Category Archives: Gaming

Wargamer’s Guide to Afrika Korps

In 1972, Guidon Games published the “Wargamer’s Guidebook Series”, reprinting the better articles from various magazines on a particular game. All were edited by Don Greenwood, and put together just before (or as) he was hired by Avalon Hill.

The first of these was Wargamer’s Guide to Afrika Korps, containing eleven articles about the design and play of Avalon Hill’s classic 1964 game on the North African campaign in WWII.

This volume is being republished very close to fifty years after its initial release, and contains an afterword from Don Greenwood himself, with his thoughts on five decades in wargaming, and on Afrika Korps itself.

Contents:
Foreword * Don Greenwood
Play Balance for Afrika Korps * Victor Madeja
Sink Some African Sands * Victor Madeja
Absurdity of Afrika Korps * John Perica
Tactics of Isolation * Carl Knabe II
Afrika Korps Replayed * AH Staff
Tactics & Strategy * David B. Whiskeyman
A New German Approach * Jared Johnson
Rommel Rides Again * Allan Wood
The Tobruch Dilemna * Harley Anton
Shortcomings of Afrika Korps * Chuck Lane
The Afrika Korps Thesis * Tom Hazlett

Available on Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #61

Issue #61 of of Panzerfaust moved to a new printing service, and a new digest-sized format. It did come out two months after #60, making it effectively (though unmarked) the April-May 1974 issue.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
War at Sea: The High Seas Fleet, The Tragedy * Robert G. Dick
Aux Armes! * Pete Bennett
The Tactics of Panzerblitz * Roy Easton
Game Review: Conquest * Louis Pulsipher
USN Modifications * Darrell Stiffler
The Winter War * Harold Totten
Russian Victory in Origins * Anthony O’Brien
Panzerblitz Potpourri *Tom Oleson
What I Don’t Like About SPI * Tom Oleson
Star Trek Revisions * Kenneth W. Burke
Game Design: Rules Design, Historic Considerations, and the Designer * Gary Gygax
Book Review: Four Keys to Ancient Warfare * Gary Gygax
Thumbnail Analysis * Don Lowry
Miniature Warfare: Reality in Wargaming * Gary Gygax
Passing in Review * Don Lowry
G2 Reports * Don Lowry
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault

Lowrys Guidon #1

At the start of 1972, Lowrys Hobbies was a successful mail-order store for wargamers. However, the catalog was going out of date faster than it could easily be revised, so a supplement with updates and corrections was provided.

It also contained a short editorial giving news about the business, and two articles. In the normal course of events, it would have started picking up more articles, and expanded until it became an actual magazine.

Instead, Panzerfaust was purchased from Don Greenwood just a few months later. Lowrys Guidon ran for nine issues, and did pick up more content, but was mostly a catalog supplement the entire time.

Contents:
Editorial
How Can War Be a Game? * Gary Gygax (reprinted in An Introduction to Wargaming, and the 1972 catalog)
Modeller’s Corner: Grizzly Bear * Editor

And five-plus pages of thoroughly out-of-date listings for Airfix, Tamiya, Monogram, and Nitto model kits; GHQ micro-armor, and 20mm Napoleonics; Old Guard, Cavalier, Bachman, and Bussler miniatures; Fast Rules, Zocchi’s Battle of Britain, and Presstype.

