Kriegspiel (1970)

"Kriegspiel is a full-scale wargame between two nations." In the advanced book it says "Of all the games in the Avalon Hill line this game is best suited for introducing novices to the growing science of game strategy." A basic traditional hex and counter turn based wargame, units having combat and movement factors. Combat results are done by computing odds (1-1, 1-2, 3-1, etc) and using a CRT by cross-referencing one of 4 defending strategies and 3 attacking strategies (no dice). Victory is by reducing the opponent to 20 combat factors or occupying all of the opposing cities. Advanced game adds reinforcements, weather, air power, supply, etc.

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

Kriegspiel (1970) Discontinued 1979
Designed by Tom Shaw

The only real innovation here was the attempt to introduce Tom’s highly successful FOOTBALL STRATEGY matrix system into a wargame. He should have left well enough alone. By this time, Tom’s interests were shifting to the business end of the hobby and he had no interest in keeping up with the ‘state of the art’ in the design end. Fortunately for him and for AH, he restricted his talents to marketing hereafter and left wargame design to new faces. The irony in the situation was that Shaw still went out a winner in sense; KRIEGSPIEL sold relatively well right up until the end—topping 86,000 units all told.

Magazine References:

The GENERAL Index Article List:

• The GENERAL Vol.6,No.6
  • “COVER STORY: Kriegspiel - The Stock Market Game” (Commentary)
• The GENERAL Vol.7,No.2
  • The Question Box - Kriegspiel, The Battle of the Bulge, ALL GAMES WITH ZONES OF CONTROL, Blitzkrieg, Waterloo
  • Kriegspiel – “CONTEST NO. 38” (Strategy)
• The GENERAL Vol.7,No.3
  • The Avalon Hill Philosophy - Part 23: The Matrix test - Kriegspiel
  • Kriegspiel – “Game Theory, Attrition, & the Kriegspiel Battle Tables” (Discussion) T.A. Brown
  • Kriegspiel – “Kriegspiel CRT Revisions” (Variant Discussion) Edi Birsan
• The GENERAL Vol.7,No.4
  • Kriegspiel – “Kriegspiel PBM” (Variant Discussion) L. Mitchell Wein
  • The Question Box - Afrika Korps, Kriegspiel, D-Day, Midway, Anzio, The Stock Market Game
• The GENERAL Vol.9,No.2
  • The Question Box - Blitzkrieg, Bismarck, Kriegspiel, D-Day, France, 1940, Midway, Anzio, 1914, Luftwaffe, Jutland
• The GENERAL Vol.10,No.2
  • Kriegspiel – “Advanced Kriegspiel Theory” (Variant Discussion) Mike Shefler
  • The Question Box - OOPS!, Midway, D-Day, Afrika Korps, Kriegspiel, Luftwaffe
• The GENERAL Vol.11,No.4
  • Kriegspiel – “Reader Buyer's Guide Submission Form” (Insert)
• The GENERAL Vol.11,No.5
  • Reader Buyer's Guide - Kriegspiel