October 7, 2009

ONE-DICE ARTILLERY

A single dice is thrown for each element under the template and the number of HITs found.

< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />	1	2,3	4,5,6	8 – 15	16 +
LIGHT D4	NO EFFECT	UP 1 P - TOUGH -	2 1 -		LIGHT MORTARS
LIGHT FIELD D8	NO EFFECT	UP 1 P 1 TOUGH -	2 1 -	3 1 1	MEDIUM MORTARS
FIELD D12	NO EFFECT	UP 1 P 1 TOUGH -	3 1 1	2 1 1	HEAVY MORTARS
MEDIUM D16	NO EFFECT	UP 2 P 1 TOUGH 1	4 2 1	3 2 1	4 3 2
HEAVY D20	NO EFFECT	UP 2 P 2 TOUGH 1	3 2 1	4 3 2	6 4 2

’NO EFFECT’ MEANS THAT A CLOUD OF OBSCURING DUST AND SMOKE IS CREATED BUT THE UNIT TARGETTED HAS TAKEN NO CASUALTIES AND REGROUPED QUICKLY

AN UNPROTECTED TARGET HAS NO ARMOUR AND HAS NO PROTECTIVE COVER
A PROTECTED TARGET HAS OPEN-TOPPED OR 1 OR 2 POINTS OF ARMOUR OR HASTY COVER
A TOUGH TARGET HAS BETTER ARMOUR OR IS IN PREPARED POSITION OR FORTIFICATION (THOSE IN FORTIFICATION ON AMBUSH ORDERS TAKE NO HITS)

Comments (4)

October 1, 2009

OBSERVATION AND HIDDEN MOVEMENT

Filed under: OBSERVATION AND PATROLS

In an ideal tabletop wargame some means must be found for reducing the players’ god-like ability to survey the whole battlefield and see where the enemy has his men at all times. The models and men should be limited in the way their real prototypes are as to the extent of their field of view and the success with which they can identify a target. The problem with incorporating these ideas is that the cure is worse than the disease. Complex rules, record-keeping and use of time can degrade gameplay as much as if no account is taken of these factors.
Our solution has been to allow a degree of hidden movement in the opening phases of a game especially. This adds to tension, keeps opponents guessing and stops rapid redeployments or order changes.
In addition we incorporate individual spotting of units into a formation-wide process we call patrolling. Patrolling includes observation, use of reconnaissance patrols and collation of information by the company and battalion commanders. Patrolling is observing what the enemy has in an area, not trying to ‘see’ individual elements.
Of course, we must have ‘traditional’ observation too and we try to make these rules as simple as possible.

OBSERVATION

BASIC DISTANCES WHEN UNITS ARE IDENTIFIED

OBSERVER ⬇	VEH/GUN	MEN	HIDDEN
OUT OF VEHICLE	INF MOVE	CLOSE	CONTACT
IN VEHICLE	CLOSE	CONTACT	CONTACT
RECCE TROOPS AND CAVALRY	FIREFIGHT	INF MOVE	CLOSE

IF A CP IS PAID FOR PATROL ACTION

OBSERVER ⬇	VEH/GUN	MEN	HIDDEN
OUT OF VEHICLE	HVY WEAPS	FIREFIGHT	INF MOVE
IN VEHICLE	FIREFIGHT	INF MOVE	CLOSE
RECCE TROOPS AND CAVALRY	TANK	HVY WEAPS	FIREFIGHT

HIDDEN TROOPS ARE THOSE IN PREPARED POSITION OR BETTER SEEN FROM IN FRONT OF A LINE EXTENDING THEIR BASE REAR EDGE.

HIDDEN MOVEMENT – A SPECIAL ROLE FOR HQ ELEMENTS

Until it is identified, an element is represented on board by its HQ element.
The HQ of a battalion must have control over its companies and they must be within communication distance which depends on the orders it has. It follows that if we deploy only the HQ then we can assume all elements are within communication distance of the HQ element. Until the player is forced-to or chooses-to then only the HQ is moved.
An HQ element should reflect the type of unit it belongs to. Infatry HQs have only figures, an armoured unit HQ will be a tank or APC.
While the formation is unidentified by the enemy then we imagine the sub-elements being somewhere within a rectangle around the HQ element. If the unit has MARCH orders then it will be in a column behind the HQ element. No element is hypothetically ahead of, or more than command distance away from the deployed HQ element.
Movement rate for unidentified formations is that allowed to the HQ element on the ground it slf crosses. BUT on deployment a player who tries to sneak forces up faster than than the terrain might allow could find a shock.
Identification takes place when an HQ is patrolled by an enemy unit, the player himself chooses to reveal his elements or line-of sight observation forces his hand.
Deployment from hidden movement follows some simple rules.
1)      DO not touch the HQ element yet.
2)      If two opposing formations have identified each other then each dices with two of its quality type dices and the higher will deploy second. The take it in turns to deploy a company.
3)      Deploy elements within command distance of the HQ.
4)      No element may be deployed in a place it could not have moved to in a continuous line from the HQ element.
5)      Once the deployment is complete then the player is allowed a free re-location of his HQ which is thereafter in its actual location and can be targeted.

