EF II Scenario Set: Panzerblitz: 6 scenario conversions from 2024 - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

Seydlitz.*

The scenario that I am sending is called Operation Seydlitz. Operation Seydlitz was an operation that occurred on 2-12 July of 1942. The Germans had recently re-established their front lines, trapping group of Soviet forces behind them. In this case it was the Soviet 39th Army and 11th Cavalry Corps that was trapped behind the German 9th Army's lines. The Germans assembled units from four panzer, one motorized, and four infantry divisions, plus one ad hoc cavalry brigade for this operation. This scenario involves that cavalry brigade, whose proper designation was "Kavallerie Brigade z.b.V. Beim Armeeoberkommando 9", although it was more popularly known as Cavalry Brigade Model.

This scenario was based on an original Panzerblitz scenario created by Chris Fawcett back in 2007, who based it on a miniatures game that he had recently played.


Seelow Heights.*

Here is another Panzerblitz scenario that I have converted to East Front. Its title is the "Seelow Heights". It is based on an original Panzerblitz scenario by Tom Williams, which was itself based on a microarmor miniatures battle that Tom participated in back about 2007.


S&T #22.*

This East Front scenario is a special one. It is a conversion of the very first Panzerblitz scenario that was published back in the summer of 1970. Now you are probably wondering how can that be since Panzerblitz wasn't published until October of 1970. Well, the Strategy & Tactics magazine #22, which came out in July of 1970, had among its contents a preview of the then new Panzerblitz game that was to be released in the fall. As part of the preview there was an abridged set of the rules, some counters, and a minigame for people to play. It used the map sheet of the main game in that issue (Renaissance of Infantry) which was a tactical on the same level as Panzerblitz. It was an introductory game to get people interested in the main game when it came out.

Back in February of this year, a man named John Cooper updated the old mini-game. He took the mapsheet and redid it using the proper artwork from the boards in the game. He made a countersheet using the same artwork as the counters in the game and he made a proper scenario card for the minigame. He posted it on Consimworld, which is where I downloaded it from. The mini-game is meant to be played using the normal Panzerblitz rules. However, the scenario is rather unbalanced in favor of the Russians, at least that's what most gamers who have tried it say. Anyway, I took the mini-game and converted it to East Front. I include the three files for the scenario, plus a zip file which contains the mini-game as it was downloaded from Consimworld.

(Based on the original Panzerblitz Mini-Game published in Strategy & Tactics magazine #22.)


Minsk 41.* (+ Grodno fix)

Here is another Panzerblitz scenario that I have converted to East Front. Minsk 41 is an early battle where the German northern pincer is pushing hard to close the Minsk pocket and the Russians are trying to prevent this.

I also include the corrected scenario file for Grodno, my previous scenario. In it I changed the game length from 10 turns to 12.


KalachOnDon.*

Here is yet another East Front scenario, Kalach on the Don. I include not only the three files for the scenario, but also the original Panzerblitz scenario that it is based on.

I had to make some changes to the scenario when converting it. I left out most of the mechanized brigade as historically they did not get into the fight until after it was over, so I only had the actual Soviet units in the battle present. The main problem with Panzerblitz is that you can bring on a whole mass of units to the board in one turn, even if they have only one entrance hex. in East Front you are limited on what you can bring on the board in a single hex in one turn.

Based on an original Panzerblitz scenario by Rick Northey.


Kutuzov.*

Here is another scenario for your perusal. Although it is listed as a Panzer Leader scenario, it is really an Eastern Front battle so I treat it as a Panzerblitz scenario. As usual, I have included the three files for East Front and the original scenario itself. I did include off-the-board artillery for the Russians in the way of a battalion from the Heavy Mortar Regiment that was part of the Russian force. This scenario is based on an original Panzerblitz scenario by Rick Northey.