Kursk: August 1943. The men were poised at the edge of the street, ready to make the assault. The Russian Lieutenant stood up and made the signal to advance. As the squads ran across the street, German machineguns and rifles opened fire, mowing the men down. The Russians died in the streets, the last hope of taking the village gone with their last breath. What end of the
barrel will you be on this year?

This is Squad Leader, a game of WWII tactical combat in Europe. Now you make the instant decisions resulting in life or death of your men, victory or defeat for your army, for you are the Squad Leader. You direct the fire of your squad, select your plan of attack, or set your defenses against massed Russian human wave or armor assaults. Will that hedgerow provide adequate cover for your flanking efforts, or will your men be cut down by the American machinegun position in the woods?

The decision is irrevocable and yours alone. You must live or die by the results.

This Squad Leader tournament provides you with two goals. One is to defeat your enemy in each battle and to be crowned the champion of this year's competition. The second goal is to raise the rank of your Personal Leader Counter (PLC) to the highest possible standing. Each act of daring or cowardice by your PLC will not go unnoticed on this battlefield. Who will
have the highest rankest PLC at the end? Will he get there through acts of bravado or by steadily pushing his men to greatness? You will decide.

Selected Scenarios

These scenarios are selected for either their brevity in turns, small opposing forces or their play balance. Each round will have one scenario from each level of play in the Squad Leader system, up to GI: Anvil of Victory. To determine which level of play, both players will agree upon the level for each round. If the level of play cannot be agreed, then the Squad Leader scenario for that round will be played. Once the level of play is determined, one die will be rolled to determine who plays what side. Example: a roll of 1-3 "Player A" is the Germans, 4-6 "Player B" is the Germans.

Copies of these scenarios will be available at the tournament. Due to the nature of some of these scenarios, certain adjustments or rules clarifications have been added. Only the following scenarios are allowed for tournament play.

Tournament Selected Scenarios

Round One "BRICK"
Squad Leader: Scenario 2 "The Tractor Works"
Cross of Iron: Scenario 108: "Block Busting at Bokruisk"
Crescendo of Doom: Scenario TS2: "Pavlov's House"
GI: Scenario 308: "Han-Sur-Neid"

Round Two "WOOD"
Squad Leader: Scenario 7 "Buchholz Station"
Cross of Iron: Scenario I: "Attempt to Relieve Peiper"
Crescendo of Doom: Scenario 22: "The Borders are Burning"
GI: Scenario 300: "Trial by Combat"

Round Three "STRAW"
Squad Leader: On All Fronts Scenario 35.1 "Russia 1941"
Cross of Iron: On All Fronts Scenario 62.2: "Mogilev"
Crescendo of Doom: Scenario TS3: "Land Leviathans"
GI: ASL Annual Scenario A6: "A Meeting of Patrols"

Round Four "WIND"
Squad Leader: Scenario 10 "Hitdorf on the Rhine"
Cross of Iron: Scenario H: "Hunters from the Sky"
Crescendo of Doom: Rogue Scenario R217: "The Whirlwind"
GI: General Scenario O: "Strayer's Stray"

Matched players in this Squad Leader Series event play at the lowest agreed rules level (SQL/COI.COD/GIA) from selected scenarios for that round; players bidding for sides. Typically four rounds are used but a fifth may be required. Best Personal Leader competition runs in parallel. Limited advance matches can be arranged by prior GM agreement to facilitate scheduling.

Additional plaques are presented by the GM for the Best Personal Leader performance and elimination of the defending PLC champ (John Sharp).