Panzer Corps 2: Elite – Ghost Division kicks off the Elite section with a rush

For the first time in Slitherine’s PC2 line of combat games, there’s finally an actual slot in the main menu of choices for their “Elite” sub-section. The item in question is Panzer Corps 2: Elite – Ghost Division. This DLC starts, just as they started in history… as the 2nd Light Division, which then follows their transition to becoming Rommel’s feared 7th Panzer Division — aka the “Ghost Division”.

Slitherine’s quote from the Ghost Division page: This DLC follows the full combat history of the 7th Panzer Division from its early battles in Poland as the 2nd Light Division, through the breakthrough in France, to brutal fighting on the Eastern Front.

Set Up: While filling in the points that were left for me, then simultaneously filling in my auxiliary slots (which, of course, won’t be with/following me during the rest of the nine-scenario campaign), all I could think about while deciding how to fill the empty slots were: speed and power. This division was (eventually) the ultimate definition of Blitzkrieg.

After making sure my troops and reinforcements were ready to head into this maelstrom, the oddity for me was that I had just reviewed the Fall of Poland DLC. Whether a different series or a contrary standalone campaign (with nine scenarios) both seem to be equally intriguing. The quirkiness was twofold really: Fall of Poland — where I’m the Poles and massively outnumbered by the Nazis… immediately followed up by me as the German’s Ghost Division… but suddenly (e.g. “Where were all of those guys when I was playing as Poland?”).

In “Ghost Division”, with a plethora of town, cities and Victory Point markers, the only way (for my mindset) was to go full-force forward and hit them head-on, directly on the forehead. (sounds like a commercial from the ‘90s… yes?). The first hurtle/mistake was that I only bought three Brückenpionieres… as there’s a monster river running through the early part of the first scenario: Inception. As always, pay your money, take your chances.

The second hurdle should have been some way to mark the patrols… other than pencil and paper — but, after the squirrels ran through my head a few times, that was an easier fix than I imagined.

It was a long slog, but at least I was victorious and didn’t lose too many auxiliary pieces — as if it mattered — but most importantly, I lost none of my core units. I’m really excited to see both the second scenario (The Manstein Plan) and if new units are available.

After this meeting (Inception), the Germans scrutinized their next steps more thoroughly. Although victorious, the High Command decided to refit their light divisions with full divisions. Of course, even the German war machine couldn’t do it all at once, but they now had a focus.

This eventually led them to set loose throughout Poland and completely take them out of commission. To make matters worse for the Allies, they put General Rommel in charge of the Ghost Division… in time for their invasion of France (which was in time for their Manstein Plan).

By the time I get to the end of the campaign, I can only imagine the power of the 7th Panzer Division — “Ghost Division”.

Panzer Corps 2: Elite – Ghost Division is available now for PC