Comments (2)

September 24, 2009

EFFECT

Filed under: ARTILLERY - SHOOTING

All elements under a template take 1 hit EXCEPT FOR HARASSING MISSIONS WHICH DICE TO SCORE A HIT ON ANY PASSING UNDERTHE TEMPLATE.

In addition, a dice is thrown to see if the hits from the table below are added to this hit as follows:

Weapons under 75 mm USE throws from chart

Weapons under 140 mm drop 1 dice class

Weapons under 160 drop 2 dice classe

Heavier weapons drop 3 dice classes

POOR +3 GREEN +2 VET -1 DICE CLASS

BASIC DICE TO GET EXTRA HITS ON ARTILLERY TARGETS

Unprotected troops or soft vehicles 6 on D6

Guns or troops in hasty cover 10 on d10

Open armour or prepared position 16 on D16

Closed AFV or Fortification 20 on D20 (dropping 3 classes would be D10)

dice levels are : LOW END 2,3,4,6,8,10,12,16,20 HIGH END

EXTRA HITS GUN CALIBRE AIRCRAFT

TARGET <80mm <125mm <160mm LARGER MG CAN BOMB

MEN 1 2 2 2 2 2 2

SOFTSKIN 2 2 3 3 2 2 3

GUN 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

AFV1-3 1 1 2 2 2 2

AFV4-6 1 2 2 2 2

AFV7+ 1 2 1 1

HARASSING FIRE SCORES ONLY 1 HIT IF THE ‘EXTRA’ DICE IS SUCCESSFUL

CONCENTRATIONS SUPERIMPOSE TEMPLATES AND DROP 1 DICE CLASS FOR EXTRAS PER TEMPLATE OVER 1 : ONLY ONE DICE IS THROWN

TonT SUPERIMPOSE TEMPLATES AND PROCEED AS NORMAL, EACH TEMPLATE WILL GET DICE THROW

A BATTERY CAN SHOOT MORE THAN 1 MISSION IN A TURN AND USES AMMO EACH TIME

A BARRAGE IS A CONTINUOUS FIRING INTO THE TEMPLATES WHICH STAY IN PLACE, ANY TROOPS CROSSING THEM GET A HIT AND DICE FOR EXTRAS.

MISSIONS REQUESTED ON TOP OF THE FIRST REQUEST WILL GET REDUCED CHANCE OF RESPONSE

DEFENSIVE FIRE WILL GET PRIORITY : THESE ARE SHOT AGAINST ENEMY APPROACHING WITHIN INF MOVE OF A UNIT WITH DEFEND ORDERS

AN ARTILLERY TEMPLATE IN PLACE IS A 2 CONTOUR HIGH BLOCK TO VISIBILITY, NONE CAN SEE IN OR OUT OF TEMPLATE. REMOVE ALL EXCEPT BARRAGES WHICH WILL CONTINUE, AT GAME TURN END.

DETAILS ………

Comments (1)

ORGANISE ARTILLERY

Filed under: ARTILLERY - CONCEPTS

Artillery is fielded as 1 model gun per battery.

Usually 3 batteries form a battalion.

A battalion can have 3 OP’s assigned to different companies or HQs.

A battery can shoot more than once in a turn but after the first shoot reaction becomes uncertain.

Acetate templates are used to determine if elements are in the area affected by area shoots.

It is possible to shoot at individual targets - no template is used, just HIt or MISS.

Comments (1)

September 23, 2009

SCENARIOS

Filed under: SCENARIOS

Perhaps we can build a simple system based upon 3 main categories.

MEETING ENGAGEMENT : no side has occupied positions of terrain objectives 1:1

HASTY : one side attacks before the other can properly occupy terrain 2:1

DELIBERATE : one side attacks another which is prepared to for holding its ground. 3:1

Comments (0)

September 21, 2009

HITS and markers

Filed under: DIRECT FIRE - SMALLARMS

Use 7mm dice in green with black spots to mark hits ?

Unobtrusive, flexible.

Comments (2)

September 16, 2009

DISCIPLINE TESTS

Filed under: COMMAND AND CONTROL

DISCIPLINE TEST

Use the battalions CP dice to throw more than the number of smaller units lost

E.g. Company throws versus elements lost, Battalion versus companies etc.

QUICK VERSION : FAILED ELEMENTS ARE REMOVED FROM PLAY

higher level formations may have to react and throw as well due to the disppearance of the failed element.

