Band of Brothers: Ghost Panzer
Band of Brothers: Ghost Panzer is a fast playing game of squad level combat in WWII. It covers the exploits of the German 11th Panzer Division in Russia from 1941 to 1944. The rules are very simple (no combat charts are needed) with very few exceptions to remember and yet the game is meant to be all encompassing and will include infantry, tanks, and artillery.
Based on years of research, the game system uses a unique suppression mechanic. There are no longer two unique states for a unit, but varying degrees of suppression. This allows suppression to accumulate from multiple fire sources and means that the unit will not take a morale check until it is asked to do something. You will never know for sure how your units will respond until they are needed.
Although casualties can be caused by artillery and heavy weapons (which makes them prime battlefield targets), squads will never cause significant casualties shooting at range at dug in, first line troops. Their goal is to fire and maneuver. Sections of the enemy force must be pinned down and eliminated from up close. The system itself forces this realistic play. In a similar fashion, the system rewards you for spreading your troops out and other realistic game play.
Another unique feature of the game is its use of Proficiency and Casualty ratings to differentiate squads in areas besides just morale.
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Ghost Panzer is the Second in game n the Band of Heroes series. It is somewhat stand alone except for 2 of the scenarios require Band of Heroes: Screaming Eagles for the maps. Other than that the game is pretty much stand alone.
It contains 18 scenarios, 2 of which are training and 16 that are historical scenarios.
Components are top notch, it has the same artwork as its predecessor (plug, you can see my other review for Band of Heroes: Screaming Eagles).
The game system works were players take turns to activate there units. Player activate unit based on scenario specified operations range. For example, a range of 2-4 means you may activate 2-4 units. You must, if possible, activate the minimum number in the range. Units cost one and tanks and guns cost 3 activation points.
When you activate a unit you may either move or fire, Assault Fire it or, you may mark it “Op Fire” (for opportunity fire). Once you move or fire a unit it is used and can generally only do Final Op Fire against units that enter an adjacent hex.
To move or fire, assault fire an infantry type unit, it must pass a morale check by rolling less than or equal to its morale rating on 1d10. Full strength units which are not suppressed have a morale rating of 10, so there’s no roll required. But as they get suppressed you will need to roll. (I really like this effect)
Stacking is limited: two squads or two weapon teams or any combination plus one vehicle, with a gun counting as a squad. In fire combat there’s always only one firer. (So there is no massing of fire power). Anti-infantry fire affects every unit in the target hex. This simulates/encourages the historical practice of dispersion.
There is no Combat Results Table. You roll 1d10 and compare to the firing unit’s firepower, as adjusted. Roll less than or equal to the adjusted firepower and you get a suppression. Each target infantry type unit has a casualty rating (two for full strength units) and if your roll plus the casualty rating is less than or equal to the adjusted firepower you can inflict a step loss or elimination.
There is a rout phase, failure to rout can cause unit to be eliminated.
Melee phase is a deadly in this game, each squad rolls 2d10 and inflicting step losses for each roll of less than or equal to its firepower.
Recovery phase allows units to recover from the level of suppression they are at, Red suppression becomes yellow, and yellow suppression goes and Units lose their used markers.
Oh, I almost forgot there is also has the same decoy and concealing of units as its predecessor game. Concealing comes into play for units that are in say a building, so a conceal counter is placed on them; then there will be negative modifiers for a unit trying shooting at them.
The Decoys come into play based on the OOB for the scenario, these act like units, they move around and get shot at causing them to be revealed.
I hope this better summary of how the system works give you a better understanding of the game.
It’s a pretty neat and tidy system that is unlike other war games.
Also the next game for the series is title Band of Brothers: Texas Arrows, it follows the US 36th Infantry division through Italy, France and Germany during WWII.