This web page exists to answer rules questions for players of Panzer
Tactics. Answers which are official (that is, direct from the publisher
or the designer) are marked like this; other answers are the best guesses of staffers here at
THE MINIATURES PAGE.
In general, players who think they have found a rules problem with
Panzer Tactics should read the Sequence of Play
section of the rules (pgs. 3 & 4) once again. Several important rules are
mentioned only there.
If you have rules questions, please
email them to us and we'll try to get an official answer for you.
Q: On pg. 18 in paragraph f2, there is a rule which mentions "If the turret is
facing a different direction than the hull..." Does turret facing matter in
this game, and if so, could you explain those rules?
A: This rule was put in to satisfy the complaint that a tank that is firing
to its rear or side must have its turret pointing that way, and hence if hit
from the the tank's front arc the turret must have been hit in the rear or side.
This is the only time turret-facing matters in the game.
Q: During the Second Movement Phase, only pedestal-mounted artillery
and anti-tank guns may pivot. Which guns have pedestals, and which do not?
A: This was an oversight on my part. Pedestal mounts are flak mounts.
The German 88mm and 40mm Bofors are the most famous pedestal-mounted guns.
The basic requirement to count as pedestal mounted is to be able to traverse
360 degrees without having to lift the gun trail. One notable additional
pedestal-mounted, non-flak gun is the British 25lb'er artillery piece.
Q: Should crews for towed weapons be represented on the tabletop? If so, what
basing do you recommend?
A: On pg 6. in paragraph d, the crews are recommended to be one team (1/2" x 1/2"
counter) for guns up to 75mm and two teams for larger guns.
Q: Two movement rates are provided for vehicles -- Road and Cross-Country.
Are they used exclusively, or can a vehicle mix both types of movement in the same phase?
A: The road and cross country movement can be mixed.
Q: The rule says that fireteams armed with "heavy weapons" may not ride atop
tanks. Which infantry weapons are considered "heavy"?
A: This is an oversight on my part. Heavy weapons are mortars, MMG and HMG.
Generally, if the weapon is found at the squad level (rifle, SMG, PanzerFaust,
LMG, Bazooka), it is not a heavy weapon.
Q: As per the rule on pg. 9, if a vehicle attempts to spot to the rear or
side, or if a vehicle attempts to spot a moving target, the range to spot
dug-in guns or prone infantry is halved. If both conditions are true (i.e.,
target is moving and to the rear), is the range quartered?
A: Oops, this was a very bad sentence on my part! It should read more like:
Vehicles attempting to spot units to their sides or rear have the ranges
listed in 1), 2) and 3) halved. Moving vehicles attempting to spot also
halve the ranges in 1), 2) and 3). Moving vehicles attempting to spot to
their sides or rear have the ranges quartered.
Q: On pg. 12, it mentions that on-board artillery may send observers up to 50
meters forward to spot for them. Is this observer an actual figure for
purposes of play, and if so, can it be fired upon?
A: It is indeed an actual figure. I have seen a game where enemy counterbattery
fire got the observer but not the artillery.
Q: Also on pg. 12, it says that the response time for artillery varies from
scenario to scenario, at the choice of the scenario designer. It would
help if you could provide some ballpark figures.
A: The U.S and Germans were the most advanced in their use of radios. I
typically let their artillery respond in 1-2 turns. Soviets vary from
not even having the ability to correct artillery fire (map fire only) to
perhaps 3 turns. Other nationalities, 2-3 turns.
Q: When correcting fire, the rule on pg. 13 says that the fire "...may be
directed to any position within the span of the artillery grid." Am I correct
in interpreting this as meaning fire may be adjusted in 1 1/2" increments
lengthwise, and in 1" increments of deflection, up to the maximums listed on
the Artillery Grid table?
A: Yes.
Q: Am I correct in thinking that the "width per battery" column on the chart
on pg. 14 only applies to several batteries controlled by the same observer?
A: Yes.
Q: I don't understand the rules for laying smoke (on pg. 14). For instance,
are the "puffs" laid down as to fill the artillery template, or is each puff
the same size as a normal template?
A: I use the cotton puffs available at most pharmacies for smoke. The puff is
a ball about 1 inch across. Put the puffs within the artillery template
until full.
