INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Mein Panzer Junior, a game specifically designed for young wargamers! Incorporating three levels of play, Mein Panzer Junior can be played by children as young as 5 years old, or upwards of 12 years old or more. Parents simply choose the level most appropriate for their child, and with a little supervision, they'll be playing a game of "tanks" before you know it.
Level One introduces youngsters to the basic fundamen-tals of wargaming, using only a single d6 per player and a common 6" or 12" ruler. Resolution of movement and shooting is simple and easily accomplished by the youngest players on a tank by tank basis.
Level Two expands upon the previous level slightly by adding Tank Units and the concept of "hits" and "kills". Play is still extremely simple with only a few additional rules.
Level Three is almost a full featured game including game turns and distinction between the different types of tanks. At this level, players must be able to perform simple subtraction relatively quickly to maintain a smooth, and interesting, game.
Once junior players have mastered Level Three, they are ready to graduate to the full featured Mein Panzer rule system.
SETTING UP YOUR GAMES
Mein Panzer Junior games should be set up just like "real" wargames. Use a table cloth, terrain, and buildings to make a lasting experience. Both players should be allowed to set up their tanks, from the table edge, a distance equal to the ruler they are using (or 12" for Level Three games).
JUNIOR LEVEL ONE
GAME REQUIREMENTS
Level One games require the use of a 6" or 12" ruler. If using miniature scales of up to 15mm, a 6" ruler is recommended. For 20mm tanks or larger, use a 12" ruler instead. Each player should have a six-sided die (d6), and obviously miniatures are required.
NOTE TO PARENTS
Most parents are probably already aware that some metal wargame miniatures are cast from lead. Care should be taken when permitting young children to play with them to protect them from the hazards associated with lead.
SEQUENCE OF PLAY
Before the game, players will need to determine who goes first. Each player should, at the same time, roll their d6. Both players then continue to roll until only one of them rolls a "1". The first player to roll a "1" gets to go first.
ACTIVATING TANKS
When it is a player's turn to go, he "activates" one of his tanks. Any tank can be chosen, even one which was used last time. The rule is only one tank can be played with at a time.
Once a tank has been picked, it may move once ... and shoot once. When finished, the other player gets to play with one of his tanks. This back-n-forth process continues until one player has no tanks left remaining, or until one player "gives up" and surrenders.
MOVING TANKS
To move a tank, simply lay the ruler down in front of the tank. Pick up the miniature and place it at the other end of the ruler. The actual "length" of the ruler doesn't matter, so long as both player's are the same. Tanks can not move through houses, but can move through trees just fine. To keep the rules simple for our little gamers, tanks can drive over other tanks in Level One games - they just can't stop on top of one.
SHOOTING TANKS
When a player wants to shoot with his tank, he simply picks an enemy tank to shoot at. He may not, however, shoot at a tank hiding behind a house or a hill. In Level One and Level Two games, range doesn't matter. Basically, if one tank can see the other, it can be hit. To see what happens when shooting at a tank, the player must roll his d6. If he rolls a "1", "2", or "3", the enemy tank is dead. Turn the dead tank over, or take it off the table as they do not present an obstacle in Level One games.
JUNIOR LEVEL TWO
GAME REQUIREMENTS
Level Two games have the same requirements as Level One games, except each player must have a minimum of five tanks ... but more would be even better!
TANK UNITS
At this level of play, players are introduced to the concept of "units", where the entire unit is activated as a group. The type of tank is still unimportant, but each Tank Unit should contain exactly five tanks – at least at the beginning of the game. Remember, tanks do not need to be of the same type, nor do the young players need to distinguish between them. The important thing in Level Two is to learn to activate "units" of tanks.
SEQUENCE OF PLAY
Before the game, players will need to determine who goes first. Each player should, at the same time, roll their d6. Both players then continue to roll until only one of them rolls a "1". The first player to roll a "1" gets to go first.
