My board wargame collection.....plus a sports one

[adt70hk]

Good morning all

So as some of you know I did a bit of wargaming in my youf - a bit 1/72 & 1/300 WW2, plus Warhammer Fantasy in quite a big way (none of the 40K stuff, as it didn't exist).

However, the one thing I really got into was board wargaming - usually the hex and counter variety - most of which were published by a US company called Avalon Hill, of which I am sure many of you will have heard.

For those not aware of their games, in most cases, if not all, the Avalon Hill games also contain designer notes and some in-depth historical background info. Most are from their 'Bookcase Game' range, the idea being the boxes were small enough to fit on a bookcase and so take up less room than a lot of game boxes you see.

My mum downsized a couple of years ago and so all of my games came down from her loft after 25+ years and are now back with me. I've thrown some of the cheap and nasty non-Avalon Hill games away though, Junior has shown a bit of interest and so we've played one of the one-player.

I thought I'd share them along with a bit of background info in case you're interested and have not heard of them.

All the best.

Andrew

----------------------

Panzer Blitz (PB), Panzer Leader (PL) and Arab-Israeli Wars (AIW)

• PB started the series and is set on the Eastern front. Published c.1970.
• PL is NWE 44-45 (German, US & British/Commonwealth), with the rules increasing in complexity. (1973/74)
• AIW is the pinnacle of the series and covers all the major Arab-Israeli Conflicts (56, 67 & 73), meaning it covers everything from old WW2 surplus stock to the latest US tanks of the time. The rules are very complicated in comparison to PB and includes AT missiles, helicopters and jet aircraft. This is the game that got me started on board games, after a friend up the road got it and played it with me. The game was published in 1977 but intriguingly it had one 'what if' scenario set in the future......that scenario was a hypothetical Israeli invasion of Lebanon...which of course happened five years later.
• All games are platoon/battery/troop level games, where a hex nominally represents 250m of terrain. All use four generic geomorphic boards - which can be linked up with each other in myriad different ways.  The PB and PL can in theory be used together.

Below are a couple of boards from PL & AIW, as well as some AIW counters, in case you're not familiar with the concept.

Rise and fall of the Third Reich & The Russian Campaign

These aren't part of a 'series' and used fixed maps of actual locations.

Third Reich, as it's name is recreation of the conflict affecting all of Europe, including well past Moscow, as well as the Middle East and the very top of North Africa. It's very much at a strategic level, covering air, sea and land - with unit's perhaps roughly equivalent to entire Army Groups. Neutral countries and Axis Allies are all catered for. Reinforcements are often determined by your countries production, which can be affected by things such as conquered countries and the effect of the U-boat wolf packs. It also has a political angle that, for example, can see Spain or Turkey join the war and France's north African colonies become Free French, rather than Vichy.

The Russian Campaign, I didn't play much but if I recall is a divisional level game - obviously set on the Eastern Front.





Below is the Third Reich map, along with the German, British and French counters.









Squad Leader

As it's name suggests was a small unit game - infantry squads, individual NCOs and officers, individual weapons and vehicles. Like the Panzer Blitz series, it also used geomorphic boards.  This time though a hex nominally represents 40m.  It was set on the Eastern and NWE 44-45 (US only). There were three expansions covering 1939-41 with full for UK and France at that time, as well as expanding the US, German and Soviet Orbats - not that I had any of these







Advanced Squad Leader

As you may guess, the principle is the same as Squad Leader but completely rewritten, albeit it did reuse the boards from Squad Leader in some scenarios - in fact board 20 above is actually an ASL board.

However, You had to buy the rules on their own, which was unusual for Avalon Hill (£50+ at the time).

You then either bought a nice little starter module (US Paras vs Germans in Normandy) or the very large Eastern Front set.  This was the full Russian and German Orbat and is how I started.

There are around around 15 expansions games covering various parts of WW2, of which I have four. To say the rules are complicated is an understatement and they even come in a A4 binder so you could update them as necessary......

As I said the board were similar to SL (see above).  The counters (see below), whilst similar were not interchangeable with SL from what I recall You will see a box that contains nothing but counters.....plus the mammoth rule set.

There was also a Deluxe ASL version where the hexes were about twice the size if I recall correctly.

















One-player games

All the above were two player games, although I think you could have three or four with Third Reich.

However, Avalon Hill also published some one player games of which I have three. Junior and I have played the B17 one, as it's pretty simply by Avalon Hill standards..





Napoleonic games (non-Avalon Hill)

The Napoleonic era was also a big passion for me in my late teens and into my mid-20s, and so I have a couple of games covering that. One for the Waterloo campaign and one for Napoleon's 1809 campaign on the Danube - not a small map at 2m long......







