Panzer Grenadier series
Encyclopedia
The Panzer Grenadier series of Board wargame
s is Avalanche Press
's series of World War II
tactical
land combat. The first game in the series was released in 2000.
and other squad
level wargames, which Panzer Grenadier is commonly compared to, Panzer Grenadier is based at the platoon
level. This makes it much more similar to the Panzer Leader
and Panzer Blitz games published by Avalon Hill
. The game is played on a hex grid
game map. Units and other markers are made out of 2/3" × 2/3" cardboard counters.
forces fighting the Waffen SS in Normandy.
paratroopers during the D-Day
landings.
from U.S. Marines, including Raiders and Paratroopers, in 1942.
, Italian
, British, and Australian forces.
n, New Zealand
, German, Italian, and Italian colonial troops.
. It has 51 scenarios and many tanks on each side.
and was designed at the same time as North Wind.
.
.
between the Soviet Union and Finland
. Modules are not playable by themselves -- Arctic Front requires Eastern Front for most of the scenarios.
and the Soviet Union in 1945 and 1946.
"Blue Division" on the Eastern Front.
.
in the summer of 1941.
in Bessarabia
, Romania.
.
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
s is Avalanche Press
Avalanche Press
Avalanche Press is an American company that publishes board wargames and has published some role-playing game supplements. An extremely prolific company, they have produced many respected contributions to the wargame community, most notably The Great War at Sea and Panzer Grenadier series, as well...
's series of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
tactical
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
land combat. The first game in the series was released in 2000.
Series Summary
Unlike Squad LeaderSquad Leader
thumb|Squad Leader game package.Squad Leader is a tactical level board wargame originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by Hall of Fame game designer John Hill and focuses on infantry combat in Europe during World War II...
and other squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
level wargames, which Panzer Grenadier is commonly compared to, Panzer Grenadier is based at the platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
level. This makes it much more similar to the Panzer Leader
Panzer Leader (game)
Panzer Leader is the sequel to Avalon Hill's Panzerblitz game. Like its predecessor, it is a tactical platoon level hex and counter board wargame depicting WWII tank and infantry combat on the Western European front...
and Panzer Blitz games published by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
. The game is played on a hex grid
Hex map
A hex map, hex board or hex grid is a gameboard design commonly used in wargames of all scales. The map is subdivided into small regular hexagons of identical size.-Advantages and disadvantages:...
game map. Units and other markers are made out of 2/3" × 2/3" cardboard counters.
Boxed Games
Boxed Games contain a rulebook, scenarios, counters, and one or more maps. They are playable by themselves and do not require any additional games.Eastern Front
Eastern Front was the first Panzer Grenadier game and is set in 1941. It is currently in a deluxe edition and features 112 scenarios.Beyond Normandy
Beyond Normandy covers BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces fighting the Waffen SS in Normandy.
Airborne Introductory Edition
Airborne Introductory Edition is a game that is intended to introduce players to the Panzer Grenadier series. The game covers AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
paratroopers during the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landings.
Semper Fi! Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is the only boxed game in the Panzer Grenadier series set in the Pacific theater at this time. It consists of Japanese forces defending the island of GuadalcanalGuadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
from U.S. Marines, including Raiders and Paratroopers, in 1942.
Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps covers North Africa in 1940-1941. It contains GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, British, and Australian forces.
Desert Rats
Desert Rats is the sequel to Afrika Korps and is set in 1941-1942. It contains British, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, German, Italian, and Italian colonial troops.
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge covers the battle of the same nameBattle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. It has 51 scenarios and many tanks on each side.
Battle of the Bulge 2: Elsenborn Ridge
Battle of the Bulge 2: Elsenborn Ridge, called simply Elsenborn Ridge on Avalanche Press' website, is the first boxed Panzer Grenadier game in 2008. It covers the northern half of the Battle of the BulgeBattle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
and was designed at the same time as North Wind.
