In today’s gaming landscape, every respectable publisher aims to offer a game focused on tank warfare. Warlord is no exception; they recently released the game Achtung Panzer! Gordon took on the responsibility of introducing us to its rules.
UMPIRING: Gordon Smith
1. Forces.
2. The Game.
First, let’s discuss the game mechanics. Each player controls a tank, which has its point value based on factors like armament and crew training. This information is presented on the vehicle cards, which I believe is one of the game's strongest features. The cards are very legible and contain all the necessary details. Additionally, players select extra "national" cards that provide special support or tactics relevant to their respective nations. Each side also draws cards for special events that can influence their vehicles or those of the enemy. The game uses standard six-sided dice (D6) for gameplay.
Let's move on to our game. Gordon has prepared a scenario for urban combat, where the British tanks are tasked with clearing the city of enemy positions, such as ambush sites and strongpoints. For each point cleared, the British earn 1 point, while the Germans earn 2 points for each British tank they destroy. Each side started the game with two tanks, but we drew a reinforcements card at the beginning, allowing us to enter the battle with three tanks: a Cromwell II, a Sherman, and a Comet, against two Panzer IVs. From the start, we focused on clearing enemy positions. The progress was slow, but we achieved some successes. Eventually, the German tanks got close enough to pose a real threat, and the fight began.
The battle began with a clash between David's Churchill tank and several Panzer IVs. Unfortunately, the British tank was equipped with a weak cannon and was unable to pose a threat to the German tanks. David managed to retreat, and from that point on, his objective was to clear out resistance points while avoiding direct tank combat. Then, my Sherman tank entered the fray. I fired at Michael's tank but missed. In retaliation, the German tank fired back, successfully hitting and destroying the British tank. Fortunately, a new Churchill tank arrived on the scene, this one equipped with a better cannon. It aimed at Michael's tank and destroyed it. Meanwhile, Andy was engaged in combat with Alasdair's tank using his Comet. Alasdair seriously damaged Andy's tank, and when a Tiger tank joined the fight, Andy decided to retreat. At that moment, my Churchill successfully fired at Alasdair's tank and destroyed it. The attention of the German tanks was diverted towards us, allowing David to continue clearing resistance points in the city without being harassed. In the end, we finished the game with a decisive British victory.
In conclusion, I wanted to share my thoughts about the game. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I found that there were too many markers and cards. For a casual club night, I would choose a different game. However, I highly recommend it for a longer gaming session. We didn't utilize all the rules, focusing instead on the basics. At first, it took us some time to grasp the mechanics, and the number of cards felt overwhelming. But as we played, everything started to flow much more smoothly. We plan to play a few more games with these rules, and hopefully, they will become clearer to us with time.
3. Links.
FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720321963940
