The Game of WWII ARMOURED WARFARE

www.boltaction.com
®

RULEBOOK ®
 Type Medium Tank

Panther Ausf. A No. Produced 2,200

5 (commander, driver, gunner,

7.92 mm MG34 pintle- Crew
loader, radioman/machine gunner)
mounted machine gun
Maybach HL 230 P30 V12 water
7.92 mm MG34 Power Plant
cooled 700hp gasoline/petrol engine
co-axial machine gun
Max. Speed 34 mph (55 km/h)

75mm KwK 42 L/70 Range 124 miles (200 km)

Armour 16-80 mm

Weight 45.5 tons

Deployed 1943-1945

9f t 10 in (2..99 m)
11 ft 3 in (3.42 m)
22 ft 6 in (6.87 m)

“ Logistics is the ball and chain of armoured warfare.

”
General Heinz Guderian
 Contents
Game Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Tactical Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Blank Datacards . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
What You Need to Play . . . . . . . . 4 Terrain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Asset & Event Cards . . . . . . . . . 92
Creating Your Tank Platoon. . . . . 8 Traits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Tokens, Markers & Trackers . . 100
Preparing For Battle . . . . . . . . . 12 The Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Tank Data Charts. . . . . . . . . . . 102
Important Concepts. . . . . . . . . . 16 Missions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Weapon Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
The Game Turn. . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 On Campaign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Quick Reference Sheet . . . . . . 107
Movement Actions. . . . . . . . . . . 24 Tank Aces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Credits
Game Design Artwork Design & Production Team
Mike Bradford Steve Noon Dylan Owen, Paul Sawyer,
Phil Stovin, Ian Strickland,
Game Development Miniatures Sculpting & Painting Adam Want
Roger Gerrish Andrés Amián, Matthew Bickley,
Wojtek Flis, Darek Wyrozebski Artefacts Courtesy of:
Playtesting Steve Cox, Richard Nunley,
Dan Hewitson, Steve Morgan, Photography Royal Lancers & Nottinghamshire
Paul Sawyer, John Stallard, Phil Stovin, Ian Strickland, Yeomanry Museum, John Stallard
Colin Stone, Ian Strickland, Adam Want, Darek Wyrozebski
Karl Tebbut, Marcus Vine, Special Thanks
Mike Wilkins Editing John Stallard
Dylan Owen, Paul Sawyer

© 2024 Warlord Games Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Warlord Games, the Warlord Games logo, Achtung Panzer!, the Achtung Panzer! logo, Bolt Action and the Bolt Action
logo are either ® or ™, and/or © Warlord Games Limited, variably registered around the world. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover
other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN: 978-1-915319-70-8 1st Printing

warlordgames.com
 + + + blood and steel + + +
The sun was still low on the eastern crewmen could be seen trying to abandon
horizon as the bulky forms of two British the tank. One, two then three bailed out
Sherman tanks slowly nosed out of the before the Sherman’s ammunition and fuel
tree line towards the small Normandy started cooking off. An oily cloud of smoke
village that lay perhaps 500 yards ahead. snaked skywards marking the unfortunate
Smoke still curled up from several of its tank’s grave. Pulling himself together, the
buildings, the after-effects of a ‘stonk’ surviving commander looked desperately for
laid down by supporting guns of the the source of the shooting while ordering
Royal Artillery. Forward reconnaissance his driver to reverse rapidly towards cover.
had suggested that the village had been A flash of light from the village heralded
deserted by its German defenders the another incoming shot and the commander
night before. Despite that, a cautious was aware of a shell screaming past his
advance seemed the best course of action tank, missing it by inches.
– the fighting in North-West France had
proved murderous, largely due to the close In the Panther, the German commander
confines of the bocage hedgerows which had cursed as the second shell failed to hit its
cost many Allied tank crews so dearly. mark. He needed to move his tank forward to
a better firing position. While the cautious
Both tank commanders were ‘unbuttoned’, side of his brain warned him that it was a
their head and shoulders unprotected risk to move into the open, logic suggested
by their tank’s armour as they carefully that the main gun of his adversary was
surveyed the terrain ahead for any sign of not likely to trouble the thick, forward
enemy activity. The leading Sherman halted sloped armour of his Panther. Decisively,
abruptly, and its turret swung towards a he instructed his driver to move the tank
small barn 100 yards away. A loud crack forward. A cloud of blue smoke gushed from
rent the air as smoke belched from its 75mm the Panther’s exhausts as the 45 ton tank
gun and a high explosive shell exploded lurched forward. As the commander focused
against the barn’s wall, sending fragments on his retreating prey, he was briefly aware
of wood and masonry in all directions. A of a third Sherman in the tree line. No
grim smile of satisfaction etched into the matter, it would just be another kill ring to
grime-streaked tank commander’s face. add to his tank’s gun barrel.
If there had been any Panzerfaust-armed
enemy infantry hiding in that barn, they At that tree line, the commander of the
would be paying the butcher’s bill now. He troop’s Sherman Firefly saw the dark
barked a quick command on the squadron yellow bulk of the German tank come
radio net, and both tanks resumed their into view, edging out from between two
cautious advance. buildings. He knew he would probably have
only one shot before the Panther realized
Yet, other eyes were also surveying this its danger. He shouted his command. “Fire!”
battlefield. Just inside the village’s With a loud blast the 17-pounder gun
battered perimeter, the commander of roared, its savage recoil buffeting the tank
a German Panther tank conversed with as the high velocity 76 mm shell arrowed
his gunner indicating which of the two towards its target.
approaching Tommies should be targeted
first. Squinting through telescopic sights, The huge muzzle flash from the tree line
the gunner made careful adjustments, alerted the Panther commander to his error
aiming the Panther’s long main gun at the of judgement and impending doom a split
lead Sherman. He pulled the trigger and the second before a shell slammed into the
gun discharged with a loud report. front of his tank’s turret.

The commander of the trailing Sherman In the retreating Sherman, its crew cheered
started in horror as his troop leader’s tank in relief as the German tank erupted
shuddered and stopped, a cloud of sparks in flame and acrid smoke. The same crew
indicating a direct hit by an armour- reflected that the sun had only just risen
piercing shell. A pall of smoke started to – clearly there would be a lot more bitter
boil out of the tank’s hatches and desperate fighting before it set...

2 – Achtung Panzer!
Game Overview
A game of Achtung Panzer! is played over a series Asset cards allow
of turns, each split into three Action Phases. The players to add other
number of turns played can vary and is dictated by combat elements to
whichever mission you choose to play (see page 66 their force. These
for more details on missions). can be artillery,
airstrikes, anti-tank
A brief overview of the game is as follows: guns and dedicated
infantry tank hunter
X At the start of each turn, each player teams. However,
determines the order in which their their appearance
tanks will act in each of the three Action is not always
Phases. This is known as the Initiative guaranteed, their
Phase. This means that from turn to turn, arrival can be
you do not know which tanks will move rather random and
and fire first. they can only be
used once during
X At the start of each Action Phase, each a game.
player issues a Command to each tank
they control. Event cards
simulate those
X After Commands are issued, tanks are incidents of
activated in the sequence determined good and bad
during the Initiative Phase. In each luck that feature
Action Phase, a tank must perform a so heavily in
Movement Action, which is dictated by historical accounts
the Command allotted to it. It may also of battles. You can
perform a Tactical Action, which does play certain Event
not need to be plotted ahead of time and cards on your own
is chosen during the tank’s activation. tanks to enhance
Tactical Actions are generally combat their performance,
activities such as spotting, aiming, while others can
shooting and reloading. be played against
the enemy vehicles
X Each tank must complete its Action Phase to make their lives
before another tank can be activated. more difficult.
Once all tanks on both sides have been
activated during a particular Action When using the
Phase, the process is repeated for any cards, certain
remaining Action Phases in that turn. pieces of battlefield
terrain are classified
X After three Action Phases have been as Ambush Terrain. This is terrain that might
completed, the turn ends and a new contain unpleasant surprises for your tank crew
one begins. This sequence continues – for example, concealing deadly tank-busting
until one side has fulfilled the victory artillery, or infantry armed with destructive
conditions of the mission being played anti-tank weaponry. An Ambush
or after a certain number of turns have Marker is placed on each piece of
passed as specified by the mission. terrain classified as Ambush Terrain.

Achtung Panzer! Cards

Once you have mastered the basic rules, you can Terminology: Tanks
introduce the Achtung Panzer! cards to add even Throughout these rules, turreted tanks, tank
greater atmosphere to the game. destroyers and armoured cars are all referred to
as ‘tanks’ for simplicity.
There are two types of cards – Assets and Events.

Game Overview – 3
 What You
Need to Play
The following pages show everything you need to play a game of Achtung Panzer! Model tanks, cards,
tokens and dice are provided in the Achtung Panzer! starter set, Blood & Steel. The cards and tokens are also
reproduced at the back of this book for you to photocopy and cut out for your own personal use.

DATACARDS. One is needed for each tank taking part in the game. This is where you
track the orders, damage and crew of each tank that you control.

AMMUNITION TOKENS
CREW GRADE TOKENS
Armour-
Smoke
DAMAGE MARKERS Piercing
Round
(AP)
Green Trained
High
Special
Explosive
Ammunition
Turret Running Gear Hull Veteran Ace (HE)

HATCH TOKEN AMBUSH & STRONGPOINT MARKERS

ID TOKEN TARGETING MARKER

SMOKE
Spotted Aimed Buttoned Unbuttoned
GRENADE COMMAND TOKENS
TOKEN

CONCEALED
MARKER
Forward Reverse Left Turn Right Turn Halt Face Down

4 – Achtung Panzer!
 INITIATIVE MARKERS

Face Down Face Up

ACTION PHASE & ELAPSED TIME TRACKER

COTTON WOOL
SMOKE MARKERS
Grey markers
should be used
to indicate smoke
from Smoke
Grenades or Smoke
Rounds on a tank,
whilst the red and
black markers can
be used to designate
knocked out or
destroyed tanks. ASSET, EVENT & ACE SKILL CARDS

+ + + The Great Survivor + + +

Few German tank crew survived the whole war, but an exception was Ludwig Bauer who was
forced to bail out of destroyed tanks an amazing nine times over the course of the conflict.

Bauer served in the Panzer II, III, IV, StuG III and Panther, fighting on both the Eastern and
Western Fronts. Much of his war was fought at close-quarters as Soviet T-34s and KVs proved
difficult to defeat at range. After the Battle of the Bulge, he was assigned to the much more
capable Panther.

Bauer and his crew were grabbing much needed rest in a German village when American
voices could be heard. The rest of the crew fled the house, but Bauer was horrified that
his new Panther would fall into enemy hands. Sneaking into the tank under the nose of the
US infantry, he watched astonished as a column of Shermans passed the Panther without
stopping. Squeezing into the driver’s seat he started the engine, scattering a bunch of
curious GIs inspecting their prize, and drove out of the village. Bauer recollects that the
angry Americans fired three bazooka rounds as he made his audacious escape. Incredibly, he
managed to avoid enemy patrols and was heartened to see he was approaching German lines.
That happiness was short-lived though as the Panther was hit and burst into flames. Bauer
successfully bailed out for the ninth time in his incredible
career, although, he was somewhat aggrieved to
later learn that his nemesis this time had been a
trigger-happy Hetzer tank destroyer crew...

German Hauptmann’s epaulette

What You Need to Play – 5

 MODEL TANKS. Each player commands a
platoon of tanks (around 2-5 models on
average). The Achtung Panzer! Blood &
Steel starter set contains five tanks – two
German and three British.

Panther Ausf. A
medium tanks

Achtung Panzer!
Tank Force sets add even
more variety to your games
and contain several
plastic tanks and
Datacards for even
more. These are available
from your local retailer and
on our webstore:
www.warlordgames.com

A PLAYING AREA. Most games of Achtung Panzer!

are played on a 6' x 4' gaming table, although you
can scale this up or down depending on the room
you have available.
 Sherman Vc Firefly medium tank
Important – When
constructing your tank,
make sure you don’t glue
the turret to the body.
During the game, you’ll
need to move the turret
(see page 25).

Sherman V
medium tanks

TAPE MEASURE. Used for

measuring movement and
shooting distances.

SIX-SIDED DICE
(Also known as D6)

MODEL SCENERY. This represents woods, buildings,

rubble and other terrain features. A good amount of
terrain covering the battlefield is recommended, as
shown on the battlefield on the left. There should
be plenty of places for tanks to seek cover, giving
them opportunities to stealthily advance and
outflank the enemy.

OPPONENT.
A willing and able
adversary hungry for
a challenging game!

What You Need to Play – 7

 Creating Your
Tank Platoon
This section tells you how to create your tank platoon, ensuring that both sides are controlling forces with
equal combat power.
1. Points Value Limit
To create your tank platoon, follow this sequence:
The points value limit affects the type and number of
1. For a one-off game, agree with your tanks each side can field, as well as the length of a
opponent a points value limit. For a game. As a rule of thumb, 50 points a side equates to
campaign game, a limit of 75 points is about an hour of play.
suggested (see page 80).
2. Nationality
2. Choose which nation you want your
platoon to belong to. The following nations are available to play in the
Achtung Panzer! game:
3. Purchase tanks belonging to your chosen
nation up to the agreed points value limit. Germany

4. Determine the number of Crew Grade Britain and the Commonwealth

Stars you have available to establish the
proficiency of the crew members manning The Soviet Union
each tank in your platoon. These are used
to purchase Crew Grade Tokens. USA

5. Distribute your chosen Crew Grade Tokens Additional nations, theatres of operations and tanks
among your tanks. will be introduced in future expansions.
3. Purchasing Tanks + + + + + + + CREW GRADE STARS + + + + + + +

Each tank costs a certain number of points. D6 Low Medium High

The points value of a tank is determined by the Score Calibre Calibre Calibre
Overall Crew Calibre of the individuals who are 1 3 4 6
H H H
crewing it.
2 3 H 5 H 6 H
There are three levels of Overall Crew Calibre: 3 4 H 5 H 7 H
4 4 H 6 H 7 H
X Low Calibre: A tank with a crew where the
majority have only recently completed 5 4 H 6 H 8 H
training and seen no action. 6 9
5 H 7 H H
X Medium Calibre: A tank with a crew where + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
the majority are trained in their roles and
have seen some action.
5. Deciding Crew Grades
X High Calibre: A tank with a crew where the Crew Grade Stars are spent on purchasing Crew
majority have seen plenty of action and Grade Tokens. Each tank in your platoon requires
have survived numerous encounters. three Crew Grade Tokens, one for each crew role:
Commander, Gunner and Driver.
This information can be found on the tank’s Datacard
– an example is shown below. There are four grades of Crew Grade Token that can
be bought with Crew Grade Stars: Green, Trained and
Veteran. The Ace grade solely applies to Commanders
and can only be acquired during campaign play (see
page 87).

The cost of Crew Grade Tokens is shown in the

following table.

Example: Looking at the Datacard for a + + + + + + CREW GRADE TOKEN COST + + + + + +

Panther Ausf. A, you can see that a tank with
Crew Cost in Crew Crew
Low Calibre crew costs 24 pts, a tank with Grade Grade Stars Token
Medium Calibre crew costs 28 pts and a tank
with High Calibre crew costs 31 pts. Green H
Once you have spent your points you will have a Trained HH
number of tanks in your platoon, possibly of different
Overall Crew Calibres. Veteran HHH
The Overall Crew Calibre of a tank determines the + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
grade of its individual crew members (see below).
For each tank, distribute the three Crew Grade
Tokens bought for that tank among the crew roles
4. Acquiring Crew Grade Stars by placing the tokens on the relevant spaces on the
In order to determine the individual prowess of your tank’s Datacard.
tank crew members, you need to acquire Crew Grade
Stars (H) to spend on Crew Grade Tokens. Example: Having bought your Panther Ausf. A
tank with a Medium Calibre crew for 28 points,
For each tank in your platoon, roll a D6 and refer you roll a D6 to acquire Crew Grade Stars. A
to the Crew Grade Stars Table (above right), score of 4 on the Crew Grade Stars table gives a
cross-referencing your score with the Overall Crew result of 6 H.
Calibre of the tank.
You decide that you want an experienced
The resulting number equals the amount of Crew crewman in command, so buy a Veteran Crew
Grade Stars (H) you can spend to upgrade individual Grade Token for your Commander for H H H.
crew members in your platoon. Next you decide that shooting is important, so
spend H H on a Trained Crew Grade Token for
Example: A player with a tank with a Medium your Gunner. Finally, you spend H on a Green
Calibre crew rolls a 4 on the Crew Grade Stars Crew Grade Token for your Driver. Hopefully, the
Table. This gives a result of 6 H to allocate to ground conditions of the battlefield won’t be too
the crewmen of your tanks. difficult for him to negotiate.

Creating Your Tank Platoon – 9

Crew Roles Crew Grades
Although tanks historically had varying numbers There are four grades of crew member in Achtung
of crew members, Achtung Panzer! focuses on three Panzer! and a tank crew can be comprised of crew
generic crew roles: with different grades. Let’s look at these grades in
more detail.
X Commander:
The tank’s commander
Green
(the duties of any
radio-operator crew These individuals are straight out of training school,
are combined within ‘wet behind the ears’ and have no combat experience.
this role). Green crew members require a 4+ to pass a Crew Test
(see page 16 for the rules on Crew Tests).
X Gunner:
The tank’s gunner
Trained
(the duties of loader
crew are combined These crew members have limited combat
within this role). experience, but are competent in their assigned
role. They are the most common type of grade in the
Note that for game. Trained crew members require a 3+ to pass a
the few multi-gun Crew Test.
tanks deployed during
World War II, each
gunner is represented
Veteran
by this single These are individuals who have fought and survived
Gunner role. a number of battles and skirmishes. They have the
experience and the luck that sets them apart, and
X Driver: can make a critical difference in a straight fight.
The tank’s driver (any They are often leaders and individuals that others
crew who operated look up to. Veteran crew members require a 2+ to
the hull machine guns pass a Crew Test. In addition, they have certain
are combined within advantages, depending on their role in the tank crew,
this role). as summarised opposite.

A Touch of Class – Optional Rule X Class 4: More modern, heavy tanks with
formidable armament and protection.
If you and your opponent agree, you can choose to
You don’t want to meet one of these.
follow the method described below to create your
tank platoons. It allows you to build a force quicker X Class 5: Late war, super heavy
– ideal if you’re pressed for time – but at the cost behemoths. You REALLY don’t want to
of being less detailed. meet one of these, but fortunately they
are extremely rare!
In this method both sides select tanks on the basis
of their Class value. A tank’s Class is shown on its Each player selects a number of tanks up to an
Datacard and indicates its battlefield effectiveness. agreed total Class value.

When using this system, all crews are of Medium

Calibre. You roll a D6 for Crew Grade Stars as usual.
The results are summarised below.

Score Crew Grade Stars

X Class 1: Light tanks or armoured cars. 1 4H
These are generally lightly armed and 2–3 5H
poorly protected. 4–5 6H
X Class 2: Medium tanks with a reasonable 6 7H
gun and armour.
The number of Special Ammunition Tokens
X Class 3: Medium tanks with good available for distribution among the tanks of your
armament, or earlier heavy tanks. These platoon are rolled for as usual, as described on
can be quite a handful. page 14.

10 – Achtung Panzer!
 Type Tank Destroyer

Sherman VC Firefly
No. Produced Approx. 2,000

4 (commander, driver,
Crew
gunner, loader)
.50 Cal (12.7 mm)
Browning M2HB pintle- Multibank/radial petrol engine,
.30 Cal (7.62 mm) Browning Power Plant
mounted machine gun 425 hp, 11 hp/ton
M1919 co-axial machine gun
Max. Speed 25 mph (40 km/h)

Range 120 miles (193 km)

ROF OQF 17 Pdr
Armour 25-75 mm
(3 in/76.2 mm)
Weight 35.3 tons

Deployed 1944-1945

8 ft 10 in (2.74 m)
8 ft 7 in (2.67 m)
21 ft 2 in (6.45 m)

+ + + + + + VETERAN CREW ADVANTAGES + + + + + + Ace

Veteran Driver Only a few gifted individuals gain this grade. They are
the elite of the tank force – master tacticians, excellent
A Veteran Driver has the following advantage:
motivators or just incredibly lucky.
• His tank gains a +1 to its Hull Down rating
against long-range fire (see page 40) This grade is restricted to the Commander role.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Ace Commanders require a 2+ to pass a Crew Test.

In addition, they have the advantages summarised in
Veteran Gunner the Ace Commanders Table below.
A Veteran Gunner has the following advantage:
An Ace Commander Token can only be earned during
• When rolling to hit a target, he may re-roll a campaign (see page 87).
scores of 1 (see page 39)

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ACE COMMANDER ADVANTAGES + + + + + +

Veteran Commander Ace Commander

A Veteran Commander has the following advantages: An Ace Commander has the following advantages:

• He has a favourable modifier for Radio Checks • Automatically passes a Radio Check
(see page 20) (see page 20)

• He increases the hand size for Event cards • Increases the hand size for Event cards
(see page 58) (see page 58)

• His presence increases the number • His presence increases the number of Event
of Event cards the controlling cards the controlling player can draw each
player can draw each turn to turn to four (see page 59)
three (see page 59)
• He has a better chance of receiving Special
• He has a chance of getting an Ammunition (page 14) and Asset cards (page 60),
extra Smoke Grenade Token and gets two Smoke Grenade Tokens (page 12).
(see page 12)
German Panzer • He never suffers a Calamity! when making a
Commander Crew Test (see page 16)

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Creating Your Tank Platoon – 11

 Preparing
for Battle
Now that you’ve created your own tank platoon, you’ll be eager to despatch it to the front lines. For a one-off
game, choose a mission to play from those detailed on pages 70–75. A campaign game has a more structured
method for selecting missions, as described on page 82. Before you get stuck in, each player will first have to
set up the Datacards for each of their tanks, gather the required tokens, select Asset cards and build a hand of
Event cards as described here.

Take a Datacard matching the type and model of each Some tanks carrying Special Ammunition
of your tanks and follow these steps for each one: can have up to two Special Ammunition
Tokens. Details on ammunition and rules
11. Place an ID Token on the tank’s Datacard. for Special Ammunition acquisition are
When you deploy that tank in the gaming described on page 14.
area, place the matching ID Token next
to (or on top of) the tank and keep it with 5. Take a Hatch Token and place it next to
the model when it moves. These tokens
5 the Datacard.
ensure you know which tank corresponds
to which Datacard. 6. Take one of each of the five Command
6 Tokens (Forward, Reverse, Left Turn, Right
2. Place your Crew Grade Tokens in the Turn and Halt) and place them next to
2 appropriate crew position on the the Datacard.
Datacard. For details on acquiring Crew
Grade Tokens, see pages 9–10. 7. Place the Targeting Marker matching the
7 tank’s ID Token next to the Datacard.
3. Take a Smoke Grenade Token and place
3 it on the Datacard. For each of your tanks
with a Veteran Commander roll a D6.
Asset & Event Cards
On a roll of 4+ the tank gets an extra To build your starting hand of Achtung Panzer! cards,
Smoke Grenade Token. A tank with an first purchase Asset cards (see page 60) and put them
Ace Commander always gets two Smoke to one side, face down. Unpurchased Asset cards are
Grenade Tokens. set aside as they are not used in the game.

4. Select a number of Ammunition Tokens Next, the Event cards are shuffled together and each
4 corresponding to each type of ammunition player draws Event cards up to their hand limit (see
that the tank may carry, as indicated on page 58).
the Datacard (circled on the example
Datacard shown opposite). Place these on Remaining Event cards form the Event deck from which
the Datacard’s Ammunition Rack box. player’s hands are replenished. Shuffle the deck and
put it in a convenient spot.
 + + + + + + PREPARING FOR BATTLE – EXAMPLE DATACARD – PANTHER AUSF.A + + + + + +

6
5 7

“
A27M Cromwell
Quantity has a quality of its own.

Crew
”
Joseph Stalin

Type Cruiser Tank

No. Produced 3,066

5 (commander, driver, gunner,

loader, machine gunner)
.303 (7.9mm)
Rolls Royce Meteor V12 Petrol, 27 l,
Besa co-axial ROQF 75 mm Power Plant
600 hp (447 kW)
machine gun
Max. Speed 40 mph (64 km/h)

Range 170 miles (270 km)

0.303 (7.9 mm) Armour 15–76 mm (0.5–6 in)

Besa hull
machine gun Weight 28 tons

Deployed 1944-1945
8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)

9 ft 5 in (2.91 m)

20 ft 8 in (6.35 m)

Preparing For Battle – 13

 Special Ammunition
Ammunition Tokens
In addition to standard AP and HE rounds, a
During World War II, tanks were equipped with a tank might carry special armour-piercing
variety of ammunition that allowed them to effectively ammunition. Whatever the type (APDS, APCR, HVAP,
engage different types of targets. In Achtung Panzer! etc.) the same rules apply to all.
there are four types of ammunition: Armour-Piercing
(AP), High Explosive (HE), Smoke Rounds and Special Not all guns have Special Ammunition, but if it
Ammunition. Each type of round is represented by an is available an additional Penetration value is
appropriate Ammunition Token as shown below. displayed in red after a gun’s normal Penetration
value on the Datasheet.
Not every tank can fire all types of ammunition –
details are shown on a tank’s Datacard.

Only one token is needed for AP, HE and Smoke

Rounds – tanks are assumed to have enough of these
shells to last what are in reality short, but brutal,
firefights! If Special Ammunition is available (see
below), the total is limited and each tank may only
have a maximum of two Special Ammunition Tokens. Example: The Panther Ausf. A has a 75mm L70
(medium) gun with a Penetration value of 8 (11).
The number in red (11) is the Penetration value
of the tank’s Special Ammunition.

