
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,482
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Eastern Front: A Panzer Grenadier Game
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2005

Expansion for 1940: The Fall of France – A Panzer Grenadier Game
2016
Rules assistance for Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France is an expansion for 1940: The Fall of France – A Panzer Grenadier Game released in 2016 for 1–2 players, 30–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael Bennighof and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Secret Unit Deployment, and Modular Board.
From the publisher: When France fell to the Germans in June 1940, she possessed a strong force of tanks and armored vehicles – many of them technologically superior to those of the Germans. Yet even better tanks and guns had been designed. Some of these existed as prototypes, and some had even entered production but had not reached front-line troops in significant numbers. Panzer Grenadier: 1942 - The Defense of France gives the French Army the chance to deploy these weapons against the German invaders. The high-velocity 47mm APX anti-tank gun did appear in time for the 1940 campaign, but only in very small numbers – not enough to influence the course of the campaign. That’s not the case here, and the French also receive the planned new versions of the Somua S35 medium tank (the S41), Char B1bis heavy tank (the B1ter) and the new AMX38 light tank, all armed with the tank version of the APX gun and with larger turrets and crews than the earlier models. And there’s more, starting with the 75mm TAZ 39 anti-tank gun, the big brother of the 47mm APX, and the 90mm anti-aircraft gun, usable in an anti-tank role as well. The French also receive some additional first-line infantry, and the fully-tracked Lorraine 39 armored personnel carrier to bring them into battle. And finally, the Germans receive a battalion’s worth of the PzKpfw 747r – the Soviet-made T34 in German service. But how to use all this heavy gear? 1942 - The Defense of France includes a set of 10 scenarios (that’s as many as some publishers will give you in what they call a “complete” boxed game), taking place as a small story arc in our Long War alternative history setting. Would the improved French armor and anti-tank guns have made a difference? You get to answer that. 1942 - The Defense of France is a supplement for Panzer Grenadier: 1940 - The Fall of France. It is not a complete game: ownership of 1940 and Kursk - Burning Tigers is necessary to play all of the 10 scenarios included. 1942 - The Defense of France also includes 88 laser-cut and mounted playing pieces.
Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France is 30–180 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Secret Unit Deployment, and Modular Board. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France are: Michael Bennighof. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Panzer Grenadier: 1942 – The Defense of France as an expansion for 1940: The Fall of France – A Panzer Grenadier Game. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need 1940: The Fall of France – A Panzer Grenadier Game to use it. Check that your edition of 1940: The Fall of France – A Panzer Grenadier Game is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.