Panzer Grenadier: Unit Isolation
By Alan Sawyer
February 2013

One of the things that makes Panzer Grenadier different from other tactical wargames is that its casualty system is based on the morale of units more than on physically destroying them. Units suffer more from the fear of the situation, from fear of enemy manuevering and superiority, than from the actual bullets. This is true for many tactical battles. During the Polish campaign in 1939, the German army won battles by maneuvering around to the Polish rear areas and disrupting or demoralizing them. Direct confrontations resulted in bloody losses for the Germans. Panzer Grenadier gives players a feel for these tactical issues.

One key principle of warfare is the tactical maneuver, moving your troops into a position that is superior to that of your enemy. When successful, this gives you a psychological advantage over your enemy. Whether it is blocking a route of retreat, cutting a vital supply line or just showing up in a spot that your enemy did not suspect, maneuvering into a better position can demoralize an army and cause them to lose the will to fight.

These optional Panzer Grenadier rules give an advantage to a commander that executes a successful tactical maneuver. They give the players an incentive to maneuver troops rather than try to fight it out. Enemy units that are isolated are required to take a morale check on each turn that they are isolated. This gives an added chance of breaking enemy units in exposed positions. Local isolation affects individual hexes while strategic isolation can affect groups of units.

This advantage is not easy to achieve. As an attacker, you will face more and deadlier opportunity fire as you try to maneuver around enemy units. For the defender, you must be mobile rather than just hunkering down in town, woods and fortification hexes.

I have found that scenarios have an increased sense of flow as the units move and counter-move to try to isolate each other. This has minor effects on scenario balance, as both sides need to beware of individual units that may be surrounded as well as what is happening on their flanking positions. Tanks and cavalry unit maneuverability have increased value because of their ability to move quickly around units and get into an isolating position — many of the same issues that helped the Germans defeat the Poles. I hope you enjoy these rules.

Fig. 1 The German INF platoon is isolated by the three Soviet platoons. Note the one-hex gap in 0603, necessary for the Soviets to qualify for isolating the German INF. Fig. 2 The tank in 0503 qualifies the morale check as (M1). Fig. 3 The German INF platoon is isolated as hexes 1103, 1104 and 1003 are Soviet-controlled. Fig. 4 The German INF platoon in 1104 is not isolated because 1003,1103 and 1104 are German-controlled.

Local Isolation

X.1 Any enemy unit that is adjacent to friendly, good-order units on three hex sides is isolated. To qualify for isolating a unit, at least one friendly unit must be in one hex that is not next to the other two hexes and the enemy unit must not be adjacent to other enemy units.

X.1.1 Friendly units that are in assault hexes cannot qualify for isolating enemy units. Friendly units not in assault hexes can isolate enemy units in an assault hex.

X.1.2 Friendly units that are disrupted or demoralized cannot qualify for isolation.

X.1.3 Only friendly combat units can isolate enemy units. Any type of unit can be isolated.

X.2 The effect of isolation is an (M) morale check performed by the isolated unit before the start of activations on the next and subsequent game turns. These morale checks continue each turn until the unit is not isolated. Failure of the morale check has the same results as the standard rules.

X.2.1 If a friendly tank unit occupies one of the hexes, then the enemy unit must take an (M1) morale check. All other aspects are the same as X.2.

X.3 Isolation does not occur with units in towns or woods, unless friendly units have 50% control of the woods or town hexes. All other terrain has no effect on isolation, including units in entrenchments and dug in.

X.4 Isolated units suffer no other effects than the results of the morale check. Recovery occurs per the standard rules.

X.5 Once an enemy unit moves, or friendly units move away from the adjacent hex sides, the effects of isolation cease on the enemy unit. All disruption and demoralization of units is corrected through standard recovery rules.

Strategic Isolation

Y.1 If a friendly combat unit moves into a position that is between an enemy unit and the enemy edge of the map board, then ALL enemy units that can spot the friendly unit are considered strategically isolated. All standard spotting rules are in effect, and the enemy units to be isolated must spot the friendly unit.

	Fig. 5 The German platoons in this image are strategically isolated with the Soviet INF platoon in hex 0409. (The German side of the map is on the left side of the board.) Fig. 6 The Soviet tank in 0409 has strategic isolation on the German units qualifying for an (M1) morale check. Note the tank must be between the German units and the German board edge.

Y.1.1 Before the scenario starts each player must define a friendly board edge.

Y.1.1.1 For strategic isolation to occur, no enemy units may be between the enemy board edge and the friendly unit(s).

Y.1.2 Units in assault hexes cannot strategically isolate enemy units.

Y.1.3 Friendly units that are disrupted or demoralized cannot qualify for strategic isolation.

Y.1.4 Only friendly combat units may strategically isolate enemy units.

Y.2 Strategically-isolated units must take an (M) morale check prior to start of activations on each turn that they are strategically isolated. Failure of the morale check has the same results as the standard rules.

Y.2.1 If a friendly tank is the unit that is strategically isolating enemy units, then the morale check is (M1). All enemy units must be able to see the friendly tank to qualify.

Y.3 Other than limiting spotting, terrain has no effect on strategic isolation.

Try it out! Order a Panzer Grenadier game right now!