Special ammunition was manufactured using rare

resources, so if you want to acquire Special
Ammunition you must determine its availability.
Availability is affected by the year and period in which
Example: The Datacard for a Panther Ausf. A the battle is being fought, the nationality of your
shows that it can use Armour-Piercing, High platoon, and the grade of your platoon’s Commanders.
Explosive and Special Ammunition. The player
takes one AP token and one HE token. The Roll a D6 and add or subtract the modifier shown on
number of Special Ammunition tokens depends the Special Ammunition Table below. If you have at
on the result from the Special Ammunition table least one Ace Commander in your platoon, roll 2 dice
(see right). and take the best result. If all your Commanders are
Green, roll 2 dice and take the worst result.
Armour-Piercing (AP)
+ + + + + SPECIAL AMMUNITION TABLE + + + + +
This is the standard anti-tank round.
Penetration is usually better at short range. 1943 1944 1945
Early Mid Late Early Mid Late Early Mid

British - - - 0 +1 +2 +3 +3
High Explosive (HE)
USA - - - 0 +1 +2 +3 +3
HE rounds are largely used to clear Ambush
Terrain (see page 30), although they can German 0 +1 +1 0 -1 -2 -3 -3
damage enemy vehicles if they hit areas of weak Soviet -2 -1 -1 0 0 0 0 0
armour. A tank that carries HE rounds (and this will
be most of them) has an HE value in brackets on its + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Datacard, e.g. HE (1) indicates an HE value of 1.
The modified score equates to the maximum number
of Special Ammunition Tokens you can distribute
Smoke Round among the tanks in your platoon. Each tank may have
Smoke Rounds are fired on enemy tanks to a maximum of two Special Ammunition Tokens.
obscure their line of sight. They do not inflict
damage and you don’t need a dice roll to hit; if the Example: You control a German tank platoon
target is spotted, the round will always be on target. with three vehicles capable of using Special
Not all tanks are capable of firing Smoke Rounds Ammunition that is taking part in a battle in
– if a tank can do so, this will be indicated on its late 1944. It includes an Ace Commander so
Datacard. The effects are detailed on page 29. you roll two D6, scoring a 2 and a 6. You take
the 6 and apply the -2 modifier from the Special
Note: Smoke Rounds are different from Smoke Grenades Ammunition table, which gives you four Special
which are carried by tanks for their own protection. See Ammunition Tokens to distribute among your
page 29 for details on Smoke Grenades. three tanks.

14 – Achtung Panzer!
 + + + Tank Ammunition + + +
During the Second World War, tanks used a an explosive filler designed to create a
number of different ammunition types in destructive blast upon impact.
their main guns. The specific mix of types
of tank ammunition varied depending on the Smoke rounds enabled tanks to lay a smoke
country of origin and the model of tank. screen to provide cover for units as they
advanced or retreated.
As their name suggests, armour-piercing
(AP) rounds were designed to penetrate As the war progressed, tanks became
enemy tank armour. Many were simple solid more heavily armoured and so the
shot rounds with no explosive content, science surrounding armour-piercing
and though effective against tanks were tank ammunition tried to keep pace.
generally useless against soft targets. To Developments included high velocity
offset this some AP rounds were explosive armour-piercing (HVAP) rounds designed
shells capped with a penetrating tip. to achieve much higher muzzle velocities,
enhancing the kinetic energy of the
Another AP example was the high projectile and improving its ability to
explosive anti-tank (HEAT) round. This penetrate thick armour.
was mostly exploited in the design of
infantry anti-tank projectiles like the One such example was armour-piercing
bazooka, panzerfaust and PIAT. Here a discarding sabot (APDS). This featured a
shaped charge focused the explosion in sub-calibre penetrator made of a dense
a specific direction to enhance armour material such as tungsten, which separated
penetration. This technology also gave from the main body of the round or sabot,
short-barrelled low velocity guns, like allowing higher velocities and better
the short 75 mm used on early Panzer IV armour penetration.
tanks, a useful AP capability.
While all sides used ammunition of this
Similar to standard artillery shells, type, the Axis powers could not match
high explosive (HE) rounds were used Allied industrial capacity and lacked
against infantry, soft targets and lightly access to many of the rare raw materials
armoured vehicles. These shells contained required for their production.
 Important
Concepts
Game Scale and Measuring
X When performing a Fire Main Gun action,
All distances for movement and firing are given if the LOS passes through Ambush Terrain
in inches ("). and any part of an enemy tank is visible,
then that tank may claim Hull Down status
Players may measure distances at any time. (see page 40).

X Some terrain features, such as intact buildings

Line of Sight (LOS)
and card effects, may limit a tank’s LOS.
Line of Sight (shortened to LOS) is governed by the
following rules: X As always, players should use their
common sense in interpreting the above.
X All tanks count as having a 360° LOS. Any disagreements should be settled by the
roll of a D6.
X When tracing LOS
from a friendly
tank, the starting
Performing Crew Tests
point should be the Some actions performed by your tanks require a
tank commander’s Crew Test. The rules specify which crew member
hatch/cupola. The must make the test – either the Commander, the
commander’s hatch/ Gunner or the Driver.
cupola is clearly
marked on each To carry out a Crew Test, roll 1D6 and refer to the
tank’s Datacard, as table below. The likelihood of success depends on
shown right. the grade of the crew member making the test.

X Achtung Panzer! uses + + + + + + + + CREW GRADE TEST + + + + + + + +

true LOS. If from
eye-level a tank Crew Grade Test Passed On…
model is completely
Green 4+
obscured by terrain
then LOS cannot be Trained 3+
drawn to it.
Veteran 2+
X To perform a Spot Target action on an
Ace 2+
enemy tank, a LOS must be traced to any
part of the enemy model (see page 33). + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

X To perform an Aim at Target action on an If you roll equal to or greater than the required
enemy tank, a LOS must be traced to any number, the crew member passes the test.
part of the enemy model. Additionally the
main gun should be pointing at the target If you roll less than the required number, the crew
(see page 34). member has failed the test. Roll another D6. A roll of
1 counts as a Calamity! which can sometimes have
X To perform a Fire Main Gun action at an unfortunate consequences.
enemy tank, a LOS must be traced to any
VISIBLE part of the hull or turret of the Note: An Ace Commander never
enemy model. Just being able to see the suffers a Calamity!, so does
gun barrel, wireless antenna or edge of a not roll another D6 if he fails a
mud guard isn’t enough. Additionally, the Crew Test.
main gun should be pointing at the target
German Panzer
(see page 36). Commander

16 – Achtung Panzer!
Example – Line of Sight
C

D
B

Like all tanks in Achtung Panzer!, Tank A has a 360° LOS.

Measuring from its commander’s hatch, it has a clear of LOS
to Tank B in its rear and to Tank C in front of it.

However, it can see no part of Tank D due to the dense woodland E

terrain completely obscuring visibility – because true LOS is used,
even if there’s a slight gap between the model trees, there would be LOS
to Tank D, but as there’s no such gap there’s no LOS.

Although Tank E is mostly obscured from Tank A by the terrain, there is a

LOS to its gun barrel. This means Tank A is able to spot or aim at Tank E,
but cannot shoot at it, because it cannot see its target’s hull or turret.

Thompson submachine gun

US-supplied Lend-Lease tanks were
delivered with Thompson SMGs as
standard. British and Soviet crews
made good use of these whilst the
US tank crews bolstered them with
additional M3 grease guns and pistols.

+ + + Two for the Price of One! + + +

At just under five feet tall, Reginald ‘Titch’ There was, however, some astonishment when
Snowling might not have been the most a second Panther also burst into flames.
physically imposing soldier, but he was one ‘Who had done that?’ the crew pondered.
of the best tank gunners in the British Army. The question was answered a short time
later when an infantryman came up to
During operations near the infamous the tank and demanded to know who had
Falaise Gap, Snowling was a Sherman Firefly fired the shot that had killed two tanks!
gunner with the 23rd Hussars. Several Later examination showed that Snowling’s
Shermans had been previously destroyed round had passed clean through the first
by a small group of Panther tanks on a tank’s engine compartment, knocking it
ridge. Snowling’s tank had been ordered to out, and then continued into the next tank
engage them. The Firefly managed to flank destroying that too!
the Panthers and Snowling was able to send
an armour-piercing shell arrowing into Bizarrely, a few months later he repeated
the side of one of the big panzers. It was the feat, this time in an A34 Comet, by
not a surprise when the Panther blew up as disabling two German submersibles laid up
the 17-pounder was a formidable weapon. in a Dutch canal with a single HE shell.

Important Concepts – 17
 The Game Turn
A game of Achtung Panzer! is played over a number of turns, specified by the mission
being played (see page 67 for more details on missions). Each turn comprises a sequence of
phases as detailed in this section.

Turn Phases Active Tanks

I. Initiative Phase An active tank is one that is still capable of
performing actions. Destroyed, knocked out or
1) Initiative Markers
abandoned tanks are not active, but a crippled
2) Radio Checks tank is. A tank currently in reserve or that has
moved off the table for any reason does not count
3) Buttoned/Unbuttoned
as active as it cannot perform actions.
II. Action Phases
1) 1st Action Phase The face of each Initiative Marker is
2) 2nd Action Phase uniquely numbered. Any tokens with a
number greater than the total number of
3) 3rd Action Phase active tanks in play are set aside. One player Face Down
collects the remaining Initiative Markers
III. Admin Phase and places them in a bag, cup or other
opaque container.

I. Initiative Phase Example: You have three active tanks on Face Up

the battlefield and your opponent has two.
During this phase, the sequence in which tanks Place five Initiative Markers – those numbered
activate in each of the turn’s three Action Phases is 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 – and put them in a bag. The rest
determined by the use of Initiative Markers. are discarded.

If you have only one active tank in play, draw one

1) Initiative Markers Initiative Marker from the container without looking
The number of Initiative Markers needed at the start (if both sides only have a single active tank, it doesn’t
of each turn is equal to the total number of active matter who does this first). Then place that token face
tanks of both sides on the battlefield. down next to your tank. Skip the Radio Check step.

If you have two or more active tanks in play, you

must perform a Radio Check before drawing Initiative
Markers, as described next.

18
 Type Heavy Armoured Car

Sd.Kfz 234/2 (Puma) No. Produced 101

Crew 4 (commander, gunner, driver, co-driver)

7.92mm MG34 co-axial
Power Plant Tatra 103 V12 diesel, 211 hp
machine gun
Max. Speed 56 mph (90 km/h)

Range 620 miles (1,000 km)

50mm KwK
39 L60
Armour 0.35–1.18 in (9–30 mm)

Weight 11.5 tons

Deployed 1943–1945

7 ft 8 in (2.38 m)
19 ft 2 in (5.86 m) 7 ft 6 in (2.33 m)

“ Guns and tanks and planes are nothing unless there is

a solid spirit, a solid heart, and great productiveness
behind it. Dwight D. Eisenhower
”
+ + + An American Tiger + + +
During the Battle of the Bulge, on a very crew who had thought their tank had been
cold night, Sgt. Glenn D. George and his hit and was on fire.
Sherman tank crew of the US 740th Tank
Battalion were patrolling a firebreak lane George inspected the abandoned Tiger and
in a forest. Suddenly they saw the shadowy decided it was intact and usable. Calling
form of a large tank ahead of them. To his battalion commander, he informed him
their horror they identified it as a Tiger II that he had captured a Tiger and was going
bearing the number 332 on its turret. to drive it to Berlin! When told to leave
the tank alone he replied, “No way. I’m
Usually, coming face-to-face with a Tiger staying with this thing as long as I can.
was likely to end badly for a Sherman crew. Maybe I’ll get in close with another Tiger
However, the tank showed no signs of life and knock it out.”
and Glenn George concluded that the crew
might be sleeping. There was no way he was With that George and his crew drove the
going to retreat, but if he fired on the tank tank off and the 740th Tank Battalion now
there was a chance the Sherman’s gun might had its very own Tiger. However, he did not
not destroy it and he would be awakening find another German tank to destroy and
the beast. So, he ordered his gunner to fire a much to George’s annoyance, 332 ran out
star shell above the Tiger. of fuel and had to be abandoned near Coo
in Belgium. George calmly informed his
When the star shell burst above the enemy superior about the Tiger’s location and
tank, there was a flurry of activity and continued on his way in his own Sherman
the German crew immediately bailed out tank. As for 332, she was collected by the
of the Tiger and ran for the cover of the 463rd Ordnance Evacuation Company and
forest. George concluded that the star shell found her way across the Atlantic to the
exploding above the Tiger had confused the Aberdeen proving grounds.

The Game Turn – 19

 + + + + + + + RADIO CHECK TABLE + + + + + + +
2) Radio Checks
Historically, a tank platoon Green Trained Veteran
Nationality
Commander Commander Commander
that coordinated the
movement of its component German 3+ (4+) 3+ (4+) 2+ (3+)
vehicles using radio sets or
British 4+ (5+) 4+ (5+) 3+ (4+)
other advanced signalling
had distinct advantages USA 4+ (5+) 4+ (5+) 3+ (4+)
over an opponent that
could not. Soviet Union 5+ (6+) 5+ (6+) 4+ (5+)

This is represented in Achtung + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

German Panzer Panzer! by giving each player a
Assault badge
chance to look at Initiative Markers Note: If you have an Ace Commander in your platoon,
before placing them by performing a Radio Check. you automatically pass your Radio Check.

As previously mentioned, you only need to perform Radio Check Passed

a Radio Check if you have two or more active tanks If you pass the Radio Check, draw a number of
in play. Note that it does not matter which player Initiative Markers from the bag equal to the number
performs their check first or who subsequently draws of active tanks in your platoon. Once these have been
Initiative Markers first. drawn, you may look at the tokens and place each one
face down next to one of your active tanks, so that all
Performing a Radio Check of them have been assigned an Initiative Marker.
On the Radio Check Table (right), cross-reference
your tank platoon’s nationality with the highest This gives you the advantage of being able to
crew grade Commander in an active tank in your influence the order in which your tanks will activate
platoon. This gives you the number required to pass during this turn’s Action Phases.
your Radio Check. There are two numbers listed in
each case. Radio Check Failed
If you fail the Radio Check, draw an Initiative Marker
X If all the active tanks in your platoon have from the bag then place that marker face down next
a LOS to at least one other active tank in to the chosen tank. Repeat until all your active tanks
the platoon, use the first number. See page have had markers assigned to them.
16 for the rules on Line of Sight.
In this case, your platoon is disadvantaged as the
X If any active tank in your platoon cannot initiative order for your tanks is randomised.
trace a LOS to another active tank in your
platoon, use the number in brackets. Revealing Initiative Markers
Initiative Markers remain face down until the first
Roll a D6. If your score is equal to or exceeds the Action Phase, during which they are revealed (see
required number, you have passed the Radio Check. page 22). The tokens then remain face up until the
Otherwise you have failed the check. end of the turn.

Example – Radio Check (LOS) This German tank platoon of three Panthers must make
a Radio Check. Tank A has a LOS to tank B (and vice
versa), but does not have a LOS to tank C on account of
the dense woodland terrain between them – there are
C no gaps through this terrain, thus inhibiting visibility
through it. As a result, the number in brackets from the
Radio Check Table must be used.

20 – Achtung Panzer!
 + + + Niet Radio + + +
Why do the Soviets have a poor rating on the This prevented appropriate reactions to
Radio Check table? In the early period of counter new threats in a changing battlefield.
the war, Soviet tanks were either not fitted While most of the Lend-Lease tanks received
with radios or were just wired to receive by the Soviet Union later in the war had
transmissions. Only upper echelon officers had excellent radios, old radio communications
the capacity to transmit. Whilst this might practices died hard. Sadly for Soviet tank
have allowed the Soviet company commanders crews, the advantages enjoyed by Germany and
to give orders, they had no capacity to receive the Western Allies of good radio communication
updates from their subordinates. were never exploited to the full.

3) Buttoned/Unbuttoned During this step, decide

During this step you get to decide the whether your Commanders
buttoned status of your Commanders. are buttoned or unbuttoned
Buttoned by placing the relevant Hatch
During World War II, it was common Token on each Datacard
for tank commanders to fight a battle over the Commander’s hatch
standing up in the turret with the hatch (shown right).
open. This gave them a much better view Unbuttoned
of unfolding events, but the exposed A Commander’s status
position left them vulnerable if the tank was hit or cannot voluntarily be
they were targeted by a sniper. changed until next turn’s
Initiative Phase, but it might
In US and British tank forces this was known be forced to change if the
as ‘buttoned’ (hatch closed) and ‘unbuttoned’ tank is attacked.
(hatch open).
You may wish to adhere to
This status is important in the game, as unbuttoned national doctrines: British
Commanders gain bonuses for spotting and using tank commanders normally
pintle-mounted machine guns. However, they are operated unbuttoned at all
also vulnerable to enemy fire as described later in times. Soviet commanders
the rules. almost always remained buttoned.

The Game Turn – 21

II. The Action Phases Removing a Targeting Marker
Each turn of Achtung Panzer! incorporates three You may freely remove your tank’s
Action Phases. An Action Phase Tracker is included Targeting Marker from play at the
with the Achtung Panzer! Blood & Steel starter set. beginning of any Action Phase. Another target
may then be sought with a Spot Target action
A token is placed in the relevant space on the tracker (see page 33).
as a reminder of which Action Phase you are currently
in. The numbers above and below the spaces are used
to track Elapsed Time as described on page 67. Forward: The tank may move forward.

Reverse: The tank may move backwards.

Right Turn: The tank may move and may

turn right.

Left Turn: The tank may move and may

turn left.

Example: The Action Phase Tracker above has

its token on the second space, showing that it’s Halt: The tank does not move.
currently the 2nd Action Phase of the turn.
For each tank, place your selected Command Token
Each Action Phase is divided into the following steps: face down in the Command box on its Datacard.

X Reveal Initiative Markers The Command Token is revealed only when the tank is
1st Action Phase only activated during the Activate Tanks step. It represents
the commands given by the tank commander to the
X Issue Commands driver. You will need to anticipate your opponent’s
intentions and try to plan the movement of your own
X Activate Tanks – Each tank can perform one tanks accordingly. This will quickly become second
Movement Action and one Tactical Action nature for truly great tank platoon commanders.

Note that these commands are ‘intentions’ rather than

Reveal Initiative Markers
hard orders. For example, if you gave one of your tanks
This takes place at the start of the 1st Action Phase a Forward token during the Issue Commands step, you
only – by the 2nd and 3rd Action Phases, all the are free to move it any distance up to its maximum or
Initiative Markers will have been already revealed. even not to move it at all. However, the tank will still
suffer the penalty for moving and shooting on account
Each player turns their Initiative Markers face up. of the command issued to it, as described on page 38.
The tokens remain face up until the end of the turn.
When both players have issued commands to each of
their active tanks, move on to the next step.
Issue Commands
Each player places a Command Token face down on
Activate Tanks
the Datacard of each of their active tanks. Each tank
has five Command Tokens available to choose from. Tanks are activated one at a time.
These indicate which Movement Action the tank will
perform this Phase. You must select one Command The order in which tanks are activated in
Token for each active tank in your platoon. each Action Phase is determined by the
Initiative Marker earlier assigned to each
of them – the tank with Initiative Marker 1 activates
first, followed by the tank with Initiative Marker 2,
and so on.

As soon as a tank is activated, the Command Token

German allocated to it is revealed.
Panzer Crew
When activated, a tank can perform one Movement
Action and one Tactical Action.

22 – Achtung Panzer!
 “ Loyal unto Death!

”
Motto of the
Sherwood Rangers yeomanry

Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry CO

Stanley Christopherson’s A Squadron pennant

After Activation
Movement Actions
A Movement Action regulates the way a tank moves Once a tank has carried out all its actions, remove the
during an Action Phase. It is predetermined by the Command Token from its Datacard as a reminder that
command issued to the tank at the start of the Action it can perform no more actions this phase.
Phase. See pages 24–25 for the rules governing
Movement Actions. Once all tanks have been activated, this Action
Phase is over and the next one begins – move
Terrain has a great impact on tank movement, and the token on the Action Phase tracker to the next
rules for terrain can be found on page 48. position. At the conclusion of the 3rd Action Phase,
the Admin Phase begins.
Tactical Actions
In addition to executing its Movement Action, a tank
can make one Tactical Action when activated.
III. Admin Phase
A Tactical Action can be performed either before or
after a tank’s Movement Action. It is chosen as soon Before the turn ends, carry out the following steps.
as the tank is activated; it is not pre-planned as
Movement Actions are.
1) Remove Initiative Markers
Tactical Actions are primarily, but not exclusively, Gather the markers and put them to one side.
related to combat, specifically loading, aiming and
firing the main gun. They are described in more detail
2) Discard/Replenish Event Cards
on pages 26–47.
You can discard or replenish Event cards during this
Note: Some Event cards allow individual tanks to step of the Admin Phase. See page 59 for details.
perform more than one Tactical Action in a phase –
incredibly handy in a tight spot!
3) Roll for Elapsed Time
Determine Elapsed Time as described on page 67.
Losing a Targeting Marker
At the end of an Action Phase, if a tank
4) Deploy Reserves
with a ‘Spotted’ Targeting Marker on a Deployment of reserves is dictated by the rules for
target can no longer draw a LOS to the target, the mission being played – see page 68.
that marker is immediately removed.

At the end of an Action Phase, if a tank Next Turn Begins

with an ‘Aimed’ Targeting Marker on a Unless the game ends, as specified by
target can no longer draw a LOS to the target, the the rules for the mission being played,
marker is flipped back to the ‘Spotted’ side and the next turn now begins.
remains where it is.

Note that a tank will not have to remove or flip its

British Tank
Targeting Marker simply because it or its target Crewman
moves. This happens only if there is no longer a
LOS between the tanks.

The Game Turn – 23

 Movement
Actions
Once battle was joined, it was the job of the tank commander to appraise the battlefield and
determine how the tank should navigate it. Orders were passed from the commander to the driver through
intercoms, shouting loudly or even kicking the driver’s shoulders to indicate the direction to travel.

This section contains the rules for Movement Actions. Reverse

As described previously, a tank must perform one Move the tank directly backwards up to 4".
Movement Action per Action Phase, and the type Measure the distance from the rear of the
of action is predetermined by the command issued tank and move the model so that the rear
at the start of the phase. Remember that these moves up to the maximum distance.
commands are ‘intentions’ rather than hard orders,
as is made clear below. Left Turn
Move the tank up to 4" forwards and rotate
Note: Sometimes a tank cannot perform a selected it up to 90° to the left either before or after
command, usually due to it taking damage. the move. The turn should be made around the centre
of the tank.
Executing a Movement Action Right Turn
To carry out a tank’s Movement Action, follow the Move the tank up to 4" forwards and rotate
rules for the specific Command Token assigned to it up to 90° to the right either before or
that tank, as described below. after the move. The turn should be made around the
centre of the tank.
Forward
Move the tank forwards up to the Speed value Halt
shown on the Datacard in inches. Measure The tank does not move.
the distance from the front of the tank and
move the model so that the front moves up to Some tanks with very large guns may only fire if
the maximum distance. the tank has been given a Halt command. This is
represented by the Cumbersome trait (see page 54).

A Halt command is important as it allows the most

accurate shooting (see page 38). This represents the
crew focusing all their attention on targeting and
firing at out the enemy.

Note that if you do not physically move a tank that

has been given a command other than Halt, it does
Example: This tank has a Speed of 7", so can not count as having been given a Halt command so
moves up to 7" if given a Forward command. will not provide any bonus to shooting.

Free Pivot Manoeuvre

Performing the Manoeuvre
You may attempt to give your tank a free Pivot The rules for performing a
Manoeuvre at the beginning or the end of a Pivot Manoeuvre are detailed
Movement Action. on page 27.

Attempting the Manoeuvre

British 11th Hussars
Make a Crew Test for the Driver. If the test is (Prince Albert’s Own)
passed, the tank successfully completes the Regiment cap badge
Pivot Manoeuvre. If the test is failed, the pivot
is not performed, but there is no need to roll for
a Calamity! result.

24 – Achtung Panzer!
 Example – Movement Actions
The following diagrams illustrate each of the Movement Actions a tank can perform.

7" 4"

The Panther Ausf. A has been given a Forward

This tank has been given a Reverse command.
command. It chooses to moves its maximum
It chooses to move 4" directly backwards.
Speed value of 7" directly forwards.

80°
4"
2"

l
60°
l

The Panther has been given a Left Turn command. This tank has been given a Right Turn command.
It chooses to move 4" directly forwards and then It rotates 80° to the right about its centre and
rotates 60° to the left about its centre. then chooses to move 2" directly forwards.

Turret Facing At the beginning or the end of a Movement Action,

One of the big advantages of World War II tanks as you may turn the tank’s turret to face into any one of
opposed to their Great War counterparts were their its four arcs.
turrets. In most examples, the tank’s main armament
would be placed in an armoured turret which could The turret’s facing can also be changed when
be rotated up to 360°. This meant that the tank could performing one of the following Tactical Actions: Aim
fire in any direction while its hull faced another. at Target or Fire Main Gun.

A tank’s turret must always face into one of the tank’s Not all tanks in the game have a turret. Examples
four arcs: front, left, right or rear as shown by the include Tank Destroyers like the Jagdpanther
diagrams below. and SU-85. A tank without a turret has the Turretless
trait listed on its Datacard (see page 56).

Examples – Turret Facing These diagrams illustrate the four facings of a tank’s turret.

Turret facing Turret facing Turret facing Turret facing

tank’s left arc tank’s front arc tank’s rear arc tank’s right arc

Movement Actions – 25
 Tactical Actions
Tactical Actions primarily represent those activities essential to fighting with a tank, such
as spotting, aiming and shooting at a target and loading the main gun. They also include a few
additional movement and defensive actions, allowing greater tactical flexibility on the battlefield.

A tank can make at least one Tactical Action during One action involves defensive measures:
an Action Phase, in addition to executing its
Movement Action. A Tactical Action is chosen at the X Pop Smoke – page 28
point the tank is activated. This can take place before
or after a Movement Action, but a Movement Action Seven actions are concerned with using the tank’s
may not be interrupted to perform a Tactical Action. main gun or secondary armament:

There are ten Tactical Actions. Two of these are X Machine-Gun an Enemy Tank – page 28
related to Movement: X Clear Ambush Terrain – page 30
X Load Main Gun – page 32
X Pivot Manoeuvre – page 27
X Unload Main Gun – page 33
X Scoot – page 27
X Spot Target – page 33
X Aim at Target – page 34
X Fire Main Gun – page 36

26
Pivot Manoeuvre A tank can perform a Scoot action regardless of the
Command Token on its Datacard. Note that as Scoot
This Tactical Action allows you to pivot your tank. is a Tactical Action, a tank can Scoot even if it has a
Your tank automatically performs this manoeuvre Halt command.
without having to pass a Crew Test. This action may
be executed no matter which Movement Action the
Performing the Action
tank has been commanded to perform, even Halt.
To perform a Scoot action, roll 2D6.
A tank may also make a free Pivot Manoeuvre as a
Movement Action, but only if it successfully passes a X If you want your tank to Scoot forwards,
Crew Test (see page 24). take the higher score and move it directly
forwards up to that distance in inches.
Performing the Manoeuvre
Place your finger just in front of one of the tank’s tracks X If you want your tank to Scoot backwards,
(right or left) at its front. Then swivel the tank from take the lower score and move it directly
its pivot point at its rear, as shown in the diagram on backwards up to that distance in inches.
the right, so that the other track is now touching your
finger. You don’t have to swivel the full distance, but it A tank may not pivot as part of the Scoot action.
still counts as a Pivot Manoeuvre.

Note: This manoeuvre may be attempted by a tank Scoot 6"

in Ambush Terrain, but not by one in a Prepared
Position. See the Terrain rules, pages 49 and 52.

