The ''Panzer Grenadier'' series of

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 modern, commercial wargaming hobby (as distinct from military exercises, o ...

s is

Avalanche Press Avalanche Press is an American company that publishes board wargames and has published some role-playing game supplements. They have produced '' The Great War at Sea'' and '' ''Panzer Grenadier'' series'', as well as '' Red Parachutes'', one of ...

's series of World War II and The Korean War

tactical Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to: * Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks ** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield ** Chess tactics ** Political tacti ...

land combat. The first game in the series was released in 2000.

Series summary

Unlike ''

Squad Leader ''Squad Leader'' is a tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of the most complex war games of its time, ''Squa ...

'' and other

squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...

-level wargames, which ''Panzer Grenadier'' is commonly compared to, ''Panzer Grenadier'' is based at the

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

level. This makes it much more similar to the '' Panzer Leader'' and ''

Panzer Blitz ''PanzerBlitz'' is a tactical-scale board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1970 that simulates armored combat set in the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The game is notable for being the first true board-based tactical-level, commerci ...

'' games published by ''

Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company' ...

''. The game is played on a

hex grid A hex map, hex board, or hex grid is a game board design commonly used in wargames of all scales. The map is subdivided into a hexagonal tiling, small regular hexagons of identical size. Advantages and disadvantages The primary advantage of a h ...

game map. Units and other markers are made out of 2/3-inch × 2/3-inch cardboard counters. The game also features a phased turn system where each player may alternately move and fire with some of his units on the map until all are done or the "fog of war" optional rule ends the game turn. This is in contrast to "I go, you go (IGYG)" systems where one player moves all (or the majority) of their units and then the other player moves theirs. Phased systems can create a less artificial turn structure where both players' actions are blended over the course of a single game turn. In June 2014 the 4th edition of the ruleset was released. The overall tone of the rules was unchanged from 3rd edition, but some aspects were clarified (esp. the Line of Sight/Spotting section) and introduced armor overruns.

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.

Panzer Grenadier

''Panzer Grenadier'' The first game to start the series, It had German and Soviet counters, 4 hard mounted maps, and was eventually replaced by the Eastern Front game.

Heroes of the Soviet Union

''Heroes of the Soviet Union'' Added more German and Soviet counters and two mounted maps and 24 scenarios to the original Panzer Grenadier game, which were both replaced with Eastern Front game.

Eastern Front

''Eastern Front'' was the deluxe replacement for the ''Panzer Grenadier'' game and is set in 1941. It is currently in a deluxe edition and features 112 scenarios. Includes German, Romanian and Russian troops and 8 maps.

Road to Berlin

''Road to Berlin'' is set in 1945 and features 75 scenarios.

Beyond Normandy

''Beyond Normandy'' covers

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

forces fighting the

Waffen SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from th ...

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

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

paratroopers A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...

during the

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

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

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

from U.S. Marines, including Raiders and Paratroopers, in 1942.

Afrika Korps

''Afrika Korps'' covers North Africa in 1940–1941. It contains

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, British, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n forces.

Desert Rats

''Desert Rats'' is the sequel to ''Afrika Korps'' and is set in 1941–1942. It contains British,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, German, Italian, and Italian colonial troops.

Battle of the Bulge

''Battle of the Bulge'' covers the battle of the same name. 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 Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

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.

Saipan 1944

''Saipan 1944'' covers the American invasion of the island of Saipan in the Pacific. 40 scenarios and 4 maps with American and Japanese units cover the battle.

Korean War: Pusan Perimeter

''Pusan Perimeter'' covers the Initial North Korean (NKPA) surges across the 38th Parallel where South Korean (ROK) and American troops in 1950 must try to halt the advance. First in a line of Korean games in the mini-series within the Panzer Grenadier series. 48 scenarios and 4 maps.

Kursk, South Flank

''Kursk, South Flank'' is set in 1943 and features 50 scenarios where Germans and Soviets clash in the biggest tanks battles.

Liberation 1944

''Liberation 1944'' cover the British and German battles after the Allied invasion on D-Day and features 41 scenarios.

Kursk: Burning Tigers

''Kursk: Burning Tigers'' covers the rest of the Kursk battles, mostly on the Northern Flank in 1943 and features 40 scenarios.

An Army At Dawn

''An Army at Dawn'' covers the Allied and Axis battles in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in 1942-1943 and features 40 scenarios.

Conquest of Ethiopia

''Conquest of Ethiopia'' The Italian Army and Colonial troops battle the Imperial Ethiopian Army for control of Ethiopia in 1935-1937 in 40 scenarios.

Broken Axis

''Broken Axis'' is set in 1944 and features 50 scenarios with Soviet, German and Romanian troops.

The Kokoda Campaign

''The Kokoda Campaign'' covers the battles in New Guinea for control of Port Moresby with Australians and Japanese battling it out. Adds 30 scenarios and 2 maps and is the replacement for the Kokoda Trail supplement.

