Bill and I had a rare games day yesterday which, as always, started with a ritual gorging on an orgy of food at Denny's, and then graduated into a game of the new Axis & Allies (which I'm hoping Bill will review on his site) before moving into a few rounds of Panzer General: Allied Assault, a game that I received for my birthday last month.

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Panzer General is an interesting collaboration between Petroglyph Games and Ubisoft. The World War II strategy title was co-developed for the Xbox 360 (XBLA) and meatspace game market. I only have experience with the physical version of Panzer General, however the Gamers With Jobs discussed the XBLA version shortly after Christmas and seemed to enjoy it.

Gameplay overview
At first glance Panzer General is a dauntingly complex game. When you open the box you are greeted by a huge stack of cards, and an obscene number of cardboard chits. The rulebook only further serves to scare the crap out of new owners: while not as heavy as traditional hex-based wargames, there are so many steps involved in a single turn (combat alone is a 16 step process) that I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. Thankfully, after walking through a couple of turns step-by-step, we were able to set the rule book aside: the game is simple to internalize and becomes very natural in a hurry.

The game, like many modern strategy titles, does not come with a fixed board. Instead, cardboard tiles representing various terrain features (hills, towns, plains, etc) are assembled to create a playing area tailored to specific scenarios. The beginner scenarios are 5x6, however differing sizes and shapes are possible.

Gameplay is completely card-based. You receive an allotment of cards - both actions and units - to begin the game, and are able to replenish your hand at the start of every turn. Unit cards are played onto the map (face down at first, but then exposed when they contact the enemy) while action cards are played when specified (during combat, or as full actions during your turn).

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The first thing that you will notice when playing Panzer General is how cramped the board feels compared to other war games. 5x6 is not a lot of room to maneuver, and so battle lines will be drawn in a hurry. Placement of units becomes crucial, because it is almost too easy to box your own units out of important battle, and render them useless. Thus, planning for the end game is necessary from your very first turn.

Combat is extremely intuitive, but also strategically deep. Both units get a chance to inflict damage on the other with the attacker usually going first. Combat is resolved by comparing the innate attack value of the attacking unit with bonuses for terrain, morale, and support against the defense value of the target combined with bonuses for terrain. Action cards can then be played to further modify the outcome, and finally a small random component is applied to the totals . The results are then tallied up, damage is applied, and if it is still alive the target gets a chance to counter-attack.

The key to most battles is support. Any units that is capable of attacking the target can lend its support value to the fight. Usually these consist of tanks or infantry in direct contact with the target as well as artillery at range. It is very important to establish strong support lines, and not over-extend yourself deep into enemy territory where you are exposed to more fire.

One other important game mechanic is 'prestige'. Prestige is the currency of Panzer General, and is gained by holding territory. You spend your prestige in order to play new units, activate action cards, and draw extra cards at the beginning of your turn. Prestige is collected at the end of each of your turns, and that allowance must last you through your opponents turn as well as your subsequent turn. Running out of prestige in often fatal - action cards can heavily influence battles, and being unable to play them when you get attacked (or are attacking) ensures defeat. (Likewise, running out of cards is not recommended.)

Final thoughts
All in all, Panzer General is a nice change of pace from traditional war games that involve manipulating plastic pieces on a battle field. Once you get your head into the proper mindset and start playing the game for what it is (instead of what you think it should be) its a lot of fun. If I had an Xbox I would certainly be picking up an electronic copy to see how it translates as an online experience.