Example – Pivot Manoeuvre Example: You want your tank to Scoot forwards,
so roll two D6 to determine the distance moved.
a) Rolling a 2 and a 6, you take the highest score
and can move the tank up to 6" directly forwards.
Pivot
Point
l
Ambush Terrain
Finger A tank may not use a Scoot action to enter or move
through Ambush Terrain. If a Scoot action would take
the tank into Ambush Terrain, it must stop at the edge.

b) Damaged Running Gear

A tank with Running Gear Damage (see
Pivot
Point
l page 44) must always take the lower score.

Finger

Your tank is performing a Pivot

Manoeuvre. You place your finger
just in front of its right track at its front (a).
Then, you swivel the tank from its pivot point so that the
other track is now touching your finger (b).
The tank has successfully pivoted to its right.

Scoot
This Tactical Action allows a vehicle to gain
additional movement. This may be to reach vital
British War
cover when threatened or to get into a better position Department
for engaging an enemy tank, for example. manual for
Duplex Drive
tanks

Tactical Actions – 27
“ What difference does it make for me if you have two tanks
to my one? You send them out and let me smash them in detail.
You presented me with three brigades in succession. ”
General Erwin Rommel to a captured British officer

Prerequisites
Pop Smoke
In order to machine-gun an enemy tank, the following
If caught in an exposed position and under fire, tank prerequisites must be met:
crews would sometimes try to obscure their vehicle
by throwing smoke grenades out of the hatches or, in X The Commander of the target tank must
some cases, discharging external smoke launchers. be unbuttoned.

X Your tank must be within 6" of the target tank

Prerequisites and have a LOS to its Commander’s Hatch.
To pop smoke, your tank must have at least one
Smoke Grenade token on its Datacard. Note that the target tank does not need to have been
spotted in order to be the target of this attack.
Performing the Action The tank’s Close Assault value is used to determine
Discard the tank’s Smoke Grenade Token and place a the success of this attack. Note that a tank with the
Smoke Marker next to the tank. Pintle trait adds +1 to its Close Assault value if its
Commander is unbuttoned.

Machine-Gun an Enemy Tank

Most tanks had close-quarters armaments in the form
of machine guns. These were often either mounted in
the hull or co-axially with the main gun.

As a Tactical Action, you can rake a nearby enemy

Performing the Action
tank with machine gun fire. It won’t do any damage to
the tank, but might force the target tank’s commander Roll a number of D6 equal to your tank’s Close
to duck for cover if he is unbuttoned. Assault value.

If you roll at least one 6, the attack is a success.

The Commander of the target tank may be forced to
Button Up! (see page 47).
Smoke X Any attack made against a tank with a
Smoke Marker on it reduces the number
In the heat of battle, defensive smoke has been the of dice rolled to hit by 1.
saviour of many a tank crew. Smoke can obscure
a tank making it appreciably more difficult to hit. X If a tank with a Smoke Marker on it
A tank can create smoke by firing special smoke shoots, it reduces the number of dice it
rounds from its gun, or its crew can toss smoke rolls to hit by 1.
grenades from an open hatch.
These penalties are not cumulative – if both the
In Achtung Panzer!, defensive smoke is placed by shooting tank and the target have Smoke Markers
firing Smoke Rounds, deploying Smoke Grenades or on them, only one dice is lost.
by playing certain Event cards.
An attack reduced to zero dice is resolved as a Snap
Smoke Rounds Fire instead (see page 38).
Smoke Rounds are fired from a tank’s main gun and
may only target enemy tanks. This represents the A tank with a Smoke Marker has it’s Close Assault
creation of smoke screens to cover friendly tanks. value reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1).

The firing tank must have Spotted or Aimed at the Multiple Smoke Markers on a tank have no
target tank, but no dice roll is needed to hit; the additional effect.
round is always on target. Place a Smoke Marker on
the target tank.
Removing Smoke Markers
Smoke Grenades A Smoke Marker is removed from a tank when its
A tank can use smoke grenades by performing the Command is revealed.
Pop Smoke action.
However, if the tank has been given
The tank must expend its Smoke Grenade Token. a Halt command, roll 1D6. The
Place a Smoke Marker on the tank. Smoke Marker is only removed
on a roll of 1 or 2, otherwise
Event Cards it remains in place.
Smoke Markers generated by an Event card can be
placed on any tank, friendly or enemy. A Smoke Marker is
immediately removed from
a tank if the tank performs
Effects of Smoke a Scoot action.
Smoke makes an obscured tank harder to hit, but
also a tank covered by smoke finds it more difficult
Smoke
to hit its target. Marker

Tactical Actions – 29
 Performing the Action (HE Round)
Clear Ambush Terrain
Roll a number of dice equal to the HE value of the
A tank may clear Ambush Terrain by firing an HE gun. Your tank suffers a penalty for moving and
round from its main gun, by using close assault fire shooting, so unless it has a Halt command on its
from its light machine guns or with a flamethrower. Datacard, discard 1 dice (to a minimum of 1).
See page 49 for more details on Ambush Terrain.

HE Round

Prerequisites
In order to clear Ambush Terrain with a HE round, the
following prerequisites must be met: If you score a 5 or 6 on one or more of the dice, the
HE round hits the target.
X Your tank must have an HE Ammunition
Token in the Ready box on its Datacard A hit clears the Ambush Terrain – flip
as shown below (for details on loading its Ambush Marker to its ‘Cleared’ side.
ammunition, see page 32).
Example: A Tiger I tank has a HE round loaded
in the main gun and performs a Clear Ambush
Terrain action against a target 36" away. The
Tiger has a HE value of 3, but it has a ‘Left
Turn’ Command Token on its Datacard, so
only 2 dice are rolled, with a score of 5 or 6
required to hit. A 2 and a 5 are scored, so the
Ambush Terrain is cleared and the Ambush
Marker is flipped over.
X Your tank must be able to draw a LOS to the
Ambush Terrain (see page 16).
Close Assault Fire or Flamethrower
X Your tank’s Targeting Marker must not be
on another target. However, the Ambush
Terrain itself does not need to have a
Prerequisites
Targeting Marker on it. In order to clear Ambush Terrain with a flamethrower
or Close Assault fire, your tank must be within 6" of
X The Ambush Terrain must be within the front the Ambush Terrain and have LOS to it.
arc of your tank’s gun turret (see page 25).
If your tank is turretless, see the rules on
page 56.
Performing the Action (Close Assault Fire)
Roll a number of dice equal to the Close Assault value
X If the tank has the Cumbersome trait of your tank.
(see page 54), it can only fire its gun if
it has a Halt command on
its Datacard.

If you score a 6 on one or more of the dice, the

Ambush Terrain is cleared – its Ambush Marker is
flipped to its ‘Cleared’ side.

Performing the Action (Flamethrower)

Roll four dice. If you score a 5 or 6 on one or more of
the dice, the Ambush Terrain is cleared – its Ambush
British Mk III Marker is flipped to its ‘Cleared’ side.
Prismatic Compass
& case
See page 54 for additional rules on flamethrowers.

30 – Achtung Panzer!
 + + + Ambush! + + +
A lot of combat in World War II took place in of vegetation or trees, and they could lay
less than ideal terrain for tanks. Lines of low even the most powerful tank. This was
sight were regularly blocked or impeded by especially true if the ambush came from an
terrain features and some of them would be unexpected quarter taking advantage of a
the perfect hiding places for soft assets such tank’s weaker armour on the flanks or rear.

as anti-tank guns and dedicated infantry

The danger of infantry to tanks only increased
tank hunter teams.
as the war progressed as both sides introduced
rocket-propelled shaped charge weapons like
Whilst these assets would be easily overrun
the bazooka and the Panzerfaust.
and destroyed in open terrain by tanks, in a
more cluttered arena those same soft targets In response, many tanks were amply supplied
would have the opportunity to spring an with large high explosive shells and rapid-
ambush on an unwary tank crew. Guns and fire machine guns. This allowed them to
infantry hid amongst concealing terrain clear or make safe terrain that concealed
such as buildings, ruins and dense patches ambushing troops through brute firepower.

“ My men can eat their belts, but

my tanks have gotta have gas.
”
General George S. Patton

Type Medium Tank

Panzer IV Ausf. H
No. Produced 3,774

5 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Radio

Crew
Operator, and Driver)
7.92 mm MG Maybach HL 120 TR(M) 265 HP
34 co-axial Power Plant
@ 2600 rpm
machine gun 7.5 cm KwK
40 L/48 Max. Speed 23.6 mph (38 km/h)

Range 230.5 miles (210 km)

7.92 mm MG 34 Armour 0.39– 3.15 in (10–80 mm)

hull-mounted
machine gun Weight 25 tons

Deployed 1943–1945
2.68 m (8 ft 10 in)

2.88 m (9 ft 5 in)
5.92 m (19 ft 5in)

Tactical Actions – 31
Load Main Gun Loading a Medium, Heavy or Very Heavy Gun
Move the required Ammunition Token from the
In order to fire a main gun, it first needs to be loaded Ammunition Rack into the Load box.
with a round of ammunition. Many tank crews
became very proficient at this task, although the
larger the gun the longer the process could take due
to the greater size and weight of the ammunition.

Performing the Action

In Achtung Panzer!, different types of ammunition are
represented by Ammunition Tokens (see page 14 for
more details). When not in use, these are stored on To complete the loading process for a medium, heavy
the Ammunition Rack on a tank’s Datacard. or very heavy gun, you will need to perform a second
Load Main Gun action in a subsequent Action Phase –
Loading a gun takes one or two Tactical Actions move the Ammunition Token from the Load box to the
depending on the size of the gun. A gun’s size is Ready box. The gun is now ready to be fired.
indicated on a tank’s Datacard, in brackets after the
name of the gun.

Forced Load
You can attempt to load a medium or heavy gun faster
Loading a Light Gun than normal. This is called a ‘forced load’. You cannot
Move the required Ammunition Token from the force load very heavy guns, although certain Event
Ammunition Rack into the Ready box, bypassing the cards may allow faster loading.
Load box. The gun is ready to be fired.
To perform a forced load, the tank’s Gunner must make
a Crew Test (see page 16).

If the test is passed, move the Ammunition Token

directly to the Ready box, bypassing the Ready box.

Machine Guns
If a vehicle’s main gun is a heavy machine gun,
it is considered to be always loaded. Such tanks
have no Ammunition Rack on their Datacard. If the test is failed, the outcome depends on the size
Light machine guns are represented by the tank’s of the gun being loaded:
Close Assault value and so do not need to be
loaded or reloaded during the game. X Medium Gun: The Ammunition Token only
moves into the Load box, unless the failure
was a Calamity! in which case it remains in
the Ammunition Rack.

X Heavy Gun: The Ammunition Token remains

in the Ammunition Rack.

British
Tank Crew

32 – Achtung Panzer!
 + + + Close Assault Weaponry + + +
During World War II tanks implemented a had other methods of self-defence.
variety of tactics and equipment to defend These included crewmen firing personal
themselves from infantry threats. The weapons through pistol ports or even
weapons of choice were crew-fired machine cracking open a hatch to fire
guns mounted on the turret or in the hull a submachine gun or toss a
of the tank. These were quite effective in grenade at their infantry foes.
breaking up tank hunter attacks and could
be used to spray suspected infantry lairs German Panzer
with bullets to clear them. However, tanks Crewman

Unload Main Gun trying to pinpoint a potential target for them to

shoot at.
If your tank has an Ammunition Token in the Load box
or Ready box on its Datacard but you decide it is the
Prerequisites
wrong type of ammunition, you can unload the gun.
Your tank may perform a Spot Target action if you can
trace a LOS from it to any part of an enemy tank.
Performing the Action
Unloading takes a single Tactical Action and is
Performing the Action
completed automatically. Move the Ammunition
Token back onto the Ammunition Rack. Place your tank’s Targeting Marker, ‘Spotted’
side up, next to the chosen enemy tank.
The gun must be loaded again before it can fire, so
although the round is not wasted, it is not a very Your tank has now spotted the target tank. The target
efficient use of a Tactical Action. tank remains spotted by your tank until its Targeting
Marker is removed or flipped over, or until your tank
loses its LOS to the target (see overleaf).

Spot Target Unbuttoned Tank Commanders

In a game of Achtung Panzer! players have a bird’s If your tank has an unbuttoned Commander,
eye view of the battlefield and can see where before performing a Spot Target action,
everything is situated, even if it is hidden behind a make a Crew Test for the Commander. If
building, copse or other terrain feature. However, in passed, the Spot Target action counts as a free action,
reality tank crews would not have this knowledge. and you can perform another Tactical Action during
The Spot Target action represents a tank’s crew this Action Phase.

Example – Spot Target

B

C
Tank A has a LOS to Tank B so can spot it as a target.

It can see no part of Tank C due to the dense woodland

terrain positioned between the two tanks, completely
obscuring visibility. Therefore, it cannot spot it as a target.

This terrain feature mostly obscures Tank D, although in this case D

Tank A has a LOS to its gun barrel, so Tank A can spot Tank D.

Tactical Actions – 33
Aim at Target Removing a Targeting Marker
Once a tank and its crew have spotted an enemy You may freely remove your tank’s
target they can greatly increase their chances of Targeting Marker from play at the
hitting it by first performing an Aim at Target action. beginning of any Action Phase. Another target
may then be sought with a Spot Target action
(see page 33).
Prerequisites
Your tank may perform an Aim at Target action if the
following prerequisites are met:
Losing a Targeting Marker
X The target tank has been spotted by
At the end of an Action Phase, if a tank
your tank (see page 33).
with a ‘Spotted’ Targeting Marker on a
target can no longer draw a LOS to the target,
X You can trace a LOS from your tank to any
that marker is immediately removed.
part of the target tank (see page 16).
At the end of an Action Phase, if a tank
X The target tank must be within the front with an ‘Aimed’ Targeting Marker on a
arc of your tank’s gun turret (see page 25). target can no longer draw a LOS to the target, the
If the firing tank is turretless, see the rules marker is flipped back to the ‘Spotted’ side and
on page 56. remains where it is.

Note that a tank will not have to remove or flip its

Performing the Action Targeting Marker simply because it or its target
Flip your Targeting Marker next to the target moves. This happens only if there is no longer a
tank to its ‘Aimed’ side. Your tank’s gun LOS between the tanks.
is now aimed at the target tank. The gun
remains aimed at the target tank until your tank’s
Targeting Marker is removed or flipped over, or until
your tank loses its LOS to the target (see right).
Example – Aim at Target
C

Turret facing
right arc

Tank A can aim at Tank B – it has spotted that tank (as

is evident from the fact that its Targeting Marker is next
to it, ‘Spotted’ side up), it can trace a LOS to the target (in
this case its gun barrel), and Tank B lies within the front arc
of its turret. Tank A cannot aim at either Tanks C or D because B
its Targeting Marker is not on them.

Example – Losing a Targeting Marker

Turret facing
right arc

Tank A had previously placed a ‘Spotted’ Targeting

Marker next to Tank B, but subsequently Tank B has
reversed out of LOS. Therefore, at the end of the current
Action Phase, the Targeting Marker must be removed.
B
8
If the marker had been on its ‘Aimed’ side, it would have been
flipped back to its ‘Spotted’ side rather than be removed.
 Performing the Action
Fire Main Gun
If all these prerequisites are met then follow these
Shoot an enemy with your tank’s main gun. next steps:

1) Expend Ammunition
Prerequisites
To fire the main gun of your tank, the following 2) Hitting the Target
prerequisites must be met:
3) Hit Location
X The tank must have an Ammunition Token
in the Ready box on the tank’s Datacard. 4) Damaging the Target

1) Expend Ammunition
For AP, HE and Smoke Rounds, remove the
Ammunition Token from the ‘Ready’ box and replace
it in the Ammunition Rack. This ensures that the
Ammunition Token is available for reloading later in
the game.
X The tank must be able to draw a LOS to the
target tank (see page 16). At least part of
the hull or turret must be visible. Just being
able to see a radio antenna or tip of the
gun barrel isn’t enough.

X Your tank has spotted the target

tank (see page 33) or its gun is
aimed at the target (see page 34).
If neither of these prerequisites are Special Ammunition
met, you can still fire, but resolve the shot Unlike other types of
as a Snap Fire (see page 38). ammunition, a Special
Ammunition Token represents
X The target tank must be within the front arc only a single round of Special
of your tank’s gun turret (see page 25). If Ammunition. When fired, Special
the firing tank is turretless, see the rules on Ammunition Tokens are not
page 56. returned to the Ammunition
Rack, but are discarded –
X If the tank has the Cumbersome trait (see use them carefully!
page 54), it can only fire its gun if it has a British 22nd
Halt command on its Datacard. Dragoons Regiment
cap badge

36 – Achtung Panzer!
Example – Fire Main Gun
B

Tank A, which has an Ammunition Token in the

Ready box in its Ammunition Rack, is able to fire
its main gun at Tank B – it can draw a LOS to the C
target’s hull, its main gun is aimed at the target (its
Targeting Marker, with its ‘Aimed’ side up is next to
it), and the target is within the front arc of its turret.

Tank C cannot be fired at by Tank A. The dense woodland

terrain blocks all LOS through it.
D
Tank D is not a viable target. Tank A’s gun is not aimed at it, and
also Tank A can only see its gun barrel, not its turret or hull. In
addition, it is not within the front arc of Tank A’s turret.

British Sten Gun MK II

Far cheaper to make than the US Thompson
SMG, the Sten gun was a simple design and easily
mass-produced. US paratroopers were known to be fond of the Sten gun
and several British tank crews swapped theirs for US M1 Carbines with
folding stock, while Germans liked the Sten as they could fire it whilst
prone unlike their own MP40. The grass is always greener…

+ + + Pintle Mounts + + +
Many tanks in World War II had a machine tank commander was understood to have
gun fitted to the turret roof on a pintle many duties, but manning a machine gun
mount. In most cases this was provided was not one of them.
for the tank commander to use, either as
Additional concerns were raised that
an anti-aircraft weapon or to provide
the mounted gun would make bailing out
additional fire-power against soft
significantly more difficult, and it was
targets. It became more common as the war
also noted that tanks would have to carry
progressed to see these being fitted to
an additional calibre of machine gun
German panzers, but the greatest users of
ammunition different from that used in
these weapons were the Americans. They
their bow and co-axial MGs. As a result
fitted either a .30 Cal or more commonly an orders went out to most regiments to have
M2 'Ma Deuce’ .50 Cal heavy machine gun on the pintle guns removed. This move,
to pintle mounts on many of their armoured however, had a silver lining for other
vehicles and soft skins. troops as these weapons found their way
onto infantry half-tracks and turretless
One military force which tended to ignore
Stuart recce vehicles.
this weapon was the British Army. However,
when it took delivery of large numbers of So, while you are perfectly within your
Sherman tanks from the USA, they were rights to mount a ‘Ma Deuce’ on your British
usually delivered with a pintle mount and Sherman models and make use of the pintle,
an M2 HMG. This caused concern amongst for historical bragging rights you may
the top brass – a British and Commonwealth decide not to do so.

Tactical Actions – 37
 Snap Fire When taking a Snap Fire shot, instead of using
one of the ‘Dice To Roll’ values on your tank’s
You may still perform a Fire Main Gun action Datacard, you always roll two D6.
against an enemy tank even if you do not have a
Targeting Marker on it, ‘Spotted’ or ‘Aimed’ side up. If both of these dice equals or exceeds the score
This is called a Snap Fire. It is a last minute panic needed to hit then the round has struck the target.
measure, and the chance of hitting is small. Otherwise the shot misses.

You may also be required to take a Snap Fire shot if If the round hits, follow the procedure on pages
instructed to do so by the rules (see ‘Machine Guns’ 40–47 for Hit Location and Damaging the Target’s
below, for example) or by a card. Tank as normal.

“ Tanks are a new and special weapon – newer than, as

special, and certainly as valuable as the airplane.

2) Hitting the Target

”
General George S. Patton

discard one dice. If it only had 1D6 to start with, the

shot must be resolved as Snap Fire (see above).

Specific Targeting
Machine Guns
Before rolling to hit the target, you may have the
opportunity to attempt to target a specific part of If a vehicle’s main gun is a heavy machine gun,
the enemy tank. See page 40 for details. when firing at long range, it must use Snap Fire
to shoot at a target.

How Many Dice?

Score Needed To Hit
Determine how many D6s you can roll to attempt to
score a hit. On the tank’s Datacard, you’ll see two Now, determine what score you need with your dice
‘Dice To Roll’ values. to hit the target.

X The top value is used if the firing tank On the tank’s Datacard you’ll see two ‘D6 To Hit’
has a Targeting Marker ‘Spotted’ side values, for short and long range.
up on the target tank.
X The value in the Short Range box shows
X The bottom value is used if the firing the minimum score needed on a D6 to hit a
tank has a Targeting Marker ‘Aimed’ target within 18" of the firing tank.
side up on the target tank and its gun aimed
at it. X The value in the Long Range box shows the
minimum score needed on a D6 to hit a
target that is more than 18" away from the
firing tank.

Example: The Datacard shows that if this tank

has spotted its target, it rolls 2 dice, and if it has
its gun aimed at the target, it rolls 3 dice.

Penalty for Moving and Shooting Example: The Datacard shows that the dice
Your tank suffers a penalty for moving and shooting, score needed to hit a target at both short and
so unless it has a Halt command on its Datacard, long range is 5+ (a roll of 5 or 6).

38 – Achtung Panzer!
 + + + Taming the King Tiger + + +
On paper the fearsome German Tiger II heavy of him before he opened fire. Several
tank far outmatched the Soviet Union’s Tigers were quickly disabled, Oskin’s shots
T-34 tank. However, in August 1944, Second punching through their lighter side armour.
Lieutenant Alexander Petrovich Oskin proved The Germans retreated in total confusion
that these giants could be beaten. leaving a number of wrecked and abandoned
Tigers behind.
A German counter-attack on the village of
Oglendow included a number of Tiger IIs Claiming that they were engaged by massive
of the 501st Schwere Panzerabteilung. Facing anti-tank defences, the Germans were unaware
them were small group of T-34/85s, one of that so much damage had been inflicted by a
which was commanded by Oskin. Rather than single T-34 and its brave crew.
engaging the Tigers head on, Oskin positioned
his tank in a carefully camouflaged position, To add insult to injury, one of the Tigers was
flanking the road that the Tigers were likely recovered and sent back to the Soviet Union
to travel on. Showing immense patience, he to be studied and have its secrets revealed at
waited until the enemy passed in front the Kubinka proving grounds outside Moscow.

Most main guns have the same chance to hit at short Veteran Gunners
and long range, but some smaller or less powerful If the firing tank has a Veteran
guns have a reduced chance to hit at long range. Gunner, any dice scoring a 1
when rolling to hit may be
re-rolled, but each dice can
Roll to Hit only be re-rolled once.
Now roll your dice to see if you hit the target. If one or
more of the dice equals or exceeds the score needed to
hit then the round has struck the target tank. + + + + ROUGH GUIDE TO SIGHTING NUMBERS + + + +

Obsolete tanks or non-anti-tank

Poor 0/1
vehicles such as SP artillery.

Early war Allied, early-mid

Average 1/2
war Russian and other Axis.

German, mid-late war Allied,

Good 1/3
late war Russian.
Example: Your Panther Ausf. A, with a Halt Late war German, Exceptional
command on its Datacard, fires at an enemy tank Advanced 2/3
late war Allied.
30" away from it. The Panther’s gun is aimed at
the target, so you roll three dice. The target is at + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
long range, so you need a 5 or 6 to hit. You score
a 3, 5 and 6 – two successes – so your Panther’s
round has hit the enemy tank. Had the Panther
had any other Command Token on its Datacard
then only two D6 would be rolled.
 Target Hull Down
3) Hit Location
If the target tank is in or behind Ambush Terrain (see
The ability of a tank’s armour to deflect or absorb a page 49), it gains the benefit of being Hull Down.
strike from an enemy round depends on which part
of the tank is hit. Most tanks in World War II had A tank also counts as being Hull Down if the LOS from
thicker armour to the front, so when trying to destroy the shooting tank crosses another tank or a wreck
an opponent, manoeuvring your tanks to set up flank (see page 46 for the definition of a wreck).
or rear hits is very advantageous.
Each tank has a Hull Down value on its Datacard.
Direction of the Hit
First check to see if the shot has hit the front or side
of the tank. In Achtung Panzer! the rear of a tank
is classed as part of its side for the purposes of
determining a hit’s location.

Shot A
Example: The Panther Ausf. A has a Hull Down
value of 3.
Front
Against an enemy tank that is Hull Down, when you
roll a D6 to determine the location of the hit, if your
score is equal to or less than the target’s Hull Down
value then your shot fails to strike the target – it
has been stopped by the intervening rubble or other
features that comprise the Ambush Terrain.
Side Side
Veteran Drivers & Hull Down
A tank with a Veteran Driver
increases its Hull Down
Shot B
value by +1 when fired at by
an enemy at long range.

Side Note: Anti-tank gun assets are always considered to fire

at long range (see page 60 for the rules on assets).

Example: Shot A will hit the front of the target

Targeting a Specific Location
tank, while Shot B will hit its side.
In some circumstances, you may attempt to target a
specific location on an enemy tank. For example, you
Hit Location might want to try to hit the running gear, which is
Roll a D6 and consult the Hit Location Table to more lightly armoured than the rest of the tank.
determine the exact location which the round has hit.
To attempt to target a specific location,
+ + + + + + + HIT LOCATION TABLE + + + + + + + Your tank must have the Halt command on
its Datacard, and its gun must
Front Side Location
be aimed at the target.
1 1-2 Running Gear
Before rolling to hit, you must make a Crew Test for
your tank’s Gunner with the following results:
2-4 3-4 Hull

5-6 5-6 Turret

Success Specific targeting may be used
against the target.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Fail Specific targeting may not be used
Running Gear against the target.
While Hull and Turret locations are self-explanatory,
a hit against a Running Gear location is assumed Calamity! You can no longer perform a
to have struck the suspension, tracks or wheels. Fire Main Gun action this phase.
A Running Gear location rarely has any form of Instead the shot must be resolved
effective armour. as Snap Fire (see page 38).

40 – Achtung Panzer!
 Example – Target Hull Down

A B

The LOS between Tank A and Tank B crosses a piece of

Ambush Terrain (in this case, a low mound of boulders).
If Tank A shoots at Tank B, Tank B counts as Hull Down.

If you are able to use specific targeting against the commander wants to improve his odds of striking
target then during Step 3 – Hit Location – before the enemy tank – his tank has a Halt command
rolling on the Hit Location Table, declare whether on its Datacard and its gun is aimed at the target.
your Gunner is shooting high or low. This means that the Tiger has an opportunity to
target a specific location on the T-34.
Then roll two D6, select the higher score if the Gunner
is shooting high or the lower score if he is shooting The Tiger’s Gunner makes a Crew Test, which
low, and refer to the result on the Hit Location Table. he passes, so the player controlling the Tiger
announces that the Gunner will shoot high.
Example: A Tiger I heavy tank is about to fire at a The shot hits and two D6 are rolled to determine
T-34. Its LOS to the T-34 crosses Ambush Terrain, the hit’s location, scoring a 3 and a 5. The
so the T-34 counts as Hull Down. The T-34 has a higher score is selected, because the Gunner is
Hull Down value of 3, meaning that a roll of 1–3 shooting high, and this results in a hit against
on the Hit Location Table will be a miss. The Tiger the T-34’s turret.