Invasion 1944

''Invasion 1944'' American troops fight German troops in the days following the landings in Normandy.

Korean War: Counter-Attack

''Counter-Attack'' picks up where Pusan Perimeter leaves off, pitting American Army, American Marines, British, South Korean (ROK) troops against the North Korean (NKPA) troops in the August–October 1950 actions before the Chinese enter the war. There are 6 maps and 65 scenarios.

Fire in the Steppe

''Fire in the Steppe'' is set in 1941 and features 60 scenarios with Soviet, German and Romanian troops battling for the Ukraine with 8 maps.

Road to Dunkirk

''Road to Dunkirk'' British Expeditionary Force against the Germans in the spring and early summer of 1940. There are 47 scenarios and 8 maps.

Book Supplements

Book Supplements are generally 64 pages of scenarios and historic background information and usually include additional counters. Some do 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 Front.

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 Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

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 War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

between the Soviet Union and

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. 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" 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.

Marianas 1944

''Marianas 1944'' covers the Battles of Tinian 1944, Guam 1941 and Guam 1944 and is a supplement for Saipan 1944, pitting American and Guam Insular Force Guard (GIFG) units against Japanese troops. Adds 30 scenarios, 24 counters and two maps to Saipan 1944.

White Eagles

''White Eagles'' adds the 1939 Polish Army into the Panzer Grenadier action with 165 counters and 40 scenarios. Other games are needed to play.

Iron Curtain: Patton's Nightmare

''Iron Curtain: Patton's Nightmare'' is a hypothetical Cold War between the American and Soviet armies in 1947 and has 77 counters and 20 scenarios. Other games are needed to play.

Hammer & Sickle

''Hammer & Sickle'' is a hypothetical Cold War between the American and Soviet armies in 1951 and has 77 counters and 20 scenarios. Plus it includes 19 additional scenarios from the original Iron Curtain game, so 39 scenarios total. Other games are needed to play.

Iron Curtain: Red And White Poland Resists

''Iron Curtain: Red And White Poland Resists'' is a hypothetical Cold War between the NATO Polish, American Armies against Soviet Army in 1951 and has 77 counters and 40 scenarios. Other games are needed to play.

Secret Weapons

''Secret Weapons'' is a hypothetical extended World War II with newer weapons developed by many nations in WWII but never used in action from 1944 to 1947 and has 77 counters and 30 scenarios. Other games are needed to play.

First Axis: Slovakia At War

''First Axis: Slovakia At War'' covers the battles of Slovak troops from 1939-1944, adds 30 scenarios, 88 counters and requires other games to play.

Go for Broke

''Go for Broke'' covers the battles of Japanese-American regiment from 1943-1945, adds 30 scenarios, 77 counters and requires other games to play.

Panzer Lehr: The Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy, 1944

''Panzer Lehr: The Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy, 1944'' covers the battles of Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy 1944, adds 27 scenarios, 102 counters but requires other games to play.

Kokoda Trail

''Kokoda Trail'' covers the battles in New Guinea for control of Port Moresby with Australians and Japanese battling it out. Adds 30 scenarios and 2 maps but requires other games to play.

Workers and Peasants The Red Army at War

''Worker and Peasants the Red Army at War'' Focuses on the Germans initial battles in Russian in 1941. Adds 25 scenarios and 165 counters but requires other games to play.

Winter Soldiers

''Winter Soldiers'' More Battle of the Bulge scenarios, kind of bridges the missing scenarios from the two Bulge games; Battle of the Bulge and Elsenborn Ridge. Adds 30 scenarios but requires other games to play.

Tank Battles

''Tank Battles'' Now out of print but covers mostly Eastern Front battles and a few other unique battles. Adds 46 scenarios but requires other games to play.

Invasion Of Germany

''Invasion Of Germany'' covers Western Front battles of 1944. Adds 48 scenarios but requires other games to play.

River Fleets

''River Fleets'' It is a spiral bond book but add both counters and maps, so I listed in this section. Adds Serbian, Romanian and Austro-Hungarian counters two maps and 10 scenarios to the series. Lot of new river fighting ships/boats as well!

Spearhead Division

''Spearhead Division'' Third Armored Division fought its way from Normandy deep into Germany. Adds 25 scenarios, 88 counters American counters but requires Elsenborn Ridge to play.

Leyte 1944

''Leyte 1944'' The Battles to retake Leyte in hard fought battles which include Japanese paratroopers. Adds 46 scenarios, adds 88 counters but requires Saipan 1944 and Marianas 1944 to play.

Spiral-Bound supplements

Iron Curtain

''Iron Curtain'' is a fictional supplement covering a war between the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

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. Adds 20 scenarios and 88 counters but requires other games to play.

