Panzer Leader (1974)

From the back of the box: "Panzer Leader lets you re-create all of the fast, furious action of tactical armored combat on the western front during World War II. Rules of play consider aspects of tactical armored warfare such as gun ranges, target elevation, indirect artillery fire, fortifications, roadblocks, minefields, close air support, naval support fire, engineer demolition, and opportunity fire."

Avalon Hill Complexity Rating - 7

Sister game to PanzerBlitz

Components

• 384 British, US, and German counters
• 4 boards
• 20 scenarios
• Terrain Effects Chart (two-sided)
• Combat Results Chart
• Rules of Play and Designer's Notes booklet
• 1 six-sided die

Expanded by:

• Panzer Leader 1940
• Panzer Leader - For King and Country

From "The Avalon Hill General Index and Company History, 1952-1980"

Panzer Leader (1974) Revised 1975
Freelance design revised by Avalon Hill
Designed by Dave Clark & N/A
Development by Randall Reed
Box art by W. Scott Moores

A West Front exploitation of the PANZERBLITZ system did very well in terms of both sales and gamer appreciation. It was far from perfect though and regrettably changed the scale of the original game so that the pieces did not really interchange smoothly. The revision was limited to the scenario cards of the first edition. Another member of the 100,000 sales club.

Wargamer microbadges:

Magazine References:

The GENERAL Index Article List

• The GENERAL Vol.12,No.3
  • The Question Box - Panzer Leader Unknown
• The GENERAL Vol.12,No.6
  • PanzerBlitz/Panzer Leader – “Weather or Not?” (Variant) Roy Easton, Norman Kluksdahl
  • Question Box – Panzer Leader
• The GENERAL Vol.13,No.5
  • PanzerBlitz / Panzer Leader – “Battles in Germany, 1948” (Variant) Mick (Mike) Uhl
• The GENERAL Vol.14,No.1
  • Panzer Leader – “The Red Ball Express - Logistics in Panzer Leader” (Scenario) Elwood Carlson
• The GENERAL Vol.14,No.6
  • Panzer Leader – “Abstract Panzerleader - Applying Tom Oleson's Panzerblitz Situation 13 to Panzer Leader” (Variant) Robert Chiang
• The GENERAL Vol.15,No.2
  • Panzer Leader, Panzer Leader 1940 – “Panzer Leader 1940” (Designer Notes) Ramiro Cruz
• The GENERAL Vol.15,No.6
  • Panzer Leader 1940, Panzer Leader – “Further Considerations For Panzer Leader 1940” (Design Commentary/Variant) Ronald A. Bell*
• The GENERAL Vol.16,No.3
  • Panzer Leader – “Panzer Leader: An Overview” (Design Commentary/Strategy) Jeffrey Paul Jones
  • Panzer Leader – “Panzer Leader Play By Mail Record Sheets” (Insert)
• The GENERAL Vol.16,No.5
  • PanzerBlitz/Panzer Leader – “More Bangs Per Buck - Unit Effectiveness Ratings For PanzerBlitz and Panzer Leader” (Commentary) Gene Boggess
• The GENERAL Vol.17,No.5
  • Panzer Leader – “The Evolution of Strategy - A Still Evolving Analysis of Panzer Leader Scenarios” (Strategy) David S. Bieksza
• The GENERAL Vol.20,No.2
  • Panzer Leader, Panzer Leader 1940 – “PARA-LEADER: Adding Paratroopers to Panzer Leader” (Scenarios) By Oscar Oates
• The GENERAL Vol.23,No.2
  • Panzer Leader – “The Pieces of Panzer Leader: A Unit-by-Unit Review” (Commentary) By Robert C. Clark
• The GENERAL Vol.25,No.3
  • PanzerBlitz, Panzer Leader, The Arab-Israeli Wars – “The King of Battle- Artillery in the PanzerBlitz Series” (Variant) Carl Schwamberger
  • Panzer Leader – “A Rock and a Hard Place - Panzer Leader Situation #12” (Strategy) Steve Wheeler
• The GENERAL Vol.28,No.3
  • PanzerBlitz, Panzer Leader– “Panzer Hunters - Tactical Air Support Rules for PanzerBlitz, Panzer Leader” (Variant Discussion) Carl Schwamberger
• The GENERAL Vol.28,No.4
  • Panzer Leader – “The Battle of Arracourt -New Scenarios for Panzer Leader” (Scenarios) Alan R. Arvold
  • Panzer Leader – “PL-PBM-EZ- A Complete PBM system for Panzer Leader” (Variant) Ray Freedman and Al Thomas
• The GENERAL Vol.30,No.3
  • Panzer Leader – “The Panzer Leader at Arracourt (Part I)-Situation 28-4/1 Lezey: The Germans Attack” (Strategy) Steven B. Wheeler
• The GENERAL Vol.30,No.4
  • Panzer Leader – “The Panzer Leader at Arracourt (Part II)-Situation 28-4/2 Ommerey: Duel of Commanders” (Strategy) Steven B. Wheeler
• The GENERAL Vol. 31,No.1
  • Panzer Leader – “The Panzer Leader at Arracourt (Part III)-Situation 28-4/3 Juvelize: The Finale” (Strategy) Steven B. Wheeler

Panzerfaust and Campaign Article Index:

• Number 72 Mar-Apr 1976
  • Panzer Leader - "Defending Omaha Beach" (Strategy), Jeffery Paul Jones
• Number 76 November-December 1976
  • Panzer Leader - "Conquering the Reichswald" (Strategy), Jeffery Paul Jones
• Number 77 January-February 1977
  • Panzer Leader / Panzer '44 - "From Panzer Leader to Pz44 and Back Again" (Review), Patrick A. Flory

Campaign Article Index:

• Number 83, January-February 1978
  • Panzer Leader - "Panzer Leader: Encirclement of Nancy" (Strategy), Jeffery Paul Jones