Friday 3 March 2017

Operational Rules Redux

This is just a re-blog of the original post from January last year.  


One Day Campaign Rules

Everyone is up for playing our first one day campaign on Sunday 7th Feb.  I propose Jon and Russ as the British, and Mark and Phil as the commanders of local German forces.

Russ has kindly agreed to create 10 x tables of 4'x 3' of generic flocked terrain.  He will be experimenting with different effects so that these tables can be used as stand alone tables for other Thursday night games.  Impressively, Russ will make this happen over the next two weeks!  This is a massive help in  making sure that we do not put too much time and expectation into the preparation of a one day game that will largely use existing figures and terrain that I hope will get everyone thinking whether they want to use the same format for their beloved army or period.

The Game will be set in early September 1944 somewhere in northern Belgium, with a limited offensive by a reinforced British division.  They will be attempting to improve the overall situation of XXX corp in preparation for the Arnhem offensive (It could have been a local counter offensive after the Bulge battles or part of the drive towards the Elbe in 1945 with different weather conditions and troop types and that's the flexibility of this campaign system).  The Germans are desperately trying to create a defensive line after their defeats in Normandy and will be defending with whatever local forces they are able to gather.



Objectives

The objective will be to hold terrain boards that provide the most points.  9 points = draw, 10-12 points = partial victory, 13 - 15 points = victory, 16 - 18 points = overwhelming victory.

Terrain Layout

Row one of the tables will hold one objective point.  Row two will have two and row three will equal three.  The objectives for each table will be made up of the following;

1A  1 pt for the ridge
1B  1 pt for the farm
1C  1 pt for the town
1D  1 pt for the farm

2A  1 pt to clear the north side of the river of the enemy.  1 pt to clear the south side of the river of the enemy.
2B  1 pt to clear the north side of the river of the enemy.  1 pt to clear the south side of the river of the enemy.
2C  1 pt for the ridge, 1 pt for the large wood.
2D  1 pt for the village and 1 pt for the bridge (there will be a small stream across the bottom right)

3A  2 pts for the airfield, 1 pt for the village
3B  1 pt for the town, 1 pt for the bridge, 1 pt to clear north bank of the enemy

1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2D and 3A are "Fairly Open Terrain".
1A, 2C and 3B are "Hilly Terrain".
2B, 2C and 3B are "Close Terrain".

"Fairly Open Terrain" = 1x hill and 4x woods or fields.
"Hilly Terrain" = 4x hills or 2 ridges or 2 hills and 1x ridge.
"Close Terrain" = 1x hill and 6x woods or fields.

Placing of terrain and initial deployments

The towns, highway, bridge, river and airfield will be fixed terrain items.

The German players place the terrain on the tables and the British may move up to three of the pieces.

Defending units and placed terrain must not be placed within 6" of any table edge.

The German players place the HQs of all the units they intend to initially deploy on the tables.  The British players are then able to make their plans and organise any pre-planned bombardments.  Once the British are ready, the German players may move their HQs up to 6".

The British must deploy all their forces on either of their reserve tables at the start of the game.  They can only advance from table to table using the broad outlined arrows.  The Germans can move their forces using the broken arrows.  All off table reserves are screened and hidden.

All individual units are placed on contested tables.  HQ's need be the only units deployed on uncontested tables.  Artillery firing indirectly must be deployed.  Units can be command arrowed to and placed on reserve orders on an uncontested table.  Units that have fought and secured their arrow point are on hold orders.

Movement and timescale

Units move double speed on uncontested tables.

There will be no turn limit.  Combat on two different tables will take place at their own speed and where there is a crossover from one side to the other this will coincide with the sequence of play.

Aircraft

Air assets will be deployed on a table every hour.  German (or allied aircraft if they capture it) can operate from the on table airfield every half hour.  Orders for air assets will be interdiction/ top cover, recon or ground attack.  Fighters will automatically drive away unaccompanied bombers and spotters, destroying fighter bombers on a 6 and medium bombers and spotters on a 5 or 6.  Outnumbered fighters are also driven away and shot down on a 6.  Equal numbers of fighters will dogfight with the higher dice roll shooting down the opposition and draws forcing both to withdraw.  Aircraft that withdraw or complete their missions are deemed to be at their base refuelling and rearming until the hour (or half hour) is complete.

Inter-table firing

There will be no direct fire from one table to another.  Mortar fire can only be used on the same table that it is deployed.  Guns up to and including 105mm can fire indirectly on adjacent tables.  Guns of greater calibre can fire on adjacent two tables.

Spearhead rule amendments for this game.  

Troops testing at 33% fail on a 6, at 50% 5 or a 6 and 66% a 4,5 or 6.  Therefore green troops still test at 1/3 losses but have a better chance of staying in the game whilst veteran troops have an increased chance of failing when they eventually have to test.

Germans will change orders on a roll of 3 or higher.  Still very good but simulates their disorganisation at this particular point.

Each British player can make a 2x command rolls for their forces each turn.  Each German player can make one.

German units under air attack or off table artillery fire cannot change their orders.

British artillery rolls are as USA 1944-45.

Counter battery fire is allowed against off table artillery that has fired.  For purposes of spotting any unit of medium or heavy artillery is revealed by the counter detection systems employed by both sides artillery HQs, and therefore HQs must be with a battery or battalion to enable counter battery fire.

Each German artillery battery has 6x indirect ammunition, each British has 8x ammunition.



I hope I've covered all the particulars.  Let me know if you think I have missed something or if you don't agree with an amendment.  I will work on the OOBs and present them a week on Thursday (4th Feb) for our pre-game planning session.  Please reread the rules and use that session to bring up anything you think we are doing wrong.  And just to confirm, Len has agreed to us using the club on Saturday 6th Feb - I can't wait!