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #60

Issue #60 of Panzerfaust was the first of a set of eight issues that did not bear a cover date. However, Don Lowry’s personal copy has “Feb-Mar ’74” penciled on the cover, implying it went out about five months late. Among the regular articles is a piece by Jack Scruby describing how the miniatures business works.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
A Point Is a Point * Richard Hamblen
More Nuts and Bolts About Game Design * Thomas Nowak
The Cavalry Quandary * Richard Hamblen
SGC Waterloo Rules Clarification * The Simulations Games Committee
Much Ado About Nothing * Jack Scruby
Games For Three * Bill Gale
Game Review: Kasserine Pass * Norris L. Darrall
Game Review: NORAD * Tyrone Bomba
Tactical Analysis in Bulge * Paul D. Mills
The Tonkin War 1950–4 * Guy Hail
The Imperial Roman Legions * Thomas Coveney
Jets and Rockets and Other Fancy Stuff in Luftwaffe * Marvant Duhon
Fantasy Wargaming a’la Tolkien * Gary Gygax
Game Design: The Cohesion Factor * Bill Gale
Diplomacy: How to Play the Youngstown Variant * Rod Walker
Thumbnail Analysis * Editor
G2 Reports * Editor
Passing in Review * Editor
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #59

Issue #59 of Panzerfaust (July-August 1973), along with the normal game reviews, commentary, strategy articles, variants and other articles expected of a gaming magazine, also has commentary from five people in the wargame industry of 1972, representing Avalon Hill, Conflict Games, Simulations Design Corporation, Gamma Two Games, and Guidon Games (SPI was asked, but didn’t respond) about the future of wargaming.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
Anzio’s Heirs * Chuck Holland
The Future of Wargaming: Comments From Five Wargame Publishers * Don Greenwood, John Hill, Dana Lombardy, T. T. Dagliesh, Don Lowry
The Austrian Army and Navy 1792-1815 * David L. Arneson
Design Analysis: Richthofen’s War, Fight in the Skies, Flying Circus, by Harold Totten
And Then There Were Three: Richthofen’s War * Mike Carr
Battle of Finger Ridge – 1808 * Jack Scruby
Dunkirk Openings * T. Nowak
The Fog of War * Leon L. Tucker
Strategy in Overlord * John Hill
Some Gripes With Operation Greif * Stephen List
Afterthoughts on Alexander * Gary Gygax
Airpower in France ’40 * Harold Totten
Diplomacy * Lewis Pulsipher
Game Design * Bill Gale
Miniature Warfare * Gary Gygax
Thumbnail Analysis * Tom Wham
Reconnaissance in Force * Pete Bennett
Passing in Review * Pete Bennett
G2 Reports * Editor
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #58

Issue #58 of Panzerfaust (May-June 1973) came out late (which is why it skips two months from the previous issue), but in much better editorial shape, and with sixteen more pages (68, including the covers).

The Fox Hole continues to give current perspectives on the issue (on the last page), including Don Lowry’s (non-)involvement with Dungeons & Dragons.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
Prelude to Disaster, The Soviet Army June 1941 * John Lundstrom
Trouble in the Ardennes * Danny S. Parker
Verdun: Design Analysis * Harold Totten
Verdun: Designer’s Notes * John Hill
Waterloo, the Combined Arms Armies * John Hemry
DIPLOMACY: “A Whirlwind of Knives” * Edi Birsan
Game Design: The Invasion of Sicily * Harold Totten
Miniature Warfare * Gary Gygax
Thumbnail Analysis * Tom Wham
G2 Reports * Editor
Book Review * Pete Bennett
Reconnaissance in Force * Pete Bennett
Passing in Review * Pete Bennett
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #57

Issue #57 of Panzerfaust (January-February 1973) was the first done at a regular printing service, which meant the size changed (to 6″x9″), but the page count went up, the paper quality was much improved, and it was properly trimmed.

