VASSAL in the
Panzer Grenadier Universe
by Peter Lloyd
August 2024

Editor’s Note: Peter Lloyd helps oversee Panzer Grenadier Headquarters, the exclusive site for online play of Panzer Grenadier games, and those of its sister series Infantry Attacks and Panzer Grenadier (Modern).

In the primordial gaming era, my high school days, there were basically three game companies. You could buy a game for $10 or less, present it to your gaming friends, and someone had already heard of it or even played it. That was 50 years ago when I bought my first wargame for $7. Now there are hundreds of publishers in the United States alone, and tens of thousands of games. With all those games, even if there is a game club or some such, with a new game the response is likely to be “What’s that?” or “Who's it from?”

What the Hell is That? The Russians see an opportunity to take the town back, so they bring in a T-34 to help.

Now we have the internet, and with the internet, fansites. That’s good. Like-minded people and forums to work out rules questions, strategies and always a commentary. Great, but I want to play! Fortunately, a fansite like Panzer Grenadier Headquarters can help with that. “Hi, I’m new here and just got An Army at Dawn. Is there anyone else here who would like to play?” A quick check in the library at entry of Panzer Grenadier Headquarters will show you that 22% of the registered users, that’s about 310 people on PG-HQ, own a copy of An Army at Dawn. Now just ask on the forums, you will get multitudes of responses to play with you. There is still only one person within an hour’s drive of you, and he is busy this Saturday, but you found him. Sigh, again the problem with a big world and a zillion games.

An End Run. The Germans use their superior command and mobility to surround the Soviet behemoths.

The internet still has an answer: Vassal. Vassal is an engine used to play boardgames on a virtual tabletop. At Panzer Grenadier Headquarters we have developed a modular system for playing Panzer Grenadier using Vassal. We call it PG Über. Here is how it works. PG Über has a base module, the main game portion, and extensions that run with in it. Those extensions in PG Über would be the maps, units, leaders and so forth which would be used for the different games.

Now the question of opponents. Of course you can play alone, solitaire play is an option, but live play is much more interesting. Panzer Grenadier Headquarters has many active players and a player matching tool. If you don’t have an opponent to fight, you haven’t asked yet. That’s only one fansite, there are others. No rule that says you have to play with us, but if you do, there is a lot more support on Panzer Grenadier Headquarters when you get started playing Panzer Grenadier with Vassal.

Okay, that’s cute, but the whole point is to play Panzer Grenadier. So, is anyone playing Panzer Grenadier with Vassal? Well, we started this in 2017. Here is how it has grown, counting the logged plays:

You are not going to be alone when you want to get a game going. We have 78 players using Vassal. There are 149 games, including expansions and Golden Journal additions, that are supported with the PG Über system. That makes more than 3,000 scenarios you can play with PG Über. You can always pick a fight with someone, anywhere, anywhen.

Great War at Sea and Second World War at Sea games are also coming online. After you check out Panzer Grenadier Headquarters, visit War at Sea: Fleet Command. That is our quasi-sister site. They can help with online play, for you boat people. There are 11 games supported by them so far, with more on the way.

This is Gonna Hurt! The Americans bombard a German infantry blocking force, before they assault. (The off-board artillery markers are placed next to their targets for illustrative purposes.)

The play is the thing! Panzer Grenadier is a proven system with many friends. Come and join us. Your virtual game table is safe from the cats, when you play with us. You never lose when you play alone, but you can never win either.

Note: All images used it this article were created using PG Über. Game packages used were for Fire in the Steppe and Elsenborn Ridge.

You can sign up for Panzer Grenadier headquarters right here.

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