Panzer first play - basic game

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Saturday game day, a nice change from the usual Sunday game day. My usual hex and counter opponent showed up with a bag of interesting games we'd both like to play, including Panzer. I've had the game for years but it's still in shrink, I haven't take the time to crack it open and learn the rules. What better time than today?

We set up Scenario 1 using Basic Game rules. As we quickly found out, the Basic Game is a little too basic. I took the Germans and had 60% of my force eliminated on Turn 2, with no damage on the Soviet opposing force. That's pretty much game over. What we missed in that situation was using the "Overwatch" command, which is more or less opportunity fire. Facing in the Basic game is either front or rear, which also really limited any effects.

Overall we like the game, and want to play it again, but we'll be going for the Advanced rules in the next game.

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What to play next?

Deciding what to play next is always a tough call when faced with a closet full of games, all of which were purchased with intent to play. Here's one I'm dealing with the decision.

  • Something New: this means both something new to me and a game which has been published recently, within the last two or three years.
  • Something Classic: I've acquired a number of games properly considered "classic" which haven't yet been played. The current example would be PanzerGruppe Guderian.
  • Something Again: mastery requires constant practice, which means playing games many, many times to allow nuance to appear.
  • Something Vietnam: as I'm on a Vietnam binge. I don't have all the Vietnam games ever published, but I can say that I have a lot of them, and probably more than most people.
  • Something Obscure: as it's fun to poke around in the dustier corners of game design.
  • Something Different: break away from the same old publishers and try a game from one of the new kids on the block. Or, conversely, dip into legacy with a classic tried and true.
  • Something Light: once in a while it's nice to actually finish a game all the way through in one sitting, in an hour or two.
  • Something Heavy: if possible, it's nice to set up something big and complicated which can be left out for days or weeks or even months, for a leisurely stroll through a very large or long game.

There are surely many more ways to choose, but the above method keeps me busy enough, helps me get both breadth and depth into my play, and provides me with a sense of progress.

The odd man out

When there is an odd man out:

  • Have a solo game ready to play.
  • Keep score or advise on a game in progress.
  • Referee a game in progress.