Games Included in

PANZER DIGEST                          

This page provides information about all games included in PANZER DIGEST (#1-#9), to give you more of a "feel" for each of the titles. 

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1. FALAISE POCKET     Era:  World War II      Players:  2     Scale:  3 miles/hex, division level, daily turns

                                                                         Components:  one 8.5" x 11" cardstock map, 55 color counters, Reference Card, 7 pages of rules

General Description:   Falaise Pocket is a two-player game (Germans vs Allies) set in mid-August, 1944 in France.  German units are in danger of being pocketed, and must try and escape off the east map edge by the end of turn 5, while the Allies (British, Canadian, Americans, Free French) must try and prevent this.  Units (9/16ths inch square) are division level (rated for attack, defense, and movement), with no stacking of units allowed.  The Combat Results Table uses combat differential (e.g. a 7 attacking a 5 defender is resolved on the +2 column), with terrain modifiers.  The map is a traditional hexagon grid, with terrain of clear, bocage, forest, town, rivers, and bridges.  Units must start the game in (or adjacent to) their "ID hex" (as marked on the map) indicating their historical starting places, with the Germans setting up first.  Victory is determined by how many defense factors the Germans can exit off the east map edge by the end of the game.  The exact number required for victory is determined by secret bidding before the start of play; high bidder plays the Germans, and must exit off the bidded number (or more) or else the Allies win.  Optional rules include Allied Airpower, German fuel shortage, strategic movement, chit draw variables, more.  The Germans are in a tough position, but the bidding mechanism makes this a very competitive game.  Ideal for wargaming rookies, or for veterans wanting a simple yet interesting contest on a World War II topic.  Complexity:  Low.  Solitaire Suitability:  Medium.   Set Up Time:  5 minutes.   Playing Time:  30 to 45 minutes. 

1.  ADVANCED SALVO! 1939-1941     Era:  World War II naval     Players: Solitaire or 2   Scale:  individual ships,

                                                                                each turn representing several minutes    Components:  36 ship counters (1.25" x 13/16"), 32

                                                                                damage/range counters, 10 pages of rules

General Description:  Advanced Salvo! 1939-1941 is a simple tactical naval game, using three dice, ship ratings (battleships, battlecruisers, heavy and light cruisers from Britain, Germany, Italy, and France), and game tables to recreate naval battles occurring in the first three years of World War II.  Object of the game is to sink the enemy's ships by (abstractly) maneuvering and firing your own to best effect.  Each turn, each player selects one Action his ship(s) perform.  Faster ships have the advantage of (usually) going last, after seeing what the enemy has done.  Biggest guns fire first, thereby giving an advantage to ships with largest main guns.  Ships are rating for flotation, speed, armor, gun size, turrets, stern-broadside-bow gun ratings.  When you "straddle" an enemy with your salvo, you roll three dice on the Straddle table to see if you have hit (and damaged) it.  Die roll modifiers include for gun size, range, target's armor, and any damage the firing ship has.  Damage includes flotation, turret/gun direction, Special and Critical damage (e.g. steering, hydraulics, flooding, explosion, plunging fire, etc.).  Cruisiers may fire torpedoes if close enough.  Ships Included:  Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Graf Spee, Scheer, Prinz Eugen, Blucher, Leipzig, Emden (Germany); Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Roma, Duilio, Garibaldi, Barbiano (Italy): Richelieu, Dunkerque, Strassbourg, Lorraine, Colbert, Betin (France); King George V, Prince of Wales, Hood, Nelson, Rodney, Queen Elizabeth, Resolution, Renown, Cumberland, Dorsetshire, Exeter, Ajax, Achilles, Belfast (Britain).  Several scenarios and tourny suggestions are included.  This is a very simple game, ideal for "tray table" or lunch time play.  Identical with Salvo! except it adds several options, more ships, and two-player rules.  Complexity:  Low.   Solitaire Suitability: Very High.   Set Up Time:  1 minute.   Playing Time:  5 to 10 minutes.  

1.  PENAL BATTALION         Era:  Abstract card game        Players:  Solitaire        Scale:  once through the deck equals

                                                                             one day    Components:  3 pages of rules (you must supply standard deck of cards)

General Description:  Unfortunately, you find yourself a member of a penal battalion on the east front in World War II.  Your current job is clearing land mines.  Your dilemma is, if you comply with your orders too well, you will tend to go BOOM.  But if you slack off, the guards will pull the trigger.  The object of the game is to survive the day (once through the deck of cards).  If you do so, you "win" and get to do the same thing tomorrow.  Each turn, you draw an Action card, and must decide your "attitude" towards it.  Your attitude may either be "comply" or "slack".  Another draw will determine--in conjunction with your attitude--what happens that turn.  A combination of luck and skill is required to do well.  Basically, why pass the time playing standard solitaire when you can (via your imagination) be clearing land mines on the eastern front?  To quote the Designer's Notes, "Penal Battalion is a game which, if you play it once, you'll probably play many, many times."  Complexity:  Very Low.  Solitaire Suitability:  Very High.  Set Up Time:  none.  Playing Time:  15 seconds to 5 minutes.

