Squad Leader Scenarios (SL) is a tactical board wargame created by Avalon Hill (Hasbro Gaming) that focuses on infantry combat during the Second World War. Players use map boards and counters to control small units of soldiers, vehicles, and weapons.

In the game, situations are presented to players in the form of scenarios, typically including a map, a set of forces, and a set of victory conditions. The original Squad Leader game comes with 12 scenarios, and additional scenarios, numbered in sequence, follow in the three sequel 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 with the scenario number, an illustrative graphic, and a historical overview of the aftermath of the event depicted. Rodger MacGowan did the artwork for the original SL, COI and COD Scenarios and Charles Kibler took over with GI: Anvil of Victory.

The original core Scenarios from the 4 games are numbered as follows:

Squad Leader – 1 through 12 Cross of Iron – 13 through 20 Crescendo of Doom – 21 through 32 GI: Anvil of Victory – 33 through 47

Rules sections The four Squad Leader games use Programmed Instruction to teach the game system; each scenario included with the games lists the new rules introduced with that Scenario.

Squad Leader scenarios come with specific victory conditions, which vary depending on the nature of the scenario. Some common victory conditions include:

Assault on a Village: Certain buildings within the village must be occupied and held. Withdrawal: A specific number of units must be exfiltrated from the map. Defense of a Bridge: 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: A significant portion of the opposing force must be surrounded and eliminated.

Official Scenarios Game # Name Allies Axis Date Location SL 1 The Guards Counterattack 6 October 1942 Stalingrad, USSR SL 2 The Tractor Works 6 October 1942 Stalingrad, USSR SL 3 The Streets of Stalingrad 6 October 1942 Stalingrad, USSR SL 4 The Hedgehog of Piepsk 14 November 1941Piersk, USSR SL 5 Hill 621 1 July 1944near Minsk, USSR SL 6 Escape From Velikiye Luki 12 January 1943Velikiye Luki, USSR SL 7 Buchholz Station 16 December 1944Buchholz, Germany SL 8 The Bitche Salient 14 January 1945Bitche, Germany SL 9 The Cannes Strongpoint 23 August 1944Cannes, France SL 10 Hitdorf on the Rhine 6 April 1945Hitdorf, Germany SL 11 The St. Goar Assault 24 March 1945St Goar, Germany SL 12 The Road to Wiltz 17 December 1944Wiltz, Luxembourg COI13 The Capture of Balta 3 August 1941Balta, Ukraine COI 14 The Paw of the Tiger 12 January 1943South of Leningrad, USSR COI15 Hube's Pocket 6 April 1944near Buchach, USSR COI 16 Sowchos 79 8 December 1942Chir River Line, Russia COI 17 Debacle at Korosten 30 August 1941 Korosten, Ukraine COI 18 The Defense of Luga 19 July 1941Luga, USSR COI 19 A Winter Melee 17 February 1942Okorovo, Russia COI 20 Breakout From Borisov 2 July 1941Borisov, Russia COD 21 Battle for the Warta Line 6 September 1939Central Poland COD 22 The Borders are Burning 30 November 1939Kuhmo, Finland COD 23 Silent Death 9 December 1939 Aittojoki, Finland COD 24 Action at Balberkamp 22 April 1940Balberkamp, Norway COD 25 Resistance at Chabrehez 10 May 1940Chabrehez, Belgium COD 26 Assault on a Queen 11 May 1940The Hague, Netherlands COD 27 The Dinant Bridgehead 13 May 1940Houx, Belgium COD 28 Counterstroke at Stonne 15 May 1940Stonne, France COD 29 In Rommel's Wake 17 May 1940on the Meuse, France COD 30 Ad Hoc at Beaurains 21 May 1940Arras, France COD 31 Chateau de Quesnoy 6 June 1940Le Quesnoy, France COD 32 Rehearsal for Crete 26 April 1941Peloponnesus, Greece GI 33 A Belated Christmas 27 December 1944Bastogne, Belgium GI 34 Climax at Nijmegen Bridge 20 September 1944Nijmegen, Netherlands GI 35 The French Decide to Fight 10 November 1942Port-Lyautey, Morocco GI 36 Weissenhof Crossroads 16 December 1944Schnee Eifel, Germany GI 37 Medal of Honor 21 September 1944Nijmegen, Netherlands GI 38 The Factory 11 February 1944Aprilia Settlement, Italy GI 39 Sweep For Bordj Toum Bridge 10 December 1942Bordj Toum Station, Tunisia GI 40 The Dornot Watermark 10 September 1944Dornot, Germany GI 41 Swatting at Tigers 11 July 1943Biazzo Ridge, Italy GI 42 Bridgehead on the Rhine 24 March 1945Speldrop, Germany GI 43 Action at Kommerscheidt 4 November 1944Kommerscheidt, Germany GI 44 Prelude to Breakout 7 July 1944Vire et Taute Canal, France GI 45 Hide and Seek 7 June 1944Normandy, France GI 46 Operation Varsity 24 March 1945near Hamminkeln, Germany GI 47 Encircling the Ruhr 30 March 1945the Ruhr, Germany

