Squad Leader

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Squad Leader
Game data
author John Hill
publishing company Avalon Hill
Publishing year 1977
Art Conflict simulation game
Teammates 2
Duration 60 minutes
Age 14 years and older

Awards

Origins Award 1977: Tactical game
Origins Award 1978: Graphics for Cross of Iron
Origins Award 1980: Game from 1900 for Crescendo of Doom

Squad Leader is a conflict simulation game for two players by John Hill . It was published by Avalon Hill in 1977 . Infantry battles from World War II in Europe are re-enacted in various scenarios . It is a further development of the tank-focused games Panzerblitz and Panzerleader . You can command German, Russian, American (allied), Finnish, Polish, French, Dutch or British units.

The rulebook describes the relatively complex rules of the game on 36 pages. The first version was published in 1977 with an edition of 2500 copies. The first edition is purple and coveted among collectors. The game's extensions Cross of Iron , Crescendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory appeared in 1979 and 1982 .

The further development Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) by Don Greenwood junior appeared in 1985. Since then, Squad Leader is also often referred to as PreASL . With Close Combat , a computer game version by ASL was released in 1996. This was originally developed for Avalon Hill by the developer studio Atomic Games. After Avalon Hill got into financial difficulties, however, the development was finally completed for Microsoft.

content

The basic version of Squad Leader comes with a 36-page rule book, four game boards (both cardboard and paper) and various game tiles with the following imprints:

  • Squads, leaders, support weapons (light, medium and heavy machine guns; bazooka; paks; flamethrowers; explosives; radio)
  • Tanks, vehicles (half-tracks, transporters), Prep Fire ( see also “Prep Fire Phase” ), Artillery Support
  • Mines, barbed wire, bunkers, "destroyed house", foxhole and smoke signals

Rules of the game

Fight (Broke / Unbroke)

The battles are decided by rolling dice, the conditions of which can be read on a cardboard card. As a result, either the defenders die or a tie occurs. A third result includes a so-called morale check, which means that every squad and leader is subjected to an examination of their combat morale . Here the defender has to achieve a certain die result, otherwise the units are “ broken ” (morally broken and no longer usable). Every unit has to be subjected to a morale check. In the rally phase, if a leader is in the same hex, you can "bring it back" (rebuild it morally) so that it is considered "Unbroke" .

Game flow

Depending on the scenario, there are different numbers of rounds. Each player may "move" once in a round, which includes a total of 8 successive phases:

  • 1. Rally phase: In the rally phase you can “repeat” "broken" units by performing a morale check. All discarded characters (smoke, prep fire) from the previous turn are removed.
  • 2. Prep Fire Phase: In this phase the “pulling” player can decide which squads he wants to shoot with. These units are marked with “Prep Fire” tokens because they are not allowed to move during the Movement phase.
  • 3. Movement phase: All figures that did not shoot are now allowed to move. In this round, explosives may be placed, the pioneers (only they can place explosives) may not die or be broked in the movement phase.
  • 4. Defensive phase: The non-moving player may shoot back in this phase. He can also shoot the moving units, he can mark the places where certain enemy units marched.
  • 5. Advancing Fire Phase: This is the second possibility for the pulling player to fire his units. Those units that have moved may only attack at half strength.
  • 6. Rout phase: "Broken" units must withdraw into houses and forests.
  • 7. Advanced Phase: In this phase the player moving may move each unit one hex .
  • 8. Close Combat: If two enemy units are on a hex or nearby hex, close combat occurs , where one side is completely wiped out.

Extensions

  • Cross of Iron (CoI, 1979)
    (Mapboard 5, scenarios 13-20)
    Includes fighting on the Eastern Front. In addition to allied (in the basic version), German and Russian units, there are now also Finnish units. It includes a new map, new units and new scenarios.
  • Crescendo of Doom (CoD, 1979)
    (Mapboards 6 and 7, Scenarios 21-32) Extends
    Squad Leader with scenarios on the Western Front from 1940 to 1941. You can now command Polish, French, Dutch and British units. In addition, two more cards are added.
  • GI: Anvil of Victory (GI, 1982)
    (Mapboards 8 and 12-15, Scenarios 33-47)
    Expands American and British units on the Western Front. There is a new map and several hundred new characters.
  • Rogue scenarios
    These scenarios could be ordered directly from Avalon Hill.
    Contained mapboards 9-11

There are also add-ons that have not been published by Avalon Hill.

Fixtures

Overview of the fixtures
number Art image module
Board 1 Urban terrain SLBoard1.gif SL
Board 2 Hill terrain SLboard2.gif SL
Board 3 Village terrain SLBoard3.gif SL
Board 4 Rural terrain SLboard4.gif SL
Board 5 Forest terrain SLboard5.gif CoI
Board 6 Orchard terrain SLboard6.gif CoD
Board 7 River terrain SLboard7.gif CoD
Board 8 River terrain SLboard8.gif GI
Fixtures (continued)
number Art image module
Board 9 Mountain terrain SLboard9.gif Rogue
Board 10 Forest / Village Terrain SLboard10.gif Rogue
Board 11 Low hill terrain SLboard11.gif Rogue
Board 12 Village terrain SLboard12.gif GI
Board 13 Rural terrain SLboard13.gif GI
Board 14 Rural / Airfield Terrain SLboard14.gif GI
Board 15 Hill terrain SLboard15.gif GI

Scenarios

Overview of the scenarios
No designation module
1 The Guards Counterattack SL
2 The Tractor Works SL
3 The Streets of Stalingrad SL
4th The Hedgehog of Piepsk SL
5 Hill 621 SL
6th Escape From Velikiye Luki SL
7th Buchholz station SL
8th The Bitche Salient SL
9 The Cannes Strongpoint SL
10 Hitdorf on the Rhine SL
11 The St. Goar Assault SL
12 The Road to Wiltz SL
13 The Capture of Balta CoI
14th The Paw of the Tiger CoI
15th Hube's Pocket CoI
16 State farm 79 CoI
17th Debacle at Korosten CoI
18th The Defense of Luga CoI
19th A winter melee CoI
20th Breakout From Borisov CoI
Scenarios (continued)
No designation module
21st Battle for the Warta Line CoD
22nd The borders are burning CoD
23 Silent Death CoD
24 Action at Balberkamp CoD
25th Resistance at Chabrehez CoD
26th Assault on a Queen CoD
27 The Dinant Bridgehead CoD
28 Counterstroke at Stonne CoD
29 In Rommel's Wake CoD
30th Ad Hoc at Beaurains CoD
31 Chateau de Quesnoy CoD
32 Rehearsal for Crete CoD
33 A Belated Christmas GI
34 Climax at Nijmegen Bridge GI
35 The French Decide to Fight GI
36 Weissenhof Crossroads GI
37 Medal of Honor GI
38 The Factory GI
39 Sweep for Bordj Toum Bridge GI
40 The Dornot Watermark GI
Scenarios (continued)
No designation module
41 Swatting at Tigers GI
42 Bridgehead on the Rhine GI
43 Action at Kommerscheidt GI
44 Prelude to breakout GI
45 Hide and Seek GI
46 Operation Varsity GI
47 Encircling the Ruhr GI

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