1.  LONGSTREET'S DISASTER   Era:  Tactical American Civil War, Gettysburg    Players:  Solitaire    Scale:  250

                                                                                          yards/hex, 8-12 minutes/turn, six "steps" per brigade   Components:  8.5" x11"

                            cardstock map, 60 color counters, 7 pages of rules

General Description:  Longstreet's Disaster is a solitaire game that recreates Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg, with the player assuming the role of the Confederates.  The game uses a modified Cold Harbor (Panzerschreck #3) system of play.  Basically, after the CSA bombardment phase each turn, the player advances his troops against Union cannon and rifle fire and attempts to occupy one of the victory hexes on Cemetery Ridge.  Nine CSA brigades (each with six steps) are arrayed against eight USA brigades.  If you can occupy one of the victory hexes by the end of turn 8, you have managed to nudge the outcome of the entire battle back into the "undecided" category.  But achieving victory is not easy, and you are bound to take massive casualties.  How many Confederate brigades would it have taken to breach the Union line?   The game system used is easy (and bloody) and plays quickly, enabling you to replay the events of that July afternoon on your table top.  Complexity: Low.  Solitaire Suitability:  Very High.  Set Up Time:  5 minutes.  Playing Time:  30 minutes.

2.  SWORDFISH AT TARANTO    Era:  World War II air     Players:  Solitaire    Scale:  Individual planes and

                                                                                       ships    Components:  8.5" x 5.5" cardstock map, 28 color counters, 9 pages of rules

General Description:  This is a solitaire game, with the player playing the British. He must arm and plan the approach of his Swordfish attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto harbor, then watch as the attack unfolds.  Individual planes (with individual pilots)  take off from the HMS Illustrious, fly to Taranto, approach the ships in the harbor, make their attack, and fly back to the carrier.

Complexity:  Low.    Solitaire Suitability: Very High.    Set Up Time:  5 minutes.  Playing Time:  30 minutes. 

2.  FIELD OF HONOUR       Era:  Medieval      Players:  2 or more      Scale:  Individual knights      Components: 

                                                                                  One Reference Card, 4 color counters, 7 pages of rules.  

General Description:  This is a simple game depicting a medieval jousting contest.  Each player represents a single knight, and play is governed by a Jousting Matrix (with 162 possible outcomes), which takes into account aim point and riding position and speed of both knights.  Complexity:  Low.    Solitaire Suitability:  Low.   Set Up Time:  5 minutes.  Playing Time:  10 minutes or more, depending on how many players.

2.  THE EVACUATION OF KONIGSBERG       Era:  World War II land    Players:  Two    Scale:  Division

                                                                                  level, weekly turns    Components:  8.5" x 11" map, 80 color counters, 7 pages of rules

General Description:    Operational game simulating Russian assault on East Prussian city of Konigsberg in 1945.  Germans win by evacuating civilians (by land and sea) ouf of the city before its fall.  Russians seek to capture the city as soon as possible.  Complexity:  Medium.    Solitaire Suitability:  High.    Set Up Time:  10 minutes.    Playing Time:  45 minutes.

2.  Bonus Variant Counters      Issue #2 also includes a set of 12 variant counters for STREETS OF

                                                                                          STALINGRAD, for use with the SoS variant included in this issue. 

3.  NAPOLEON IN ITALY       Era:  Napoleonic      Players:  2          Scale:  Divisions, three day turns

                                                                                     Components:   8.5" x 11" cardstock map, 12 color counters, 8 pages of rules.

General Description:  This game covers Napoleon's Italian campaign in 1796 between the Austrians and the French.  Counter density is low in this point-to-point movement game, with each strength factor representing approximately 1,000 men.  Special "Morale" and "Napoleon" rules are included in this game of maneuver where, in the original campaign, the outnumbered French won. Complexity:  Medium.    Solitaire Suitability:  Low.     Set Up Time:  10 minutes.    Playing Time:  45 minutes.