Other official Scenarios (Avalon Hill)

Series 100 Avalon Hill released Series 100, ten new Scenarios for Cross of Iron, in 1979. The Scenarios were designed by Courtney Allen (SL playtester and designer of Storm Over Arnhem).

# Title Allies Axis Date Location 101 Blocking Action at Lipki 3 July 1941near Borisov, USSR 102 Slamming of the Door 17 August 1941Panikovo forest, USSR 103 Bald Hill 11 September 1941Leningrad, USSR 104 The Penetration of Rostov 24 July 1942Rostov, USSR 105 Night Battle at Noromatyevka 1 January 1943Noromaryevka, USSR 106 Beachhead at Ozereyka Bay 4 February 1943Ozereyka valley, USSR 107 Disaster On The Dneiper Loop 24 September 1943Dnieper River, USSR 108 Block Busting in Bokruisk 29 June 1944Bokruisk, USSR 109 Counterattack On The Vistula 6 August 1944near Wola Chodkowska, Poland 110 The Agony of Doom 19 April 1945Muncheberg, Germany

Series 200 Avalon Hill released Series 200 with 10 new Scenarios for Crescendo of Doom. # Title Allies Axis Date Location 201 Sacrifice Of Polish Armor 1 September 1939Novy Targ region, Poland 202 Under Cover Of Darkness 12 September 1939Gdynia, Poland 203 Bitter Defense At Otta 28 April 1940Gudbrandsal valley, Norway 204 Chance D'une Affaire 14 May 1940Chehery, France 205 Last Defense Line 15 May 1940Bouvellemont, France206 Fighting At The World's Edge 28 May 1940Tarladsvikfjell, Norway 207 The French Perimeter 2 June 1940Spyckar, France 208 Road To Kozani Pass 13 April 1941Komanos, Greece 209 The Akroiri Peninsula Defense 20 May 1941Profitilias, Crete 210 Commando Raid At Dieppe 18 August 1942Varengeville, France

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.

# Title Allies Axis Date Location R211 Auld Lang Syne 1 January 1945Gerimont, France R212 On The Road To Andalsnes 24 April 1940near Andalsnes, Norway R213 Traverse Right...FIRE! 23 June 1941S of Bialystok, Poland R214 The Front In Flames 22 August 1943S of Kharkov, USSR R215 Hasty Pudding 27 May 1940near Dunkirk, France R216 A Small Town In Germany 8 April 1945Friesoythe, Germany R217 The Whirlwind 18 April 1945Aschaffenburg, Germany R218 Operation Switchback 6 October 1944Scheldt estuary, Holland R219 Scheldt Fortress South 25 October 1944Scheldt estuary, Holland R220 Clearing the Breskens Pocket 6 October 1944Scheldt estuary, Holland R221 Vitality I 24 October 1944South Beveland, Holland R222 Infatuate II 1 November 1944Westkapelle, Walcheren Island, Holland R223 Night Drop 6 June 1944Cherbourg Peninsula, France

