2013 was the “Year of the Scenario” for the Squad Leader Tournament. Information on 462 scenarios was gathered into the database and is shared through a list, Scenario Archive or map. In many respects, the scenario card is the heart of the game, providing us the historical overview to the actual event, the means to play the game and insight into the people who created and contributed to it. The ability of the database to tell the story of Squad Leader is partially evident from its sources of information - not only the card but also ROAR, links to historical resources and gaming publications.
The following analysis was prepared from information in the scenario database and is divided into four general categories. The Historical Representation tell players where, when and against whom they can expect to fight. Scenario Design and Play tells the player about the game they will play and Publications and Designers informs the player of who contributed to the Squad Leader system.
The Rise and Fall of Axis Nations, the fourth category, charts the fortunes of the Axis powers over time. It plots the distance of the scenario location to the Reichstag or Imperial Palace by date. Major battles are boxed on the chart with vertical distance indicating location (ie Stalingrad is 1,380 miles from Reichstag) and horizontal time indicating the start and duration of the battle.
A simple pie chart to start...
Surprisingly there are only 67 scenarios for Squad Leader, the first and longest game in publication. Perhaps the number of scenarios is not representative of popularity as The Avalon Hill General player polls consistently ranked it in the top ten, even as late as 1992. The other gamettes are more closely related to time between publication.
Source: U.S. Copyright Office