Panzer Tactics

WWII Rules

reviewed by Rod Burr

PANZER TACTICS is a set of rules f or Company and Battalion level action during World War II by Dennis Wang. The first edition was originall) published in 1981 and a second edition with some corrections anc clarifications has been printed by Pioneer Simulations this year.

The primary intent in the design of PANZER TACTICS was to write a set o rules for Company to Battalion level actions (about 30 vehicles and/or squads per side) that were simple enough to be highly playable while retaining enough realism to be satisfying. While the rules includ( provisions for artillery, tactical air support, and engineering tasks, th( primary emphasis is on infantry and armor.

The scale used for the game is 50 meters/inch and 60 to 120 seconds per turn. Each AFV or heavy weapon is individually represented by a mode while infantry is represented by fireteams, although it is treated as a squad of three fire teams for movement and as a target for fire, but not whel firing or as casualties.

The emphasis in PANZERTACTICS is on simplicity and on the "hardware' aspects of World War II combat. While the advance rules add a basic morale system based on the number of casualties suffered by a platoon, a requirement for written general orders, and restrictions on how far different elements of a platoon may move from each other, these are still basically just tacked on to the game system.

PANZER TACTICS can be recommended to those looking for a simple fast moving set of WW II rules for this scale and who aren't overly concerned with the importance of command control and morale on the conduct of tactical operations. The rules are published as a 26 page soft cover booklet plus four cards of pullout charts and a clear plastic grid for locating artillery fire. The rules are clearly written and include a table c contents, but no index. The rules are available from Huscarl Hobbies, P.C Box 246, East Berlin, CT 06023 for $12.00.

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