SPI's Panzergruppe Guderian?

[Doughboy]

How many of you cut you teeth on the old Jim Dunnigan's Panzergruppe Guderian game from SPI? It was one of the pioneering games of the eastern front that focused on the German army's attempt to capture Smolensk while at the same just so happen to pocket several large Soviet armies. It had everything going for it, untried Soviet units, overrun, armored exploitation. It is probably one of the few east front games that best portray the flow and nature of the high mobility battlefield that so typified the Russian Campaign.

Still considered a favorite by most core wargamers and as a result of the successful game engine design was used in a number of fairly successful followup games by the same company. Notably these games included a couple of east front quads (does anyone remember the names?) and various other titles.

The game was latter picked by Avalon Hill who went ahead and mounted the map, otherwise the game was unchanged. Also heard that it is being spruced by L2 Design for re release; a definite classic. By the way I would love to grab copies of the those other east front quads based on this system.

 

[Boonierat]

Ahah, I still have it at home! with it's unfamous map crests making staking nearly impossible :laugh: wasn't it the first wargame ever to introduce the movement/attack/exploitation sequence? Cobra, still one of my favourite game, was based on the same system.

 

[Doughboy]

Yes, and from what I gather it was followed up by a number of games using the same engine; among are:Kharkov, Cobra, 4 Battles of Army Group South (Kiev, Korsun, Rostov, Operation Star), Drive on Stalingrad and maybe a few others. I think the Quad modules were a great idea, I wonder if they did quads for Army Group Center and North? Perhaps this is something Art from L2 should look into?

Ahah, I still have it at home! with it's unfamous map crests making staking nearly impossible :laugh: wasn't it the first wargame ever to introduce the movement/attack/exploitation sequence? Cobra, still one of my favourite game, was based on the same system.

 

[Narses]

If you like Drive on Stalingrad, Decision games has done a redesign of it that works great and has two seperate scenarios (the German drive and the Russian counterattack). Some issues ago Strategy and Tactics magazine re-released a couple of the Army Group South Games (Rostov and Kiev)- issue #188 if my memories is right.

I actually started wargaming after Guderian and have never played it. I expect to buy the L2 re-release when it comes out. I really enjoyed their Russian Campaign re-do.

 

[trauth116]

I believe, too, the Operation Typhoon game SPI came out with ( a small monster game) -was also based on the PGG system -although it was a little modified. with a strength rating based upon an A,B and sometimes C ... for all units but Panzer Battalions.

 

[Aries]

I would not mind seeing this design re enter the board gaming market.

Played the AH mounted version in the way back when.

Sure plenty of computer games can emulate plenty of battles.
But occasionally I just want to play the game on a table

 

[Doughboy]

Computers are nice and can probably do the game well but, its simply not the same. You have an extemely myopic view of a large map. The beauty of these games is the layout of the map and the disposition of your forces. With these large maps you have the ability to walk around the table to see different opportunities not obvious from one angle. Plus, these games are blast solitarie. :smoke:

[Dr. Cuza meets the Demon of the Keep and explains Nazi aims to exterminate the Jews of Europe]
Dr. Cuza: Then, what you sense is my fade in a death camp?
Molasar: A place where people gather to die.
Dr. Cuza: A place where people are murdered!
Molasar: My people are murdered?
Dr. Cuza: Yes! And others, from all over Europe!
Molasar: Who does this?
Dr. Cuza: Their Leader... in Berlin. And the soldiers in black.
Molasar: I WILL DESTROY THEM!

The Keep

I would not mind seeing this design re enter the board gaming market.

Played the AH mounted version in the way back when.

Sure plenty of computer games can emulate plenty of battles.
But occasionally I just want to play the game on a table

 

[Doughboy]

Since there is real appreciation for Panzergruppe Guderian, you may want to see this online magazine. You need Adobe Acrobat to read it.

http://fmg-www.cs.ucla.edu/tek/games/misc/spirev1.pdf

[Paden has gotten his horse back and they're "kissing" each other]
Cavalry Sgt.: How do I know this is your horse?
Paden: Can't you see this horse loves me?
Cavalry Sgt.: I had a gal do that to me. It didn't make her my wife.

Silverado

 

[Doughboy]

here's Jim Tracy's site on a playtest game of L2's Panzergruppe Guderian:
http://privatewars.kyth.org/l2's_pgg_playtest.htm

:smoke:

 

[Priest]

I played the AH version as well, seems like the movement points were a bit on the excessive side...but, an enjoyable game,

 

[Aries]

Thanks for those links Doughboy.

 

[thunderdrake]

Definitely have to agree that Panzer Gruppe Guderian is a classic! I always thought that SPI used the operational level scale pioneered in PGG as the basis for its best games including Cobra and the wonderful Battles for the Ardennes Quadrigame which gives you both the 1940 and 1944 Campaigns in France. There were always a few changes but if you could play PGG you could play a lot of great wargames. Fortunately, Decision Games is bringing back a lot of SPIs stuff which introduced me to the hobby and got me reading history.