Rommel's Panzers is a board wargame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1980 that simulates combat in North Africa in 1941.
Rommel's Panzers is a board wargame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1980 that simulates combat in North Africa in 1941.
Rommel's Panzers is a two-player game featuring tactical combat in 1941–42 in the North African desert between the Afrika Korps of Erwin Rommel and British forces. [1] It was the first historical game by Metagaming Concepts, which to that point had specialized in fantasy and science fiction games, [2] and was the first of five microgames in MetaGaming's MicroHistory series of Microgames. The game rules include ten scenarios.
The microgame game box contains: [2]
The counters represent:
Units are set up according to the scenario. Turns are divided into: [2]
Metagaming Concepts entered the games industry in 1974 with the science fiction game Stellar Conquest , and followed this with other science fiction and fantasy microgames such as Ogre , G.E.V. , Melee , and Wizard . In 1980, Metagaming published their first historical simulation, Rommel's Panzers, a microgame designed by Roger Damon. Metagaming followed this with the four other games in the MicroHistory series: Ram Speed: Naval Warfare in the Bronze Age , Stalin's Tanks: Armor Battles on the Russian Front, The Fury of the Norsemen , and Fire When Ready. [3]
In The Space Gamer No. 30., Nick Schuessler thought the game a bit simplistic, but concluded, "Rommel's Panzers plays it safe with tried and true systems, no infantry, and no terrain. [...] If you don't own any other WWII tactical games, Rommel's Panzers provides a good introduction to this level of play at a reasonable price." [1]
In Issue 28 of Phoenix , Paul King found the components a bit primitive, with misprinted coordinates on the map, and misprinted counters. However, he found the rules easy to assimilate, especially if the scenarios were played in order, since new rules were introduced in successive scenarios. He also thought that "As a tank simulation, even if you know little of tank warfare, you become aware of what is right and wrong. A mad rush by all available tanks will achieve little even in the face of a few emplaced guns." He concluded on a positive note, saying, "the game adheres to Metagaming's principles — quick and easy to play. As a new venture for the firm this is a good game, covering a theatre which has had little exposure at the tactical level." [2]
OGRE is a science fiction board wargame designed by the American game designer Steve Jackson and published by Metagaming Concepts in 1977 as the first microgame in its MicroGame line. When Steve Jackson left Metagaming to form his own company, he took the rights to OGRE with him, and all subsequent editions have been produced by Steve Jackson Games (SJG).
G.E.V. is a science fiction board wargame that simulates combat in the near future between supertanks and other futuristic weaponry. The game was designed by American game designer Steve Jackson as a sequel to his Ogre board game when he was working for Metagaming Concepts. When Jackson left Metagaming to form his own company, he took the rights to both G.E.V. and Ogre with him, and all subsequent editions have been produced by Steve Jackson Games.
PanzerBlitz is a tactical-scale board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1970 that simulates armored combat set on the Eastern Front of World War II. The game, which was the most popular board wargame of the 1970s, is notable for being the first true board-based tactical-level, commercially available conflict simulation wargame. It also pioneered several concepts that would become industry standards.
The Arab-Israeli Wars, subtitled "Tank Battles in the Mideast 1956–73", is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1977 that simulates various battles during the Suez Crisis, Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War.
Hitler's War is a strategic level World War II war game for 2 or 3 players, first published by Metagaming Concepts in 1981, and then by Avalon Hill in 1984.
A microgame is a board game or wargame packaged in a small set.
WarpWar is a science fiction board wargame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1977 that simulates interstellar combat. It was the fourth in Metagaming's MicroGame series.
Melee is a board wargame designed by Steve Jackson, and released in 1977 by Metagaming Concepts. In 2019, Melee was revived and re-released by Steve Jackson Games.
Chitin: I is a science fiction microgame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1977 in which bands of intelligent insects vie for resources.
StarGate is a science fiction board game published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1979 in which players wage combat via spaceships.
Vector 3 is a science fiction combat microgame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1979.
Artifact is a science fiction microgame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1980 as part of its MicroGame line that simulates combat on the moon over a recovered alien artifact.
Titan Strike!, subtitled "Battle for the Moon of Saturn," is a science fiction board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1979 that is set on Titan, one of Saturn's moons.
Olympica, subtitled "The U.N. Raid on Mars, 2206 A.D.", is a science fiction microgame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1978.
Invasion of the Air-eaters is a science fiction near-future board wargame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1979 in which aliens invaders attempt to replace the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere with sulfur dioxide.
Ram Speed, subtitled "Naval Warfare in the Bronze Age", is a two-player microgame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1980 that simulates naval combat between galleys in the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age when the preferred method of attack was ramming a ship.
Dimension Demons is a science fiction board wargame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1981 as part of its MicroGame line.
Prochorovka: Armor at Kursk is a board wargame published by Task Force Games in 1979 that attempts to simulate the 1943 Battle of Prokhorovka.
Starleader: Assault! is a science fiction microgame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1982 that was designed to introduce the rules of combat with firearms for a forthcoming science fiction role-playing game that did not get published before Metagaming went out of business.
Panzer '44: Tactical Combat in Western Europe, 1944–45 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates historical tank combat during World War II.