ACTIVATING TANK UNITS ACTIVATING TANK UNITS
When it is a player's turn to go, he "activates" one of his When it is a player's turn to go, he "activates" one of his Tank Units. He may not chose the same Tank Unit twice in Tank Units which has not yet been activated this turn. Once a row, unless he only has one Tank Unit to play with. Once a Tank Unit has been chosen, each tank still alive in that unit a Tank Unit has been chosen, each tank still alive in that unit may move once ... and shoot once. When finished, the unit may move once ... and shoot once. When finished, the other should be marked with a penny, or some other marker to show player gets to play with one of his Tank Units. This back-n- it can not be activated again this turn. Play continues back-n-forth process continues until one player has no tanks left. forth until one player no longer has any Tank Units that can
MOVING TANKS
Moving tanks at this level is the same as with Level One. been activated, all the pennies should be removed and a new In Level Two games, tanks may still not drive through houses, turn begun, starting with initiative being rolled once more. nor can they drive over dead tanks as in Level One. They may continue to drive through trees without any problem.
SHOOTING TANKS
To see what happens when shooting at a tank, the player must roll his d6. If he rolls a "1", "2", or "3", the enemy tank has been hit, but not killed as in Level One games. If the tank When a player chooses to shoot at an enemy tank, two is hit, the player must roll again to see if it has been killed. things must be determined. Can the enemy tank be seen? And Another roll of "1", "2", or "3" will kill the tank. When a is it within range? In Mein Panzer Junior, this is handled by tank has been killed, turn it over or place cotton beneath it to simply using a length of string 48" long. Hold the string to show it is dead. In Level Two, dead tanks may not be driven the top center of the tank shooting and stretch it out toward or shot over. the enemy tank. If the string isn't long enough to reach the
When a player wants to shoot with his tank, he simply enemy, it is out of range and can not be shot at. Otherwise, picks an enemy tank to shoot at. He may not, however, shoot hold the string to the top center of both tanks and draw it at a tank hiding behind a house, hill, or another tank (dead or tight. If the string touches anything at all in between the two alive). In Level One and Level Two games, range doesn't tanks, they can not see one another, and no shot can be taken. matter, so let them have fun! Once it has been determined a shot can be taken, the
JUNIOR LEVEL THREE
GAME REQUIREMENTS
Level Three games require the use of a tape measure, ten-sided dice (d10), pennies (or another marker of some kind), and a length of string exactly 48" long. This level is for older kids who are not quite ready for the complexities of a full miniatures game, but are too old for the d6 and ruler methods.
TANK UNITS
At this level of play, players will need to be able to identify the types of tanks being used. On the next page, there is a Tank Chart, which lists the more common tanks of World War II. Each player will need to build Tank Units, each consisting of exactly five tanks of the same type.
SEQUENCE OF PLAY
In Level Three, players will need to follow a set sequence of play, broken down into game turns. At the beginning of each turn, both players must roll their d10 to determine who has the initiative. The player with the lower roll wins and may go first. If they roll the same number, roll again.
MOVING TANKS
To move a tank, look it up on the Tank Chart and find its "Speed". This is the number of inches the tank can move.
SHOOTING TANKS
player must roll his d10 to see if he hits. The number needed depends upon the tank shooting. Look the tank up on the Tank Chart and find its "To-Hit" number. If this number, or less, is rolled on the d10, then the enemy tank has been hit (but not necessarily killed). If the enemy tank is hit, the player will need to determine the "Kill" number needed to destroy the enemy tank. Look on the Tank Chart and find the "Punch" number for the tank shooting. You will also need to find the "Armor" number for the enemy tank. Subtract the "Armor" from the "Punch" to get the "Kill" number ("Punch" - "Armor" = "Kill"). Now roll the d10 again, and if the roll is less than or equal to the "Kill" number, the enemy tank is dead. Note, if the "Kill" number is greater than "10", or less than "1", you will still need to roll. A roll of "10" always bounces off the enemy tank's armor while a roll of "1" always kills the enemy.
