The Second World War, Battlegroup Panzergrenadier, 20mm

The new edition of Battlegroup Panzergrenadier came out recently, and this was my first chance to try out the new-look rules. Quite a few things have changed, so we decided to stage a fairly small encounter game, on a 6×4 foot table. Most of the toys were mine, although Dougie Trail supplied the German halftracks. The fictitious engagement was set in the days after the Salerno landing, as elements of the US 36th Infantry Division held the southern flank of the beachhead against probes by the 26th Panzer Division. The key to the sector was a bridge over the Calore River, which both sides wanted to control.The first thing you notice with the new rules is the command system – activation is both more complicated, and more subtle. Due to poor die rolls some of my armour milled around south of the bridge, failing every activation roll for several turns. Still, when the Germans tried to send tanks over the bridge a lucky shot from a Sherman turned the leading Pz. IV into burning scrap.  The battle then bogged down into what appeared like a desultory shooting match, with the Pz. III (below) leading a charmed life. Then the Germans launched a fearsome infantry charge across the bridge, trying to gain a foothold in the small orchard on its far side. Most of the attackers were pinned or forced to retreat, and the defending GIs held on – just. As the game ended the German foothold was still there, but the Americans had finally managed to move up their supporting tanks, and it was clear the engagement would end in stalemate. At that point we decided to call it a day.Well, the rules have their quirks – and we spent a lot of time looking things up. The thing is, we were all so well-versed in the 1st edition that we rarely needed to consult the rules – we simply played everything off the playsheets. We couldn’t really do that in this game, especially when we discovered the playsheets were sometimes at odds with the rules in the book!Still, the overall impression was one of improvement. Games aren’t quick – compared to a Rapid Fire one at the next table it was positively turgid. However, it did give the impression of being realistic, and above all we thoroughly enjoyed playing it. Next time, we’ll all have a better idea of what to expect, and with luck we’ll give the Nazis a real thumping!

Tags: Battlegroup Panzergrenadier