The Funnies were modified tanks developed by the British during WW2 to handle very specific tasks or circumstances. Although they were amazingly successful at their jobs, they nevertheless looked, not to put too fine a point on it, funny. The name stuck.

This column, which will alternate with The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch column, will deal with games developed for a very specific niche or circumstance, such as educational games to teach Yiddish, one-page games to show it can be done, and, yes, funny games. We’ll start with an example of the latter.

PanzerPranks: WWII as It Actually Was in the Movies
Designed by Kurt Lortz
Developed by Steve Lortz
Illustrated by Rodger MacGowan
Special thanks to Jack Radey
Published by The Chaosium, 1980.

Designer’s Value

“From the lush fields of northern France and the wastes of Africa to the endless steppes of Russia and the paradisical atolls of the south Pacific -- Panzer Pranks takes you to the World War Two you’ve always known existed, though you could never find it in the history books. A departure in the representation of non-history, this parody game simulates tactical engagements in the epic global struggle as perceived by the non-combatants.

Rules include movement, facing, deliberate and opportunity fire, line of fire, ricochets, national reactions, craters, artillery, infantry, important sound effects, designing your own tank game, two-fisted resolutions, leaking movement points, German/American technical agreements, counting coup, player characteristic bonuses, sex and violence, special Polish corridor scenario, players notes, bibliography.”

Components
1 plastic ziploc bag
1 5½"x8½" 16-page rulebook stapled with full-color cardstock cover
1 8½"x11" black & white map bound into the center of the rulebook 1 sheet of 100 two-color back-printed counters

Counter Manifest
55 AFV counters
15 German AFVs (white on black)
13 Russian AFVs (white on red)
11 British AFVs (red on light green)
6 American AFVs (white on khaki)
1 American infantry (white on khaki)
5 French AFVs (white on blue)
2 Italian AFVs (red on light blue)
2 Japanese AFVs (red on white)
44 Terrain counters
30 obstructions (black on grey)
14 craters (grey on white)
1 Prize counter (Vino Puro) black on light blue

Reviewers’ Value

“This is what would happen if Greg Costikyan did a WWII game... it would be futile to describe the insane system.” -- Richard Berg in S&T 80.

“You know this game is a little bit different when in the table of contents you find ‘Glossary of Sounds’, ‘Counting Coup’ and ‘Sex and Violence’ listed ... [N]o set of rules written in this fashion could really work. Ah, but I was wrong.” -- John D. Olson in Campaign 98.

Player’s Value

Panzer Pranks is insane. Some people may consider Monty Python to be insane, too, but that in itself doesn’t make it impossible to describe an episode. Panzer Pranks can be played “straight” and still be enjoyable. Each player alternates in moving one of his units; any one of the opposing units which has not moved yet may engage the unit that just moved in opportunity fire. Repeat until the victory conditions for the scenario (there are 10) have been met.

But if you live on the edge, you’ll play Panzer Pranks with most, if not all, of the insane rules, optional or otherwise. The round ricochet rule is reminiscent of the berserk elephant rule in some ancients games. The transferrable movement point rule reminds me of some North Africa games where fuel can be removed from disabled vehicles. The effect of the counting coup rule is similar to the jammed-guns rule in a WW1 air combat game. But the sex and violence rule is in a league all of its own.

Panzer Pranks is like a cold reboot when Windows ™ starts to slow down and act strangely ... it clears all the rules out of your mind and resets your memory and gets you ready for a fresh new start.

Collector’s Value

Boone lists low, high and average prices of 12/20/16.25 at auction and 10/15/12.50 for sale.