COMPLEX VERSION : as follows

Failure of a discipline test leads to PANIC ACTION on the appropriate rung of the CP dice ladder:

What happens with 16+1 and 20? What disperses, the platoon (element) or the whole company (all the other elements in the company) or the whole battalion?

CP DICE USED

PANIC ACTION EFFECTS 3 DISPERSED = REMOVE FROM PLAY
4
DISPERSED
6
FALL BACK
ELSE DISPERSE
FALL BACK =
MOVE FIREFIGHT BACK
8
FALL BACK
ELSE DISPERSE
UNTIL NO ENEMY IN SIGHT
10
HIDE
ELSE FALL BACK

12
HIDE
ELSE FALL BACK
12+1
HIDE
= STAY IN COVER OR
16
HIDE
FALL BACK TO BETTER COVER
16+1

20

Modifiers to CP dice level during Discipline Test

UP ONE

hq with, EACH CLASS OF COVER ABOVE open,

Assault engineers/troops. Stubborn troops in defences.
Aggressive troops attacking.

DOWN ONE

no cover, any area fire hits, AFV visible and non-AT unit – again if not in defences.

no other friends visible, Brittle troops for each sub-unit lost,

Each level of hit effect.(Pinned, etc)

Comments (2)

September 15, 2009

SIMPLER ORDERS

Filed under: ORDERS

Battalion HQs operate under a Regt. HQ. This means they will be following the same ROUTE. This means battalions need no ROUTE specified. A battalion needs one or more objectives. These must lie within the ROUTE. No two battalions can have the same objective.

Comments (2)

September 14, 2009

PATROLS

Filed under: OBSERVATION AND PATROLS

Patrolling is what we call all the activity associated with locating and acquiring the enemy.

Normal or default situations allow idenification of the enemy at minimum distances.

Patrolling allows a unit to locate enemy elements in its vicinity which can then be attacked.

A patrol action represents individual vehicles or rescources of a unit going forward to find the enemy and reporting back, whereafter other elements or units can engage the enemy so located.

PATROLLING is an action which can trigger an ambush. The ambush is triggered before the patrol is complete and takes effect.

BASIC DISTANCES WHEN UNITS ARE IDENTIFIED

OBSERVER ⬇

VEH/GUN

MEN

HIDDEN

OUT OF VEHICLE

INF MOVE

CONTACT

IN VEHICLE

CONTACT

RECCE TROOPS

AND CAVALRY

FIREFIGHT

INF MOVE

IF A CP IS PAID FOR PATROL ACTION

OBSERVER ⬇

VEH/GUN

MEN

HIDDEN

OUT OF VEHICLE

HVY WEAPS

FIREFIGHT

INF MOVE

IN VEHICLE

FIREFIGHT

INF MOVE

RECCE TROOPS AND CAVALRY

TANK

HVY WEAPS

FIREFIGHT

HIDDEN TROOPS ARE THOSE IN PREPARED POSITION OR BETTER SEEN FROM IN FRONT OF A LINE EXTENDING THEIR BASE REAR EDGE.

LIMITATIONS ON PATROLLING

UNITS IN VEHICLE CANNOT PATROL INTO OBSCURING TERRAIN

NO TROOPS CAN PATROL ACROSS IMPASSABLE LINEAR OBSTACLES OR TERRAIN
THE SHAPE OF THE PATROLLED AREA

Extend a line from the outermost base side edges of the outermost elements.

The patrolled area can be an odd shape if deployment is also odd.

Once an element is placed on the table it remains identified by all enemy with LOS to it.

.

Comments (2)

Command

Filed under: COMMAND AND CONTROL

Command Dice and Orders
When a unit turns a card and the commander wishes to issue commands to that unit a dice is rolled per battalion according to the units Experience Grade. The number rolled is the number of companies that can be activated.

In rolling CP dice number 1 always counts as 2. In this way a minimum level of action is maintained and the factor of variation is reduced.

The following Table is used to determine this number:

Experience and training grade of troops	Dice Used	Notes
Un-military	D3	Units with no training or military structure. Armed civilians, partisans.
Poorly trained	D4	Russian Line Units 1940 – 43 Troops with limited training
Green	D6	Trained troops with ok officers but no experience
Experienced	D8	Troops with experience and good officers
Veterans	D10	Highly experienced with good officers corp

Drop one dice level for units with less than three companies:

D3 goes to D2, use a D4 halved or a D6 where 123 = 1 and 456 = 2

D2 goes to D1 use a D6 with the following 123 = no points 456 = one point

Add one dice level for units with more than 3 companies, one level for each company D10 goes to D12

Dice Progression

D1, D2, D3, D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D12+1, D16, D16+1, D20

An element can only be activated a maximum of VET -3 times, EXP/Green – 2 times, Poor/UnM - once

Comments (0)