A Timeless Classic Game

Replay Value and More!

Some games continue to provide fun and challenge many years after we have learned the basics and even developed winning strategies. Chess is a game that rewards close study and creative strategies and can be a source of enjoyment across a lifetime.

Panzerblitz is a challenging game that continues to delight its fans decades after its publication. There are similarities between a game like chess and Panzerblitz, of course, but there are a number of significant differences as well. A feature both games share is they contain a variety of playing pieces, each with distinct characteristics. The playing surface or gameboard marked in spaces that govern movement of the playing pieces is another shared feature. But whereas chess is played using a consistent set of pieces and is played on a standard board with a goal of capturing the opponent's king, Panzerblitz can vary in the number and type of pieces, board layout and victory conditions. In this way, Panzerblitz has the potential to be many games rather than just one. It can also be viewed as a designer's toolkit inviting a nearly endless opportunity for players to design situations of their own creation.

The innovative features which Panzerblitz brought to the wargaming public include the game's basis on the scenario (PB calls them Situations). An idea borrowed from tabletop battle games using miniature figures, the scenario allows the designer (often called a referee) to vary the composition of opposing forces, the terrain and the victory conditions. Each scenario is in essence its own game. Strategies useful in one scenario may not be as useful in another as the situation demands a different approach to the use of forces and terrain.

Interest in the Panzerblitz game quickly led to there being a multitude of published scenarios for the game. Many of the early ones are collected in the Wargamer's Guide To Panzerblitz. The Wargamer's Guide also includes articles on the nature of the pieces and analysis of the Situations included in the boxed game. It's a nice example of the fan produced content that was common in the hobby before the internet.

Panzerblitz is a game I that have returned to many times and has again recently occupied a place of prominence on my gaming table. As a creative outlet it has few rivals. Online communities continue to make new scenarios, maps and playing pieces available for Panzerblitz and the game, together with its close cousin, Panzerleader, continues to enjoy a positive reputation among gamers.