CONVERTING FROM MEIN PANZER
The numbers used in the Tank Charts were derived from the full Mein Panzer game system. Should parents wish to expand upon these charts using stats from the full game, the formulas below should be used to come up with the numbers. At this point, the other player activates any Tank Units he has left. Once all Tank Units on the table haveSPEED
Add the number of Cross Country Move Pips to the number of Road Pips and divide by two, rounding all frac-tions down.
TO-HIT
Add the nationality's regular Troop Quality to the vehicle's Offensive Modifier (OM), and divide by two. Round to the nearest whole number, but never less than "4".
PUNCH
This is exactly the same as the vehicle's AP Offensive Value (OV). Do not, however, use the OV for special ammunition if any are listed on the Equipment Table.
ARMOR
Add up the Front, Side, and Rear Defensive Values and divide by three. Round to the nearest whole number.
GERMAN TANK CHART
TANK TYPE SPEED TO-HIT PUNCH ARMOR| King Tiger | 4 8 19 12 |
| Panther | 6 7 16 8 |
| Panzer IV H | 5 6 12 6 |
| Puma A/C | 10 4 6 3 |
| Tiger | 4 7 15 10 |
SOVIET TANK CHART
TAN| BA-10 A/C | 11 4 6 1 |
| JS-2 Heavy Tank | 5 6 15 11 |
| KV-1 Heavy Tank | 4 5 10 9 |
| T-34/76 | 6 5 10 6 |
| T-34/85 | 6 6 11 8 |
BRITISH TANK CHART
TANK T| Achilles | 5 8 15 3 |
| Challenger | 6 7 15 9 |
| Churchill | 3 6 7 10 |
| Cromwell | 6 6 7 7 |
| Humber A/C | 10 4 8 2 |
AMERICAN TANK CHART
| Greyhound A/C | 8 4 6 2 |
| Hellcat | 7 6 13 2 |
| Pershing | 4 7 15 10 |
| Sherman 75 | 4 5 10 7 |
| Sherman 76 | 5 6 13 7 |
MEIN PANZER FULL RULES
Mein Panzer is a flexible and expandable 1:1 rule system for recreating 20 Century combined arms ground warfare. th Based around our innovative Drop-In™ game system, players from novice to veteran will find it easy to customize the game to their particular gaming style.
This new player-friendly approach builds around solid and easily learned core rules which present an excellent balance of playability and accuracy. Once you quickly learn the core rules, you simply "drop in" additional modules as you see fit. Each utilizes the same terms and mechanics for entirely seamless integration into a full-featured game system. Inside the book you will not only find the core rules, which cover vehicle versus vehicle conflict, but many Drop-In modules as well. These modules cover Morale, Infantry, Air Support, Artillery, Armored Trains, Amphibious Assault, Fortifications, and even Engineers.
You will also find exhaustive equipment and organization tables for France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Soviet Union, United Kingdom and the United States. There are stats on everything from the Japanese "knee" mortar to the mighty German King Tiger. Everything you need to play in any theater of the war can be found therein. In all, there are 1000+ entries which cover tanks, rail guns, artillery, armored cars, bombers, landing craft, troop transports, coastal defense, and much more. Finally, we've included over 100 platoon and company organization tables so players can build upon real life TO&E for their games.
The game sells for $25.00 and is available through many fine retailers, or directly from Old Dominion GameWorks. To buy direct, you may use a credit card via our secure web site ( www.odgw.com ), or may send a check or money order for US$25.00 plus $3.00 for Shipping and Handling (USA orders only). Please inquire for points outside the USA.
Published by
Old Dominion GameWorks, Post Office Box 1456, Winchester, VA 22604- 7956 U.S.A.
Mein Panzer, Drop-In, the ODGW logo and "A Whole New World of Gaming" are trademarks of Old Dominion GameWorks. All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999 by Old Dominion GameWorks. All rights reserved.
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