Codename: Panzers, Phase One Tanks, tactics and no base building

Armor here is not a health bar you whittle down. Every plate on a tank is its own target: knock out the front armor and the crew can simply turn the hull, forcing you to chew through the side before the body gives in. It gets better. Heat a tank with a flame-throwing squad until the crew bails out, then move your own tankers in and drive off with it. Captured anti-tank and anti-air guns can be towed, manned and turned against their former owners. Between missions you assemble your battalion, buying units and selling old ones within set limits, so the force you field is the force you chose. Keep the repair truck and the ammo truck close; a veteran tank out of shells is just expensive scenery.

You play the German, Allied and Soviet campaigns, each with its own missions and its own feel; the German one in particular is a favorite. Maps move from towns with bullet-riddled buildings to bleak mountains and treacherous swamps, with primary and secondary objectives that earn the prestige you spend on your army. Missions are well designed and varied: some want a careful sweep, some want a plan before the first shot. A word of warning from the battlefield: scouts report light infantry, and then two 70-ton Königstiger tanks roll over the hill. Aim the bazooka, bring up the armor, and only a direct hit will do.