The latest release from Warlord Games is only days away! Achtung Panzer! ditches the conventions of Bolt Action: Tank War and creates its own unique experience. There are going to be a lot of comparisons to Tank War and I’ll do my best to highlight the similarities (few) and differences (many). Even after a single read of the rulebook it’s already clear – Tank War walked so Achtung Panzer could run.

Impressions

Measure at any point – This may seem like a small thing but I applaud Warlord Games for making it clear right up front that in this game you can measure any thing at any time. That is a massive win. It’s never been a great feeling to lose a game because your opponent is better at eyeballing 18″ than you are. Players having access to information is a good thing. The contest should be decided by better tactics, not a better read of distances.

Clean LoS rules – Line of Sight is possibly the number one cause of disagreements during any tabletop game. Achtung Panzer! is doing what it can to end those arguments before they even start. All tanks have 360 LoS. All LoS is traced from the commander’s hatch/cupola. The commander’s hatch/cupola is marked out on the Datacard for each Tank. The system is glorious in its simplicity.

Boy that’s a lot of terminology – Yes this is a new game. No I have never played it before. But my word there are a lot of terms thrown at you in this book. Within the first 10 pages of the Achtung Panzer! Rulebook we are introduced to Crew Caliber (Low, Medium, High), Crew Grade Stars, Crew Grade (Green, Trained, Veteran, Ace), Crew Roles (Commander, Gunner, Driver), and Crew Advantages. It is … a lot. I do fully admit my Bolt Action baggage that I need to drop. I have Inexperienced, Regular and Veteran in my mind and I need to shake that.

It took me a couple rereads of the Crew rules (grabbing a Tank Datacard helped) and it actually all lines up shockingly well. It’s more of a step-by-step process than many of us may be used to but your Tank Platoon comes together much smoothly than I first anticipated. I am really impressed with the force creation.

Front-end setup – Unlike Tank War, there is some hefty front-end setup required before the game can begin. This is a good thing. Tank War offers so few options to players when building a Platoon and your force often feels a bit bland. No such issue here! Each of your individual Tanks can be one of three Crew Calibers (Low, Medium or High) and each crew member (Commander, Gunner, Driver) can have a different grade (Green, Trained, Veteran or Ace). Thus, in your Platoon you could have a Medium Caliber Sherman Firefly with a Veteran Commander, a Trained Gunner and a Green Driver. Your second Firefly can be completely different. Each Tank and Crew will have their own strengths and weaknesses. It’s more than just the Tank itself – it’s also those aboard.

All of this is to say, although the set-up and prep might take a little bit more time than you anticipated, it’s all worth it. There is a real richness to Tank Platoon creation that only becomes more rewarding with repeat play.

Campaign play – And that brings us to the star of Achtung Panzer! The campaign system. To set the stage, one of the first things you do when preparing for a Campaign is rolling on the Quirks table. It’s a d66 table and it’s incredible. Right off the bat you are setting the tone for your Platoon. This is exactly what campaign play is all about.

We have Platoon Rosters, experience points, outcome effects from damage, crew replacement and advancement, tank upgrades, it’s all here. The winner of the Campaign will be the Platoon Commander with the highest number of Reputation Points earned throughout the entire campaign. It’s just another fun twist that adds another level of narrative to a series of linked games. This is how Achtung Panzer! was meant to be played.

Tokens and more tokens – Ammo. Smoke. Targeting. Hatch. Crew Grade. Tank ID. Commands. Everything has a token. Everything. The sheer number of items to track is intimidating. But the Datacards are well designed and there is an assigned place for everything. Plus, it’s oddly satisfying to drag your Ammo from the Ammunition Rack to Load to Ready.

Initiative Phase – Although you won’t find any Order Dice in Achtung Panzer! the design inspiration is apparent. The Initiative Phase provides plenty of opportunity for both random activations and strategic planning. Fans of the Order Dice system will feel right at home.

Additional Effects Table – Who doesn’t love an effects table? I know I do! Everything from Cracked Skull to Smoke Blind. In a game that is always Tanks v. Tanks you want to have some detailed, thematic and fun damage results. Luckily, there is no shortage here.

The Takeaway

Bolt Action Tank War, this is not. Achtung Panzer! is something new and exciting. The potential for pure multiplayer madness is clear and for those brave enough to endeavor into campaign play shall be rewarded with a unique narrative experience as their crews battle, earn experience and advance on the path to become an Ace. It’s rare to see a game so well suited to both pure beer and pretzels nonsense and linked campaign play where the outcome of one game impacts the remainder.

I am legitimately impressed with what I have seen so far and cannot wait to get my Tank Platoon on the table.

Massive thank you to Warlord Games for providing a preview copy of the Achtung Panzer! Rulebook.