3.  STALINGRAD: THE LEATHER FACTORY    Era:  World War II land      Players:  Solitaire      Scale:                                                                         tactical company level, 300 yard hexes, 12 hour turns   Components:  8.5" x 11" cardstock                                                                             map, 96 color counters,  7 pages of rules.

General Description:  This is a solitaire game depicting the battle of Kuporosnoye (with its sprawling leather factory) on the outskirts of Stalingrad in September 1942, between the German 29th Division and the Russian 35th Guards Division.  The player (as the Germans) must amass victory points by occupying key objective hexes, but, due to fog of war rules, does not know exactly how many he must hold until the game is over.

Complexity:  Medium.    Solitaire Suitability:  Very High.    Set Up TIme:  10 minutes.    Playing Time:  60 minutes.

4.  COURAGE UNDER FIRE     Era:  Vietnam     Players: 2    Scale:  Tactical    Components:  8.5" x 5.5" color

                                                                                                map,   35 double-sided color counters, 3 pages of rules

General Description:  The game simulates the Communist assault on An Loc in April, 1972.  The game system uses a standard deck of playing cards to generate play and resolve combat.

Complexity:  Low.    Solitaire Suitability:  Medium.    Set Up TIme:  5 minutes.    Playing Time:  20 to 30 minutes.

4.  GLADIATORS OF ROME          Era:  Ancients    Players:  Solitaire    Scale: Man vs man    Components: 

                                                                                                   Reference Card, 4 color counters, 6 pages of rules

General Description:  This is a simple solitaire game of strategy, involving tactical, individual gladiator combat in the arena, where the player controls one gladiator, and the game system controls his opponent.  Four different gladiator types are available (Thracian, Samnite, Myrmillo, and Retiarius)... the fighters choose an "Action" each turn, with results coming from the Action Outcome Table.  Complexity:  Low.    Solitaire Suitability:  Very High.    Set Up Time:  2 minutes.    Playing Time:  several minutes per contest.

4.  NAVTAC 1914            Era:  World War I naval    Players:  2    Scale:  Tactical, individual ship vs ship combat

                                                                  Components:  8 ship counters, Reference Card, 6 pages of rules

General Description:  NavTac 1914 is a miniatures game system, based on a modified Fletcher Pratt system.  It covers tactical combat between individual warships (British, German, Austrian) in the Mediterrranean theater in the first year of the Great War.  Player maneuver and fire their ships on a large table (or floor), trying to sink the opponent.  Complexity:  Medium    Solitaire Suitability:  Medium.    Set Up Time:  5 minutes.    Playing TIme:  20 to 40 minutes.

4.  Bonus Variant Counters     Issue #4 also includes a set of 24 variant counters for the PROUD MONSTER

                                                                  variant in this issue, plus 19 variant counters for LA BATAILLE DE YORK 1813

2008 Naval Special Supplement:  DOGGER BANK II    Era:  World War I naval    Players:  2

                                                                   Scale:  tactical, ship vs ship     Components:  24 ship counters, Reference Card, color damage

                                                                   markers,  8 pages of rules.

General Description:  Tactical naval combat between British and German battlecruisers during World War I.  This is an updated and heavily revised version of the game originally appearing in Panzerschreck #5.   Complexity:  Low.    Solitaire Suitability:  Medium.

Set Up Time:  5 minutes.   Playing Time:  45 to 60 minutes.

2008 Naval Special Bonus Variant Counters      The Naval Special also includes 24 additional "what

                                                       if?" ships for BATTLESHIP CAPTAIN, and 24 new ships for use with NAVTAC 1914.

5.  BREAKOUT AT ST. LO      Era:  World War II land      Players:  2     Scale:  Operational, daily turns, 2 mile

                                                                hexes, semi-division units      Components:  8.5" x 11" hexagon map, 60 color counters,

                                                                Reference Card, 7 pages of rules

General Description:   Simulates the American breakout at the start of Operation: Cobra in the bocage country of France, in the month after D-Day.   Americans are on the offensive, and must destroy German units and exit the map to the south; Germans are on the defensive, and must try and prevent this.

Complexity:  Low.   Solitaire Suitability:  Medium.    Set Up Time:  10 minutes.    Playing Time:  45 to 60 minutes.

5.  THUNDER GODS      Era:  World War II air/naval     Players:  2     Scale:  Tactical, individual planes and ships 

                                                                       Components:  8.5" x 5.5" color map, 17 double-sided counters, 2 pages of rules

General Description:  Game uses a standard deck of cards to resolve activations and combat between the Japanese planes trying to destroy US Navy ships, and the American planes and ships in defense.  Simulation of kamikaze action off Okinawa in April, 1945.