“ The engine of the Panzer is a weapon just as the main gun.

”
General Heinz Guderian

Tactical Actions – 41
4) Damaging the Target
Shot A
Once the hit’s location has been determined, the next
step is to see whether the shot is powerful enough to

Sid
penetrate the target’s armour.

Fro
e

n
t
Target’s Armour
A tank has Armour values for six locations: Shot B

Sid

Sid
e

e
X Turret (Front)
X Turret (Side)
X Hull (Front)
X Hull (Side) Example: Both shots are hitting the tank’s turret.
Shot A hits the front of the turret, while Shot B
X Running Gear hits its side.
X Engine Deck
Penetration Value
A tank’s gun has two Penetration values– one for
shots using an AP round at short range and another
for long-range shots.

If a tank has a second number in red following the

first Penetration value, this indicates its Penetration
value if it uses its Special Ammunition.

Example: The Panther Ausf. A has an Armour If a tank is using an HE round, it uses its HE value
value of 13 on the front of its turret, but on the (e.g. HE (1), HE (2), etc.).
side of its turret this is reduced to 6.

Running Gear & Engine Deck

Damage against running gear is explained on
page 44. The Engine Deck Armour value is only used
when resolving certain Asset cards.

Hull
If the hull is hit, the Armour value used depends on
the direction of the hit as determined on page 40.
Example: The Panther Ausf. A’s main gun has a
Turret Penetration value of 8 at both short range and
If the turret is hit, the Armour value used depends long range. The number in red (11) indicates
on the direction of the hit and the direction in which that the tank can use Special Ammunition with
the turret is facing. Use the Front Armour value if a Penetration value of 11. If it was firing an HE
the turret is facing towards the direction of the hit. round at a tank, it’s Penetration would equal its
Otherwise use the Side Armour value. HE value of 1, as shown in the yellow HE box.
Roll for Penetration
Glancing Blow
To determine whether your shot penetrates the
target’s armour roll a D6 and add the result to the When rolling to determine a shot’s Total
firing gun’s Penetration value (if Special Ammunition Penetration value, if you roll a 1, the shot has
is being fired, remember to use the value in red). This glanced off the target’s armour, although it may
score is the Total Penetration value. still cause damage. In this case, the best result
that can be achieved on the Penetration Table is
Now compare the Total Penetration value to the ‘Damaging Hit’, never ‘Penetration’. Of course, if
target’s Armour value and refer to the table below. the target has already taken damage, this may
still be enough to knock it out of the game.
+ + + + + + + PENETRATION TABLE + + + + + + +

Total Penetration
Result
Penetration Value
Compare the difference between the Total Penetration
value and the target’s Armour value. If the difference
Less than target’s is 4 or greater, the tank is automatically destroyed
No Effect
Armour value
(although see the Glancing Blow rule above).

Equal to target’s If the difference is less than 4, roll 1D6 on the Tank
Damaging Hit Destruction Table below. If you score the required
Armour value
number, the target tank is destroyed (although see
the Glancing Blow rule above).
Greater than target’s Damaging Hit
Armour value & Penetration
+ + + + + + TANK DESTRUCTION TABLE + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Total Penetration
Tank Destroyed On…
Exceeds Armour
No Effect +1 1
The shot causes no damage, but if the target tank’s
+2 1,2
Commander is currently unbuttoned, he may be
forced to Button Up! if the shot has hit the hull or +3 1,2,3
turret (see page 47). +4 Destroyed

Damaging Hit + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Depending on where the shot
hit, place either a Turret, Hull or
Turret
Running Gear Damage Token on
the target tank’s Datacard.
Running
Gear
If the target tank’s Commander is
US tank
currently unbuttoned, he may be Hull crew
forced to become buttoned on receiving a Hull or Turret
Damage Token (see page 47).

Tactical Actions – 43
Effects of Damage Tokens Turretless Tanks
Turret & Hull Damage Tokens If a turretless tank takes a hit that would normally
A tank will survive its first Turret Damage strike the turret, see page 56.
Token or first Hull Damage Token. However,
if it receives a second Hull Damage Token Additional Effects From
or a second Turret Damage Token it is
immediately knocked out. Turret/Hull Damage Tokens
When a tank suffers damage to its hull or turret
Example: A Sherman Jumbo assault tank already and isn’t knocked out, the tank is still operational.
has one Hull Damage Token when it suffers an However, there may be unfortunate consequences for
additional damaging hit. If the damaging hit the crew or damage to the tank’s vital equipment.
strikes its turret the tank survives. However, if
it is hit on its hull, the tank is knocked out as it When a tank takes a Turret Damage Token or a Hull
now has received two Hull Damage Tokens. Damage Token roll a D6 – if the dice scores a 3 or
more, roll a second D6. Refer to the Additional Effects
Running Gear Damage Tokens Table opposite for the effect.
If a tank receives a second Running Gear
Damage Token it is not counted as knocked Losing Stars
out. However, it has suffered severe damage to its This reduces the crewman’s Crew Grade, down to a
suspension, wheels or tracks, and from this point minimum of 1 Star (Green). Immediately replace the
onwards counts as ‘crippled’ (see below). crewman’s Crew Grade Token on the tank’s Datasheet
with a token for the reduced Crew Grade.
Three Damage Tokens
A tank that takes three Damage Tokens of any kind is Note: If a Commander loses Stars, you don’t need to
knocked out. roll for him on the Button Up! Table on page 47. He has
suffered enough (for now…).
Example: A tank takes a hit and receives a
Running Gear Damage Token. It already has
one Turret Damage Token and one Hull Damage Hits on the Running Gear
Token, so is knocked out.
Even the heaviest tanks are vulnerable
to hits on the tracks or suspension which may
cause crippling damage.
Crippled Tanks
A crippled tank may only be issued with a Halt When a shot hits a tank’s running gear, if the
command. However, the tank may still use a Total Penetration value is greater than that tank’s
Pivot Manoeuvre or Scoot action as is normal Armour value, the tank only suffers a ‘Damaging
with the Halt command. This represents the crew Hit’ result – it does not suffer the results of
coaxing some movement out of their damaged ‘Penetration’. This advantage is heavily off-set by
vehicle. It still has some capacity to move but it the fact that the Armour value of a tank’s running
is severely limited. gear is generally significantly lower than that of
its other locations.

Note that a tank which is Hull Down will normally

be protected from hits against its running gear.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ADDITIONAL EFFECTS TABLE + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

First Second
Result Additional Effect
D6 D6

1-2 No Harm Done. A loud metallic bang rattles the tank

N/A No additional effect.
Shaken and shakes the crew, but everything seems ok.

Rattled. The Tank Commander is startled by a shell

3-4 exploding against his vehicle. His cup of tea or The Commander loses 1 Star for
1
Crew other hot beverage spills into his lap scalding the remainder of the battle.
tender parts.

Cracked Skull. The tank rocks violently as it takes

a particularly powerful hit. The commander cracks The Commander loses 2 Stars for
2
his head against the turret roof causing a nasty the remainder of the battle.
head wound and giving him double vision.

Black Eye. A heavy impact smashes the gunner’s face

The Gunner loses 1 Star for the
3 into the gunsight. A rapidly swelling and blackening
remainder of the battle.
eye makes his job much more difficult.

Bloody Face. The gunner screams as tiny splinters

of metal dislodged by a near penetrating hit shower The Gunner loses 2 Stars for the
4
his face. Blood from facial wounds and watering eyes remainder of the battle.
badly impair his vision.

Sprained Wrist. The tank lurches violently from an

The Driver loses 1 Star for the
5 ear-shattering strike. A control stick is violently
remainder of the battle.
wrenched from the driver’s hand, spraining his wrist.

Painful Wound. A sizeable sliver of red-hot armour

plate is blasted free from inside the tank. It
The Driver loses 2 Stars for the
6 passes through the fleshy part of the driver’s left
remainder of the battle.
thigh. Whilst not life threatening, the pain and
blood loss puts him seriously off his game.

The tank cannot perform any

actions this Action Phase.
Stalled. The tank shakes violently as it takes a Remove the tank’s Command Token
5-6
1 hit. The crew gasp in horror as the tank stalls and from its Datacard as a reminder.
Hardware
rolls to a juddering halt. If the tank has already
performed its actions this
phase, there is no effect.

Shredded Exhaust System. A round shreds the tank’s

As per ‘Stalled’ above. In
exhaust system causing the engine to stall. A thick
2 addition, place a Smoke Marker
and roiling cloud of engine smoke settles around the
on the tank (see page 29).
stationary vehicle.

On Its Last Legs. The driver begins to struggle

In addition to the damage
with slipping gears following that last strike. The
3 sustained, the tank also takes a
anxious crew realise that their tank may not be
Running Gear Damage Token.
mobile for much longer.

Jammed Round. Despite the ringing in his ears If the tank has an Ammunition
brought on by that last hammering blow, the gunner Token in the Load or Ready box,
4
quickly realises that a round has become jammed in it is immediately moved back to
the loading mechanism and must be freed. the Ammunition Rack.

Flip the tank’s Targeting Marker

Knocked Out of Alignment. Glancing through the from its ‘Aimed’ side to its
gunsight optics, the gunner is dismayed to discover ‘Spotted’ side. If its ‘Spotted’
5
that the last hit has thrown the sights out of side is already face up, remove
alignment, spoiling his carefully acquired aim. the marker. Otherwise there is
no additional effect.

Smoke Blind. Thankfully the armour deflected that The tank cannot perform a Fire
last mighty impact, but now smoke fills the turret Main Gun action or Snap Fire
6
from some as yet unknown source. Until it clears, during this Action Phase, if it
the turret crew are blind. has not already done so.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Tactical Actions – 45
 “ If the tanks succeed, then victory follows.

Levels of Destruction
A destroyed tank is out of the game, but the manner
of the destruction is important. Although there is little
”
General Heinz Guderian

If a tank is destroyed, roll a D6 and see below.

X If the tank was automatically destroyed

difference apart from bragging rights in a one-off game, due to a ‘Penetration’ result (see page 43),
for a campaign the fate of a tank determines whether it brews up on the result of a 4, 5 or 6.
the crew emerge unscathed or suffer a fiery death.
X If the tank was destroyed as the result of
There are two levels of destruction: rolling on the Tank Destruction Table, it
brews up on the result of a 5 or 6.
X Knocked Out
The tank is destroyed because of
Wrecks
accumulated Damage Tokens. The crew
have a good chance of escaping and there A tank that is destroyed, knocked out, brewed up or
is no chance that the tank will brew up. abandoned (see below) is classed as a wreck. It can
only be removed by playing an Engineers asset card.
X Destroyed
The tank is destroyed by a single
Bailing Out of a Crippled Tank
penetrating shot. This is much more
serious for the crew, especially as there is a A crippled tank (see page 44) cannot withdraw, and
chance the tank will brew up. is in danger of being knocked out if it suffers another
hit. If the crew remain inside, they are putting
themselves in grave danger.
Brewing Up
Sometimes as the result of a destructive shot a If you are playing a campaign, abandoning such
tank’s fuel or ammunition is ignited or explodes a tank will probably have a happier outcome than
causing a catastrophic effect, referred to as remaining in a death trap, so you may choose to have
‘brewing up’. the tank’s crew bail out. They are assumed to jump
out of the tank and sprint for the nearest cover.
In most cases, the tank will be completely burnt out
and its occupants are unlikely to escape. An abandoned tank may not be re-occupied.

46 – Achtung Panzer!
Button Up! + + + + + + + + BUTTON UP! TABLE + + + + + + + +

Whilst unbuttoned, a Commander is D6 Score Result

vulnerable to attack. In certain dangerous
circumstances, the Commander might Close Call! The Commander bravely
1–2
be frightened or even wounded and be forced to remains unbuttoned.
immediately button up. If a tank experiences any of
Shaken. The Commander must
the following occurrences, its Commander must roll a 3–4
immediately Button Up!
D6 on the Button Up! Table on the right.
Stunned. The Commander must
X The tank is hit by fire from an enemy tank 5 immediately Button Up! and loses
shooting AP, HE or Special Ammunition, even 1 Star for the remainder of the battle.
if the hit causes no damage.
Wounded. The Commander must
X The tank is hit by an Anti-tank Gun or 6 immediately Button Up! and loses
a Tank Hunters card, even if it causes 2 Stars for the remainder of the battle.

no damage.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

X The tank is targeted by Artillery, Close

Assault, Airstrike or Sniper cards. Losing Stars
This reduces the Commander’s grade, down to a
X The tank is subject to a successful Machine minimum of 1 Star (Green). Immediately replace
Gun an Enemy Tank action. the Commander’s Crew Grade Token on the tank’s
Datasheet with a token for the reduced grade.
Hits on a tank’s running gear do not cause the
Commander to roll on the Button Up! Table. Example: Hauptsturmführer Münzer, a Veteran
Commander, is standing up in his Tiger tank
In addition, a Commander does not need to roll if he when it is hit on the turret’s front by a shot from
loses Stars as the result of the hit (see page 44). a T-34. The shot has no chance of penetrating
the armour, but it might affect the Commander.
Button Up! Rolling a 5 for the effect, Hauptsturmführer
If the Commander must Button Up! discard his tank’s Münzer is stunned; he immediately Buttons Up!
Hatch Token to show that he must remain buttoned and his grade is reduced from Veteran to Trained
for the rest of the game. for the rest of the game.

Type Medium Tank

M4A3E8 Sherman (Easy Eight) No. Produced 4,542

5 (commander, driver,
Crew
co-driver, gunner, loader)

Ford GAA 32-valve DOHC 60-degree,

Power Plant
.30 Cal (7.62 mm) V8 engine, 525 hp
.50 Cal Browning M1919
Browning M2HB Max. Speed 30 mph (48 km/h)
co-axial machine gun
pintle-mounted
machine gun Range 120 miles (193 km)

Armour 30 mm - 76 mm
76 mm (3 in)
M1A2 L/55 Weight 30.3 tons

Deployed 1944–1945

.30 Cal (7.62 mm)

Browning M1919
hull machine gun
9 ft 7 in (2.97 m)

9 ft 10 in (3 m)

20 ft 6 in (6.27 m)

Tactical Actions – 47
 Terrain
In Achtung Panzer!, tanks rarely operate on a broad, open plain. The game is best played on
a cluttered battlefield where your tanks have to negotiate obstacles such as trees, buildings and
rough ground, while taking advantage of the scattered scenery to gain an edge over the enemy.

There are various different types of terrain defined Rough Terrain

in Achtung Panzer!, some of which can restrict the
movement options of tanks, or have other effects on Examples of Rough Terrain include light woods,
the way tanks interact with them. scrub, boggy ground, deep sand, snow, etc.

Before the start of a battle, make sure that you and Tracked or Half-Track Vehicles
your opponent both agree which type of terrain each There are no effects on a tank’s movement for driving
piece of scenery on the battlefield represents. through Rough Terrain if it is tracked or half-tracked.

Wheeled Vehicles
Terrain and Line of Sight
A Wheeled vehicle may only move a maximum of 4"
Remember that true LOS is used in Achtung when it is in or intends to enter Rough Terrain.
Panzer! So if just a part of a potential target is
visible through terrain to one of your tanks, your
tank has a LOS to that target.

However, the exception to this rule is bocage,

Impassable Terrain
which caused the Allied tanks such a headache Examples of Impassable Terrain include heavy
when invading Normandy (see page 50). woods, cliffs, rivers, swamps, etc.
A summary of LOS rules is on page 16.
Tanks may not enter this type of terrain.

Open Terrain
Examples of Open Terrain include fields, meadows,
roads, etc. There are no effects on a tank’s movement
through Open Terrain, though you don’t want your
vehicles to get caught without cover when the enemy
unleashes shells upon them.

48
Ambush Terrain Restricted Movement
A tank can only move through Ambush Terrain by
This type of terrain is so called because it makes enacting a ‘Forward’ or ‘Reverse’ Movement Action.
ideal concealment for infantry and anti-tank artillery, Left Turn or Right Turn commands may not be given
allowing such assets to hide until it is time to ambush while the tank remains in Ambush Terrain.
a passing tank with a surprise attack.
Restricted Turret Movement
Examples of such terrain include buildings, ruins, While within Ambush Terrain, a tank may turn its
rubble, rocky ground, woods, etc. turret, but only within the boundaries of the turret’s
current facing. A tank cannot enter Ambush Terrain
The following rules apply to Ambush Terrain: if its turret is pointing into either of its side arcs.
Tank barrels were quite delicate and did not interact
Crew Test Required favourably with trees and walls.
If you want one of your tanks to enter, exit or move
through an area of Ambush Terrain, you must make a If you intend to move a tank into Ambush Terrain and
Crew Test for the tank’s Driver. its turret is facing to the side, at the beginning of the
Movement Action you must turn the tank’s turret to
If your tank is already within Ambush Terrain, make point into the vehicle’s front or rear arc.
the test before moving it. If it is intending to move
into Ambush Terrain, make the test as soon as the Impassable to Wheeled Vehicles
tank touches the terrain. Ambush Terrain counts as Impassable Terrain to
wheeled vehicles and half-tracks.
Pass Your tank can move through the
terrain, although its maximum
move through it is 4".
Ambush Terrain & Hull Down Advantage
A tank counts as being Hull Down if it is targeted by
Fail Your tank has bogged down. It a shot and the LOS from the firing tank crosses an
must immediately stop moving intervening area of Ambush Terrain.
and may not make a free Pivot
Manoeuvre. It cannot perform a If any part of a tank’s hull is touching the edge of an
Tactical Action this phase, if it has area of Ambush Terrain and it is firing at a target in the
not already done so. open, the target does not count as being Hull Down.

Calamity! Your tank has bogged down, as Full LOS rules still apply to Ambush Terrain and
described above. particularly tall examples could block LOS completely
to a target.
In addition, it hits an obstacle,
and receives a Running Gear
Ambush Terrain & Asset Cards
Damage Token.
Refer to page 61 for full rules.

Examples – Ambush Terrain & Hull Down Advantage

Example 1
In Example 1, Tank A is firing at
A
B Tank B. Tank A is within Ambush
Terrain. As the LOS crosses that
terrain, Tank B counts as being Hull
Down against the shot.

Likewise, if Tank B was firing at

Tank A, Tank A would be Hull Down.

In Example 2, Tank A is firing at Tank

Example 2 B. Tank A’s hull is touching the edge
of the Ambush Terrain, therefore
B A Tank B does not count as being Hull
Down against the shot.

However, if Tank B was firing at

Tank A, Tank A would be Hull Down
because the LOS crosses the edge of
the Ambush Terrain Tank A is in.

Terrain – 49
 What Counts as Ambush Terrain? Bocage
In an urban setting, most of the scenery that can The Allied advance through Normandy in June 1944
be classed as Ambush Terrain will be buildings or was hampered by having to fight the German army in
ruins of various types. some of the best defensive terrain imaginable. This
In a more rural setting, Ambush Terrain was bocage, a patchwork of small fields surrounded
will mostly comprise patches of woodland, by almost impenetrable hedgerows and traversed by
hedgerows, rock clusters and so on. Essentially, narrow sunken lanes. Over the years, the hedgerows
whatever you and your opponent agree should be had grown into large and solid obstacles that were
Ambush Terrain can be treated as such. hard to break through and provided a perfect hiding
place for anti-tank guns and Panzerfaust teams.
Note that in some circumstances Ambush Terrain
will also be classed as Impassable Terrain – The following rules apply to areas of bocage:
heavy woods, too dense for a tank to enter, is
an example. Tanks may not enter such terrain, Linear Ambush Terrain
but it can still harbour enemy infantry or other Bocage is a combination of Linear and Ambush
potentially dangerous assets. terrain. Therefore, a tank moving through bocage
follows the rules for crossing both types of terrain
except that you only make a single Crew Test for the
tank’s Driver, with the following results:
Linear Terrain
Pass Your tank moves (up to 4" as per
Examples of Linear Terrain include walls, fences, the Ambush Terrain rules).
hedges, etc.
Fail The tank moves through the
The following rules apply to Linear Terrain: bocage and stops on the other
side. It suffers the penalties for
Crew Test Required? failing a Crew Test for both Linear
If a tank is touching a section of Linear Terrain before and Ambush Terrain!
it begins moving, it can move across that terrain with
no penalty. However, if you want a tank to cross a Calamity! As ‘Fail’ above, plus the tank
section of Linear Terrain that it is not touching, you receives a Running Gear
must make a Crew Test for the tank’s Driver as soon Damage Token.
as your tank comes into contact with the terrain. The
test has the following results: As bocage counts as Ambush Terrain, only a tracked
or half-tracked vehicle can cross it, and it will cause a
Pass Your tank can move across the breach through which other vehicles may follow.
terrain with no penalty.
LOS Through Bocage
Fail Your tank is badly jolted Bocage blocks any LOS through it, ignoring ‘true’
and the Gunner loses LOS. This is the only type of terrain which does this.
concentration. If the tank’s However, if a tank is in contact with the edge of a
Targeting Marker is in play, section of bocage, that tank ignores that section of
flip it to its ‘Spotted’ side if it bocage when determining LOS. Other tanks likewise
is ‘Aimed’ side up, or remove it ignore that section of bocage for LOS purposes to the
completely if it is ‘Spotted’ side up. tank in contact with it.

Breach Bocage & Hull Down Advantage

If a tank moves through a section of Linear Terrain, A tank that is in contact with bocage counts as
it creates a gap that other tanks can move through being Hull Down against any shot that crosses the
without any penalty. Mark the breach by removing hedgerow. That tank may fire across the bocage
the terrain section, if possible, or by placing a few without the section being touched conferring Hull
bits of rubble to indicate where the breach is. The Down status to the target.
breach is the same width as the tank
that caused it. Bocage & Ambush Markers
Ambush Markers are not placed on bocage terrain
as normal, but rather in the space that the bocage
encloses (as shown on the diagram opposite).

British Tank
Crewman
Assets may be used to attack a tank within a space
that has an Ambush Marker, if it moves within 6" of
any boundary hedge.

50 – Achtung Panzer!
As an exception to the standard rule, an Anti-tank has a LOS into the space containing
Gun Asset card can be used if a LOS can be drawn the marker. Note that an Ambush
from any boundary hedge to the target, rather than Marker is not removed from a
from a table edge. This makes bocage even more space simply because a tank has
deadly as attacks will almost always be against the entered that space.
thinner side armour of a tank.
An Ambush Marker is also
A tank can remove an Ambush Marker within bocage removed when an Asset card is
using a Clear Ambush Terrain action, as long as it used against the space it is in.

British Royal Armoured

Example – Bocage & Ambush Markers Corps beret badge

In the example below, there are five areas of bocage. An Ambush Marker is placed in the centre of each area at the start of the
battle. Assets may be used to attack any enemy tank within any of those enclosed areas until that area is cleared.

Example – Bocage, LOS & Hull Down Advantage Example: Tanks A and B are
advancing through bocage where
C two enemy tanks await them.

Tank A is in contact with the

hedgerow. It has a LOS to Tank
B D which is also in contact with a
hedgerow. Both tanks count as
Hull Down against shots from
each other.

Tank B has a LOS to Tank D,

which benefits from being Hull
Down against its fire as it is in
contact with the hedgerow.

D Tank C is not touching the

A hedgerow and so has no LOS to
either enemy tank.

Tank D is in contact with the

hedgerow and so has LOS to both
enemy tanks. Tank A counts as
being Hull Down against shots
from Tank D as it is in contact
with a hedgerow. Tank B is not
Hull Down as it is in the open.

Terrain – 51
Tank Traps X To move out of a Prepared Position, a
tank must be issued with a Forward or
Tank traps are obstacles designed to impede the Reverse command or use a Scoot action.
movement of tanks. In World War II they were It then no longer counts as being in the
typically made of concrete, metal or timber placed Prepared Position once it completes its
strategically in the ground to prevent tanks or Movement Action.
other military vehicles from moving forward. These
obstacles were used by both the Axis and the Allies The Concealed Marker and any terrain
as a defensive measure. Two main types dominated: pieces marking the Prepared Position
Czech Hedgehogs and Dragon’s Teeth. Tank Traps status should be removed. An abandoned
may be available to a defender in some missions, as Prepared Position cannot be re-occupied –
specified in the mission rules. it is gone!

The following rules apply to Tank Traps: X A Prepared Position may be located on
the edge of heavy woods, which normally
Impassable counts as Impassable Terrain. A tank in
Tank Traps count as Impassable Terrain to tanks. such a position may only leave by making a
Forward move out of the terrain.
No Hull Down Advantage
A tank behind Tank Traps does not count as being
Advantages of a Prepared Position
Hull Down.
In addition to gaining all the benefits of its Hull Down
Removal status, the tank automatically gains a +1 to its Hull
Tank Traps can only be cleared if targeted by an Down value at both short and long range. This means
Engineers Asset card. that a Veteran Driver’s +1 Hull Down bonus is ignored
whenever a tank is in a Prepared Position.

Concealed Target
Prepared Positions A tank in a Prepared Position also gains a Concealed
Marker. This makes the tank difficult for the enemy to
Often, tanks on the defensive would be set up in aim at it.
specially prepared positions. Exploiting natural terrain
or artificially created features, these positions would An enemy tank may spot the concealed tank at any
give a tank better protection by making it harder to distance but may not place a Targeting Marker,
detect and allowing it to adopt a hull down position. ‘Aimed’ side up, on it unless either:
Sometimes these defensive features would be
constructed by engineers, but usually it was down to X The range between the firing tank and the
the tank crew themselves to do the hard spadework. target tank is less than 18".
or
Depending on the instructions for the mission being X The concealed tank fires or moves out of
played, a tank can start a game in a Prepared Position. the Prepared Position, in which case the
This gives it the Hull Down advantage. A Prepared Concealed Marker is removed.
Position may be set up in any type of terrain.

Representing a Tank in a Prepared Position Wheeled & Half-Track Tanks in Terrain

Place a Concealed Marker next to a tank in a Wheeled Tanks
Prepared Position to as a reminder of its status Wheeled vehicles may only move up to 4" when
Additionally it can be visually pleasing to place in, or intending to enter, Rough Terrain. They may
some rocks or pebbles or lichen terrain pieces around not enter Ambush Terrain, but may start the game
the tank to indicate it is in a Prepared Position. in Prepared Positions within such terrain.
Half-Track Tanks
Rules for Tanks in Prepared Positions Half-tracks may move at normal speed in Rough
In addition to it being Hull Down, the following rules Terrain, but may not enter Ambush Terrain unless
apply to a tank in a Prepared Position: starting the game in a Prepared Position.
Prepared Positions
X The tank’s turret must face into its Front arc
Wheeled and half-track tanks that begin a game
unless special rules apply.
in a Prepared Position within Ambush Terrain
may only move to exit the terrain and abandon
X To remain in the Prepared Position, the
the Prepared Position.
tank must be issued with a Halt command.