Statis Pro (American Football)

Not everything Avalon Hill I got was war related.

This one was their NFL American Football game - not that I need to tell many of our US based members that.  After each season they released the squads for that year and so I had 1986 - 1989 player rosters.  As you can see I took it quite seriously and I'd keep a coloured coded play-by-play record for each game, so I could work out the stats at the end of the game.

[Tojo72]

Oh man,great memories thanks for posting.I remember all of those war games.The only war games I played though was Axis and Allies.

I still have these sports games from the mid 70's to mid 80's, used to order the Pro Sets every year.I had a good friend who ayed sll the time,I even devised a way to play solo.
I was also big into Strat-O-Matic the board game,and later the computer version up until around 2006.

[stikpusher]

Good stuff Andy! I remember seeing many of those games in stores. I played Squad leader a few times, also have that solo player B-17 game, plus own several other AH board games. I haven't played any of them in many years though.

[chromdome35]

Sitting in my bookshelf.



When I was in 6th grade, I was introduced by one of my cousins to Tobruk from Avalon Hill. I fell instantly in love with it. I used to setup big battles on the dining room table and play both sides because none of my friends were into something so geeky.

I credit Avalon Hill war gaming for my love of computer wargames. To this day I play a variety of PC wargames.

[stikpusher]

Andy and Brian, brothers from different mothers...

[dukemaddog]

Ah yes, the old Avalon Hill games. We have a full set of all those games in our Hobby Day closet available for anyone to pull out and play. I haven't; mostly because I have no one to play against and I spend most of my Hobby Days building my models.

Way to go on an awesome collection and some fantastic memories.

[deafpanzer]

Too cool! I always wanted to play those games but I couldn't find somebody to play with me. Now there are PC games doing those games and my favorite PC game is Panzer General which use similar concept of your broad games?

[kyledehart5]

Aug 17, 2023 11:45:25 GMT -5 Tojo72 said:

Oh man,great memories thanks for posting.I remember all of those war games.The only war games I played though was Axis and Allies.

Man, we played the heck of some Axis and Allies when we were growing up!! Bet it’s still laying around in one of my parents closets somewhere.

[chromdome35]

Aug 18, 2023 11:38:12 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Too cool! I always wanted to play those games but I couldn't find somebody to play with me. Now there are PC games doing those games and my favorite PC game is Panzer General which use similar concept of your broad games?

Panzer General 2 is the bomb, probably my favorite turn-based wargame.

[Joe Rix]

Great thread Andrew. Really like your game collection. Yup, I was an avid wargamer back in high school and college. Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader were my favorites. Speed Circuit got a whole lot of play time between my brother and I. I still have the majority of my games. I had Squad Leader and it's 3 gamettes but, I sold those. I gave my Panzer Blitz to my nieces husband so he and his son could get into wargaming.




But, my most played game of all was Rail Baron. This game has seen hundreds of hours of playing time. My HS friends loved it. My fraternity brothers loved it. And friends and family have loved playing it through the years. It has been a good while since I last played. It's a well worn warrior but, still with me.



Much like every one else, I would love to play but, just no one around to play with anymore.

[stikpusher]

Harpoon?! The genesis of Red Storm Rising…

[Tojo72]

Aug 18, 2023 23:16:32 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Harpoon?! The genesis of Red Storm Rising…

Red Storm Rising,one of my all time favorite books,would have loved to see that one made into a movie

[Joe Rix]

Aug 18, 2023 23:16:32 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Harpoon?! The genesis of Red Storm Rising…

As I recall, this game emerged as a spin off from Red Storm Rising. I absolutely love that book.

[moramartht]

As I recall, this game emerged as a spin off from Red Storm Rising.

That might be the case with the computer game, but the tabletop miniatures game was used by Clancy as a primary reference for "The Hunt for Red October". 

The game's designer, Larry Bond, was co-author of "Red Storm Rising": his name may not be on the cover but it's on the title page.  Bond has gone on to work with other co-authors to produce several series of techno-thrillers with his name on the cover...

Regards,

M 

[stikpusher]

Aug 19, 2023 6:39:44 GMT -5 Tojo72 said:

Aug 18, 2023 23:16:32 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Harpoon?! The genesis of Red Storm Rising…

Red Storm Rising,one of my all time favorite books,would have loved to see that one made into a movie

Same here. Although the book is so sprawling with multiple characters, I think that a mini series would be better. Hollywood has cut out too much of each of the Clancy novels that they did turn into movies. 

[ogrejohn]

Those bring back memories. I think I still have the Squad Leader, Advanced Squad Leader with other add ons, Tactics II, Siege of Jerusalem, Jutland and Panzer Blitz. All are still, I think, in a box in the back of my storage shed. Have not seen them in years.