Complexity:  Low.    Solitaire Suitability:  Medium.    Set Up Time:  5 minutes.    Playing Time:  15 to 30 minutes.

5.  Bonus Variant Counters    Issue #5 also includes a set of 25 variant counters for the BREAKOUT AT ST LO

                                                                       variant, and 5 generic variant counters for the STREETS OF STALINGRAD variant in this

                                                                       issue.

6.  DAY OF INFAMY  Era:  World War II air and sea     Players:  2     Scale:  Tactical      Components:  8.5" x 5.5" color

                                                                   map, 25 double-sided unit counters, 9 pages of rules (players must supply one deck of

                                                                   standard playing cards to play)

Complexity:  Medium.    Solitaire Suitability:  High.   Set Up Time:  5 minutes.  Playing Time:  approx 1 hour

6.  1775: INVASION OF CANADA       Era:  American War of Independence      Players:  2     Scale:  25

                                                                  miles/hex, monthly turns, one strength point equals 350-400 men           Components:  8.5" x 11"

                                                                  cardstock map, 30 color counters, Reference Card, 5 pages of rules

Complexity:  Low.      Solitaire Suitability:  Medium.     Set Up Time:  5 minutes.       Playing Time: 30 to 60 minutes.

6.  MONITOR VS MERRIMACK         Era:  American Civil War Naval     Players:  2      Scale: Tactical, Ship vs

                                                                  ship          Components:  2 counters, 5 pages of rules (you must supply a standard

                                                                  checkerboard for play)

Complexity:  Low.         Solitaire Suitability:  Low.          Set Up Time:  1 Minute.         Playing Time:  30 minutes.

7.  CORONEL & FALKLANDS     Era:  World War I Naval      Players:    1 or 2      Scale:  Tactical, ship vs ship

                                                                Components:  44 counters, rules

Complexity:  Low.          Solitaire Suitability:  Very High.     Set Up Time:  5 minutes.         Playing Time:  Variable, 10 to 30 minutes.

7.  OCCUPATION OF THE RHINELAND     Era:   Pre-WW2 diplomatic    Players:   1    Scale:  Abstract

                                                                strategic        Components:  Small map, 21 counters, rules

Complexity:  Low.          Solitaire Sutiability:  Very High.     Set Up:  5 minutes.           Playing Time:  20 minutes.

7.  REMAGEN BRIDGEHEAD       Era:  WW2  land         Players:   1     Scale:  Grand tactical (two-day turns)

                                                               Components:  Hex map, 63 counters, Reference Card, rules

Complexity:  Low.         Solitaire Suitability:  Very High.     Set Up:  10 minutes.       Playing Time:  30 minutes.

7.  Bonus Variant Counters     Issue #7 also includes a small set of six double-sided cavalry variant counters

                                                                                              for BATTLE OF THE ALMA.

       _____________________________________________________

8.  EINDEKKER               Era:  WW1 air        Players:  1          Scale:  tactical (plane vs plane)

                                                                      Components:  Map, 31 counters, rules

8.   POOR BLOODY INFANTRY           Era:  WW1 land            Players:   1        Scale:   tactical (individual men)

                                                                      Components:  128 counters, Reference Card, rules (you must supply a standard chess

                                                                                                  board to play)

8.   Miniatures Rules:  WW2 DOGFIGHT          Era:  WW2     Players:  2 or more        

                                                                       Scale:  tactical (plane vs plane)        Components:  Rules and aircraft ratings included in 

                                                                                                                                                                      magazine

 ______________________________________________________

CS    Emden vs. Sydney         Era:  WW1            Players:  2            Scale:  tactical (ship vs ship)

                                                                                   Components:  Four ship counters (4" x .87"), markers.       

CS    Remagen Bridgehead   (reprinted from issue #7)     Era:  WW2  land    Players: 1    Scale:  Grand tactical (two-day turns)

                                                               Components:  Hex map, 63 counters, Reference Card, rules  

            _____________________________________________________________

9.     FALL OF THE PHILIPPINES    Era:  WW2 land        Players:  solitaire     Scale:  Strategic

                                                                     Components:   8.5" x 5.5" mapsheet, rules, 60 counters.

9.    'NAM '68      Era:  Vietnam land         Players:  2    Scale:  Tactical (man vs man)

                                                                     Components:  8.5"x 11" mapsheet, rules, 56 counters.

            __________________________________________

               

   Issue #1                Issue #2                  Issue #3                 Issue #4        2008 Naval Special         Issue #5               Issue #6               Issue #7               Issue #8                  Issue #9

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