Q: When making fire rolls, the rule says that "...numbers whose one's digit is
less than or equal to the sum of the modifiers..." are misses. This would seem
to mean that a roll of "0" on the one's die would be a miss, but the example
given shows otherwise.
A: Please count a zero on the one's digit as a ten :)
The phrase should read:
"... numbers whose one's digit is in the range 1 to the sum of the modifiers
... are misses.
Q: I have a feeling that I don't understand the Command Control rule on pg.
20. It seems to say that if I have a platoon of 5 radio-equipped tanks, they
could form a chain of units in which each was 15" apart, and still be in
command control.
Diagram: TANK A --15"-- TANK B --15"-- TANK C --15"-- TANK D --15"-- TANK E
A: The Command Control range is for the PLATOON. Hence the tanks in your
example must be within a 15" distance. Please change the line:
The contact distance for various types of units is determined by the number
of unit in the platoon.
TO:
The maximum frontage for various types of
platoons is determined by the number of units in the platoon.
Q: The Orders rule (pgs. 20, 21) says that explicit orders should be given to
every company, such as "advance up the road." Can the Orders include
provisional instructions, as for instance, "if an enemy is encountered, hold in place"?
A: Yes. Orders can be anything that a real-life commander might say.
Q: Let's say that a company has orders to "advance up the road," but it soon
becomes evident that enemy guns are placed ahead and that it is suicide to
advance. Must the company advance anyway, even though there has not been time
to receive new Orders?
A: I always let players take the option of "stop, communicate new information
to higher command, await orders". This can lead to teeth gnashing by
higher command when the player on the spot is more cautious than his
commander. But that is the way of the world.
Q: On the Large Bore Direct Fire Hit Modifiers chart, there is a Mod of 1
listed for moving more than 1". There is also a Mod of 1 listed for moving
more than 3". Are the Mods cumulative? Also, do these Mods apply to the target only?
A: The modifiers are cumulative and apply only to the target. The firer's movement
modifier is always 4 if they move, pivot, or will move in the second
movement phase.
Q: The HE vs. Hard Targets chart makes a distinction between "open" and
"closed" AFV's. Am I correct that "open" means a fighting vehicle without
overhead armor (and not an "unbuttoned" tank)? It would be nice if the data
charts listed which vehicles were open or closed, though players should be
able to look at their miniatures and figure this out...
A: Open AFV are indeed open-topped vehicles such as American tank destroyers.
On the scale of PANZER TACTICS individual tanks are assumed to have the
common sense to button up at the first sound of incoming artillery.
Q: Could you explain how the Angle Template is used?
A: The Angle template has several uses.
- The most common use is determining if a shot is hitting the front, side
or rear of a vehicle. Recall that the front of the vehicle subtends 90
degrees.
- The ATG and assault guns have a 60-degree arc of fire to their front.
- Suppressive fire and fire by automatic weapons at several targets have a
30-degree arc. There is no 30-degree arc marked on the template, but recall that
30 is half of 60 and that the 60-degree arc has a center line.
Q: The sequence of play says that A declares attacks, then B declares attacks.
But are the attacks resolved in that order, or simultaneously?
A: As stated at the bottom of pg. 3, fire effects take place simultaneously at
the end of each sub-phase.
Q: In the Movement rules on pg. 6, it says that infantry move in the First
Movement Phase, and embark/disembark during the Second Movement Phase. Does
this mean that infantry cannot embark/disembark during the First Movement
Phase?
A: No, infantry can embark/disembark in either Movement Phase, as per the
explanation of the First Movement Phase on pg. 3.
Q: It says on pg. 13 that an observer can correct fire and fire for effect on
the same turn. Does this mean that a spotting round can land, fire can be
corrected, and fire for effect occur all in the same Artillery Phase?
A. No (see the explanation of the Artillery Phase on pg. 3). The observer
corrects and requests the "fire for effect," but the results do not apply
until after the usual artillery-request delay (at least one turn).
Q. Since the rules for preregistration are listed in the Observed Fire section
of the rules, does this mean Map Fire cannot use preregistered points?
A. No. The rules on pg. 12 specifically mention that Map Fire can take
advantage of preregistered points.