GAME REPORT FOR SQUAD LEADER

Game Description

Squad Leader (SL) is one of the classics of the wargaming hobby. It's a John Hill design of small-unit infantry and AFV combat published by Avalon Hill in 1977. While called Squad Leader, the player really has the role of a company commander in most cases with most scenarios featuring 6 to 30 squads until his control. Each counter represents a single squad, leader, support weapon or armoured fighting vehicle (AFV). Each map hex is 40m across.

Follow-on modules (Cross of Iron, Crescendo of Doom and GI: Anvil of Victory) added on new rules and revised old ones to the point where AH released Advanced Squad Leader in 1985.

While the Squad Leader system became more cumbersome over time, basic SL is still a tense, very playable game of infantry combat with armour support. The rules are presented using a Programmed Instruction method popular at AH at the time where a subset of rules is presented, a scenario featuring these rules is played, then new rules are introduced and so on. This means the player doesn't have to swallow a lot of rules to begin play immediately.

Squad Leader centres around leaders and their importance in rallying broken units, directing fire and performing other acts of heroism. This is not a game of technical precision where x millimeters of calibre is guaranteed to penetrate y millimeters of armour. The human element is present. Squads fire and are fired at, they break and retreat, they rally and return. Squad Leader is a game about men, not equipment.

Details of this PBEM Game

Americans: Eric Pass
Germans: Joe Thomas

Normandy 1944 is a tournament scenario designed by Alan Yngve for a convention in 1985. This site is one of the few places you can get this interesting scenario. Alan has also prepared some Designer's Notes to go with the scenario.

The turn sequence is Americans first then the Germans. In the first game, I played the Germans and accumulated 9 Victory Points so that's the total Joe will be trying to reach.

Events so far

Turn 1
Turn 2
Turn 3
Turn 4

Summary & Analysis

See Alan's Designer's Notes for some thoughts about play.

Other Links for Squad Leader information

Game Info
Squad Leader Mailing List

Books & Magazine Articles
Avalon Hill General articles


This file last updated 10/23/96.

This page is maintained by Eric Pass

Please email epass@nyx.net with comments and corrections.