This was the first issue produced in Maine, in a more spacious area than the home in Evansville, but the change in venue and printing did cause it to come out in a rush, and be more error-prone.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
The Atlanta Campaign * Don Lowry
Designing Atlanta * Don Lowry
The Ratio of Forces to Space * Jerry Pournelle
Wargamers Guide to the ACW, Part VI * Don Lowry
Gettysburg & Chancellorsville * Steven List
Game Design * Bill Gale
Thumbnail Analysis * Tom Wham
Miniature Warfare * Gary Gygax
Book Review * Editor
Passing in Review * Pete Bennett
Reconnaissance in Force * Editor
Wargamer’s Notebook * Editor
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #56

Issue #56 of Panzerfaust (November-December 1972) was the fourth under Don Lowry, and the last one produced in Indiana on his press, though it actually went out after the business had moved to Maine.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
Anzio: Born 1969 – Died 1972 * Tom Oleson
Fall Gelb Revisited * Kevin Slimak
The Oblique Line * Thomas Nowak
In Defense of Belgium * Harold Totten
Let’s Play 1914 * Chuck Holland
Napoleonic Kalinatactic * Mike Guth
Design Analysis: Hannibal * Harold Totten
Game Review: Hannibal * Lawrence Schmidt
Wargamer’s Guide to the ACW, Part V * Don Lowry
German Historic Placement in Dunkirk * Gary Gygax
The Battles for France * Tyrone Bomba
Miniatures in Their Oldest Form, a Chess Variant * Gary Gygax
Panzerblitz Defenses, Part II * Vance von Borries
Diplomacy: The Fool’s Mate in Diplomacy * Rich Brooks
Wargaming in Miniature * Gary Gygax
Game Design: Reducing Luck in Wargames * Bill Gale
Thumbnail Analysis * Editor
Wargamer’s Notebook: The World Chess Championships * Harold Totten
Pass in Review * Editor
Reconnaissance in Force * Editor
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #55

The third issue of Panzerfaust under Don Lowry (September-October 1972) continued the new format. The editorial column had recent news, and announced an upcoming move to Maine, as the current house that was holding the magazine, Lowrys Hobbies (a mail-order catalog), and Guidon Games, was far too small for everything.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
Wargamer’s Guide to the Russian Front, #1 * John Lundstrom
Waterloo: 30 Turns of Battle * Gary Gygax
Design Analysis: Phalanx & Alexander * Harold Totten
A Second Opinion: Game Review * Lawrence Schmidt
Wargamer’s Guide to the ACW, Part IV * Don Lowry
Panzerblitz & Combat Command * Paul Mills
D-Day at LeMans * Steve Powlesland
Playable U.S.N. * Mark Swanson
The Six Days War * Harold Totten
Warfare in Miniature * Gary Gygax
Diplomacy * Gary Gygax
Game Design: Realism vs Playability * Harold Totten
Wargamer’s Notebook * Lou Zocci and Jacqueline Lichtenberg
Pass in Review * Editor
Reconnaissance in Force
Mail Call

Available at Wargame Vault.

Panzerfaust #54

And now the second issue of Panzerfaust under Don Lowry is available for download. This issue features a review of AH’s France, 1940, compared with Gary Gygax’s Dunkirk, thoughts on North Africa in WWII, and designer’s notes on Spirit of ’76, a game that was originally a subscriber’s bonus with this issue (not included here), as well as articles by designer Vance von Borries, and author Jerry Pournelle.

Contents:
Line of Communications * Editor
The French Army in 1940 * Harold Totten
Design Analysis: France ’40 & Dunkirk * Harold Totten
British Openings in Origins * Vance von Borries
Spirit of ’76 * Chuck Lane
Wargamer’s Guide To the ACW, Part III * Don Lowry
Prelude to Africa Korps * R. W. Garbisch
Simulating the Desert War * J.E. Pournelle
Stalingrad Rules Interpretations * George Phillies
Game Design * Don Lowry
Operation Contact * Alister Wm. Macintyre
Diplomacy: Two Unusual German Openings * Edi Birson
Forgotten Military Vehicles * Tom Wham
Thumbnail Analysis * Editor
Wargamer’s Notebook * Editor
Book Review * Editor
Pass In Review * Editor
Reconnaissance In Force * Editor
The Great Debate * Donald Wolff
Mail Call

Also, The Fox Hole continues as  a ‘value add’ column, with observations and some commentary on just where things were in 1972.

Available at Wargame Vault.