52 – Achtung Panzer!
 + + + Tank Hunters + + +
During the course of World War II both larger guns could be fitted onto a smaller
sides developed a new type of armoured tank chassis. The German StuG III, which
vehicle designed specifically to eliminate used a Panzer III chassis, could mount a
enemy tanks. This became generically highly effective long 75 mm anti-tank gun.
known as the Tank Hunter or Destroyer. In the Soviet Union the ubiquitous T-34
was used as the basis for turretless tank
Early designs mounted a large anti-gun on
destroyers capable of mounting both the
light tracked chassis or even trucks. Most
85 mm and 100 mm guns. The lack of turret
of these vehicles were open-topped and,
also gave these designs a low silhouette
being lightly armoured, could not stand toe
which greatly improved their chances of
to toe with an enemy tank at close range.
remaining undetected before an ambush.
They therefore relied on ambush tactics to
This philosophy eventually led to some
get off the first shot and then withdraw to
a new ambush position. This ‘Shoot & Scoot’ monstrous examples such as the German
strategy was particularly championed by Elefant and Jagdtiger, and the Soviet
the US Army leading to the development of ISU-122 Tank Destroyers.
the M18 Hellcat which had a maximum speed
The United States followed a different
of 55 mph. The British Archer had the novel
strategy and its most famous Tank
layout of a fixed rearward facing 17-pdr
Destroyers, the M10, M36 and M18, all had
thus allowing a particularly quick getaway
turrets. This reflected an aggressive US
after firing.
doctrine – rather than waiting for the
Another facet of Tank Destroyer design, enemy to attack, US Tank Destroyers would
particularly in Germany and the Soviet actively seek out and eliminate enemy
Union, was the advantages gained by tanks. Turrets in this case allowed greater
eliminating the turret. This meant that tactical flexibility.

Machine Gun Fire

Strongpoints
Perform a Clear Ambush Terrain action, but instead
Ambush Terrain, typically a building or ruins, may of following the normal rules, roll a single D6. The
be classified as a ‘Strongpoint’ – a strongly fortified Strongpoint is cleared on a roll of 6.
defensive position. One or both sides may have
Strongpoints on the battlefield, either as part of the
Flamethrower
mission set up or from playing an Event card.
Perform a Clear Ambush Terrain action. Roll 4 dice.
Ambush Terrain designated as a The Strongpoint is cleared on any roll of 5 or 6.
Strongpoint has its Ambush Marker
replaced by a Strongpoint Marker.
Infantry
A Strongpoint may be used by the owning side (only) Play an Infantry Asset card and roll 2 dice. The
to launch Close Assault or Tank Hunter attacks. Unlike Strongpoint is cleared on any roll of 6.
other Ambush Terrain, Strongpoints are not cleared
when an attack is launched and so may be used for
Engineers
multiple attacks. Tanks may not enter Strongpoints.
Play an Engineers Asset card. The Strongpoint is
Strongpoints are cleared in the same manner as automatically cleared.
Ambush Terrain, although it is rather more difficult to
accomplish this as shown below.

HE Fire
Perform a Clear Ambush Terrain action. Roll as if
clearing Ambush Terrain, but at least one 6 is needed German Panzer
to hit. A Strongpoint may not be attacked if the range Crewman
is greater than 18".

Terrain – 53
 Traits
Traits add an extra level of detail to your tanks and allow you greater tactical flexibility when
building your force. They also help differentiate tank types and national characteristics.

All Round A flamethrower can only be used to perform a Clear

Ambush Terrain action (see page 30). Its maximum
A small number of turretless tanks were mounted range is 6". Most flamethrowers are hull-mounted and
with a gun that could fire in any direction. A tank the target must be within the tank’s Front arc. Turret-
with this trait may fire into any arc. All other rules for mounted flamethrowers can fire into any arc.
Turretless tanks apply.
Firing a flamethrower requires a Clear Ambush
Terrain action. There is no ammunition supply, so the
weapon does not need to be reloaded.
Cumbersome
A tank may only fire its flamethrower if the ‘Halt’
A tank with this trait may only perform the Fire Main Command Token is on its Datacard.
Gun or Clear Ambush Terrain actions with an HE
round if the Halt command is on its Datacard. Roll four dice to hit. If at least one of the dice
scores a 5 or 6, the target is cleared. Note that
Strongpoints (see page 53) are also cleared on a 5
or 6 by a flamethrower.
Flamethrower
Flamethrowers were rather delicate weapons and
Most armies in World War II utilised support tanks there were lots of ways that they could break down.
that mounted a flamethrower instead of, or in If none of the die rolls are a 5 or 6 then the shot has
addition to, the main armament. missed and the flamethrower is out of action. It may
not fire again during the game.

54
Note that a Veteran Gunner may not re-roll 1s when The Open-Topped trait makes tanks more vulnerable
firing a flamethrower. to certain Asset cards – the effects are listed on the
appropriate card.
If a flamethrower tank is hit and destroyed with a
single shot, it automatically brews up if it carries the
fuel internally. Tanks with an external fuel supply,
such as the Churchill and Sherman Crocodile, do not Pintle
suffer this penalty, so roll for brewing up as usual, as
described on page 46. A tank with the Pintle trait has a machine gun
mounted for close defence and anti-aircraft fire.
It adds +1 to its Close Assault value as long as its
Commander remains unbuttoned.
Half-track
Wheeled vehicles gave excellent speed and mobility
on roads and open terrain, but were not so good in Rear Gun
more challenging conditions. As the name implies,
half-tracks were a combination of wheeled and tracked A small number of turretless tanks were fitted with
vehicles, and were more suited to rough terrain. a rear-firing gun. The most famous example was the
British Archer Tank Destroyer. A tank with this trait
A half-track may not enter Ambush Terrain although it may only fire into its Rear arc. All other rules for
may start a game in a Prepared Position within such Turretless tanks apply.
terrain (see page 52).

Schürzen
Open-Topped
German tanks were often equipped with light
Some tanks had no roof armour which made their armoured plates or mesh screens to protect against
crew more vulnerable to artillery fire, mortar fire, infantry attacks.
air attacks and infantry close assaults. Examples
would be the Soviet SU-76, German Nashorn and The Armour value against Close Assault or Tank
Marder Panzerjäger or the American M10 and M36 Hunter cards is increased by +2 for a tank with the
tank destroyers. Schürzen trait.
Scout Support
Many light tanks, half-tracks and armoured cars This tank is armed with a main weapon that is
were widely used by all combatants during the optimised to clear Ambush Terrain. You may take a
Second World War for scouting and reconnaissance. maximum of one tank with this trait in any mission.
Spotting the enemy first often gave a real advantage
in combat. Including a scouting vehicle in your tank
platoon, if used wisely, can give you an essential
edge. Fighting battles between rival scouting forces Turretless
can quickly become fast and furious affairs!
A tank with the Turretless trait may only fire its main
Tanks with the Scout trait have two advantages: gun into a single arc. This is usually the front arc; if it
is different this will be specified on the Datacard.
X During the Initiative Phase, a platoon
which includes a tank with the Scout trait When hit by fire, a Turretless tank that rolls a 5-6 on
may re-roll any failed Radio Check, but only the Hit Location Table (normally a Turret hit) is struck
once per turn. on the hull instead, and takes a Hull Damage Token.

X If a tank with the Scout trait uses a Spot If it receives a second Hull Damage Token, roll a D6.
Target action to place a Targeting Marker On a roll of 1–3, the vehicle is knocked out. On a roll
‘Spotted’ side up on an enemy tank, any of 4–6, it takes the token. The tank will be knocked
friendly tanks in the platoon are counted out if it receives a third Hull Damage Token.
as having spotted that enemy tank even if
they themselves do not have a direct LOS. A Turretless vehicle that is classed as Hull Down
may still fire its main gun. This represents the
This means they may then use an Aim at ability of some Tank Destroyer type vehicles to use
Target action to place a Targeting Marker their low silhouette to their advantage whilst still
‘Aimed’ side face up on that tank or even being able to fire.
perform a Fire Main Gun action without
having to first perform a Spot Target action. A Turretless tank can make a free pivot as part of
However, to aim at and to fire at that tank, an Aim at Target, Fire Main Gun or Clear Ambush
they would need a direct LOS between Terrain (if using HE) action, in order to bring the
them and the target. main gun to bear on the target. This pivot does not
require a Crew Test and may be made in addition to
X If a tank with the Scout trait places a any other pivot actions allowed.
Targeting Marker ‘Spotted’ side up on
a Concealed tank, discard that tank’s
Concealed Marker. A tank in a Prepared
Position will not, however, lose its Hull Wheeled
Down benefits.
All nations deployed wheeled armoured cars.

X A wheeled vehicle may only move a

Stabiliser maximum of 4" when it is in or intends to
enter Rough Terrain.
Some American tanks, most famously the Sherman,
had a gyroscopic gun stabiliser allowing better X A wheeled vehicle may not enter Ambush
accuracy when firing on the move. Terrain, although it may start the game in a
Prepared Position within such terrain.
A tank with the Stabiliser trait and a Gunner of
Trained or Veteran grade does not suffer the penalty X A wheeled vehicle does not need to make a
for moving and shooting if either the Forward or Crew Test to perform a free Pivot Manoeuvre –
Reverse command is on its Datacard (see page 38). it carries out that manoeuvre automatically.

However, the tank still needs to be issued with a Halt X When performing a Scoot action, if a wheeled
command if required to target a specific location of vehicle is in or intends to enter Rough
an enemy tank (see page 40). Terrain, it always takes the lower D6 roll when
determining maximum Scoot distance.
Some users of the Sherman (notably the British)
disabled the stabilisers on their US manufactured X Running gear damage on a wheeled tank is
tanks. A tank which has been modified in this way assumed to be affecting the vehicle’s wheels
will not have the Stabiliser trait on its Datacard. and suspension.

56 – Achtung Panzer!
 Type Medium Tank

T-34/85
No. Produced Over 20,000

6 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver,

Crew
DT 7.62 mm (0.3 in) forward gunner, radio operator)
co-axial machine gun 85 mm (3.35 in) Power Plant V12 diesel GAZ, 400 bhp (30 kW)
ZiS-S-53
Max. Speed 26 mph (38 km/h)

Range 200 miles (320 km)

DT 7.62 mm (0.3 in) Armour 1.18-3.15 in (30–80 mm)

hull mounted
machine gun Weight 32 tons

Deployed 1944–1945

8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
9 ft 10 in (3m)

20 ft 6 in (6.10 m)

“ If I had known about the T-34, I would have delayed

invading Russia
”
Adolf Hitler
 The Cards
Event and Asset cards add a great deal of depth and jeopardy to your games of Achtung Panzer!
Event cards represent incidents or effects which can throw plans into disarray – remember ‘no plan
survives contact with the enemy…’ Simulating supporting elements of your army such as anti-tank guns, infantry
and mortar barrages, Asset cards provide an added level of risk when navigating the battlefield.

Event Cards Hand Limit

Your hand limit for Event cards equals the number of
Sometimes events occurred on the battlefield cards in your hand at the start of the game.
that were beyond the control of the combatants.
In Achtung Panzer! these chance occurrences are Example: With four tanks in the game in total,
represented by Event cards. and a Veteran Commander in your platoon, you
draw five Event cards before the game begins,
and your hand limit for the duration of the game
Acquiring Event Cards
is five cards.
Before the game begins, shuffle all the Event cards
into a single Event deck. Each player is then dealt a
number of Event cards based on the total number of
Playing Event Cards
friendly and enemy tanks in the game, as determined Play an Event card in your hand as instructed by the
by the Event Cards Table. rules on the card. You may play any number of Event
cards from your hand in a turn. After it has been
+ + + + + + + EVENT CARDS TABLE + + + + + + + played, place the Event card on the discard pile. Note
that your hand of Event cards is kept secret from your
Total Tanks Cards Drawn
opponent until played.
2 3
When Can you Play Event Cards?
3–6 4 Whilst most Event cards indicate when they can be
played, some cards can be played at any time during
7+ 5
a turn. However, they can only be played either
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + before or after a tank is activated. They cannot be
played during a tank’s activation.
+1 Event Card
If you have at least one If you and your opponent want to play a card at the
Veteran or Ace Commander in same time then whoever has the lowest numbered
your platoon, you may draw an Initiative Marker may play first.
extra Event card.

58
 Anatomy of an Event Card

The title of the card. If the card targets a specific

crew role (Commander,
Gunner or Driver), that role
is shown here.
The card’s description.

When the card can be played.

The card’s effect on the

game, and instructions
on how to use it.

If the card can be used as a

Reaction (see page 63), this is
indicated here.

Cards Targeting Crew Reinforcements

Some Event cards focus on a specific crew role To activate your
(Commander, Gunner or Driver), as shown below Asset cards, you
the card’s title. You can only play such a card on a need to play a
particular member of a tank’s crew once per turn. Reinforcements or
Extra Reinforcements
Example: You have Event card.
in your hand the
Emergency Repair When you draw a
card, which targets Reinforcements or
a tank’s Driver. You Extra Reinforcements
play this on the card, discard it and
Driver of one of your activate the number
tanks. You also of Assets indicated
have the Hold Tight! by the card. Assets
card in your hand, are chosen from
which also targets those you purchased
a Driver, but cannot before the start of the game.
play this on the
same Driver until If you have no Assets to activate, discard the
your next turn. Reinforcements/Extra Reinforcements card.

The Admin Phase Cards are drawn from the Event card deck, and you
cannot exceed your hand limit.
During the Admin Phase (see page 23) you can
discard Event cards from your hand and replenish it If the Event card deck is exhausted, shuffle the
up to your hand limit, in that order. discard pile to create a new deck.
Discarding Event Cards. If you have not played any Example: You have a Veteran Commander
Event cards this turn, you may discard any number (HHH) still active in your platoon, so at the
of cards from your hand. end of your turn can draw up to three
Event cards, up to your
Replenishing Your Hand. You can draw a number
hand limit.
of cards equal to the number of Crew Grade Stars
on your highest level Commander. Do not count
German Panzer
any Commanders in tanks that are no longer active. Crewman

The Cards – 59
Asset Cards Purchasing Asset Cards
Each Asset card has a cost in Stars, ranging from H to
Tanks were often part of a larger combined fighting HHHHH. You can purchase as many cards as you
force which included regular infantry, anti-tank can afford in Stars.
teams, anti-tank guns, artillery and airstrikes. In
Achtung Panzer! these are represented by Asset cards You can only buy Asset cards for the nationality of
which you can purchase in the game. your tank platoon. Each card has a symbol showing
which nationality is it available to:
You don’t need miniatures to represent these
assets – the cards are all that you need to put them Germany
into play.
Britain and the Commonwealth
Acquiring Asset Cards The Soviet Union
You can purchase Asset cards before a mission begins
by spending Asset Stars. Each card has an Asset Star USA
cost below the title of the card (see below).
Mobilising Asset Cards
Gaining Asset Stars
To determine how many Your Asset cards are mobilised during the game by
Asset Stars you have to spend, playing the Reinforcements or Extra Reinforcements
roll a D6. If you have an Ace Event cards.
Commander, roll 2 dice and
take the best result. Add the Set your Asset cards to one side until mobilised.
modifier given on the Asset
Stars Table, below. You can play a mobilised Asset card at any time
during the game unless the card has specific
Note that the total number of tanks used to calculate instructions on when to play it.
the modifier includes friendly and enemy tanks.
Some Asset cards can be used as a Reaction. See
+ + + + + + + ASSET STARS TABLE + + + + + + + page 63 for details.
Total Number of Tanks Star Points
Note that your Asset cards are kept secret from your
2 D6 opponent until played.

”
3–6 D6+1

“
7+ D6+2
Only movement
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
brings victory.
Gain that many Stars to spend on Asset cards. General Heinz Guderian

Anatomy of an Asset Card

The title of the card

and the nationality The Asset Star
it is available to. cost to purchase
the card.
The card’s
description.
Some Asset cards
The card’s effect have a date range
on the game, – these show what
and instructions period of the war
on how to use it. they can be used
from. This gives
If the card can be a more historical
used as a Reaction flavour – no early
(see page 63), this war Panzerfausts,
is indicated here. for instance!

60 – Achtung Panzer!
 Sniper
Attacking with Asset Cards
A Sniper can target any enemy tank that has an
When playing an Asset card, most of the necessary unbuttoned Commander. No LOS needs to be traced
information is shown on the card. A few, however, as the sniper is considered to be shooting from an
require a little more explanation. advantageous spot. The targeted Commander may
either choose to Button Up! for the remainder of the
game or risk rolling a D6 on the Button Up! Table (see
Anti-Tank Gun page 47).
You can play an Anti-Tank Gun asset if you can trace
a LOS from any point on your side’s Base Edge to the
target. See page 67 for details on each side’s Base Asset Cards & Ambush Terrain
Edge. An exception to the above is if the mission
includes bocage terrain (see page 50). Specialised anti-tank teams and footsloggers who
are crazy enough to attack a tank can conceal
Anti-tank gun assets are always considered to fire at themselves within Ambush Terrain. They are
long range (see page 40). represented by Tank Hunter and Close Assault
assets. Their attacks can be triggered if an enemy
The target will be Hull Down if it is in Ambush Terrain tank moves within 6" of a piece of uncleared
or the LOS crosses any such terrain. Ambush Terrain.

A tank with a Concealed Marker may not be

Defining Uncleared Ambush Terrain
targeted by an Anti-Tank Gun asset.
At the start of a game, all Ambush
Terrain is classed as ‘uncleared’.
Airstrike, Artillery, Mortar Barrage Place an Ambush Marker in the centre
These assets can hit any tank on the battlefield. of the terrain. A piece of Ambush Terrain can only
hold one Ambush Marker regardless of its size.
For Airstrike or Artillery assets, the target is randomly
determined from among your opponent’s tanks, but If a tank moves within 6" of a piece of uncleared
you can choose the target of a Mortar Barrage. Ambush Terrain, the opposing player may play a
Tank Hunters or Close Assault asset in an attempt to
If you score a hit, roll for Penetration against the damage or destroy the tank.
target’s Engine Deck Armour. The target may not be
Hull Down against attacks from these assets, but if it is
in a Prepared Position or in Ambush Terrain, it adds +2
Attacks by Tank Hunters
to its Engine Deck Armour value against the attack. A Tank Hunters attack is resolved in the same way as
an Anti-Tank Gun (see previously), but the attack is
For an Airstrike, if the Haze card is in play, the launched from any uncleared Ambush Terrain within
aircraft might accidentally target a friendly tank. 6" of the target.

The Cards – 61
Attacks by Close Assault
Selecting Random Targets
A Close Assault asset can be played on a tank that
is within 6" of uncleared Ambush Terrain. The target Some cards direct their effect against a randomly
tank gets a chance to try and repel the attack before selected target.
it is resolved. To randomly select a target, if there are up to six
eligible active tanks on the battlefield, assign
A tank has a Close Assault value. This is the number each a number and roll a D6 to determine which
of dice rolled to defend against the attack. is the target, re-rolling if necessary.

If there are more than six eligible tanks, divide

the tanks into roughly two equal groups, number
each group and roll a D6. On a 1–3 the first group
is selected, on 4–6 it’s the second group. Then
assign each tank in that group a number, and roll
as described above.

Nearby Friendly Tank Engine Deck Armour value of the target tank. Damage
The Close Assault value of one other tank within 6" is calculated in the usual way.
of the target and within LOS of it may be added to the
number of dice rolled. If the tank is damaged but not knocked out
or destroyed by the attack, it receives a Hull
Tank Within Smoke Damage Token.
A tank within smoke (see page 29) has its Close
Assault value reduced by 1 and may not add the
Close Assault value of another tank when defending
Attacks within Ambush Terrain
against a Close Assault asset. A tank within Ambush Terrain is usually safe from
Tank Hunters or Close Assault assets as the terrain is
Resolving the Close Assault considered cleared (see opposite).
If any of the dice score a 6 then the attack is repulsed
and is not carried out. However, some Event cards allow Ambush Markers to
be flipped from their ‘Cleared’ to ‘Ambush!’ side thus
If the attack is not repulsed, the attacking player rolls making tanks vulnerable again to being attacked from
2D6 (or 3D6 if the target has the Open-Topped trait). previously cleared Ambush Terrain.
If any of these dice score a 6, the tank may have
been damaged. Tanks are very vulnerable if this happens as they
cannot use their Close Assault value or claim any Hull
A Close Assault has a base Penetration of 0, so the Down benefits, and Tank Hunter attacks are always
attacker rolls a D6 and compares the score with the assumed to be hitting the tank’s side arc.

62 – Achtung Panzer!
Attacks on Prepared Positions
Utilising Cards as Reactions
A tank that starts the game in a Prepared Position
may not be attacked by Tank Hunters or Close Assault Some Asset and Event cards can be played as a
assets. Part of the preparation is to make sure Reaction, which allows you to cancel a specific
there are no surprises lurking nearby and there will card played by your opponent. Any number of
probably be supporting infantry close by. cards may be cancelled if you have sufficient
Reactions available.
A Prepared Position within Ambush Terrain may A Reaction card must be played before the effect
not have an Ambush Marker replaced, but if the of the target card is resolved – you can’t wait to
tank subsequently moves out, the position becomes see the result of a card before deciding whether
normal Ambush Terrain, subject to the usual rules. to react.

Clearing Ambush Terrain Event cards played as Reactions are discarded

from your hand as normal. Asset cards played as
As the battle progresses, there’s a Reactions are discarded, and you can only play
good chance that Ambush Terrain will Assets that have been mobilised.
be cleared. Each time a piece is cleared, its Ambush
Marker should be flipped to its ‘Cleared’ side to
indicate that it cannot be used for attacks. There are Unclearing
a number of ways to clear Ambush Terrain:
Ambush Terrain
X A tank can use a Clear Ambush Terrain Once cleared, Ambush
action using its main gun, Close Assault Terrain usually stays
value or a flamethrower (see page 30). that way. However,
certain Event cards
X If a tank enters the Ambush Terrain, the (for example,
terrain is cleared. Consolidation) can be
played to replace an
X After an Asset card attack is launched from Ambush Marker. The
Ambush Terrain, the terrain is cleared. Ambush Terrain is
again available for
X Playing an Infantry or Engineers asset on either side to launch
Ambush Terrain clears it. attacks from.
 + + + Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons + + +
At the start of World War II, Infantry As tank armour became thicker so the
primarily depended on anti-tank guns, effectiveness of these weapons decreased
artillery and other tanks to destroy the and they were phased out, although the
enemy’s armoured vehicles. However, Soviets continued to use the PTRD until the
circumstances would occur where the end of the war.
infantry would have to deal with these
steel beasts on their own. In a direct The answer to penetrating a tank’s thick
confrontation, the infantry would usually armour came with the rapid development
try to swarm the tank, force hatches open of the shaped charge warhead. Such
or exploit vision ports to fire directly a projectile did not need to directly
into the tank or drop in a grenade. Special penetrate the tank’s armour, but the
anti-tank grenades and the infamous direction of the resulting explosion would
Molotov Cocktail could also damage or be narrowly focused on the armour creating
disable a tank, but if the tank was itself an intense ‘blowtorch’ effect. This would
protected by infantry or the overlapping melt through the tank’s armour, entering
defensive fire of other tanks then these the tank and killing or severely wounding
attacks could prove terribly costly and the crew and often causing an ammunition
largely ineffective. explosion. However, the projectile needed
to hit the tank, so a delivery method had to
As the war progressed, more destructive be developed.
bombs were designed that could be placed
on the hull of a tank secured by either Some smaller shaped charges were
the glue of a sticky bomb or a magnet of delivered in grenade form using a rifle, but
an anti-tank mine. These devices could the most effective were rocket-propelled
destroy even the largest tanks, but such an warheads. Perhaps the most famous of
assault was still potentially very costly these was the German Panzerfaust. This
to the attackers. was a one-shot device having a range of
200 feet, although most were fired from
Another approach was to use ranged much closer. The Panzerfaust and other
anti-tank weapons that could be carried longer range reloadable rocket launchers,
by the infantry. The most effective ranged like the American bazooka and the German
weapon in the early stages of the war was Panzerschreck, added to the infantryman’s
the anti-tank rifle. In essence these were arsenal. The novel British PIAT
scaled up single-shot or semi-automatic projectile was a spigot mortar which gave
rifles shooting a large armour-piercing Commonwealth infantry an effective anti-
bullet. Most early war tanks had relatively tank weapon.
thin armour and these bullets could
penetrate, causing mechanical damage, and Tank crews would now have to view every
injuring crew. Examples were the German single piece of concealing terrain as a
Panzerbüchse 39, the British Boys anti- possible firing point for one of these deadly
tank rifle and the Soviet PTRD-41. weapons. Supporting infantry was expected
to clear this terrain before the tanks moved
forward, while the tankers themselves
would pour high explosive shells and
machine-gun fire into any suspicious
terrain feature in an effort to make it clear
and safe to approach.

PIAT
round

64 – Achtung Panzer!
M3 submachine gun
The M3 submachine gun was more
commonly known as the ‘Grease Gun’ due
to its similarity in looks to the lubricant
applicator of the same name. Cheaper to
produce than the Thompson SMG, the M3
served US tank crews into the 1990s and
was appreciated for its compact design,
and retractable shoulder stock.

“ Sweat saves blood, blood saves

lives but brains save both.
”
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
 Missions
Missions make every game of Achtung Panzer! a new challenge – are your victory
conditions to annihilate your opponent’s armour or breakthrough their lines, hold a vital
river crossing or outflank your enemy?

You can agree with your opponent which mission to Each mission is set out as follows:
play, or one of you can roll a D6 on the table below to
determine the mission. X Set-Up
X Game Duration
+ + + + + + + + MISSION TABLE + + + + + + + +
X Reserves
D6
Mission X Special Rules
Score

1 Mission 1 – Armoured Clash X Victory

2 Mission 2 – Block Clearing
Set-Up
3 Mission 3 – Breakthrough
Playing Area
4 Mission 4 – Hold the Bridge The missions are designed for a 6' x 4' playing area,
5 Mission 5 – Outflanked but can be played on a smaller space if necessary.
Games are played along the length of the battlefield,
6 Mission 6 – Big Game Hunting as shown on the generic mission map on the right.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Terrain
Before beginning the mission, decide between you You should place plenty of terrain on the battlefield.
which side is the attacker and which the defender, or The tabletop should represent a war-ravaged town
roll a D6 and let Lady Luck decide for you. pitted with craters and rubble or a landscape

66
 + + + + + + + GENERIC MISSION MAP + + + + + + +
scattered with dense woodland, rocky outcrops
and ruined villages rather than the featureless
Russian steppes or sweeping deserts of North Africa.
Manoeuvre is a key part of the game, so we don’t
want to encourage a static shooting match.

