PanzerBlitz
In 1970, Avalon Hill released PanzerBlitz, a board wargame that simulated armored combat on the Eastern Front of World War II. This game introduced a new scale to the hobby by representing units at the company and platoon level. Previous wargames had focused on larger formations like brigades or divisions. PanzerBlitz allowed players to control individual mechanized vehicles and small infantry groups. The game board hexes represented 250 meters, while each turn lasted six minutes. Players managed everything from mortar teams to trucks providing strategic flexibility. Technical data on weight, speed, gun size, and crew complement appeared for every major tank used on the Russian front. Much of this information had never been published before outside of Army field manuals and partially classified intelligence reports.
PanzerBlitz pioneered several concepts that became industry standards in board gaming. Geomorphic mapboards could be arranged in various combinations to create different battlefields. This modular design became a hallmark of later Avalon Hill tactical games such as Squad Leader. Armor units were represented by vehicle silhouettes rather than standard military symbols. This visual style made the game reminiscent of miniatures games and advanced Avalon Hill's reputation for physical quality. The game included instructions for creating Design-Your-Own scenarios known as Situation 13. Players could fashion their own free-form combat situations using multiple unit counters provided in the box. The Designer's Notes showed how many counters it would take to build a complete Soviet Tank Corps. This open-ended approach made PanzerBlitz highly replayable and widely emulated by subsequent games.
Despite heavy technical payload, the basic system remained quite simple according to Avalon Hill's design philosophy. Playability and design elegance were prized above exactitude. The game mechanics aimed at giving a realistic feel for armored combat rather than complete accuracy. Certain unrealistic aspects drew heavy criticism from players and reviewers. A tank ending its movement in a wooded hex became invisible unless an enemy unit was directly adjacent. This ability allowed units to hop from one woods hex to another without being attacked. Critics called this phenomenon Panzerbush Syndrome. The game provided a cumbersome optional rule to overcome this flaw. Later versions like Panzer Leader offered better solutions such as opportunity fire rules. Truck burners also created loopholes where players used trucks to block roads or spot hidden tanks. These issues highlighted the tension between abstract playability and historical accuracy regarding spotting rules.
In 1969, Poultron Press co-founder Jim Dunnigan decided to market cheaply made Test Series games. These featured typewritten pages with hand-drawn maps and graphics packaged in plain manila envelopes. Tactical Game 3 went to playtesters that year before becoming Issue 22 of Strategy & Tactics magazine. In 1970, Dunnigan sold rights to Avalon Hill who republished it as PanzerBlitz with professionally designed components. From 1970 to 1980, PanzerBlitz dominated the North American board wargame market. Avalon Hill followed with companion games including Panzer Leader for the Western Front and The Arab-Israeli Wars covering Middle East conflicts. Multi-Man Publishing acquired rights decades later releasing PanzerBlitz: Hill of Death in 2009. The original game's success encouraged development of other tactical systems including Squad Leader and Advanced Squad Leader.
By August 1996, twenty-five years after publication, PanzerBlitz had sold 275,000 copies according to Computer Gaming World columnist Terry Coleman. Designer Jim Dunnigan stated in 2000 that sales reached an extraordinary figure of 320,000 units over twenty-five years. This made it the most successful board wargame in hobby history behind Axis & Allies. Don Turnbull called it a personal favorite suitable for newcomers in September 1972 Games & Puzzles issue five. Nicholas Palmer described it as perhaps the most frequently played wargame ever produced in his 1977 book. Jon Freeman called it a watershed design breaking out of classic Avalon Hill modes in his 1980 book. SimCity designer Will Wright cited PanzerBlitz as one of his influences. Reviews praised its variety flexibility realism playability and entertainment value despite noted flaws like Panzerbush Syndrome.
Common questions
When was PanzerBlitz released?
PanzerBlitz was released in 1970 by Avalon Hill. The game simulated armored combat on the Eastern Front of World War II.
What scale did PanzerBlitz use for units?
PanzerBlitz represented units at the company and platoon level. Each hex on the game board measured 250 meters while each turn lasted six minutes.
Who designed PanzerBlitz and when did they sell rights to Avalon Hill?
Jim Dunnigan decided to market Test Series games in 1969 before selling rights to Avalon Hill in 1970. He republished the game with professionally designed components as PanzerBlitz.
How many copies of PanzerBlitz were sold over twenty-five years?
Sales reached an extraordinary figure of 320,000 units over twenty-five years according to designer Jim Dunnigan in 2000. This made it the most successful board wargame in hobby history behind Axis & Allies.
What is Panzerbush Syndrome in PanzerBlitz?
Panzerbush Syndrome refers to a tank ending its movement in a wooded hex becoming invisible unless an enemy unit was directly adjacent. Critics called this phenomenon Panzerbush Syndrome because it allowed units to hop from one woods hex to another without being attacked.