"Panzer Korps rules review" Topic

Not a new set, but I picked these up a few months ago and I really like them. Not easy to get into but well worth it (in my humble) – Division scale forces, or a Corps if you are ambitious.

link

(There's an AAR there too).

That's a very useful review. Thank you.

Thanks, also enjoyed the Epsom AAR on your site.

John – thanks very much for your interesting and helpful review. Over the last few years my tastes have gravitated away from company level games towards larger scale battles because, like you, I want to try to recreate the actions I read about. I have been aware of the set for a while, but never seen it in the flesh or even a review before. Based on your summary, I think I will give it a try.

I also liked the Epsom AAR, although the frequent "panic" results jar a bit. To my mind panic implies running from the field in complete disarray with command broken down. Maybe it is just an issue of rules terminology but "pushed back", "driven out" or "retreated in disorder" sound better to me!

Thanks again.

Thank you for your thoughtful review. I've been wondering about these rules for a while, and it's helpful to get a thorough gaming review.

Cheers,

Christopher

Great review of a good system! I've also found that the rules reward tactics and the use of combined arms by the players, and you can combine the attached companies for good effect. For example, say you want a unit to hold a position and you expect it to take some real heat -- attach a Medical Company and a Decorated Leader to give it resilience. Of perhaps you have an armor unit on a break through mission -- don't forget to attach a scout company, etc.

Ok, how long should one division per side take to play?

Some Chicken – you make a fair point. I used the term "panic" in the AAR because that is the term used in the rules. But it is not a final fleeing from the field in a rabble, as the word suggests – it means that the formation could no longer hold its position and had to fall back. Unlike "panic" in the rule sets we are all used to, the formation automatically turns to face and stops running after the initial withdrawal, and given enough time without taking a lot more fire it can regroup and push forward again. It is as effective as before, except that it has lost a "life" and if this happens too often (more than three times for Veterans, only once for Militia) then it will no longer stop its withdrawal and will retreat from the field. Even here it is not total "panic" with troops throwing away their rifles and haring in all directions – the unit can recover overnight and is available for later campaign battles.

So "panic" is probably not the ideal word – your suggestion of "withdraw in disorder" may be better. But whatever the terminology, this is an important mechanism to simulate the real-life behaviour of battalions which did indeed withdraw, regroup and come back again, but eventually had had enough and moved back out of the fight.

vtsaogames – I was playing solo, and learning the rules as I went along; I was able to leave the game set up, and as I only have an hour or so a day it took a week or more elapsed. But I would say that a one-day Division-a-side could be completed in half a day or a long evening – say 4-6 hours, maybe less. Once the rules are learned they are pretty simple to execute, and I was getting through the turns much faster by the end of the battle. The fact that each battalion has only one "shot" per turn makes a huge difference. Similarly movement is quick because the exact position of the component companies is not critical. Contrast this with Spearhead where you have to worry about the position and firing of each platoon.