1940: The Fall of France
1940: The Fall of France covers the German invasion of France. Includes 50 scenarios and eight semi-rigid boards.Cassino '44
Cassino '44 covers the Allied battles around the historic abbey of Monte Cassino in Italy. Scenarios cover all 4 battles and include 2 campaign games.Book Supplements
Book Supplements are generally 64 pages of scenarios and historic background information and usually include additional counters. They do not include any maps and require other games to play the scenarios.Sinister Forces
Sinister Forces adds Waffen SS and NKVD units to the series and is set on the Eastern FrontEastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
.
Fronte Russo
Fronte Russo is designed by Ottavio Ricchi and Lorenzo Striuli, and covers the Italian Expeditionary Corps operations on the Eastern Front against the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Jungle Fighting
Jungle Fighting is a scenario-only book for use with Guadalcanal. It has 42 scenarios and another map printed on the back of the book.Arctic Front
Arctic Front is a module that covers the Winter WarWinter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
between the Soviet Union and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Modules are not playable by themselves -- Arctic Front requires Eastern Front for most of the scenarios.
Edelweiss
Edelweiss is another module and adds German mountain troops to Panzer Grenadier. Edelweiss also includes four 1 1/3" counters, twice the size as regular counters. These include two German Karl mortars and two Soviet river monitors.Black SS
Black SS is yet another module and adds late war SS troops and scenarios. 30 scenarios included and a counter sheet with 165 pieces replacing SS units from other games with new black backgrounds (instead of camo). 1940: The Fall of France, Elsenborn Ridge, Road to Berlin and Beyond Normandy are required to play all of the scenarios.Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain is a fictional supplement covering a war between the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Soviet Union in 1945 and 1946.
South Africa's War
South Africa's War covers the operations of South Africa's military between 1940 and 1942 in Somaliland, Ethiopia, Egypt and Libya.Blue Division
Blue Division covers the SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
"Blue Division" on the Eastern Front.
Red Warriors
Red Warriors adds Soviet Guards forces to Panzer Grenadier. The now out-of-print Heroes of the Soviet Union supplement contained the counters and half of the scenarios, all of which have been rewritten for this supplement.Scenario Booklets (no counters)
Scenario booklets are add-ons with 10 scenarios. They do not have any counters or maps, therefore requiring the ownership of other games. Avalanche Press intends to release a scenario booklet every month that does not have another Panzer Grenadier game launching.North Wind
North Wind, released in August 2007, is the first of the scenario-only booklets and covers the German Operation NordwindOperation Nordwind
Operation North Wind was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. It began on 1 January 1945 in Alsace and Lorraine in northeastern France, and it ended on 25 January.-Objectives:...
.
Alaska's War
Alaska's War covers the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands and the American missions to recapture them.March to Leningrad
March to Leningrad, announced on March 24, 2008, is a new scenario booklet covering the German offensive towards LeningradLeningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
in the summer of 1941.
Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad, announced along with March to Leningrad on March 24, 2008, is based on the later part of the siege of Leningrad and the Red Army's attacks in 1943 and 1944.Army Group South Ukraine: Battles in Bessarabia, 1944
Army Group South Ukraine focuses on defensive battles of the Grossdeutschland Division Infantry Regiment GroßdeutschlandInfantry Regiment Großdeutschland
The Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland was an élite German Heer ceremonial and combat unit which saw action during World War II. The regiment served in the campaigns in France and the Low Countries in 1940. It then served exclusively on the Eastern Front until the end of the war...
in Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, Romania.
Panzer Lion: Grossdeutschland in Action, 1944
Panzer Lion has more scenarios for Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment GroßdeutschlandInfantry Regiment Großdeutschland
The Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland was an élite German Heer ceremonial and combat unit which saw action during World War II. The regiment served in the campaigns in France and the Low Countries in 1940. It then served exclusively on the Eastern Front until the end of the war...
.
External links
- Avalanche Press' Panzer Grenadier page
- Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - an exhaustive fansite dedicated to the series
- Panzer Grenadier series at BoardGameGeekBoardGameGeekBoardGameGeek is a website that was founded in January 2000 by Scott Alden and Derk Solko as a resource for the board gaming hobby. The database holds reviews, articles, and session reports for over 45,000 different games, expansions, and designers. BoardGameGeek includes German-style board games,...