[adt70hk]

Aug 17, 2023 11:45:25 GMT -5 Tojo72 said:

Oh man,great memories thanks for posting.I remember all of those war games.The only war games I played though was Axis and Allies.

I still have these sports games from the mid 70's to mid 80's, used to order the Pro Sets every year.I had a good friend who ayed sll the time,I even devised a way to play solo.
I was also big into Strat-O-Matic the board game,and later the computer version up until around 2006.

Aug 17, 2023 16:26:48 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

Sitting in my bookshelf.



When I was in 6th grade, I was introduced by one of my cousins to Tobruk from Avalon Hill. I fell instantly in love with it. I used to setup big battles on the dining room table and play both sides because none of my friends were into something so geeky.

I credit Avalon Hill war gaming for my love of computer wargames. To this day I play a variety of PC wargames.

Aug 17, 2023 16:58:15 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Andy and Brian, brothers from different mothers...

Aug 17, 2023 19:42:51 GMT -5 dukemaddog said:

Ah yes, the old Avalon Hill games. We have a full set of all those games in our Hobby Day closet available for anyone to pull out and play. I haven't; mostly because I have no one to play against and I spend most of my Hobby Days building my models.

Way to go on an awesome collection and some fantastic memories.

Aug 17, 2023 16:58:15 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Andy and Brian, brothers from different mothers...

Aug 18, 2023 11:38:12 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

Too cool! I always wanted to play those games but I couldn't find somebody to play with me. Now there are PC games doing those games and my favorite PC game is Panzer General which use similar concept of your broad games?

Aug 18, 2023 21:28:44 GMT -5 Joe Rix said:

Great thread Andrew. Really like your game collection. Yup, I was an avid wargamer back in high school and college. Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader were my favorites. Speed Circuit got a whole lot of play time between my brother and I. I still have the majority of my games. I had Squad Leader and it's 3 gamettes but, I sold those. I gave my Panzer Blitz to my nieces husband so he and his son could get into wargaming.




But, my most played game of all was Rail Baron. This game has seen hundreds of hours of playing time. My HS friends loved it. My fraternity brothers loved it. And friends and family have loved playing it through the years. It has been a good while since I last played. It's a well worn warrior but, still with me.



Much like every one else, I would love to play but, just no one around to play with anymore.

Aug 19, 2023 13:36:57 GMT -5 ogrejohn said:

Those bring back memories. I think I still have the Squad Leader, Advanced Squad Leader with other add ons, Tactics II, Siege of Jerusalem, Jutland and Panzer Blitz. All are still, I think, in a box in the back of my storage shed. Have not seen them in years.

WOW!!

I was expecting some of you to have heard of and played some of the games but I was not expecting so may of you to still have them.....unfortunately most of these are currently up in the loft....just no time to play them....

Thanks again all.

Andrew

[Joe Rix]

WOW!!



I was expecting some of you to have heard of and played some of the games but I was not expecting so may of you to still have them.

Why in the world would you be surprised. Have you not seen our model stashes.

[adt70hk]

Aug 20, 2023 12:50:15 GMT -5 Joe Rix said:

WOW!!



I was expecting some of you to have heard of and played some of the games but I was not expecting so may of you to still have them.

Why in the world would you be surprised. Have you not seen our model stashes.

True..... Let's face it, were just hoarders that dress it up to look like it's a worthwhile pursuit!!!😉🤣

[Joe Rix]

Aug 20, 2023 16:03:11 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

Aug 20, 2023 12:50:15 GMT -5 Joe Rix said:

Why in the world would you be surprised. Have you not seen our model stashes.

True..... Let's face it, were just hoarders that dress it up to look like it's a worthwhile pursuit!!!😉🤣

Hoarders? HOARDERS?!! What sort of blasphemy is this that you speak. It IS a worthwhile pursuit dadgummit! I'm afraid you are destined to burn in hell my friend. In fact it may be time for a visit from the Spanish Inquisition. (You won't be expecting it)   LOL!!

[stikpusher]

Nah, I've been in some hoarder houses, and they are nasty... A modelers stash on the other hand has potential beauty in the long run...

[m1keh]

Hello! A wargamer myself since the early 1980s. I have most that you show on your post up to ASL, I do enjoy SL but ASL I found to be to much. Right now on my table I have Hungarian Nightmare by Against the Odds (ATO) Magazine. While the title Hungarian Nightmare may be a little misleading as the game itself is actually on the battle for Budapest. The picture shown is the opening Soviet barrage on the Castle Hill area on the Buda side of the Danube. Happy gaming to you.

