PanzerBlitz
Anecdote
A founding work by Jim Dunnigan for Avalon Hill, PanzerBlitz invented the armoured tactical wargame as we know it today. The section-and-platoon-scale hex-and-counter system reconstructs armoured combat on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1945. Two players command the Wehrmacht and the Red Army on modular maps that can be combined to create varied scenarios. A game lasts roughly two to three hours, and the title offers approximately twenty situational scenarios. The learning curve is moderate, thanks to a clear rulebook in the best Avalon Hill tradition. Dunnigan brought a fresh vitality to tactical wargaming with rules of unprecedented fluidity for the time. The original components are understated but of solid quality for the period, and the modular maps caused a sensation. PanzerBlitz achieved considerable success, making it one of the most widely played wargames of the 1970s. The title's influence is incalculable: it invented the armoured tactical wargame and inspired an entire generation of designers, including John Hill with Squad Leader. The title spawned a companion game, Panzer Leader, covering the Western theatre. The community remained loyal to the title for five decades, filling the internet with campaign accounts and variants. A French translation appeared and remains sought after by collectors. The title appears in every wargaming hall of fame. For enthusiasts of wargaming history, PanzerBlitz is an absolute classic, marking the birth of armoured tactical gaming. It embodies the maturity of an American school of tactical wargaming in the 1970s. It continues to serve today as a reference for anyone seeking to understand the origins of the modern tactical wargame. With this title, Avalon Hill confirmed its status as the founding publisher of a genre that continues to thrive today.
Popularity & reception
Awards — Charles S. Roberts Award - Best Tactical Game (1970) · Origins Award - Hall of Fame · Games Magazine Hall of Fame
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