There are two ways to set up your battlefield. Firstly,

you and your opponent can collaboratively design
the battlefield to create a specific historical location.
Alternatively, you can place a piece of terrain each
until you are both happy with the way the battlefield
looks or have used up all of your scenery pieces.

Note that some missions state how many pieces of a

particular type of terrain you are required to place,
and may have restrictions on where to place certain
types of terrain. For example, the Block Clearing
mission requires you to place eight pieces of Ambush
Terrain around the battlefield, none of which can be
within 12" of either player’s Base Edge.

Base Edge
The edge closest to you is called the ‘Base Edge’, and
this is important for deploying forces, using Asset
cards and, in some missions, for victory conditions

The generic mission map on the right shows the

position of the attacker’s and defender’s Base Edge.

Mission Maps
Each mission is accompanied by a map which shows The attacker rolls at the end of the first turn and the
the type of terrain required, the set-up areas where defender after the second turn. Players then alternate
the attacker and defender can deploy their tanks rolling until the end of the game.
at the start of the game, and, for some missions,
delineates the edges where reserves enter. Once the total Elapsed Time is equal to or greater
than the mission duration, the game ends and victory
Deployment conditions are checked. Note that it is possible for
To start the mission, the defender deploys their tanks a player to claim victory before the time runs out.
first followed by the attacker. Tanks are deployed Elapsed Time is recorded on the Time Tracker, as
within their designated Set-Up area, apart from those shown below.
held in reserve (see below).

Reserves
Any tanks that are to be held back as reserves are not
placed at this time. These will enter at some point
during the game (see overleaf). The generic mission
map (above right) indicates where reserves for each
side can enter play from. In some missions, reserves
enter play from different positions, and if this is the
case, this is shown on the mission’s map.

Game Duration – Elapsed Time

Each mission has a time limit, measured as Elapsed
Time in minutes. This is mission time, not actual time.
Example: At the start of the Admin Phase for the
At the end of each turn, during step 3 of the Admin third turn, the Time Tracker shows that 11 minutes
Phase (see page 23), one player rolls either one or two have elapsed so far during the battle. The slider on
dice to see how many minutes have elapsed during the top shows ‘tens’, the one on the bottom shows
that turn. You might choose to roll two dice if you want ‘units’. Rolling for Elapsed Time, you score a 5 so
time to progress faster – perhaps you need reserves to move the ‘units’ slider to space number 6 on the
arrive faster or are hanging on for the win… Time Tracker. The Elapsed Time is now 16 minutes.

Missions – 67
Reserves Stage 2 Reserves
You don’t have to deploy all of your tanks at the start If Stage 2 is triggered for your side, you must
of the game. Sometimes it is better to hold some back deploy your remaining tanks in reserve within 6" of
and bring them on to the table later. your Base Edge or a table edge between your Base
Edge and the Centreline, as shown on the generic
Each mission specifies which forces can be held as mission map.
reserves and when they will be available. There are
three possibilities: If both players wish to deploy reserves on the
same turn, the attacker places them first.
X None: All tanks are deployed at the start. Remember to include an extra Initiative Marker for
each tank deployed.
X Optional: Up to half of your tanks may be
held in reserve.
Victory
X Compulsory: Up to half of your tanks must Victory conditions are given for each mission. Victory
be held in reserve. Points (VPs) are awarded as shown in each mission’s
Victory Points Table.
At the end of each turn, during step 4 of the Admin
Phase (see page 23), check to see if your reserves are Automatic Victory
able to arrive on the battlefield. If your opponent has no active tanks on the
battlefield at the end of the Admin Phase, you
Reserves arrive in one of two stages. Each mission automatically win the game. Note that tanks in
states a time in minutes when each stage occurs. This reserve are considered inactive until they enter the
can be different depending on whether you are the game. See page 18 for a full description of what
attacker or defender. classes as an active tank.

If the Elapsed Time shown on the Time Tracker has If any enemy tanks have exited the battlefield
reached or gone past the stated time, that Reserves across your Base Edge in order to gain VPs (see the
stage is triggered for the stated side. Breakthrough mission on page 72 for example), you
can no longer win an automatic victory.
Stage 1 Reserves
When Stage 1 is triggered for your side, you may Drawn Missions
deploy any or all of your tanks in reserve within 6" In a mission where victory is determined by the
of your Base Edge, as shown on the generic mission number of Victory Points scored, it is possible for
map on the previous page. All your tanks in reserve the game to end with both players on the same VP
must be deployed in Stage 1 if the mission has no total. In such a circumstance, the game is declared
Stage 2 Reserves. a draw.

68 – Achtung Panzer!
Withdrawing From Battle X The tank has no Targeting Markers on it.
Your tank crews may be willing to fight to the X The tank has a Smoke Marker on it or the
death, but sometimes discretion is the better part Haze card is in play.
of valour – especially in campaign games.
X Night rules are in play (see page 76).
A tank can withdraw from the battle if any one of
the following applies: A tank can withdraw from any table edge except
for the enemy’s Base Edge. It doesn’t matter which
X It has taken two Damage Tokens. edge is chosen, but there cannot be an enemy tank
X It is not crippled (see page 44). closer to the chosen edge than the withdrawing
tank. If this rules out all available edges, the tank
X It is the only active tank from its platoon is surrounded and cannot withdraw. It may try
left on the battlefield (only applicable if again in a later Action Phase.
the platoon started the game with more
than one tank). Once a tank has withdrawn, it is removed from the
playing area and cannot return. It no longer counts
A tank may attempt to withdraw at the end of as an active tank.
an Action Phase if one or more of the following
conditions apply: If you are playing a campaign game, any damage
suffered by the tank still counts when rolling for
X No enemy tank has a LOS to the tank. Crew Outcome.

Type Light Tank

M5 Stuart .30 Cal (7.62 mm)

M1919 co-axial
No. Produced 2,074

Crew 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)

machine gun
.30 Cal (7.62 mm) 37 mm (1.46 in) Power Plant Twin Cadillac V8, 296 hp (220 kW), air cooled gasoline
M1919 pintle-mounted M6 AT gun
machine gun Max. Speed 36 mph (58 km/h)

.30 Cal Range 99 miles (160 km)

(7.62 mm)
M1919 hull Armour 13–51 mm (0.51-2 in)
machine gun
Weight 16.5 tons

Deployed 1942–1945
7 ft 55 in (2.3 m)

14 ft 2 in (4.33 m) 7 ft 35 in (2.24 m)

Missions – 69
Mission 1: Armoured Clash
As both sides probe the front line for weak spots, you
advance to contact with the enemy. No more time for
caution, the fight’s on!

Set-Up
Place at least eight pieces of Ambush Terrain around
the battlefield. The map on the right shows a typical
layout as a suggestion only.

Each player deploys their tanks within 6" of their

side’s Base Edge.

Game Duration
The mission lasts until 35 minutes have elapsed.

Reserves
Attacker & Defender: Optional
+ + + + + + + RESERVES DEPLOYMENT + + + + + + +

Stage Attacker Defender

1 10 minutes 10 minutes

2 20 minutes 20 minutes

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + ARMOURED CLASH – VICTORY POINTS + + + +
Special Rules Achievement Award
None.
Each enemy tank destroyed, VPs equal to enemy
knocked out or abandoned. tank’s Class
Victory
Each enemy tank crippled at
Award VPs as shown on the Victory Points Table 1 VP
the end of the game.
for this mission. The player with the highest VP total
wins the game. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

70 – Achtung Panzer!
Mission 2: Block Clearing
Enemy infantry are stubbornly defending the village
that lies across your line of advance. Your platoon has
been tasked with digging them out.

Set-Up
Place eight pieces of Ambush Terrain around the
battlefield. None of the pieces can be within 12"
of either player’s Base Edge. The map on the right
shows a typical layout as a suggestion only.

Each player deploys their tanks within 6" of their

side’s Base Edge.

Game Duration
The mission lasts until 45 minutes have elapsed.

Reserves
Attacker & Defender: Optional
+ + + + + + + RESERVES DEPLOYMENT + + + + + + +

Stage Attacker Defender

1 10 minutes 10 minutes

2 20 minutes 20 minutes

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + BLOCK CLEARING – VICTORY POINTS + + + +

Special Rules Achievement Award

The defender may designate two pieces of Ambush
Attacker: Each Strongpoint or piece
Terrain as Strongpoints (see page 53).
of Ambush Terrain cleared at the end 1 VP
of the game.
Victory
Defender: Each enemy tank destroyed,
Award VPs as shown on the Victory Points Table for 2 VPs
knocked out or abandoned.
this mission. The player with the highest VP total wins.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

“ The 75 is firing. The 37 is firing, but it is traversed

round the wrong way. The Browning is jammed. I am saying
‘Driver, advance’ on the A set, and the driver, who can’t
hear me, is reversing. And as I look over the top of the
turret and see twelve enemy tanks fifty yards away,
”
someone hands me a cheese sandwich…
Lt. Ken Graves, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
British Tank
Crewman

Missions – 71
Mission 3: Breakthrough!
Reconnaissance units have discovered a hole in the
enemy line. Can you exploit the opportunity before the
enemy plugs the gap?

Set-Up
Place at least eight pieces of Ambush Terrain around
the battlefield. The map on the right shows a typical
layout as a suggestion only.

The attacker deploys anywhere within 6" of their

Base Edge. The defender deploys anywhere in their
own half of the battlefield.

Game Duration
The mission lasts until 45 minutes have elapsed.

Reserves
Attacker: Optional
Defender: Compulsory

+ + + + + + + RESERVES DEPLOYMENT + + + + + + +

Stage Attacker Defender

1 10 minutes 10 minutes

2 20 minutes – + + + + BREAKTHROUGH! – VICTORY POINTS + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Achievement Award

Special Rules Attacker: Each friendly tank that

exits the battlefield across the 2 VPs
The defender may do one of the following during defender’s Base Edge.
Set-Up, before tanks are deployed:
Attacker: Each enemy tank destroyed,
X Deploy up to two tanks in Prepared Positions 1 VP
knocked out or abandoned.
(see page 52).
Defender: Each enemy tank destroyed,
2 VPs
X Designate two pieces of Ambush Terrain as knocked out or abandoned.
Strongpoints (see page 53).
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
X Choose two 6" lengths of Tank Traps (see

“ ”
page 52).

X Designate one piece of Ambush Terrain as The IS-2 was my home,

a Strongpoint and take one 6" length of
Tank Traps. and heavy combat
The attacker may move their tanks off the defender’s
action everyday life.
Base Edge. Tanks exiting the battlefield in this way Despite my wound
do not count as withdrawing, and they score VPs at
the end of the battle. If at least one of the attacker’s I remained in action,
tanks does this, the defender can no longer win an
automatic victory.
and knocked out
a German SPG from
Victory an ambush.
Award VPs as shown on the Victory Points Table for Aleksandra Boiko,
this mission. The player with the highest VP total wins. Red Army tank commander

72 – Achtung Panzer!
Mission 4: Hold the Bridge
There is just one bridge left standing in your sector and
the enemy have wired it for demolition. You must force
your way across before the charges can be detonated.

Set-Up
Place at least eight pieces of Ambush Terrain around
the battlefield. Place a river, at least 6" wide across
the centre of the table. Place a bridge 12" from a side
edge and mark a ford 12" from the other side edge.
The map on the right shows a typical layout as a
suggestion only.

The attacker deploys anywhere within 6" of their

Base Edge. The defender deploys anywhere in their
own half of the battlefield (except in the river!).

Game Duration
The mission lasts until 40 minutes have elapsed.

Reserves
Attacker: Optional
Defender: Compulsory
+ + + + + + + RESERVES DEPLOYMENT + + + + + + +

Stage Attacker Defender Victory

1 10 minutes 10 minutes Award VPs as shown on the Victory Points Table for
this mission. The player with the highest VP total wins.
2 20 minutes 20 minutes

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + HOLD THE BRIDGE – VICTORY POINTS + + + +

Achievement Award
Special Rules
The following special rules apply: Attacker: Having at least one active
friendly tank on the defender’s side 5 VPs
X The river counts as Impassable Terrain. of the river at the end of the game.

X The bridge counts as Open Terrain. Attacker: Each enemy tank destroyed,
1 VP
knocked out or abandoned.
X The ford counts as Rough Terrain.
Defender: Each enemy tank destroyed,
X The attacker may take an Engineers Asset 2 VPs
knocked out or abandoned.
card at no cost.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
X The defender may deploy up two tanks in
Prepared Positions (see page 52).

PPSh-41 submachine gun

Whilst they would also utilise the
Thompson SMG supplied in US lend
lease tanks and the captured German
MP40, the ubiquitous PPSh-41 is the
classic look for any discerning Soviet
tank crewmen, be it with drum or
sickle magazine.

Missions – 73
Mission 5: Outflanked
Enemy tanks have been spotted. You must seize the
opportunity to surround and destroy them.

Set-Up
Place at least eight pieces of Ambush Terrain around
the battlefield. The map on the right shows a typical
layout as a suggestion only.

The attacker deploys anywhere within 6" of their

Base Edge. The defender deploys anywhere in their
own half of the battlefield.

Game Duration
The mission lasts until 30 minutes have elapsed.

Reserves
Attacker: Compulsory
Defender: Optional
+ + + + + + + RESERVES DEPLOYMENT + + + + + + +

Stage Attacker Defender

1 10 minutes 15 minutes

2 15 minutes –
+ + + + + OUTFLANKED – VICTORY POINTS + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Achievement Award

Special Rules Attacker: Each enemy tank destroyed,

1 VP
knocked out or abandoned.
For the attacker’s Stage 2 Reserves, reserves may be
deployed anywhere along a side table edge, as shown
Defender: Each friendly tank still
on the mission map. 2 VPs
active at the end of the game.

Victory Defender: Each enemy tank destroyed,

1 VP
knocked out or abandoned.
Award VPs as shown on the Victory Points Table for
this mission. The player with the highest VP total wins. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

74 – Achtung Panzer!
Mission 6: Big Game Hunting
Something is stirring at the other end of town. It’s big,
really big, but you have the numbers. Can you make
them count?

Forces
In this mission, the attacking platoon comprises
either four Class 2 tanks or two Class 2 and one
Class 3 tanks, all with crews of Medium Calibre.

The defender has a single Class 4 tank with a High

Calibre crew.

For a stiffer test, give the defender a Class 5 tank!

Set-Up
Place at least eight pieces of Ambush Terrain around
the battlefield. The map on the right shows a typical
layout as a suggestion only.

Each player deploys their tanks within 6" of their

side’s Base Edge.

Game Duration
The mission lasts until 30 minutes have elapsed.

Reserves

“ ”
Attacker: Compulsory
Defender: None We will be victorious –
+ + + + + + + RESERVES DEPLOYMENT + + + + + + +
thanks to our Tigers.
General Heinz Guderian
Stage Attacker Defender

1 10 minutes –

2 – –

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Special Rules
None German
Hafthohlladung
magnetic anti-tank
mine
Victory
Award VPs as shown on the Victory Points Table for
this mission. The player with the highest VP total wins.

+ + + BIG GAME HUNTING – VICTORY POINTS + + +

Achievement Award

Each enemy tank destroyed, VPs equal to enemy

knocked out or abandoned. tank’s Class

Each enemy tank crippled at

1 VP
the end of the game.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Missions – 75
Mission Options X When defending against a close assault, a
tank may not add the Close Assault value of
Once you are familiar with the rules and have played a friendly tank within 6".
a few games, you may wish to add some variety with
the following additions. X Any tank may attempt to withdraw at the
end of an Action Phase (see page 69).

Environment X At the start of each turn, after allocating

Initiative Markers, the attacker rolls one
It’s nice to think that Lady Luck will provide you with D6. On a roll of 6, the battlefield has been
good weather. Unfortunately this isn’t always the illuminated by a star shell and therefore
case. Bad conditions can mess up your plans, but also night restrictions do not apply for the
be a great leveller. Try the missions with one of the coming turn.
following options, or attempt them with more than
one for a really challenging game!
Captured Tanks
Fog Players usually pick tanks from the list for their
Remove the Haze card from the Event card deck and chosen nation. However, you don’t have to be limited
put it to one side. This card remains in effect for the to this. Tanks were not always the most reliable or
duration of the game – it is not removed at the end of impervious of machines and could sometimes be
a turn. incapacitated by even minor damage. If salvaged,
they could be put back into service.
Snow or Mud The German army in particular made widespread use
All vehicles have a maximum move of 4". When using of captured equipment, especially on the Eastern
a Scoot action, the lowest dice roll is always used. Front. Most of these were used for second line duties
The penalty for snow does not apply to Soviet tanks such as anti-partisan patrols, but a whole industry
fighting in winter conditions. developed around salvaging and refurbishing T-34
tanks, which were widely used on the front line by
the Germans.
Night
Fighting at night has the following effects: To represent a captured tank in your platoon, use the
following rules:
X Anti-Tank Gun and Airstrike assets may not
be purchased. X Use the statistics for the captured tank, but
remember that the national rules for Asset
X Radio Checks are never made in night cards and Radio Checks still apply as usual
battles – Initiative Markers are always (for example, a German crew in a captured
drawn singly. The Roger That! Event card Soviet T-34/76 would use the German
has no effect. nationality line on the Radio Check Table
on page 20).
X Long-range shots against enemy tanks only
hit on a score of 6. X Crews are unfamiliar with captured tanks
so if you choose to employ a captured tank,
you can’t give it a High Calibre crew. If
captured armour has been modified (such
as the captured T-34 in German service,
Panzerkampfwagen T 34-747(r)), it will
have a separate Datacard and so this
restriction does not apply.

The German Panzerfaust 60 – bane of Allied armour

76 – Achtung Panzer!
“ In any event, in land battles the tank possesses the
unique quality of being able to bring its fire-power to
bear while actually advancing against the enemy, and
it can do this even though all the defense’s guns and
machine-guns have not been silenced.
”
General Heinz Guderian

Type Tank Destroyer

M10 GMC No. Produced 4,993

Crew 4 (driver, commander, gunner, loader)

.50 Cal (12.7 mm) 3 in (76.2 mm)
Browning M2HB pintle- Gun M7 General Motors 6046 diesel, 375 hp
mounted machine gun Power Plant
(276 kW), 12.5 hp/t

Max. Speed 32 mph (51 kph)

Range 186 miles (300 km)

Armour 0.3–2.3 in (9–57.2 mm)

Weight 29.6 tons

Deployed 1943-1945
9 ft 5 in (2.90 m)

10 ft (3.05 m)
19 ft 6 in (5.97 m)

Missions – 77
 On Campaign
The rules presented here allow you to follow your platoon through a series of missions. Some
crews will gain prestige as the campaign progresses while others will pay the ultimate sacrifice.

To start your campaign, you need to build your campaign will be keenly followed. Success may
platoon. We recommend it consists of around three bring you extra rewards, but beware of failure –
to four tanks, with a combined cost of no more than your reputation is at stake!
75 pts. You can have a mix of Crew Calibre, but at
the start of your campaign at least half of your tanks
Quirks
should have a Low Calibre crew.
There are some things that they can’t teach you in
You can ignore the above guidelines and put your basic training. There are others you wouldn’t want
resources into one or two super tanks with High them to teach. In a campaign, these are represented
Calibre crews, but you will find this very limiting as by ‘quirks’. Most will give your hard-pressed platoon
losing just one tank may well cost you the campaign. a welcome boost, though a few are detrimental.
Bestowing quirks can be risky but fun!
Once you have chosen your tanks and determined
the Crew Grade for individual crew members (see To find out how many quirks you have available, roll
pages 8–9), fill in the details of your platoon on the a D6 and refer to the table below. How many you get
platoon roster, which can be found on page 90 for depends on the number of tanks in your platoon at
you to photocopy. Now you can bring your platoon to the start of the campaign.
life by naming your tanks and crew members.
+ + + + + + + + NUMBER OF QUIRKS + + + + + + + +

A tank crew stays together for the duration of a D6 Number of Tanks

campaign. The members cannot be swapped around Score 1 2 3 4+
between tanks. Lost crew members will be replaced.
1 0 0 0 0
Wounded crew may, however, be assigned to any tank
with a vacancy when they return. 2 0 0 1 1

3 0 1 1 2
The Platoon Commander 4 1 1 2 2
One of the tanks in your platoon will be the lead 5 1 2 2 3
tank. As the Platoon Commander, this is YOU in the
6 1 2 3 4
turret, so look after that tank! The good news is that,
while other crew may suffer gruesome fates, you are + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
destined to survive the campaign, as explained later.
Roll 2 dice, one after the other, on the Quirks table
Throughout the campaign your valiant exploits will opposite to determine which quirks your platoon has.
enhance your reputation and win you awards. Victory Use the first roll as the ‘tens’ and the second roll as
in the campaign depends on your performance as the the ‘units’ to find the number. For example, a roll of 4
commander; the winner will be the player who has followed by a 2 gives a result of 42.
the highest reputation after the final battle is fought.
You can roll as many times on the Quirks table as
the number of quirks available to you. You may even
Person of Influence decide not to roll on the table at all. However, if you
Command isn’t just given to anybody; you have to do so then any quirks you gain, good or bad, must be
be marked for success, but it helps to get a bit of a assigned to a crew member. You can only have one of
head start. each quirk in your platoon, so re-roll any duplicates.

Before commencing the campaign, roll a D6. On a Quirks are assigned to your crew members as you
roll of 5 or 6 you are lucky enough to be a person of see fit. Only one crew member in each tank may be
influence. Perhaps you are a member of a political given a quirk. Some quirks are specific to a particular
party or come from a famous military or aristocratic crew position so must go to one of those. You, as the
family. Whatever the reason, you are already known Platoon Commander, may not be given a quirk; you
in the right circles and your progress through the are above that sort of nonsense.

80 – Achtung Panzer!
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + QUIRKS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Score Quirk Effect

Brother in It pays to have friends or relatives in (very) high places. You may
11-12
the Airforce purchase the Airstrike asset for half the normal cost.

A supply of pills to keep you going can be very useful. At the start
of a battle, up to two crew members in the platoon may have their Crew
13-14 The Chemist
Grade increased by one Star for that battle only. However, when they are
rolling for Crew Outcome, any ‘Fresh’ result is counted as ‘Fatigued’.

A little shrapnel? Pah, nothing puts you off! If this Commander is hit
Stern Stuff
15-16 while unbuttoned, he is only forced to Button Up! if he loses
(Commander)
1 or 2 Stars as a result of the hit.

Those three weeks spent in medical training really pay off. When rolling
21-22 Doc for Crew Outcome, you may re-roll the result for one crew member without
spending an EP.

A little Dutch Courage gets you through the shakes, but maybe you’ve
23-24 Drunk been overdoing it lately and it’s starting to show. When this crew
member fails a Crew Test, a Calamity! occurs on a roll of 1 or 2.

You know just where to hit those enemy rust buckets for maximum effect.
Eagle Eye
25-26 The Gunner automatically passes a Crew Test when attempting to target a
(Gunner)
specific location.

You can get anything except a weekend pass. All tanks in the platoon that
31-32 Fixer can fire Special Ammunition have a minimum of one round at the start of
each mission after Special Ammunition Tokens have been allocated.

You could fall into a sewer and come up smelling of roses. Once per game
33-34 Lucky Charm
you may re-roll one dice or force your opponent to re-roll one dice.

Mechanic You keep your tank running like a Swiss clock. Discard the first Running
35-36
(Driver) Gear Damage Token this crew member’s tank receives each game.

You feel much safer surrounded by all that thick armour plate. If
Shaken
41-42 unbuttoned, this Commander must always Button Up! if the tank is hit by
(Commander)
an attack, even if it does no damage.

You’re first out of the hatch when things go wrong. If this crew
43-44 Nine Lives member’s tank is abandoned, don’t roll for Crew Outcome for him. He is
always ‘Fresh’.

Short-Sighted You always blames the gunsight, but you probably just need an eye test.
45-46
(Gunner) The Gunner can only attempt to target a specific location at short range.

Even your mother would admit you’re not the sharpest knife in the box.
51-52 Slow-Witted
This crew member’s Crew Grade is always Green and may never be advanced.

Smooth Operator You can drive anything. The Driver automatically passes his Crew Test
53-54
(Driver) when attempting to perform a free Pivot Manoeuvre.

Sunday Driver You can never get the hang of those gears. This tank is restricted to a
55-56
(Driver) maximum speed of 4”.

You can read the enemy like a book and always have a knack of being in
Tactician the right place. A platoon with a Tactician may always deploy second at
61-62
(Commander) the start of a battle. If both sides have a Tactician, they cancel each
other out.

Some people are just anti-social and you’re one of them. The Teamwork
63-64 Troublemaker
Event card may not be played on this tank.

Workhorse You have muscles of steel and can work all day. The Gunner automatically
65-66
(Gunner) passes a Crew Test when attempting to perform a forced load.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

On Campaign – 81
 Gaining Experience
Playing the Campaign
Through the course of a battle your crews will accrue
Once you have created your platoon you are ready to Experience Points (EPs). The amount gained depends
embark on the campaign. Good luck! on the outcome of the battle and what part the
tank played. Note that Experience is different from
A campaign consists of a series of battles. For a short Reputation. While Reputation applies to you as the
campaign, play six battles. For longer campaigns, play Platoon Commander and will ultimately decide the
eight or more games. After each battle, both sides outcome of the campaign, Experience applies to your
chart their progress by updating their platoon roster tank crews and may give them the edge in battle.
(see page 90), gaining experience and reputation, and
replacing lost tanks and crew members. Tanks gain EPs as shown on the following table.
+ + + + + + + EXPERIENCE POINTS + + + + + + +
To get started, your first battle should be the
Armoured Clash mission (see page 70) as this has EPs
the same victory conditions for both sides. For Achievement
Earned
subsequent battles, either agree on which mission
you would like to play, or roll a D6 to decide. • Participating in a battle 1

+ + + + + + + + CAMPAIGN MISSION + + + + + + + + • Being on the winning side 1

D6 • Destroying or knocking out an enemy

Mission 1
Score tank of equal or lower Class

1-2 Mission 1 – Armoured Clash

• Destroying or knocking out an enemy
Mission 2 – Block Clearing 2
3 tank of a higher Class
4 Mission 3 – Breakthrough
• Destroying or knocking out an enemy
Mission 4 – Hold the Bridge 1*
5 tank by using an Asset or Event card
6 Mission 5 – Outflanked
* Awarded to Platoon Command Tank only
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

If you and your opponent are interested in a real Simply turning up for a battle gives each tank a
historical campaign, a little reading and research single EP. Nothing succeeds like success, so winning
might suggest a sequence of missions to play. the battle, even if the tank didn’t survive, also
gains an EP. Knocking out enemy tanks also gains
In the first game, each side roll dice to decide who EPs especially if the class of the target is higher
will be the attacker. In subsequent games, the winner than that of the shooter. If a tank is knocked out by
of the previous game may decide. If the previous accumulated hits, the EP goes to the tank that scored
game was a draw, both players roll a dice – the the final hit.
highest scorer can choose.
During a battle, you must keep score of EPs gained
Note: The Big Game Hunting mission is a stand alone by each tank. At the end of the battle, EPs are spent
‘David and Goliath’ affair that states what the tank to influence Crew Outcome rolls, improve the crew’s
classes should be – it won’t work for campaign games operational capabilities, replace killed or wounded
where tanks are set by the players, although there’s crew and to purchase upgrades for your tanks.
no reason why you cannot adapt the scenario for your
campaign if you so wish. EPs may only be spent on the tank that earned
them and cannot be transferred between tanks. The
one exception to this is that any EPs gained by the
Inspirational Speeches Platoon Commander’s tank may be given to other
Before the battle, if your Platoon Commander is a tanks in his platoon.
person of influence (see page 80), he may give a
rousing speech to his crews. He might Unspent EPs may not be carried forward to the next
appeal to their patriotism and battle and are lost.
fighting spirit or, may simply
threaten to have them all shot!
Keeping Notes
British Tank Before the battle roll a D6. On a During a campaign battle, as well as keeping tabs on
Commander
roll of 6, any crew members who EPs earned, make sure you keep a note of damage
are Fatigued find new reserves of to your tanks and kills by each of your tanks. This is
enthusiasm and become Fresh. important as these notes will be used to determine
Crew Outcome and other factors after the battle.

