panzerblitz [Updated October 2004]  

2004 WBC Report  

  2005 Status: pending 2005 GM commitment

Chuck Leonard, PA

2004 Champion

2nd: Marty Musella, VA

3rd: Donald Webster, MD

4th: Bill Scott, VA

5th: Eduardo DeNucci, Argentina

6th: Tom Cooper, OH

Event History
1991    Bart Rigg      12
1992    Johnny Hasay      10
1993    Tom Kearney      12
1994    Johnny Hasay      12
1995    Dave Giordano      10
1996    Eduardo De Nuccia      14
1997    Dave Giordano      20
1998    Chuck Leonard      16
1999    Dave Giordano     16
2000    Bill Scott     20
2001    Bill Scott     12
2002    Marty Musella     18
2003    Bill Scott     16
2004    Chuck Leonard     34


Offsite links:

AREA Ratings

boardgamegeek

 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. Bill Scott

VA

04
103
 2. Chuck Leonard

PA

04
  58
 3. Marty Musella

VA

04
  53
 4. Dave Giordano

NJ

01
  47
 5.  Johnny Hasay

PA

00
  15
 6. Donald Webster

MD

04
  12
 7. Dave Talmadge

VA

01
  12
 8. Jay Zollitsch

WI

00
  12
 9. Alan Arvold

IL

01
    9
10. Tim Greene

TN

00
    8
11. Matt Spitznagel

MD

03
    8
12. Eduardo DeNucci

ARG

04
    6
13. Kurt Kurtz

OH

03
    6
14. Steve Andriakos

TX

01
    6
15. Tom Cooper

OH

04
    3
16. Mark McBride

OH

02
    3
17. Bill Riggs

VA

03
    2
18. Tom Shaw

MD

02
    1

Past Winners

1991: Bart Rigg - KY
1993:
Tom Kearney - NC

Johnny Hasay - PA
1992, 1994

Dave Giordano - NJ
1995, 1997, 1999

Eduardo DeNucci - Argentina
1996

Chuck Leonard - PA
1998, 2004

Bill Scott - VA
2000-2001, 2003

Marty Musella - VA
2002
 


The first "hit" wargame

The tournament enjoyed its best attendance in either BPA or Avaloncon history. The demonstration period featured the introduction of 14 new situations including a special learning scenario for players to brush up on combat rules. Several players, returning to the game after decades of absence, made good use of the refresher course. The first 12 players to finish two games were all awarded copies of Bill Scott's paratroop variant (including mapboard, rules, counters, and situation cards)

The multiple heat, unscheduled start times format allowed 50 games to be played in the early rounds. The new scenarios were quick playing. The average time per game for the first 25 games was 67 minutes each with time per game range from 2 to 200 minutes. The average time per game for the next 25 games was 87 minutes each with time per game range from 4 to 273 minutes. The seven final (single elimination) games had a 130 minute average per game with a range from 40 to 217 minutes. There were several first time Panzer Blitz players (many new players managed wins) and many veterans including five past champions.

Saturday Morning six players arrived on time for the deciding games and they voted to wait an hour to allow two stragglers to arrive and complete the pairings. All of the final eight players had lost some preliminary games though Eduardo De Nucci had won four in a row and Marty Musella had a win five-game win streak. Bill Scott finished the early rounds with a six-game win streak. Of special note was Chuck Leonard's finish of those preliminary games with a five-game losing streak.

In the first quarter final game Bert Schoose (Russian) played Donald Webster (German) in Situation 51. Both Sides attacked toward each others rear areas immediately in a wild melee. Germans lost their AA gun and an armored car as well as their starting town. However the Russians lost their big howitzer and had Zabvenia contested by the Germans. The armies maneuvered back and forth with the Germans retaking one hex of Grabyosh . By turn 12 Russian losses were minimal and German losses not much worse but by holding three town hexes (in two different towns) the German player earned the win. German mobility proved decisive in this game.

In game 2 Eduardo De Nucci had the Russians versus Chuck Leonard's Germans in situation 51. This game also featured an early German attack on Zabvenia and a more deliberate Russian push against Grabyosh. The Germans managed to eliminate the Russian CP but lost all three of their SMG units to a counterattack by the remaining Zabvenia garrison with one Russian cavalry arriving too late to grab any glory. The German armored cars fled from Zabvenia but managed to regroup in time to overrun and eliminate the other Russian cavalry on the road to Grabyosh. The Russians had placed their howitzer on W9 which did not allow it to attack Grabyosh. So even though Russian SMGs finally reached their objective by turn 9 they were unable to take the town as the Germans had regrouped enough to withstand the Russian infantry who were unsupported by artillery. The Russian engineer tried to come to the support of the Grabyosh attack but was delayed by distance and a screening force of light German units. So in spite of the failure at Zabvenia the Germans won the point count by a wide margin.

