety of terrain. Basic Squad Leader comes with four such boards featuring the following terrain types:
Squad Leader contains 12 scenarios. The first six pit Germans against Russians while the rest find the Germans combating American GIs. The scenarios can be linked to form a campaign through which a green NCO progresses through the ranks to become a competent commander.
Squad Leader has another three expansion sets: Cross of Iron, Cresendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory. Avalon Hill did attempt to streamline the rules and came up with an Advanced Squad Leader system. The rights to this line of products were sold to Multi-man Publishing when Avalon Hill was bought over by Hasbro.
See also [Cross of Iron,Cresendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory, Complete Scenario Listing]