Panzer Expansion 2
The Final Forces on the
Eastern Front 1941 to 1944

Designed by Jim Day

To see the review of the Panzer Game, click here. To see the review of the first Expansion for the Panzer Game, click here.  The Panzer Game Expansion Set #2, The Final Forces on the Eastern Front 1941 to 1944, continues along where Panzer Game Expansion Set #1 left off and adds new units and capabilities for the German and Soviet players to deploy. The situation is continuing and there is still fighting taking place around Kursk and other salients. To read the reviews previously published on the website referencing the Panzer Games go to  for the Core Panzer Game and  for the Panzer Expansion Set #1. Please note, it is required to own the base game of Panzer to use and enjoy this Expansion.

Game Content

When you pick up the box for the 2^nd Panzer Expansion you immediately feel that it is much lighter than the other boxes in the series. That is correct as you do not receive as much material as was previously distributed. The items in the Panzer Expansion Set #2 are:

• 2 two-sided 10”x27” geomorphic maps with 1” hexes
• 2 full color countersheets
• 24 two-sided Unit Data Cards
• 1 Reference and Scenario Book

In the Reference and Scenario Book you receive 2 new Soviet TO&E’s (Table of Organization and Equipment). These TO&E’s represent Soviet Corps units that received Lend-Lease Equipment to fight the Germans. The units that are represented in this area are:

• 18^th Tank Corps, 1 July 1943
• 1^st Guards Mechanized Corps, early 1945
• To provide the reader with how detailed the breakdown of information is presented, these are the units that make up the 18^th Tank Corps. The 18^th Tank Corps consisted of:
• 110^th , 170^th , and the 181^st Tank Brigades
• 32^nd Motorized Rifle Brigade
• 36^th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (Over Strength)
• 52^nd Motorcycle Battalion
• 1000^th Anti-Tank Regiment
• 736^th Anti-Tank Battalion
• 1694^th Anti-Aircraft Regiment
• 115^th Sapper Battalion

The breakdown of each of these organizations is presented in the book for you to read and enjoy while using them to create your own scenarios.

Scenarios

A total of 7 new Scenarios have been provided to the gamers to play. These 7 Scenarios are:

• Scenario 18 – Beginning of the End: Kursk, 12 July 1943
• Scenario 19 – Battle of Brody Pt. 1: June 1941
• Scenario 20 – Battle of Brody Pt. 2: June 1941
• Scenario 21 – Pakfront: Kursk, 5 July 1943
• Scenario 22 – The Rhino’s Horn: Vitebsk, June 1944
• Scenario 23 – The Cauldron: Southern Russia, late-1942
• Scenario 24 – Operation Typhoon: Bryansk Pocket October 1941

Each of these Scenarios offers the player unique challenges to overcome and in some cases, the decision of who wins is not decided until the last turn!

Unit Data Cards

Forty-eight new units are introduced into the game. The 14 new Russian Data cards below cover the following Tanks, Vehicles, or Guns that are used to expand the base and 1^st Expansion game. The Soviet Unit Data Cards included with Panzer Expansion 2 are:

T-38 M37	T-40 M40
T-60 M41	BT-7 M37
Sherman III (76)	Sherman III (75)
M3 Lee	Stuart III
Valentine VIII	Churchill III
Matilda II	Valentine II
12.7mm AAMG	GAZ-AA
Komsomolyets	BA-10 M38
BA-20M M36	SU-76i M43
SU-57 M43	KV-1 M41
KV-1 M40	T-35 M35
T-34/76 M40	T-28E M38
T-28 M34	T-26S M37
BT-8 M38	BT-7A M37

The 10 new German Data cards below cover the following Tanks, Vehicles, or Guns that are used to expand the base and 1^st Expansion game. The German Unit Data Cards included with Panzer Expansion 2 are:

PzKpfw IB	PzKpfw IIC
PzKpfw 35(t)	PzKpfw 38(t)C
PzKpfw IIIF	PzKpfw IIIJ
PzKpfw IVD	Grille 33/1
PSW II Luchs	PzKpfw 38(t) Aufjlarer
PSW 234/1	PSW 234/2 Puma
PSW 234/3	PSW 234/4
SPW 250/11	SPW 251/22
Ostwind	2cm Flakvierling Zgkw 8t
3.7cm FlaK Zgkw 8t	Flakpanzer 38(t)

With this module you are expanding the Panzer system at a nice pace with new ordnance. You are also being given the chance to create your own scenarios. All it takes is a bit of research and I am sure that possibilities of scenarios will just pop up into your mind. With Panzer and the first two Panzer Expansions released, you have a nice basis for a large game. You now have 6 geomorphic maps that can be arranged and rearranged and you have 79 Soviet Tanks, Guns, Vehicles, Planes or Infantry and 98 German Tanks, Guns, Vehicles, Planes or Infantry to create your own battles or to battle the scenarios provided. Panzer, with its expansions, breathes new life as new maps and units are added to spice up the game. Moving forward I am sure we will see more expansions following the same excellent format and providing detailed unit organization and information that the gamer can use to spice up his own game of Panzer.

As I said in the review of the first Panzer Expansions, I am a convert to the Panzer system, my only wish would be to have mounted maps in the series to replace the paper map in the Core Game and the four cardboard maps in the First Expansion. GMT Game Fans I believe, have grown accustomed to mounted, sturdy maps with their games. So, having said that, send snailmails (write), call, send faxes or send emails and request that GMT provide mounted maps for the Panzer Series of Games. So far, this is my only negative critique of the series that I feel will go on to find tremendous popularity just as its predecessor Panzer Blitz did for Avalon Hill all those many years ago.

This expansion is available from GMT Games

MSRP $40.00