It's been a while. I've been busy painting, working on my conversion of the Piquet Field of Battle: WW2 rules, and other stuff that I won't bore you with.
So, at the end of the post of 4 November 2012, I described some of the things that still needed to be done. The list is below:
"There are still more elements to be established. These include:
So, at the end of the post of 4 November 2012, I described some of the things that still needed to be done. The list is below:
"There are still more elements to be established. These include:
- defining in game terms the effects of being 'susceptible to shock' and 'susceptible to unavailability of forces';
- how to deal with the recovery of FPs at the end of a battle;
- how to define battle posture and adjustments to the forces resulting from the Force Tables;
- reflecting the impact of the Attack Options on the support units available, particularly engineering and artillery;
- designing a process for airpower and strategic strikes and their influence on-table;
- how progression, or not, through the Battlespaces affects posture and FPs in subsequent Battlespaces;
- an idea that the forces faced in each sector maybe variable, such as Sector 1 having possibilities for engagements with West German, Dutch or British forces, or Sector 3 having US Army or Bundeswehr."
But first. I've made some slight changes to one of the tables in the "The Notion of Force Points" to give a degree of troop unavailability for the Soviets in the "Attack from Peacetime Posture" in Battlespace 1.
Table 1 – Force
Points Availabilty by Attack Options:
Attack
Options
|
Peacetime
Posture
|
Attack
on
Two
Fronts
|
Attack
on
Three
Fronts
|
Attack
on
Five
Fronts
|
Battle
(min/max)
|
||||
Battlespace
1
|
5*!#
|
6
|
8
|
12
|
5*!
|
6*!
|
7!
|
9
|
|
Battlespace
2
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
8
|
1*
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
|
Battlespace
3
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
|
Warsaw Pact
|
8 (28)
|
11 (40)
|
15 (60)
|
23 (92)
|
NATO
|
7
(28)
|
9
(36)
|
12
(48)
|
14
(56)
|
!
Susceptable to Shock; * Susceptable to unavailability of forces; #
assume Likely Shock
What have I been able to do? Well first up -
1.
Defining in Game Terms the Effects of Being 'Susceptible to Shock'
and 'Susceptible to Unavailability of Forces'
Susceptible to Unavailability of
Forces
The background for unavailability of forces is the amount of warning NATO might get to the various Attack Options. Below are a set of options that I've considered. In the end I settled on the last option using a D6 and rolling for each Unit and removing a proportion of that Unit's stands.
Seven days warning
- 23 divisions but reduced
manning by up to ⅓
Four days warning
- 23 divisions but reduced
manning by ⅓
– ½ and possible shock
2 days warning
- 23 divisions but reduced
manning by ½ – ⅔
and likely shock
Very little warning
- 19 divisions but reduced manning
by ½ – ⅔
and shock
Options for
Susceptible to Unavailability of Forces
| Normal D6 – Roll/Std | Normal D6 – Roll/Unit * | Average D6 – Roll/Unit # | |
| reduced manning by up to ⅓ | 1, 2 = Remove; 3-6 = Not | Remove ⅓ of stands |
2 = Remove no stands
3, 4 = Remove ⅓
of stands
5 = Remove ½
of stands |
| reduced manning by ⅓ – ½ |
1-3 = ⅓;
4-6 = ½
If
⅓, then
1, 2 = Remove; 3-6 =
Not
Else
1-3 = Remove; 4-6 = Not |
1-3 = Remove ⅓
of stands
4-6 = Remove ½
of stands |
2 = Remove no stands
3 = Remove ⅓
of stands
4 = Remove ½
of stands
5 = Remove ⅔
of stands |
| reduced manning by ½ – ⅔ |
1-3 = ½;
4-6 = ⅔
