Blitzkrieg (game)
Encyclopedia
Blitzkrieg was an early strategic-level wargame
first published in 1965
by the Avalon Hill Game Company
. The game depicted a war between two fictional countries on the map of an imaginary continent. The level of military technology was that of the Second World War
.
The game was implemented using cardboard counters
to represent military units on a hexagonal field
superimposed over the mounted, printed mapboard. Like other Avalon Hill games of the era, two sets of rules were included: a "Basic Game" set with simple mechanics and an "Advanced Game" that included rules for simulating naval and air warfare in addition to land warfare.
The player who moves first commands a country named "Great Blue;" the other player commands "Big Red." There are several neutral countries between them whose response to being attacked is simulated in the rules. The game tries to be more balanced as a game than any real war. It has several fronts differing by terrain type, including a desert and mountains.
The game was in many ways a more sophisticated version of Avalon Hills' original breakthrough strategic wargame, Tactics
. It maintained the fictional setting, the 'red' and 'blue' countries, and odds based combat of Tactics while adding greater complexity, including more sophisticated terrain, air combat, and the hexagonal (rather than square) mapboard.
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
first published in 1965
1960s in games
This page lists board games, card games, and wargames published in the 1960s.-Significant games-related events in the 1960s:* Parker Brothers is bought by General Mills ....
by the Avalon Hill Game Company
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
. The game depicted a war between two fictional countries on the map of an imaginary continent. The level of military technology was that of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The game was implemented using cardboard counters
Counter (board wargames)
Boardgame counters are usually small cardboard squares moved around on the map of a wargame to represent armies, military units or individual military personnel. The first modern mass-market wargame, based on cardboard counters and hex-board maps, was Tactics, invented by Charles S. Roberts in 1952...
to represent military units on a hexagonal field
Hex map
A hex map, hex board or hex grid is a gameboard design commonly used in wargames of all scales. The map is subdivided into small regular hexagons of identical size.-Advantages and disadvantages:...
superimposed over the mounted, printed mapboard. Like other Avalon Hill games of the era, two sets of rules were included: a "Basic Game" set with simple mechanics and an "Advanced Game" that included rules for simulating naval and air warfare in addition to land warfare.
The player who moves first commands a country named "Great Blue;" the other player commands "Big Red." There are several neutral countries between them whose response to being attacked is simulated in the rules. The game tries to be more balanced as a game than any real war. It has several fronts differing by terrain type, including a desert and mountains.
The game was in many ways a more sophisticated version of Avalon Hills' original breakthrough strategic wargame, Tactics
Tactics (game)
Tactics is generally credited as being the first board wargame. It was designed by Charles S. Roberts in 1952, and self-published in 1954 under the company name of The Avalon Game Company...
. It maintained the fictional setting, the 'red' and 'blue' countries, and odds based combat of Tactics while adding greater complexity, including more sophisticated terrain, air combat, and the hexagonal (rather than square) mapboard.