Blitzkrieg

About this board game

Blitzkrieg is a two-player hex-and-counter board wargame from 1965, designed for games of about 90 minutes. It presents a fictional breakout of World War II, as Great Blue and Big Red fight for territory while five minor countries are drawn into the conflict.

Players command a range of forces, including infantry, airborne troops, rangers, armor, artillery, fighters, and bombers. Naval action is included in an abstracted form, adding another dimension to the campaign without making it a separate naval simulation.

• Basic, advanced, and tournament game levels
• Optional rules for players to add as desired
• Combat resolved through unit ratings, odds, terrain, and die rolls
• Advanced features including supply restrictions, air war, strategic bombing, naval invasions, and commando raids

The core system uses familiar movement and combat ratings printed on each counter. A unit such as a 1-4 infantry brigade has a combat factor of 1 and a movement allowance of 4, while roads can greatly extend movement when used exclusively. Players may combine units against a single defender, reducing the resulting combat to odds before consulting the combat results table.

Terrain is central to combat. Cities and mountains double a defender’s combat rating, and odds are rounded in the defender’s favor, making attacks against fortified positions more demanding. The advanced game expands the basic system with special unit abilities, desert supply restrictions, and additional operational possibilities.

Blitzkrieg uses a system similar to other classic hex-and-counter games, making it a useful introduction to the style. Its World War II or early Cold War atmosphere, flexible rules structure, and potential for stalemate give this vintage Avalon Hill title a distinctive place in two-player wargaming.