[dupes]

ASL! I played a bunch of that in college. In the army, my copy of Diplomacy got used just about daily. That was a lot easier to haul around on deployments and exercises. Not a lot of pieces to lose, either!

[adt70hk]

Sept 4, 2023 11:48:54 GMT -5 m1keh said:

Hello! A wargamer myself since the early 1980s. I have most that you show on your post up to ASL, I do enjoy SL but ASL I found to be to much. Right now on my table I have Hungarian Nightmare by Against the Odds (ATO) Magazine. While the title Hungarian Nightmare may be a little misleading as the game itself is actually on the battle for Budapest. The picture shown is the opening Soviet barrage on the Castle Hill area on the Buda side of the Danube. Happy gaming to you.

Sept 4, 2023 21:55:04 GMT -5 dupes said:

ASL! I played a bunch of that in college. In the army, my copy of Diplomacy got used just about daily. That was a lot easier to haul around on deployments and exercises. Not a lot of pieces to lose, either!

Thanks guys for checking in and glad I could stir some memories.

Mike - agree about ASL it was VERY complicated. Not heard of the game you have on the table, does it play well?


Andrew

[m1keh]

Sept 5, 2023 12:10:18 GMT -5 adt70hk said:

Sept 4, 2023 11:48:54 GMT -5 m1keh said:

Hello! A wargamer myself since the early 1980s. I have most that you show on your post up to ASL, I do enjoy SL but ASL I found to be to much. Right now on my table I have Hungarian Nightmare by Against the Odds (ATO) Magazine. While the title Hungarian Nightmare may be a little misleading as the game itself is actually on the battle for Budapest. The picture shown is the opening Soviet barrage on the Castle Hill area on the Buda side of the Danube. Happy gaming to you.

Sept 4, 2023 21:55:04 GMT -5 dupes said:

ASL! I played a bunch of that in college. In the army, my copy of Diplomacy got used just about daily. That was a lot easier to haul around on deployments and exercises. Not a lot of pieces to lose, either!

Thanks guys for checking in and glad I could stir some memories.

Mike - agree about ASL it was VERY complicated. Not heard of the game you have on the table, does it play well?


Andrew

I like it, I play solitaire. Area movement game plenty of unknown happenings to make solitaire play interesting. It's a slogging match through city streets, I know that some folks don't like that kind of play, but honestly I do. I also have ATO game Fortress Berlin, another slogging match through a city. Fortress Berlin does have separate solo rules.

[m1keh]

Sept 4, 2023 21:55:04 GMT -5 dupes said:

ASL! I played a bunch of that in college. In the army, my copy of Diplomacy got used just about daily. That was a lot easier to haul around on deployments and exercises. Not a lot of pieces to lose, either!

I served in the Army 81-84, I could not find anyone that even wanted to try a wargame.

[stikpusher]

Sept 5, 2023 12:34:53 GMT -5 m1keh said:

Sept 4, 2023 21:55:04 GMT -5 dupes said:

ASL! I played a bunch of that in college. In the army, my copy of Diplomacy got used just about daily. That was a lot easier to haul around on deployments and exercises. Not a lot of pieces to lose, either!

I served in the Army 81-84, I could not find anyone that even wanted to try a wargame.

Hah, not in my old battalion. Our Scout platoon had the adjoining section of the barracks to ours at one point. On weekends in garrison, a few of their NCOs would convert the common area of their bottom floor into a terrain map for a weekend session of Micro Armor. The game would start after Friday evening chowtime and continue until Sunday afternoon when they would clean it all up. I had a few board war games that I would play with other members of my platoon or company now and again.

[Medicman71]

Aug 19, 2023 13:14:29 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Aug 19, 2023 6:39:44 GMT -5 Tojo72 said:

Red Storm Rising,one of my all time favorite books,would have loved to see that one made into a movie

Same here. Although the book is so sprawling with multiple characters, I think that a mini series would be better. Hollywood has cut out too much of each of the Clancy novels that they did turn into movies. 

The only Clancy movie that isn't crap is Red October.

[Tojo72]

Sept 11, 2023 16:12:22 GMT -5 Medicman71 said:

Aug 19, 2023 13:14:29 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Same here. Although the book is so sprawling with multiple characters, I think that a mini series would be better. Hollywood has cut out too much of each of the Clancy novels that they did turn into movies. 

The only Clancy movie that isn't crap is Red October.

Yeah,but they even scaled that back and deviated greatly from the book.

For entertainment,my favorite was Clear and Present Danger

[stikpusher]

Man I was disappointed by the Clear and Present Danger film. That was one of my favorite of the Jack Ryan bookstand they cut out so much and altered too many bits of the plot line. 
As a stand alone film, it's entertaining. But if you know what is supposed to happen...