Squad Leader Scenarios (SL) is a tactical

board wargame A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board game, board, as opposed to being played on a computer or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The modern, commercial wargaming hobby (as distinct from military ...

created by

Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the compan ...

( Hasbro Gaming) that focuses on

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

combat during

the Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...

. Players use map boards and counters to control small units of

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word ...

vehicles A vehicle () is a machine designed for self-propulsion, usually to transport people, cargo, or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velomobiles), animal-powered tr ...

, and

weapons A weapon, arm, or armament is any implement or device that is used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime (e.g., murder), law ...

. In the

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

, situations are presented to players in the form of

scenario In the performing arts, a scenario (, ; ; from Italian , "that which is pinned to the scenery") is a synoptical collage of an event or series of actions and events. In the ''commedia dell'arte'', it was an outline of entrances, exits, and actio ...

s, typically including a map, a set of forces, and a set of victory conditions. The original ''

Squad Leader ''Squad Leader'' is a tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of the most complex war games of its time, ''Squ ...

'' game comes with 12 scenarios, and additional scenarios, numbered in sequence, follow in the three

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

games. There are also many "official" Scenarios in '' The General'' or sold as special releases (the Rogue Scenarios). In total, 123 official scenarios were made for the Squad Leader series.

Scenario format

Each scenario in the original four-game releases was printed on an 8-1/2" × 11"

cardstock Card stock, also called cover stock and pasteboard, is paper that is thicker and more durable than normal writing and printing paper, but thinner and more flexible than other forms of paperboard. Card stock is often used for business cards, po ...

with the scenario number, an illustrative

graphic Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...

, and a historical overview of the aftermath of the event depicted.

Rodger MacGowan Rodger B. MacGowan (1948 - February 21, 2025) was an artist, game developer, art director, and magazine publisher who has been active in the board wargame industry since the 1970s. MacGowan was a prolific artist of cover art for wargames, and th ...

did the artwork for the original SL, COI and

COD Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...

Scenarios and Charles Kibler took over with GI: Anvil of Victory. The original core Scenarios from the 4 games are numbered as follows: *

– 1 through 12 *

Cross of Iron ''Cross of Iron'' (German: ''Steiner – Das Eiserne Kreuz'', lit. "Steiner – The Iron Cross") is a 1977 war film directed by Sam Peckinpah, featuring James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason and David Warner. Set on the Eastern Front ...

– 13 through 20 *

Crescendo of Doom ''Crescendo of Doom'' is a supplement published in 1980 by Avalon Hill for use with the World War II board wargame ''Squad Leader''. This expansion concentrates on the early part of the war (1939–1941) in Western and Central Europe. Descripti ...

– 21 through 32 * GI: Anvil of Victory – 33 through 47

Rules sections

The four Squad Leader games use

Programmed Instruction Programmed learning (or programmed instruction) is a research-based system which helps learners work successfully. The method is guided by research done by a variety of applied psychologists and educators.Lumsdaine A.A. 1963. Instruments and media ...

to teach the game system; each scenario included with the

games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...

lists the new rules introduced with that Scenario. Squad Leader scenarios come with specific

victory conditions In tabletop games and video games, game mechanics define how a game works for players. Game mechanics are the rules or ludemes that govern and guide player actions, as well as the game's response to them. A rule is an instruction on how to play, wh ...

, which vary depending on the nature of the scenario. Some common victory conditions include: * Assault on a Village: Certain buildings within the

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

must be occupied and held. * Withdrawal: A specific number of units must be exfiltrated from the map. * Defense of a

Bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

: Players must hold a bridge against enemy attacks for a set number of turns. * Rescue Mission: Units on one side need to secure another group of trapped units, then escort them to safety. *

Encirclement Encirclement is a military term for the situation when a force or target is isolated and surrounded by enemy forces. The situation is highly dangerous for the encircled force. At the military strategy, strategic level, it cannot receive Milit ...

: A significant portion of the opposing force must be surrounded and eliminated.

Official Scenarios

Other official Scenarios (Avalon Hill)

Series 100

released Series 100, ten new Scenarios for ''Cross of Iron'', in 1979. The Scenarios were designed by Courtney Allen (SL

playtest A playtest is the process by which a game designer tests a new game for bugs and design flaws before releasing it to market. Playtests can be run "open", "closed", "beta", or otherwise, and are very common with board games, collectible card games, ...

er and designer of '' Storm Over Arnhem'').

Series 200

Avalon Hill released Series 200 with 10 new Scenarios for Crescendo of Doom.

Rogue Series 200

The Rogue Scenarios Series 200, named because they used boards 9, 10 and 11 which were not "official" boards at the time, used rules from the ''Crescendo of Doom''. Some of the Scenarios needed multiple copies of several boards.

Series 300

Avalon Hill released Series 300 with additional Scenarios for GI: Anvil of Victory.

''The General Magazine''

Over the years, Avalon Hill also released Scenarios in issues of their magazine ''The General''.

ASL Annual

The final "official" Scenarios issued by Avalon Hill for the original ''Squad Leader'' game were in the first two issues of the ASL Annual. All official Squad Leader Scenarios printed by Avalon Hill have been

reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Reco ...

d for ''

Advanced Squad Leader ''Advanced Squad Leader'' (ASL) is a tactical-level board wargame, originally marketed by Avalon Hill Games, that simulates actions of squad sized units in World War II. It is a detailed game system for two or more players (with solitary play a ...

'' and released in either ''The General'', ASL Annuals, or scenario packs. The ''ASL Journal'' had released seven Scenarios for Squad Leader but ''

Multi-Man Publishing Multi-Man Publishing, LLC ("MMP"), founded in 1994, is a Maryland based game company that publishes many wargame titles, including '' Advanced Squad Leader'' and Operational Combat Series. History Multi-Man Publishing (MMP) was founded in 1994 ...

'' has indicated no intention to support the original SL game system.

Non-official scenarios

'' The Wargamer'' also released Scenarios 81–90 and a pack with Scenarios 91–100 in 1982. These were designed by contributors.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Original ''Squad Leader'' Scenarios

ASL Scenario Archive

Squad Leader World War II board wargames