82 – Achtung Panzer!
After the Battle Fatigue can be removed by resting the
tank for a game, when all Fatigued crew
As soon as the battle is over you need to see how members become Fresh. There is also a
your platoon has fared. There are a number of steps chance that Fatigued crew members will
to go through to prepare for the next battle. recover following a mission in which their
tank was unscathed.

Crew Outcome X Wounded: The crew member must be

replaced, but becomes available again after
Roll for the effect of the battle on each individual missing the next battle. Returning crew
crew member taking part. This depends on the count as Fresh and can be assigned to any
post-battle condition of the crew member’s tank tank in their platoon if it has a vacancy.
and whether he began the game Fresh or Fatigued.
Possible outcomes for each crew member are: X KIA: The crew member is permanently lost
and must be replaced before the next game.
X Fresh: Fit and ready for the next game. His sacrifice will never be forgotten.

X Fatigued: Worn down by the stress of Roll a D6 for each crew member on the tables below.
battle. Fatigue has no effect during a battle, Use the correct table for the condition of each tank at
but increases the chance of a bad outcome the end of the mission. You may spend 1 EP to re-roll
after the battle. any result, but must accept the second result.

+ + + + + + + + + Undamaged + + + + + + + + + + + + + Took Hits, But Still Active + + + + +

D6 D6
Fresh Fatigued Fresh Fatigued
Score Score

1 Fatigued Fatigued 1 Wounded KIA

2 Fresh Fatigued 2 Fatigued Wounded

3 Fresh Fresh 3 Fatigued Wounded

4 Fresh Fresh 4 Fresh Fatigued

5 Fresh* Fresh 5 Fresh* Fatigued

6 Fresh* Fresh* 6 Fresh* Fresh*

+ + + + + + Crippled and Abandoned + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Knocked Out + + + + + + + + +

D6 D6
Fresh Fatigued Fresh Fatigued
Score Score

1 Wounded KIA 1 KIA KIA

2 Fatigued Wounded 2 Wounded KIA

3 Fatigued Wounded 3 Fatigued Wounded

4 Fatigued Wounded 4 Fatigued Wounded

5 Fresh* Fatigued 5 Fresh Fatigued

6 Fresh* Fatigued 6 Fresh* Fatigued

+ + + + + + + + + Destroyed + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Destroyed and Brewed Up + + + + + +

D6 D6
Fresh Fatigued Fresh Fatigued
Score Score

1 KIA KIA 1 KIA KIA

2 KIA KIA 2 KIA KIA

3 Wounded KIA 3 KIA KIA

4 Wounded Wounded 4 Wounded KIA

5 Fatigued Wounded 5 Wounded Wounded

6 Fresh* Fatigued 6 Fatigued* Fatigued

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

On Campaign – 83
 Outcomes for Platoon Commanders Replacing Crew Members
You must roll the outcome for your Platoon Crew members killed or wounded must be replaced.
Commander, but he will always survive. Therefore, If there are no suitable candidates in the platoon’s
any ‘Wounded’ or ‘KIA’ result for the Platoon pool of reserve crew, individuals must be replaced at
Commander counts as ‘Fatigued’. the following EP cost:

A Fatigued Platoon Commander can always take part X Replacement Green crew. . . . . . . . . Free
in the next battle, but a Fatigued result makes it
harder for him to increase Reputation. X Replacement Trained crew. . . . 1 EP each

If the result for the Platoon Commander has an Replacement crew may not be Veteran.
asterisk (*) next to it, he has performed a particularly
heroic deed and gains 1 Reputation Point. Quirks
When a crew receives replacements and no one in the
tank has a quirk, roll a D6. On a roll of 6, one quirk
Recovering From Fatigue may be rolled for. Re-roll if the quirk duplicates one
Fatigued crew members are more likely to have a bad that you already have. If the quirk gained is specific
outcome for a battle than Fresh crew members, so to a crew position which has not just been replaced
you have the option to rest a tank from a battle. The then it is lost without a re-roll.
tank’s crew gains no EPs and may not be improved
following a missed battle, but any Fatigued crew will
be Fresh for the next battle. Crew Advancement
Temporary Replacements Individuals can attempt to advance their Crew Grade
If a tank is rested, it may be temporarily replaced or EPs can be spent to train them up automatically.
for one battle. The replacement tank may not be of a
higher Class than any other tank in the platoon, and For each Green or Trained crew member in your
all its crew members will be Green. You do not have to platoon, you may roll a D6 to see if his Crew Grade
track Crew Outcomes for the temporary replacement as increases as a result of increased proficiency.
it will return to the reserve after the battle.
X To advance from Green to Trained requires
You can rest more than one tank, but only one a roll of 3+.
replacement tank may be taken. A temporary
replacement does not gain any EPs during a battle. X To advance from Trained to Veteran
requires a roll of 5+.
There may be a temptation to use a temporary
replacement as a ‘sacrificial lamb’ for the benefit of Alternatively, you can spend 2 EPs to automatically
the rest of the platoon. This is perfectly acceptable – advance a crew member to the next Crew Grade, up
war is hell! to Veteran. You can do this several times during this
step if you can afford the EP cost.
Reassigning Crew Members A crew member cannot advance by more than one
Crew members that have recovered from wounds are Crew Grade between missions.
available for reassignment. This does not cost any
EPs. They do not have to be reassigned immediately Fatigued crew may not be automatically advanced
if there are no vacancies – they are placed in their – you must always roll for them. Replacement crew
platoon’s pool of reserve crew. must take part in at least one battle before they can
be advanced.
Any crew member may be reassigned as a Driver or
Gunner and retain their Stars. Only a Commander or
a Veteran from any position may be reassigned as a Removing Quirks
tank’s Commander.
A negative quirk can be removed by spending 1 EP and
rolling a D6.

On a roll of 5 or 6, the quirk no longer has any effect.

Perhaps the crew member has been given extra
training or finally got his drinking under control…
Soviet Tank
Crewmen
On a 4 or less, the quirk remains and the EP is wasted
– evidently a leopard never changes his spots.

84 – Achtung Panzer!
Recovering Tanks After a Battle Appliqué Armour
Extra armour plate is welded on to vulnerable areas
Unscathed/Operational of the tank. This tank is immune to the Weak Spot
If a tank survives a battle unscathed, or if it is Event card.
damaged but still operational, it will be available for
the next battle. If it has any upgrades (see below) Camouflage Net
these will be intact. Disguising those hard edges is good if you don’t
want to be noticed. When an enemy tank performs
Crippled/Abandoned a Spot Target action against this tank at long range,
If a tank is crippled and/or abandoned, it may be the enemy tank’s Commander must pass a Crew Test,
recovered. Roll a D6 and refer to the table below. If it otherwise he fails to perform the action.
becomes destroyed as a result, see below.
Improved Engine
+ + + + + + + + TANK RECOVERY + + + + + + + + If you get into trouble, it’s good to know that you
can get out of it quickly. Tuning your engine will give
D6 Tank’s Side Tank’s Side
Score Won the Battle Lost the Battle you that extra bit of speed. Your tank’s Speed value
is increased by +2". The maximum allowable Speed
1-2 Destroyed Destroyed is 8" for tracked vehicles and 10" for half-tracks and
3–4 Recovered Destroyed wheeled vehicles.
5–6 Recovered Recovered
First Aid Kit
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Single-use. Stop moaning, it’s only a scratch! Once
per game, when a crew member would lose Stars as
Destroyed/Knocked Out a result of damage to the tank, use the First Aid Kit
If the tank is destroyed, you receive a replacement as to avoid any loss. This is a single-use upgrade – once
described next. used it is lost, but may be purchased again.

Improved Gun Sights

Replacing Tanks You can improve the sights to have a better chance of
hitting your target. If the tank performs a Fire Main
A tank that is destroyed or knocked out will be Gun action, it may roll one additional D6 to hit when
replaced for the next mission. This does not cost any aiming, but only up to a maximum of 3 dice.
EPs. The replacement tank will be the same model as
the one that was lost. Hedgerow Cutter
Tracked vehicles only. A Culin hedgerow cutter or
Surviving crew members from the old tank are dozer blade can get you through most obstacles. The
assigned to the new one. If the tank requires new tank never suffers a Calamity! when moving through
crew, refer to Replacing Crew Members previously. or into Ambush Terrain.

If you lost a tank with upgrades (see below), the Improvised Armour
replacement will be the basic model – the upgrades Logs, spare track sections or sandbags – anything to
are lost along with the old tank. give you a bit more protection. Add +1 to the Front
Armour value of your tank.

Tank Upgrades Magazine Protection

Armoured screens or wet stowage may prevent the
Your superiors will tell you that the tanks in your worst outcome. If the tank suffers a ‘Destroyed’
platoon are the finest in the world, but what do they result, it will only brew up on the roll of a 6.
know? A few tweaks here and there may just save
your life. After each battle, you may spend EPs to Repair Kit
improve your tanks with the upgrades listed below. Single-use. Stop those sparks becoming anything
serious. Once per game, instead of activating the
Each upgrade costs 1 EP. A specific upgrade may only tank, remove the Command Token from its Datacard.
be purchased once for each tank, so you can’t have The tank does not activate in the current Action
two repair kits on the same tank, for example. Phase, but instead removes one Damage Token. This
is a single-use upgrade – once used it is lost, but may
If an upgrade would be visible on a tank, such as be purchased again.
the camouflage net or hedgerow cutter, you should
convert your tank model to show the upgrade. Improved Suspension
Modelling extra bits and pieces onto your tank as it Wheeled vehicles only. Keep those springs maintained.
progresses is very much in the spirit of the Achtung The vehicle can move through Rough Terrain with no
Panzer! campaign game. restriction to its movement.

On Campaign – 85
Reputation Ace Skills
If you are already an Ace when you gain a decoration,
As well as your platoon gaining experience, your choose one extra Ace Skill from the list on page 88.
reputation as the Platoon Commander will be
enhanced. This is how the campaign will be won
Refit
or lost – the Platoon Commander with the highest
reputation will be victorious. Your standing increases As your reputation grows, you will have access to
by earning Reputation Points (RPs) as follows: bigger and better tanks. When the Reputation chart
awards you a refit, you may choose to refit all the
X Gain 1 RP for winning a battle. tanks in your platoon. There are two ‘Refit’ boxes on
the chart, so as long as you continue to be successful,
X Gain 1 RP for performing a heroic deed you will be able to refit your platoon twice.
(see Outcomes for Platoon Commanders,
on page 84). Each tank may be replaced with one that costs more
points. It may also be one Class higher than the tank
Unlike EPs, the RPs that you earn are not lost after being replaced.
each battle. Record them on your Platoon Roster.
Example: Feldwebel Weissgerber commands a
platoon of Pz IV Ausf. F2 tanks. These are Class
2 tanks. He has gained 3 RPs and so gets to refit
the platoon, replacing one of the F2s with the Pz
IV Ausf. H model, which is Class 3. The feldwebel
would really like to get his hands on the new
At the start of the campaign, unless you are a person Tiger or Panther tanks, but they are Class 4, so
of influence (see page 80 and below) you are a he will have to wait until the next refit.
complete unknown, fresh out of the academy. You are
determined to remedy this, but you will begin the
Influence and Reputation
campaign with zero RPs.
If your Platoon Commander is a person of influence
As your reputation grows, it is tracked on the (see page 80), this has an effect on his reputation.
Reputation chart on your Platoon Roster. At the start of the campaign his name will not be
unfamiliar and so he starts with 1 RP.
When you accumulate enough RPs to reach certain
boxes, you gain an advantage: After each battle, roll a D6:

You receive a decoration. X If you won the battle

On a roll of 5 or 6, the Platoon Commander
You may refit your platoon with better tanks. has performed with notable skill and so
receives an extra +1 RP for the win.
Decorations X If you lost the battle
When you reach 2, 4 and 6 RPs, your service is On a roll of 1 or 2, the Platoon Commander’s
recognised with a decoration. This is not only nice to performance just won’t do and he loses 1 RP.
show off in the mess, but allows you to try to unlock
Ace status (see below). If you lose Reputation, you will not lose any
decorations or refits previously gained from the
The award depends on your nationality as shown on Reputation chart. However, you can only gain a new
the Decorations table below. Record your Platoon decoration or another refit if you reach a new box that
Commander’s decorations on the Platoon Roster. has not provided a reward yet during the campaign.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + DECORATIONS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

RPs Great Britain United States Germany Soviet Union

Mention in Bronze Iron Cross Medal for

2
Despatches Star 2nd class Valour

Military Silver Iron Cross Order of the

4
Cross Star 1st class Patriotic War

6 Distinguished Distinguished Knight’s Order of the

Service Order Service Cross Cross Red Banner

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

86 – Achtung Panzer!
 Bonus Victory Points
Ace Commanders
There is a risk attached to being an Ace – the higher
While mere mortals may only gain enough experience you climb, the harder you fall!
to become veterans, the Platoon Commander can
go one step further and become an Ace. Very few If an Ace’s tank is knocked out or destroyed, the
will achieve this, but it gives distinct advantages opposing player scores a bonus 2 VPs.
in the heat of battle. The effects of having an Ace
Commander are detailed on page 88. If the Ace’s tank is brewed up, the bonus is 3 VPs.

To become an Ace, the Platoon Commander must have

achieved the following:
Winning a Campaign
X His Crew Grade must be Veteran.
The campaign ends after the final battle has been
X He has received at least one decoration. fought at which point Reputation Points are scored
for that battle. The Platoon Commander with the
X He has won the previous mission fought. highest number of RPs wins the campaign and
doubtless goes on to greater glory.
If these requirements are fulfilled, roll a number of
dice equal to the total number of RPs gained to date. If both sides’ RPs are equal, the player who has won
If any roll is a 6 then Ace status is achieved. the most number of battles will win the campaign.
If the result is still equal, play an extra battle to
If the roll is failed, you can try again when you next determine the eventual winner.
win a battle.

As well as gaining the benefits of Ace status,

Optional Variable Ending
the Platoon Commander gains one Ace Skill per Instead of playing a fixed number of battles, play a
decoration he has received. campaign of six battles.

Ace Skills are chosen from the list on page 88 – you X After the sixth battle, roll a D6. On a roll of
cannot choose one which you already possess. 3 or more, play another battle, otherwise
the campaign ends.

X After this battle, roll another D6: on a roll

of 5 or 6, play a final battle. After this, the
campaign ends.
 Tank Aces
Tank Aces were highly skilled and accomplished tank commanders or crew members. Being
recognised as a Tank Ace was not simply earned by racking up a ‘kill total’, but included factors
such as surviving engagements, displaying superior leadership qualities and making tactical or strategic
decisions that contributed to the success of their parent unit. Additionally, they tended to instinctively know
the strengths and weaknesses of their own vehicle and those of the enemy.

The Germans and Soviets were particularly conscious Losing Stars

of the propaganda values represented by Tank Aces
Tank Aces may be special, but they are still human.
and ensured that their exploits were recounted and
An Ace may lose Stars during the game, either as
rewarded. In contrast, the Western Allies, especially
a result of a hit to the hull or turret, or from rolling
the British, tended to not put their crews in the
on the Button Up! Table. In this case, he loses the
limelight which meant many significant individuals
advantages of having 4 Stars, but still retains his
were kept in the shadows. Many of these heroes only
individual Ace skills.
became recognised after the war ended.

Tank Ace Datacards are available for the Achtung Bonus Victory Points
Panzer! game, allowing you to field Aces such as
There is a risk attached to being an Ace – the higher
Rudolf von Ribbentrop and George Dring in the
you climb, the harder you fall!
vehicles they were most famously associated with.
All are classed as Ace Commanders, have High
If an Ace’s tank is Knocked Out or Destroyed, the
Calibre crews and have a special advantage to bring
opposing player scores a bonus 2 VPs.
to the battle in the form of Ace Skills.
If the Ace’s tank is Brewed Up, the bonus is 3 VPs.

Using Tank Aces Ace Skills

If you are playing the campaign game you will be Tank Ace Skills are listed here. The Blood & Steel
creating your own Tank Aces. However, for stand- starter set and Achtung Panzer! tank force sets
alone games it can be fun to add an historical Tank include Ace Skill cards for the Aces introduced with
Ace and their tank to your game. those sets.

Be aware that Tank Aces are bring significant benefits Cool Customer
to your side. However, they are also a good way of Certain tank commanders have such a calming
balancing games when new players take on more influence on their crews that their subordinates rarely
experienced opponents. crack under pressure.
Tank Aces have specific skills that make them stand This tank will never suffer a Calamity! as the result of
part from other tank commanders. Most Tank Aces a failed Crew Test.
will have two such skills, which are listed on their
tank’s Datacard. Combined Arms
This commander understands the value of coordinating
his movements with friendly anti-tank guns.
You work closely with other units. The cost of
purchasing an Anti-Tank Gun asset is 1 Star less
than usual.

Deception
This commander is skilled in hiding his intentions from
the enemy.
Example: Tank Ace Sergeant George ‘Killer’ Dring
has the Killer Instinct and Shufti Ace Skills, as Your opponent may only use the Reconnaissance
noted on his Datacard. Event card as a Reaction.

88 – Achtung Panzer!
Delaying Tactics Pour it on, boys!
Sometimes biding your time gives greater rewards than This commander understands the importance of
rash action. effectively using his tanks’ secondary weapons.
Once per game, you may roll an extra D6 when rolling Rolls for the tank’s Close Assault value are always
for Elapsed Time. successful on a roll of 5+, rather than 6.

Greased Lightning Shoot & Scoot

The enemy might be quick, but this commander Ace tank destroyer commanders understand the
is quicker! importance of changing position after firing.
When a Quick Reactions Event card is played on the If the tank has a Halt command when it performs a
Ace’s tank, the two shots are resolved simultaneously. Fire Main Gun action, it may immediately follow
this with a Scoot action for free.
Hawkeye
Spotting the enemy before they do the same to you is Shufti
crucial for victory. Some tank commanders know that reconnaissance on
foot before an engagement pays dividends when the
When unbuttoned, the Ace always passes his Crew
shooting starts.
Test when performing a Spot Target action.
The Ace’s platoon may always deploy second at the
Intuition start of a battle. If both sides have either this skill or
Some commanders possess a sixth sense warning them the Tactician quirk, they cancel each other out.
of potential ambushes.
Silver Bullets
Once per game, clear one piece of Ambush Terrain
Whether they have friends in high places or simply have
within 6" of the Ace’s tank at any time during its
a way with words, these commanders always have ‘ first
activation. This does not count as a Tactical Action.
dibs’ on any special ammunition their unit receives.
Killer Instinct All tanks in the platoon capable of using Special
Certain tank commanders have an almost telepathic Ammunition always receive two rounds of it.
rapport with their gunners.
Tread Head
Whenever performing a Fire Main Gun action, if the
A tank’s running gear must be kept in perfect condition.
firing tank has an Aim marker on the target tank, roll
one additional D6 to hit. Discard the first Running Gear Damage Token that the
tank receives in a battle.
Lucky
A few commanders are just plain lucky. The Ace Well Drilled
controls events, not the other way round. A commander who demands constant practice might be
unpopular, but his crew perform well together.
When drawing Event cards, you may look at the top
card of the Event card deck and either keep it or Once per game, the Ace’s tank may perform two
discard it. Then continue drawing. Tactical Actions in a single Action Phase.
S
Nerves of Steel CLAS
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an ium
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 Platoon Roster
Missions
Won/Lost

Platoon Commander Crew Grade Person of Influence? Fatigued?

Name:

Decorations:

Ace Skills:

Tank: Tank ID: EPs: Mission Results

Upgrades: Damage Sustained?

Kills – Equal/Lower Class

Kills – Higher Class

Role Name Crew Grade Quirk Fatigued? Wounded?

Gunner:

Driver:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Extra RPs

Reputation
Chart

Tank: Tank ID: EPs: Mission Results

Upgrades: Damage Sustained?

Kills – Equal/Lower Class

Kills – Higher Class

Role Name Crew Grade Quirk Fatigued? Wounded?

Commander:

Gunner:

Driver:

Tank: Tank ID: EPs: Mission Results

Upgrades: Damage Sustained?

Kills – Equal/Lower Class

Kills – Higher Class

Role Name Crew Grade Quirk Fatigued? Wounded?

Commander:

Gunner:

Driver:

Tank: Tank ID: EPs: Mission Results

Upgrades: Damage Sustained?

Kills – Equal/Lower Class

Kills – Higher Class

Role Name Crew Grade Quirk Fatigued? Wounded?

Commander:

Gunner:

Driver:

Reserve Crew Pool:

+ + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + +
 OVERALL CREW CALIBRE CLASS
TANK
ID Low tank name
Medium
High SPEED HULL DOWN CLOSE ASSAULT

ARMOUR FRONT SIDE DICE

Turret TARGETING TO ROLL
Hull
Crew Grade
Running Gear
Engine Deck

GUN AP
RANGE D6 TO HIT PENETRATION HE
Crew Grade Short 0"—18" SMOKE
Long >18" SPECIAL

TRAITS
SMOKE
GRENADE
Crew Grade

COMMAND AMMUNITION RACK LOAD READY

BLANK DATACARDS

OVERALL CREW CALIBRE CLASS

TANK
ID Low tank name
Medium
High SPEED HULL DOWN CLOSE ASSAULT

ARMOUR FRONT SIDE DICE

Turret TARGETING TO ROLL
Hull
Crew Grade
Running Gear
Engine Deck

GUN AP
RANGE D6 TO HIT PENETRATION HE
Crew Grade Short 0"—18" SMOKE
Long >18" SPECIAL

TRAITS
SMOKE
GRENADE
Crew Grade

COMMAND AMMUNITION RACK LOAD READY

+ + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ASSET CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ASSET CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ASSET CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + EVENT CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + EVENT CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + EVENT CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + EVENT CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + EVENT CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + EVENT CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + + +
 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + EVENT CARDS + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

4252000002 Achtung Panzer! tracker punchboard.pdf 1 12/01/2024 16:28

4252000002 Achtung Panzer! tracker punchboard.pdf 1 12/01/2024 16:28

© Warlord Games 2024

ACTION PHASE & ELAPSED TIME TRACKER
C

© Warlord Games 2024

M
Achtung Panzer! Phase & Time Tracker

Y
M ACTION PHASE
Achtung Panzer! Phase & Time Tracker

CM
TRACKER TOKEN
Y

MY
CM

Component code: 4252000002

CY
MY

Component code: 4252000002

CMY
CY

K
CMY

COMMAND TOKENS
TIME
12/01/2024 16:28

TRACKER TANK ID TOKENS

TOKENS
© Warlord Games 2024

12/01/2024 16:28
© Warlord GamesComponent
2024 code: 4252000002

INITIATIVE MARKERS – FRONT & BACK TARGETING MARKERS – SPOTTED

Component code: 4252000002

TARGETING MARKERS – AIMED

+ + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + +
 STRONGPOINT & AMBUSH MARKERS AMBUSH MARKERS – CLEARED

MISCELLANEOUS MARKERS & TOKENS

+ + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + +
 TANK DATA – British Tanks Dice To Roll Hull Armour Turret Armour Crew Calibre
Running Engine
Hull Close Gear Deck
Tank Date Class Speed Down Assault Spot Aim Front Side Front Side Armour Armour Traits High Medium Low Main Gun

Humber Mk II armoured car Mid '41 1 8" 3 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 Scout, Wheeled 7 6 5 HMG

Humber Mk IV armoured car Early '43 1 8" 3 1 1 2 2 1 3 1 1 1 Scout, Wheeled 9 8 7 37mm L54

Daimler Mk I armoured car Mid '42 1 8" 3 1 1 2 3 1 3 2 1 1 Scout, Wheeled 9 8 7 40mm L52 (2-pdr)

Open-Topped, Rear Gun,

Archer tank destroyer Late '44 2 5" 4 1 1 3 3 3 – – 2 1 19 16 14 76mm L60 (17-pdr)
Turretless

M10 Wolverine tank destroyer Early '43 3 7" 3 1 1 3 6 3 7 3 2 1 Open-Topped, Pintle 21 19 16 76mm L53

M10 Achilles tank destroyer Late '44 3 7" 3 1 1 3 6 3 7 3 2 1 Open-Topped, Pintle 23 20 17 76mm L60 (17-pdr)

Open-Topped, Pintle,
M7 Priest self-propelled gun Late '42 2 7" 3 1 0 1 6 2 – – 2 1 17 15 13 105mm L22
Support, Turretless

Stuart VI (M5) light tank Late '42 2 8" 3 2 1 3 6 3 5 3 2 1 Pintle, Scout 12 11 10 37mm L54

Stuart VI (M5A1) light tank Early '43 2 8" 3 2 1 3 6 3 6 3 2 1 Pintle, Scout 12 11 10 37mm L54

M24 Chaffee light tank Late '44 2 8" 3 2 1 3 5 3 5 3 2 1 Pintle, Scout 16 14 12 75mm L40

Churchill Mk III infantry tank Mid '42 2 4" 3 2 1 3 9 8 9 8 6 5 – 19 17 15 57mm L45 (6-pdr)

Churchill Mk IV infantry tank Mid '43 2 4" 3 2 1 3 9 8 10 8 6 5 – 19 17 15 57mm L45 (6-pdr)

Churchill Mk V infantry tank Mid '43 2 4" 3 2 1 2 9 8 10 8 6 5 – 18 16 14 95mm L22

Churchill Mk VI infantry tank Late '43 3 4" 3 2 1 3 9 8 10 8 6 5 – 21 18 16 75mm L39