Series 300 Avalon Hill released Series 300 with additional Scenarios for GI: Anvil of Victory. # Title Allies Axis Date Location 300 Trial by Combat 27 February 1945Elsdrof, Germany 301 The Clearing 10 October 1944Huertgen Forest, Germany 302 Stand Fast 10 December 1944Obergeich, Germany 303 Thrust and Parry 15 March 1945Pfaffenheck, Germany 304 Riposte 15 March 1945Pfaffenheck, Germany 305 The Duel 15 March 1945Pfaffenheck, Germany 306 The Rag Tag Circus 12 April 1945Barby on the Elbe, Germany 307 Point D'Appui 9 October 1944Bardebberg, Germany 308 Han-Sur-Neid 11 November 1944Han-sur-Neid, France 309 The Roer Bridgehead 23 February 1945Koerrenzig, Germany

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

# ID Title Allies Axis Date Location 15–6 A Burzevo 2 December 1941Burzevo, USSR 15–6 B Hill 253.5 9 July 1943North of Kursk, USSR 15–6 C The Burkin Bridgehead 24 September 1943SE of Kiev, Ukraine 15–6 D Delaying Action 30 October 1944Western Lithuania 17–2 E The Niscemi-Biscari Highway 10 July 1943Biscari, Sicily 17–2 F The Pouppeville Exit 6 June 1944Normandy, France 17–2 G Devil's Hill 19 September 1944Kleve-Nijmegen, Holland 17–2 H The Attempt to Relieve Peiper 21 December 1944the Ardennes, Belgium 17–2 I Hunters from the Sky 24 March 1945Rhine river, Germany 18–2 J Semper Paratus 27 September 1944Oorderen, Holland 18–3 K Fast Heinz 7 August 1944 Roslayl, USSR 18–4 L The Long Road 16 September 1942S of Andriba, Madagascar 18–5 M The Dead of Winter 29 December 1941NW of Staritsa, Russia 19–5 TS1 First Crisis at Army Group North 25 June 1941Daugav river, USSR 19–5 TS2 Pavlov's House 20 October 1942Stalingrad, USSR 19–5 TS3 Land Leviathans 3 July 1941Lipki, USSR 19–5 TS4 Soldiers of Destruction 10 October 1944Radzymin, Poland 19–6 N Faugh A'Ballagh! 16 May 1944Sinagoga, Italy 20–2 1000 Operation Marston 14 July 1943Catania, Sicily 20–4 O Strayer's Strays 6 June 1944Normandy, France 20–6 SSTK 1a Death's Head at Lusho 24 September 1941Lusho, USSR 20–6 SSTK 1b Death's Head at Lusho 24 September 1941Lusho, USSR 21–2 P Aachen's Pall 25 October 1944Aachen, Germany 21–3 Q Gambit 21 May 1941Maleme, Crete 21–4 2000 Operation Hubertus 11 November 1942Stalingrad, USSR 22–5 3000 Assault on Round Top 30 September 1944north of Riga, Latvia

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. Issue # Title Allies Axis Date Location ASL Annual '89 A1 On the Borderline 30 November 1939Artahuhta, Finland ASL Annual '89 A2 Sbeitla Probe 17 February 1943Sbeitla, Tunisia ASL Annual '89 A3 Regalbuto Ridge 31 July 1943Regalbuto, Italy ASL Annual '90 A4 King's Castle 26 November 1944Frenzenberg, Germany ASL Annual '90 A5 The Professionals 7 April 1941Pirot, Yugoslavia ASL Annual '90 A6 A Meeting of Patrols 26 December 1944Hofen, Belgium ASL Annual '92 ACG Commando Campaign Game

All official Squad Leader Scenarios printed by Avalon Hill have been reissued for Advanced Squad Leader 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 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.

Scenario 81 A Bridge Too Near Scenario 82 To Lose A Battle Scenario 83 The Final Attempt Scenario 84 Le Paradis Scenario 85 The Far Bank Scenario 86 Raid on Vaagso Scenario 87 The Bruneval Raid Scenario 88 The Backwater of War Scenario 89 Cherkasskoye Scenario 90 The Bridge at Kanev Scenario 91 Assault At Wadelincourt Scenario 92 Patton's End Run Scenario 93 Cassino Station Scenario 94 Hill 112 Scenario 95 The Attempt To Exploit Scenario 96 Scratch Force Scenario 97 The Breaking Wave Scenario 98 Night Assault Scenario 99 Cooperative Venture Scenario 100 A Day At The Races

References

External links Original Squad Leader Scenarios ASL Scenario Archive Wargame Academy