• THE GENERAL PAGE 2 47 ~Avalon Hill Philosophy Part Let's start with our apologies for the lateness The Opponents Wanted section of the mag• of the last issue. Doubtless a few of you azine continues to cause problems. We think experienced considerable delays in having your we've latched onto a temporary solution by using mail orders processed but we are finally shipping the back of the Readers Response page for the all of the new games. The problem was primarily overflow. However, we still have to be particular the slow progress of Panzer Leader which threw about what we'll accept in this vein lest we be more than one monkey wrench into our time buried in a deluge of ads. Over 100 ads were tables. One production problem led to another thrown out last issue due to sloppiness or and ruined our time schedule. Normal press and content. We cannot allow advertisements that try camera breakdowns were magnified in effect by to sell or trade games you've simply grown tired the fact that we were putting seven games of. When such games are readily available new through the same production pipelines which from reputable stores and mail order sources, we normally service only two! The situation was would be doing a disservice to the majority of made worse by the timing of management who the readership by printing these offers. We will picked this year as the time to come out with a print ads dealing with discontinued games that novel line of stationary items which further now enjoy Collector's Item status but only when reduced our available press and assembly time. accompanied by a 25¢ token fee to ensure the The net result was that we simply didn't have all earnestness of the offer. Regu lar Opponents the games available when the orders started to Wanted Ads will continue to be printed at no come in. Most orders were filled promptly charge. The "For Sale" ads which appear in this enough but the early purchasers of Panzer Leader issue are holdovers from earlier issues in which - and to a lesser extent Thrid Reich, had a long we ran out of room. They will be the last ones wait for delivery. The problem was acute only in printed without the 25¢ charge. We trust this to the case of those individuals who had answered be a viable solution to the problem for everyone ads in Scale Modeler as early as August. This ad involved. All that is sacrificed is the post card was a mistake on our part and should never have return system of the Readers Response items been placed. The decision to place it looked even which we were dropping anyway. You'd be worse in light of the fact that Scale Modeler surprised how many people would cut out three pre-dates their issues - their December issues different items, afix a 10¢ stamp to each, and hitting the newstands in October for instance. We mail them in rather than use just one stamp and apologize to those of you who had to stomach an envelope. such an inordinate delay, but it hurt us more than you. The Elite Club plan was formulated We continue to get orders for new rules to the with the idea of taking advantage of bulk old games. None of these are available yet with shipments. When we had to mail 2 or 3 times to the exception of Stalingrad. Please wait for the complete your order, we were losing money on announcement of their availability before or• the special discounts we offered you. Otherwise, dering these items. We are currently working on the Elite Club and Mail Order Line have both Blitzkrieg, Waterloo, and Bulge but none of them been an outstanding success and now that all are available at present. titles are in stock we're sure that you'll not find any fault with our Blitzschnell mail order service. Incidentally, should you see something that Avalon Hill has finally decided to sponsor a looks like an Avalon Hill bookcase game on a wargaming convention in Baltimore. We believe wild subject - don't swear off the bottle until that the hobby has finally grown to the point you've had a second look. ,We are diversifying where such officially recognized gatherings should into other marketing areas and selling two "do-it• take place on an annual basis. In the past few yourself" kits on (hold onto your hats) Witch• years we've sent our staff to many of the various conventions around the country to observe the craft and Black Magic. These are extremely well packaged stationary gift items dealing with the procedures and see what's involved in running a pccult and selling for $14.00. They have no wargaming convention. So, in conjunction with 10 talented members of Interest Group Baltimore relationship to gaming other than their possible we've launched into the project with much use as party entertainment. Our design staff potential and higher expectations. Our site is played no part in this project; we are merely among the best ever used for a wargame gath• selling them through our distribution channels. If ering. We have almost unlimited use of the Johns you would like to order these items as gifts we'd Hopkins University campus here in Baltimore be happy to send them to you under our regular mail order policy. including both food and lodging facilities. The services of the Professional Wargamer's Associa• tion have been obtained to run the chief tourna• ment - a $500 A.H. tournament which both PWA and Avalon Hill recognize as the official Despite selling more games in 1973 than in any previous year, Avalon Hill operated at a loss in 1975 National Boardgaming Championship. 1973. The prime reason was inflation which Players will be able to play any Avalon Hill game doubled and tripled our raw material and ship• they can agree on but in all cases must be able to ping costs. It got to the point where our profit play Afrika Korps if unable to agree on any other margin was as small as 4¢ per game on some title. The PWA will reserve the right to adjudicate titles. This is why we've had to do away with the any games which take an unreasonable amount of slip cases on the bookcase games and cut corners time and hinder the start of subsequent rounds. wherever cardboard and paper were concerned. There will be a $5.00 entry fee for this event; Although this will help it probably won't be $3.50 to PWA members. The PWA is known for enough. There is every indication we may be forced its handling of cash tournaments in both live to raise prices in 1975 if inflation continues at the current pace. Completing your collection this year may save you money in the end. Continued on Page 23 PAGE 3 THE GENERAL The Pieces of P rblitz By Larry McAneny ---.--. PANZERBLTTZ - UNIT BY UPTI Panzerblitz counters are kautiful. Particularly if sustained popuIariiy in the polls. There are five think of them as units So naturally they tend to you have an older set with the red or black factors printed on a herblirz counter, and one k dCEiSiYe. None of them mwe, and they are all backings They are bigger than most counters: no or more of them always implies meweakness, strictly defensive. The only use for them is to fumblink They are easy to d.The gray and some vulnerability. To fdl the &inks in each monkey with the normal terrain; to make pre brown tones on the front have a vaguely historical other's armor, the units must work together. As in dictable paths for your enemy; to channel his flavor. Some of them come equipped with silhou- chess, the essential concept of play is the combi- attacks ettes nation% No unit exists which is so strong that it Some nowobvious beauties appear only after can perform all necessary operations unaided. (Can several games The units move farther and more that be said of Bulge?) often and in more different dhtions than units As in chess, it takes a lot of thinking to put do in other games. The units have a gteater number together a brilliant Panzerblitz combination. So Forte: hfense factor. of functionally distinct types than units in other you can spend all kinds of time thinking out your Foible: Movement factor. When you deploy a games, and among the types the individual vari- move, designing perfect defenm, concocting alter- fortifimtion it stays deployed. You can't retreat it ations are more compIex. nate attack plans .. but, as in chess, unlm you if your enemy concentrates on it; you can't send it The complexity has two effects on my play: are a top-gmde player you will risk alienating elsewhere if you misjudged the direction of his First, I am far more aware of the historial friends by slow play or, alternately, frustrating attack. Therefore, deploy carefully. identities of my Panzerblitz units than I am of, say, yourself when your grand schemes fall through. Threat: Channelizing. Expect an enemy to go by my Bulge units; because in Bulge one 4-4 is the I advocate taking a loosand-easy stand on some other path same as any other, no matter what regiment it is. Pnnzerblitz combinations. Your play will be slop PaLB: Heavy artillery, inside the fort. An infantry But when I play Punzerblitz every unit has a pier, you'll lose wine games, but you may have unit outside helps to make things rough on close slightly different factor.