Blue Division

''Blue Division'' covers the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

"Blue Division" on the Eastern Front. Adds 88 counters and 20 scenarios.

Red Warriors

''Red Warriors'' adds

Soviet Guards Guards (russian: гвардия) or Guards units (russian: гвардейские части, ''gvardeyskiye chasti'') were elite military units of Imperial Russia prior to 1917–18. The designation of Guards was subsequently adopted as a distin ...

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.

Nihon Silk

''Nihon Silk'' adds Japanese paratroopers from different engagements from 1942 to 1945 in 10 scenarios with 165 counters. This supplement requires other games to play.

Power Of The East

''Power Of The East'' Shows the conflict over Manchuria between Japanese and Soviet troops from 1938 to 1939. Adds 12 scenarios with 165 counters. This supplement requires other games to play.

Waltzing Matilda The Defense of Australia, 1942

''Waltzing Matilda The Defense of Australia, 1942'' covers hypothetical battles of Japan invading Australia in 1942. Adds 12 scenarios with 330 counters. This supplement requires other games to play.

Divisione Corazzata

''Divisione Corazzata'' covers hypothetical battles with Italian Army having better tanks. Adds 10 scenarios with 88 counters from the Gold Club. This supplement requires other games to play.

Indian Unity

''Indian Unity'' covers actual battles between India and Hyderabad in 1948. Adds 10 scenarios with 165 counters. This supplement requires other games to play.

Hopeless But Not Serious

''Hopeless But Not Serious'' The Austrian Federal Army 1934-1938, covers actual and theoretical battles between Austrians and Nazis. Adds 16 scenarios with 330 counters. This supplement requires other games to play.

Iron Wolves Lithuania's Army

''Iron Wolves Lithuania's Army'' covers the Lithuania's Army in 1939–1941. Adds 10 scenarios with 165 counters. This supplement requires other games to play.

DAK '44

''DAK '44'' covers hypothetical battles of Combat In North Africa, 1944. Adds 10 scenarios with 165 counters. This supplement requires other games to play.

Iron Curtain: Maple Leaf Brigade

''Map Leaf Brigade'' covers and adds the Canadians troops to the early Cold-War series within the Panzer Grenadier series. Adds 88 counters, 10 scenarios but this supplement requires ownership of other games.

Golden Journal: Summer 2013

''Summer 2013'' Part of the Avalanche Press Gold-Club series, The Fall of Luxembourg, adds 20 Luxembourg counters and a couple of scenarios.

Gold Club counters: Division Marocain

''Division Marocain 2014'' Adds 176 Moroccan counters to the Fall of France game and a few scenarios.

Golden Journal: Equinox 2015

''Equinox 2015'' Part of the Avalanche Press Gold-Club series, adds late model Japanese Armor counters for what if scenarios and corrected Marine counters for the earlier release of Saipan 1944.

Golden Journal: Aphelion 2015

''Aphelion 2015'' Part of the Avalanche Press Gold-Club series, adds East-German Cold-War counters to the Cold-War series and a few scenarios.

Golden Journal: Columbus Day 2015

''Columbus Day 2015'' Part of the Avalanche Press Gold-Club series, Called The last Horse Soldier and adds what if American Mounted Cavalry counters to the Army at Dawn game and a couple of scenarios.

Golden Journal: St. Patrick's Day 2016

''St. Patrick's Day 2016'' Part of the Avalanche Press Gold-Club series, adds Irish Republican Army counters for a few what if scenarios.

Golden Journal: Groundhog Day 2016

''Groundhog Day 2016'' Part of the Avalanche Press Gold-Club series, adds German Armor counters that could have been produced and used in the Battle of Kursk and a few scenarios.

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 Nordwind Operation Northwind (german: Unternehmen Nordwind) was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in the Battle of the Bulge, which by December ...

Alaska's War

''Alaska's War'' covers the Japanese invasion of the

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...

and the American missions to recapture them.

March on Leningrad

''March on Leningrad'', announced on March 24, 2008, is a new scenario booklet covering the German offensive towards

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

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 Großdeutschland The Infantry Regiment ''Großdeutschland'' (german: Infanterie-Regiment "Großdeutschland"; ) was an élite German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army ceremonial and combat unit which saw action during World War II. Originally formed in 1921 it was k ...

Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...

, Romania.

Panzer Lion: Grossdeutschland in Action, 1944

''Panzer Lion'' has more scenarios for Grossdeutschland

Little Saturn

''Little Saturn'' Death of the Armata Italiana in Russia. Adds 10 scenarios but requires other games to play.

Carpathian Brigade

''Carpathian Brigade'' Desert battles of the Polish Exiles. Adds 11 scenarios but requires other games to play.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Avalanche Press' ''Panzer Grenadier'' page

Panzer Grenadier Headquarters
- an exhaustive fansite dedicated to the series Avalanche Press games World War II board wargames