Game 3 used situation 52 with Tom Cooper's Russians assaulting Marty Musella's Germans. The German set up was reported to be a bit weak and the Russian initial assault was massive and directed correctly at the German CP in the town although some Russian guns were held back which somewhat weakened the first strike. However imperfect the German set up was, his attack rolls compensated by scoring a solid streak of1's followed by the few surviving Russians rolling poorly with all his attacks missing. On turn 2 the luck continued for both players leaving all seven Russian tanks as smoking wrecks and the demoralized Russian infantry rolled only 6's. The German Battlegroup Arvold was immune to loss at this point so the Russians resigned with a firm resolution to bring some luckier dice next time.

Game 4 had Alan Arvold taking the Russians versus Bill Scott defending with the Germans in situation 52 (which is informally named for Alan in honor of all the work he does to promote Panzerblitz and for which he rarely receives notice). The Russians attacked correctly from the north and west (the CP was at V 6) but the Germans avoided any bad luck and managed to strip off most of the Russian tanks before the infantry could spot effectively. German close assault attacks were particularly lucky eliminating some of the Russian infantry as well as the Russian guns (which were not always effectively placed). For the Russians to win it helps if the Germans make an error in the set up, or the Russians can get lucky. Since neither happened in this game once more the Russian commander headed for Siberia.

In the first semi-final game, Donald Webster took the Russians in situation 52. Marty Musella again defended with the Germans. The German defensive set up was better prepared (Marty learned from his previous game) with the CP in the town and a hedge of units spread out to initially keep the Russians well away from the soft German core. The Russian chose to attack from the south with his tanks avoiding exposure by hiding on the slope and just the Russian infantry hoping to close to the town with close assault tactics. However the direct fire from the German antitank weapons and antiair guns (as well as infantry too) was able to eliminate one Russian infantry and cause the remainder to withdraw back to the safety of the slope. On turn 5 the Russian shifted his mobile tanks along with his antitank guns around to attack from the north. However without the infantry to support, the attack failed when the German used direct fire, overrun, and close assault attacks to eliminate five tanks and two antitank guns in one turn of combat. One more Soviet commander was served with a one way ticket to Siberia.

In the other semi-final game, play returned to situation 51 with Bill Scott as the Russian and Chuck Leonard as the German. Anticipating the German initial attack on Zabvenia, the Russians made a very conservative opening move heavily defending in both their starting towns and sending cavalry from Opust. not to attack Grabyosh but instead to support Zabvenia.and also to flank to the east. Faced with the Russian defence, the German wisely cancelled his offensive and instead formed a skirmish line across the approach road to Grabyosh cleverly avoiding long range howitzer fire from Zabvenia. The Russian then decided to move their lone truck from Zabvenia to Opust. to prepare to carry a SMG quickly toward Grabyosh. One calvary made a tentative move from Opust. toward Grabyosh but it was immediately hit by long range German guns which pinned it for five consecutive turns. A German armored car and a halftrack boldly overran the pinned cavalry but rolled 6 two turns in a row and failed to eliminate it. The lone active Russian reserve in Opust., a recon infantry, finally was able to pin the German mobile force (The SMG there refused to unload from the truck to help) and a wagon was used to bring the howitzer forward to Opust.where it finally was unloaded and finished off the German armored car and halftrack at close range. Meanwhile the other Russian cavalry moved along the east board edge capturing the woods there and moving to the slope of hill 107. But this flanking cavalry was afraid to move further without support. Finally on turn 10, the Russian offensive rolled down the road. But it was too late as the long range German harassing fire continued to score dispersals and time ran out on the Russians as they glimpsed the spires of Grabyosh but failed to enter the town. Another Russian general headed for the salt mines where he could better learn the value of boldness.

The final game was situation 52. Players realized situation 51 play balance was in question (it has since been revised ­ giving the Russian another truck and recon unit in Zabvenia to start). Chuck took the Russian side and Marty once again played the Germans.

The Russians probed carefully on turn 1, sending just two infantry from the west to approach the woods from the slopes at hex row Y and holding everything else in reserve. The Germans reduced their perimeter and fell back to the inner defenses around the CP in the town. On turn 2, the Russian attack struck hard from the north holding nothing back! (even the guns and trucks came on). Due to the quantity of the Russian offensive, the German correctly concluded that two 1:1 and one 2:1 attack must be risked. The die rolls for all three attacks failed. The Russian had infantry spotters survive the German CAT attacks too and so the Russian had devastating return fire on turn 3, eliminating the German CP and two tank destroyers at 4:1. The Germans were broken. A few attacks were made on the Russians on turn 4 but then Captain Arvold was last seen sprinting for the woods while the remainder of the German army including Colonel Musella were captured and the next train for Siberia had no Russian passengers for a change. Chuck Leonard was victorious and his humiliating losing streak of the preliminary rounds was mostly forgotten to be replaced by a glorious plaque and cheers from all around as he took home his second wood - the first in six years. Equally important was the arrival of three new laurelists among what had been an exclusive club heretofore.

 GM      Bill Scott  [6th Year]   2317 Barracks Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22901 
    NA   NA

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