Churchill Mk VII infantry tank Mid '44 3 4" 3 2 1 3 15 10 15 10 7 6 – 25 22 19 75mm L39

Churchill NA 75 infantry tank Mid '43 3 4" 3 2 1 3 9 8 10 8 6 5 – 21 18 16 75mm L40

Churchill AVRE assault tank Mid '44 2 4" 3 2 0 1 9 8 10 8 6 5 Cumbersome, Support 20 17 15 290mm L4 Petard

Sherman I medium tank Mid '42 2 7" 3 2 1 3 8 4 9 5 3 2 Pintle 19 16 14 75mm L40

Sherman IB medium tank Late '44 2 7" 2 2 1 2 8 4 9 5 3 2 Pintle, Support 17 15 13 105mm L22

Sherman III medium tank Late '42 2 7" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 5 4 3 Pintle 19 16 14 75mm L40

Sherman V (M4A4) medium tank Mid '43 2 7" 3 2 1 3 8 4 9 5 3 2 Pintle 19 16 14 75mm L40

Sherman VC Firefly medium tank Mid '44 3 7" 3 1 1 3 8 4 9 5 3 2 Pintle 23 20 17 76mm L60 (17-pdr)

Cromwell VII cruiser tank Mid '44 2 7" 3 2 1 3 10 6 10 7 5 4 – 20 17 15 75mm L39

Cromwell VIII close support tank Late '44 2 7" 3 2 1 2 10 6 10 7 5 4 – 18 16 14 95mm L22

A34 Comet cruiser tank Early '45 3 8" 3 2 1 3 8 4 10 8 3 2 – 24 21 18 77mm L50

Churchill Crocodile Mid '44 3 4" 3 1 1 3 15 10 15 10 7 6 Flamethrower 27 23 21 75mm L39

 TANK DATA – German Tanks Dice To Roll Hull Armour Turret Armour Crew Calibre
Running Engine
Hull Close Gear Deck
Tank Date Class Speed Down Assault Spot Aim Front Side Front Side Armour Armour Traits High Medium Low Main Gun

Open-Topped, Scout,
Sd.Kfz 222 light armoured car Start 1 8" 4 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 8 7 6 20mm
Wheeled
Open-Topped, Scout,
Sd.Kfz 223 light armoured car Start 1 8" 4 1 – – 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 5 4 None
Wheeled

Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma armoured car Late '43 2 8" 3 2 1 3 4 1 5 1 1 1 Scout, Wheeled 12 11 10 50mm L60

Sd.Kfz 139 Marder III tank destroyer Mid '42 2 6" 3 1 1 3 3 2 – – 2 1 Open-Topped, Turretless 16 14 12 76mm L54

Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer tank destroyer Mid '44 3 6" 4 1 1 3 11 3 – – 2 1 Schürzen, Turretless 21 18 16 75mm L48

Open-Topped, Pintle,
Sd.Kfz 164 Hornisse/Nashorn tank destroyer Early '43 3 6" 3 1 1 3 3 1 – – 1 1 25 22 19 88mm L71
Turetless

Sd.Kfz 184 Ferdinand/Elefant tank destroyer Early '43 5 4" 3 1 2 3 20 8 – – 6 5 Turretless 39 34 30 88mm L71

Jagdpanzer IV/48 tank destroyer Early '44 3 6" 4 1 1 3 10 3 – – 2 1 Schürzen, Turretless 20 18 15 75mm L48

Jagdpanzer IV/70(A) tank destroyer Mid '44 3 6" 3 1 2 3 12 4 – – 3 2 Schürzen, Turretless 26 22 20 75mm L70

Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) tank destroyer Mid '44 3 5" 4 1 2 3 12 4 – – 3 2 Schürzen, Turretless 26 22 20 75mm L70

Jagdpanther tank destroyer Early '44 5 7" 4 1 2 3 14 6 – – 5 4 Schürzen, Turretless 37 33 29 88mm L71

Jagdtiger tank destroyer Late '44 5 5" 3 2 2 3 22 9 – – 7 6 Cumbersome, Turretless 47 41 36 128mm L55

Schürzen, Support,
StuH 42 assault gun Late '42 2 6" 3 1 1 2 9 3 – – 2 1 16 14 12 105mm L28
Turretless
Pintle, Schürzen,
StuG III Ausf. G assault gun Mid '43 3 6" 4 1 1 3 9 4 – – 3 2 20 18 15 75mm L48
Turretless
Cumbersome, Schürzen,
Sturmpanzer IV Brummbar assault gun Mid '43 2 6" 2 1 0 1 12 4 – – 3 2 18 16 14 150mm L12
Support, Turretless

Pz IV Ausf. F1 medium tank Early '41 2 6" 3 2 1 2 5 3 5 3 2 1 – 13 11 10 75mm L24

Pz IV Ausf. F2 medium tank Mid '42 2 6" 3 2 1 3 5 3 5 3 2 1 – 19 17 14 75mm L43

Panzer IV Ausf. G medium tank Mid '42 3 6" 3 2 1 3 7 3 5 3 2 1 Schürzen 21 18 16 75mm L48

Pz IV Ausf. H medium tank Mid '43 3 6" 3 2 1 3 8 3 8 3 2 1 Pintle, Schürzen 21 18 16 75mm L48

Pz IV Ausf. J medium tank Mid '44 3 6" 3 2 1 3 9 3 9 3 2 2 Pintle, Schürzen 21 18 16 75mm L48

Panther Ausf. D medium tank Mid '43 4 7" 3 1 1 3 12 6 13 6 5 4 Pintle, Schürzen 28 25 22 75mm L70

Panther Ausf. A medium tank Mid '43 4 7" 3 2 2 3 12 6 13 6 5 4 Pintle, Schürzen 31 28 24 75mm L70

Panther Ausf. G medium tank Mid '44 4 7" 3 2 2 3 13 7 13 6 5 4 Pintle 32 28 25 75mm L70

Tiger I Ausf. E heavy tank Mid '42 4 6" 3 2 2 3 12 9 13 9 7 6 Pintle 28 25 22 88mm L56

Tiger I Ausf. H heavy tank Mid '42 4 5" 3 2 2 3 12 9 13 9 7 6 Pintle 28 25 21 88mm L56

Tiger II heavy tank Mid '44 5 6" 3 2 2 3 20 9 18 9 7 6 – 44 39 34 88mm L71

Flamethrower, Schürzen,
Flammpanzer Hetzer flamethrowing tank Early '45 1 6" 4 1 – – 11 3 – – 2 1 11 10 8 None
Support, Turretless
All Round, Open-Topped,
2cm Flak auf Hetzer Early '44 2 6" 3 1 1 3 2 1 – – 1 1 12 11 9 20mm
Turretless,
 TANK DATA – US Tanks Dice To Roll Hull Armour Turret Armour Crew Calibre
Running Engine
Hull Close Gear Deck
Tank Date Class Speed Down Assault Spot Aim Front Side Front Side Armour Armour Traits High Medium Low Main Gun

All Round, Open-Topped, Pintle,

M20 Scout Car Mid '43 1 8" 4 1 1 2 2 2 – – 2 1 7 6 5 HMG
Scout, Turretless, Wheeled
Open-Topped, Pintle, Scout,
M8 Greyhound armoured car Early '43 1 8" 4 2 1 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 8 7 6 37mm L54
Wheeled

M10 GMC tank destroyer Early '43 3 7" 3 1 1 3 6 3 7 3 2 1 Open-Topped, Pintle 21 19 16 76mm L53

M36 GMC Jackson tank destroyer Mid '44 3 7" 3 1 1 3 6 3 7 3 2 1 Open-Topped, Pintle 28 24 21 90mm L53

M36B1 GMC tank destroyer Late '44 3 6" 3 1 1 3 9 5 8 3 4 3 Open-Topped, Pintle 28 24 21 90mm L53

M18 GMC Hellcat tank destroyer Late '43 2 8" 3 1 1 3 3 2 3 2 2 1 Open-Topped, Pintle 19 17 14 76mm L53

Open-Topped, Pintle, Support,

M7 HMC Priest self-propelled gun Late '42 2 7" 3 1 0 1 6 2 – – 2 1 17 15 13 105mm L22
Turretless

M5 Stuart light tank Late '42 2 8" 3 2 1 3 6 3 5 3 2 1 Pintle, Scout, Stabiliser 13 11 10 37mm L54

M5A1 Stuart light tank Early '43 2 8" 3 2 1 3 6 3 6 3 2 1 Pintle, Scout, Stabiliser 13 12 10 37mm L54

M24 Chaffee light tank Late '44 2 8" 3 2 1 3 5 3 5 3 2 1 Pintle, Scout, Stabiliser 17 15 13 75mm L40

M4 Sherman medium tank Mid '42 2 7" 3 2 1 3 8 4 9 5 3 2 Pintle, Stabiliser 20 17 15 75mm L40

M4 Sherman close support tank Late '44 2 7" 2 2 1 2 8 4 9 5 3 2 Pintle, Stabiliser, Support 18 16 14 105mm L22

M4A2(75) Sherman medium tank Late '42 2 7" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 5 4 3 Pintle, Stabiliser 20 17 15 75mm L40

M4A2(76) Sherman medium tank Mid '44 3 7" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 5 4 3 Pintle, Stabiliser 22 19 17 76mm L53

M4A3(75) Sherman medium tank Late '42 2 7" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 6 4 3 Pintle, Stabiliser 20 17 15 75mm L40

M4A3(76) Sherman medium tank Mid '44 3 7" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 6 4 3 Pintle, Stabiliser 23 20 18 76mm L53

M4A3E8 Sherman medium tank Late '44 3 8" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 6 4 3 Pintle, Stabiliser 24 21 18 76mm L53

M4A3E2 Jumbo assault tank Mid '44 3 5" 3 2 1 3 16 7 17 14 5 4 Pintle, Stabiliser 27 23 21 75mm L40

M4A4 Sherman medium tank Mid '43 2 7" 3 2 1 3 8 4 9 5 3 2 Pintle, Stabiliser 20 17 15 75mm L40

M26 Pershing heavy tank Early '45 4 6" 3 2 1 3 13 9 12 8 7 6 Pintle 31 27 24 90mm L53

E7-7 flamethrowing tank Early '45 1 8" 3 1 – – 6 3 6 3 2 1 Flamethrower, Pintle, Support 11 9 8 None

Flamethrower, Pintle,
M4 Sherman Crocodile Late '44 3 7" 2 1 1 3 8 4 9 5 3 2 21 18 16 75mm L40
Stabiliser, Support
 TANK DATA – Soviet Tanks Dice To Roll Hull Armour Turret Armour Crew Calibre
Running Engine
Hull Close Gear Deck
Tank Date Class Speed Down Assault Spot Aim Front Side Front Side Armour Armour Traits High Medium Low Main Gun

BA-6 armoured car Start 1 8" 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Scout, Wheeled 7 6 5 45mm L46

SU-76M tank destroyer Mid '43 1 7" 4 1 1 2 4 2 – – 2 1 Open-Topped, Turretless 10 9 8 76mm L42

SU-85 tank destroyer Mid '43 2 8" 4 1 1 2 7 5 – – 4 3 Turretless 19 17 15 85mm L53

SU-100 tank destroyer Late '44 3 8" 4 1 1 2 10 5 – – 4 3 Turretless 27 24 21 100mm L54

M10 tank destroyer Early '43 3 7" 3 1 1 3 6 3 7 3 2 1 Open-Topped, Pintle 21 19 16 76mm L53

ISU-122 assault gun Early '44 3 6" 3 1 1 3 12 9 – – 7 6 Pintle, Turretless 26 23 20 122mm L46

Cumbersome, Pintle,
ISU-152 assault gun Early '44 3 6" 3 1 1 2 12 9 – – 7 6 23 20 17 152mm L29
Turretless

T-70 light tank Early '42 1 8" 4 1 1 2 7 3 8 4 2 1 Scout 11 9 8 45mm L46

Churchill Mk III infantry tank Mid '42 2 4" 3 2 1 3 9 8 9 8 6 5 – 19 17 15 57mm L45 (6-pdr)

Churchill Mk IV infantry tank Mid '43 2 4" 3 2 1 3 9 8 10 8 6 5 – 19 17 15 57mm L45 (6-pdr)

M4A2(75) Emcha medium tank Late '42 2 7" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 5 4 3 Pintle, Stabiliser 20 17 15 75mm L40

M4A2(76) Emcha medium tank Mid '44 3 7" 3 2 1 3 10 5 10 5 4 3 Pintle, Stabiliser 22 19 17 76mm L53

T-34/76 medium tank Mid '42 2 8" 3 2 1 2 9 7 9 7 5 4 – 18 16 14 76mm L42

T-34/85 medium tank Early '44 3 7" 3 2 1 2 10 8 11 8 6 5 – 25 22 19 85mm L53

KV-1 m1942 heavy tank Mid '42 3 5" 2 2 1 2 12 8 11 9 6 5 – 20 18 16 76mm L42

KV-2 assault tank Start 3 5" 2 2 0 1 9 8 12 8 6 5 Cumbersome, Support 20 18 15 152mm L24

KV-85 heavy tank Late '43 3 5" 3 2 1 2 10 6 12 9 6 5 – 25 22 19 85mm L53

IS-2 m1944 heavy tank Early '44 4 6" 3 2 1 2 13 10 12 9 7 6 Pintle 30 27 23 122mm L46

OT-34-85 flamethrower tank Early '44 3 7" 3 1 1 2 10 8 11 8 6 5 Flamethrower 26 23 20 85mm L53

KV-8S flamethrower tank Late '42 2 5" 3 2 1 2 9 6 9 6 6 5 Flamethrower 18 16 14 45mm L46

 WEAPON DATA D6 To Hit Penetration Ammunition
HE
Gun Type Nation Short Long Short Long Value AP HE Sp. Sm.

HMG/AT Rifle Machine Gun All 6+ 6+ * 0 0 – X

20mm Light All 5+ 5+ * 1 0 – X
37mm L45 Light 5+ 5+ 1 0 – X
37mm L48 Light 5+ 5+ 2 (3) 1 (2) – X X
37mm L54 Light 5+ 5+ 2 1 – X
40mm L52 (2-pdr) Light 5+ 5+ 2 (3) 1 (2) – X X
45mm L46 Light 5+ 5+ 2 (3) 1 (2) 1 X X X
47mm L43 Light 5+ 5+ 2 1 1 X X
50mm L42 Light 5+ 5+ 2 (3) 1 (2) 1 X X X
50mm L60 Light 5+ 5+ 3 (4) 2 (3) 1 X X X
57mm L45 (6-pdr) Medium 5+ 5+ 3 (4) 2 (3) – X X
75mm L16 Medium 5+ 6+ 2 2 2 X X
75mm L24 Medium 5+ 6+ 3 1 2 X X X
75mm L39 Medium 5+ 5+ 6 4 2 X X X
75mm L40 Medium 5+ 5+ 6 4 2 X X X
75mm L43 Medium 5+ 5+ 7 (9) 5 (7) 2 X X X X
75mm L48 Medium 5+ 5+ 8 (11) 7 (10) 2 X X X X
75mm L70 Medium 5+ 5+ 8 (11) 8 (11) 1 X X X
76mm L17 Medium 5+ 6+ 2 2 2 X X
76mm L25 Medium 5+ 6+ 2 2 2 X X
76mm L30 Medium 5+ 6+ 3 1 2 X X X
76mm L42 Medium 5+ 5+ 5 (7) 3 (5) 2 X X X
76mm L53 Medium 5+ 5+ 8 (11) 7 (10) 1 X X X
76mm L54 Medium 5+ 5+ 7 (9) 6 (8) 1 X X X
76mm L60 (17-pdr) Medium 5+ 5+ 8 (11) 8 (11) 1 X X X
77mm L50 Medium 5+ 5+ 8 (11) 7 (10) 1 X X X
85mm L53 Heavy 5+ 5+ 8 (11) 7 (10) 2 X X X
88mm L56 Heavy 5+ 5+ 9 (12) 8 (11) 3 X X X
88mm L71 Heavy 5+ 5+ 9 (12) 9 (12) 2 X X X
90mm L53 Heavy 5+ 5+ 9 (12) 8 (11) 3 X X X
94mm L50 Heavy 5+ 5+ 9 (12) 9 (12) 3 X X X
95mm L22 Heavy 5+ 6+ 3 3 3 X X
100mm L54 Heavy 5+ 5+ 9 9 3 X X
105mm L22 Heavy 5+ 6+ 3 3 3 X X
105mm L28 Heavy 5+ 6+ 6 3 3 X X X
105mm L52 Heavy 5+ 5+ 10 10 3 X X
122mm L22 Very Heavy 5+ 6+ 7 3 4 X X X
122mm L46 Very Heavy 5+ 5+ 11 10 3 X X
128mm L55 Very Heavy 5+ 5+ 12 11 3 X X
150mm L12 Very Heavy 5+ 6+ 12 7 4 X X X
152mm L24 Very Heavy 5+ 6+ 12 7 4 X X
152mm L29 Very Heavy 5+ 5+ 12 9 4 X X
290mm L4 Petard Very Heavy 5+ – 6 – 6 X
* When firing at long range, this weapon must use Snap Fire to shoot at a target.
 Quick Reference Sheet
CREW GRADE TEST – PAGE 16 RADIO CHECK TABLE – PAGE 20

Green Trained Veteran

Crew Grade Test Passed On… Nationality
Commander Commander Commander

Green 4+ German 3+ (4+) 3+ (4+) 2+ (3+)

Trained 3+ British 4+ (5+) 4+ (5+) 3+ (4+)

Veteran 2+ USA 4+ (5+) 4+ (5+) 3+ (4+)

Ace 2+ Soviet Union 5+ (6+) 5+ (6+) 4+ (5+)

Turn Phases Fire Main Gun 3) Hit Location – page 40

I. Initiative Phase – page 18 Prerequisites – page 36 Direction of Hit
1) Initiative Markers X Ammunition in Ready box. Hit Location
2) Radio Checks X LOS to target tank. Target Hull Down
3) Buttoned/Unbuttoned X Targeting Marker on target Targeting Specific Location
II. Action Phases 1–3 – page 22 otherwise Snap Fire (page 38). 4) Damaging the Target – page 42
X Issue Commands X Target within front arc of gun turret. Target’s Armour
X Activate Tanks Firing Sequence: Penetration Value
III. Admin Phase – page 23 1) Expend Ammunition – page 36 Roll for Penetration
1) Remove Initiative Markers 2) Hitting the Target – page 38 Glancing Blow
2) Discard/Replenish Event Cards Targeting: Dice to Roll Effects of Damage Tokens
3) Roll for Elapsed Time Range: D6 To Hit Additional Effects
4) Deploy Reserves Roll To Hit Button Up!

Tactical Actions X Pop Smoke – page 28 X Unload Main Gun – page 33

X Machine-Gun an Enemy Tank – page 28 X Spot Target – page 33
X Pivot Manoeuvre – page 27
X Clear Ambush Terrain – page 30 X Aim at Target – page 34
X Scoot – page 27
X Load Main Gun – page 32 X Fire Main Gun – page 36

HIT LOCATION TABLE – PAGE 40 TANK DESTRUCTION TABLE – PAGE 43

Front Side Location Penetration

Tank Destroyed On…
Exceeds Armour
1 1-2 Running Gear +1 1

+2 1,2
2-4 3-4 Hull
+3 1,2,3
5-6 5-6 Turret Destroyed
+4

PENETRATION TABLE – PAGE 43 BUTTON UP! TABLE – PAGE 47

Total Penetration D6 Score Result

Result
Value
Close Call! The Commander bravely
1–2
remains unbuttoned.
Less than target’s
No Effect
Armour value Shaken. The Commander must
3–4
immediately Button Up!

Equal to target’s Stunned. The Commander must

Damaging Hit
Armour value 5 immediately Button Up! and loses
1 Star for the remainder of the battle.

Wounded. The Commander must

Greater than target’s Damaging Hit
6 immediately Button Up! and loses
Armour value & Penetration
2 Stars for the remainder of the battle.

+ + + + + + + + + + + TOP SECRET! PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY FOR PERSONAL USE BY AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY + + + + + + + + + + +
Index D L Snap Fire 38
Sniper 61
D6 To Hit 38 Left Turn 22, 24
A Snow 76
Damage Effects 44 Levels of Destruction 46
Special Ammunition 14, 36
Ace 11, 14, 16, 20, 58, 60, 87, Damage Tokens 44 Line of Sight (LOS) 16, 48
88 Specific Targeting 38, 40
Damaging the Target 42 Linear Terrain 50
Ace Skills 88–89 Spot Target 33
Destroyed 43, 46 Load Main Gun 32
Action Phases 22 Stabiliser 56
Dice To Roll 38 Location 40
Activation 22 Strongpoints 53
Direction of Hit 40
Additional Damage Effects 44 Support 56
Driver 10–11, 40 M
Admin Phase 23, 59 Machine Guns 28, 32, 38
After the Battle 83 E T
Machine-Gun an Enemy Tank
Aim at Target 34 28 Tables:
Elapsed Time 23, 67
Air Strike 61 Markers 100–101 Additional Effects 45
Engine Deck 42, 61
All Round 54 Measuring 16 Button Up! Table 47
Environment 76
Ambush Terrain 30, 49, 62–63 Missions 66–76 Campaign Mission 82
Event Cards 3, 12, 58–59,
Ammunition 12, 14, 32, 33, 36 94–100 Mission Options 76 Crew Grade Stars 9
Anti-Tank Gun 61 Experience 82 Mortar Barrage 61 Crew Grade Test 16
Arc 25 Movement Actions 23, 24–25 Crew Grade Token Cost 9
Armour 42 F Moving & Shooting Penalty 38 Crew Outcome Tables 83
Armoured Clash mission 70 Mud 76 Experience Points 82
Facing 25
Artillery 61 Hit Location Table 40
Fatigued 83, 84
Asset Cards 12, 60–63, 92–94 N Mission Table 66
Fire Main Gun 36
Number of Quirks 80
Flamethrower 30, 54 Nationality 8
B Penetration Table 43
Fog 76 Night 76
Bailing Out 46 Quirks 81
Forced Load 32
Big Game Hunting mission 75 O Radio Check Table 20
Forward 22, 24
Block Clearing mission 71 Sighting Numbers 39
Free Pivot Manoeuvre 24 Open Terrain 48
Bocage Terrain 50 Special Ammunition 14
Fresh 83 Open-Topped 55
Breakthrough! mission 72 Tank Destruction 43
Outflanked mission 74
Brewing Up 46 G Tank Recovery 85
Overall Crew Calibre 9
Button Up! 47 Tactical Actions 23, 26–47
Game Duration 67
Buttoned 21 Tank Data 102–105
Game Overview 3 P
Tank Traps 52
Game Turn 18–23 Penetration 42–43
C Targeting a Specific Location
Generic Mission Map 67 Person of Influence 80 40
Calamity! 16 Green 10 Pintle 55 Targeting Marker 12, 22, 23,
Calibre 9 Glancing Blow 43 Pivot Manoeuvre 24, 27 33, 34
Campaign 80–87 Gunner 10–11, 39 Platoon Commander 80 Terrain 48–53
Captured tanks 76 Points Value 8 Time 23, 67
Cards 3, 23, 58–63 H Pop Smoke 28 Time Tracker 67
Class 10 Half-track 55 Prepared Positions 52, 63 Trackers 100
Clear Ambush Terrain 30, 64 Halt 22, 24 Preparing For Battle 12–14 Trained 10
Close Assault 30, 62 Hand Limit 58 Purchasing Tanks 9 Traits 54–56
Command Token 12, 22, 24 Hatch Token 12, 21 Turn Phases 18
Commands 22, 24 HE Round 30 Q Turning 22, 24
Commander 11, 20, 33, 44, Hit Location 40 Quirks 80, 84 Turret 42, 44
58, 60 Hitting the Target 38 Turret Facing 25
Creating a tank platoon 8–11 Hold the Bridge mission 73 R Turretless 56
Crew Grades 10 Hull 42, 44 Radio Checks 20
Crew Grade Tokens 9, 12 Hull Down 40, 49 Random Targets 62 U
Crew Outcome 83
Reactions 63 Unbuttoned 21, 33
Crew Roles 10 I Rear Gun 55 Unclearing Ambush Terrain 63
Crew Tests 16
ID Token 12 Reinforcements 59 Unload Main Gun 33
Crippled 44, 46
Impassable Terrain 48 Reputation 86 Upgrades 85
Cumbersome 54
Influence 86 Reserves 23, 67, 68
Initiative Markers 18, 22, 23 Reverse 22, 24 V
Initiative Phase 18 Right Turn 22, 24 Veteran 10, 11, 39, 40
Important Concepts 16 Rough Terrain 48 Victory 68
Running Gear 40, 42, 44
K W
KIA 83 S Weapon Data 106
Knocked Out 46 Schürzen 55 Wheeled 56
Scoot 27 Winning a Campaign 87
Scout 56 Withdrawing From Battle 69
Smoke 29 Wounded 83
Smoke Grenades 29 Wrecks 40, 46
Smoke Grenade Token 12
British 8th (Independent)
Armoured Brigade badge Smoke Rounds 29
“ The tank was originally invented to clear a way for the
infantry in the teeth of machine-gun fire. Now it is the
infantry who will have to clear a way for the tanks. ”
Winston Churchill
 ®

www.boltaction.com

Achtung Panzer! places you in command of a platoon Inside the Achtung Panzer! rulebook you’ll find:
of World War II tanks as you clash with your
X How to create your platoon and recruit your crews.
opponent’s armour.
X How to prepare your platoon for battle.
Missions are set during close-quarter engagements
between opposing armoured vehicles on battlefields X The ammunition options available to your tanks.
dominated by buildings, ruins, woods and other terrain
– battles are close and deadly firefights! X The effects of terrain on your games.

This book contains all the rules you’ll need in order X Events cards that add unforeseen incidents to
to take your armoured force into battle, along with games, and Asset cards that allow you to purchase
a campaign system that allows your crew members extra support for your platoon.
to progress after each encounter and your tank to be X Six action-packed missions.
upgraded to be more effective during the next battle.
X A campaign system where crews and tanks can
The player who best exploits the strengths and advance in skill and power.
weaknesses of their tanks and crews, who plans their
movement carefully and uses the terrain to their X Tank Aces – how to field the legendary commanders
advantage will prevail. of WWII or generate your own!
Will your tactical prowess and the fighting aptitude of X Stats for late-war British, German, Soviet and US
your tank crews win the day? tanks and their weaponry.

© 2024 Warlord Games Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Warlord Games, the Warlord Games
logo, Achtung Panzer!, the Achtung Panzer! logo, Bolt Action and the Bolt Action logo are
either ® or ™, and/or © Warlord Games Limited, variably registered around the world. No
part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor
be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is
published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

1st Printing
ISBN: 978-1-915319-70-8
warlordgames.com
®