If
½, then
1-3 = Remove; 4-6 = Not
Else
1-4 = Remove; 5, 6 = Not |
1-3 = Remove ½
of stands
4-6 = Remove ⅔
of stands |
2 = Remove ⅓
of stands
3 = Remove ½
of stands
4 = Remove ⅔
of stands
5 = Remove ¾
of stands |
| reduced manning by up to ⅔ | 1-4 = Remove; 5, 6 = Not | Remove ⅔ of stands |
2 = Remove ½
stands
3, 4 = Remove ⅔
of stands
5 = Remove ¾
of stands |
* Round Down # Round Up to nearest
stand
Further Options for
Susceptible to Unavailability of Forces
| Average D6 – Roll/Unit # | Normal D6 – Roll/Unit # | ||
| reduced manning by up to ⅓ |
2 = Remove no stands
3 = Remove ¼ of stands
4, 5 = Remove ⅓
of stands |
1, 2 = Remove no
stands
3, 4 = Remove ¼ of
stands
5, 6 = Remove ⅓
of stands |
|
| reduced manning by ⅓ – ½ |
2 = Remove no stands
3 = Remove ¼ of stands
4 = Remove ⅓
of stands
5 = Remove ½
of stands |
1 = Remove no stands
2 = Remove ¼ of
stands
3, 4 = Remove ⅓
of stands
5, 6 = Remove ½
of stands |
|
| reduced manning by ½ – ⅔ |
2 = Remove ⅓
of stands
3, 4 = Remove ½
of stands
5 = Remove ⅔
of stands |
1 = Remove ⅓
of stands
2-4 = Remove ½
of stands
5, 6 = Remove ⅔
of stands |
|
| reduced manning by up to ⅔ |
2 = Remove ⅓
of stands
3 = Remove ½
stands
4, 5 = Remove ⅔
of stands |
1 = Remove ⅓
of stands
2-4 = Remove ½
stands
5, 6 = Remove ⅔
of stands |
* Round Down # Round Up to nearest
stand
Now why would I choose this option? Basically, it uses an easy to find D6, covers the range of possibilities but includes some out of range options and not fixing on the upper limit.
Susceptible
to Shock
Before the beginning of the Campaign,
after defining the initial conditions, roll a D10 to determine the Level of Shock based on the Type of Shock - Possible, Likely or Actual Shock - on the table below. (Option: roll separately for each
Sector.)
Command and Troop Quality Shock Level by
Prevailing Type of Shock
| Possible Shock | Likely Shock | Shock | |
| No Shock |
1 – 3
|
1
|
-
|
| Level 1 Shock |
4 – 7
|
2 – 4
|
1
|
| Level 2 Shock |
8, 9
|
5 – 8
|
2 – 6
|
| Level 3 Shock |
10
|
9, 10
|
7 – 10
|
Once a battle begins in a
Sector/Battlespace a further roll is made after a specified period of time,
depending on the current Level of Shock:
- For Level 1 Shock, roll at the end of the first Turn, then again 1 Day later (3 Turns), then there are no further rolls until end of game. The rolls are made with a -3;
- For Level 2 Shock, roll at the end of the first Turn, there are no further rolls until end of game. The rolls are made with a -1;
- For Level 3 Shock, roll at the end of the first Day (3 Turns), then again 1 Day later (3 Turns), there are no further rolls until end of game.
- Additional Adjustments:
- +1 if prevous battle was a decisive loss or worse
- -2 if previous battle was a decisive victory or better
The Shock Level can only move one level
up or down during a battle.
The Shock Level needs to be recorded through the Campaign.
Effect of Level of Shock on Command
and Troop Quality
| Command Shock | Troop Quality Shock | |
| Level 1 Shock |
Down 1 Die Type
|
Down 1 Die Type
|
| Level 2 Shock |
Down 1 Die Type
|
Down 2 Die Type
|
| Level 3 Shock |
Down 2 Die Type
|
Down 3 Die Type
|
2. How to
Deal with the Recovery of FPs at the End of a Battle
FPs are allocated to choose Brigade/Regiment sized units
on the gaming table. However, the effects of combat relate to Combat Teeth units and
Battalions. To resolve this, the FPs recovered will depend on the
success or not on the Battlespace.
Check FPs based on relative battle
success. Recovery based on the results in each sector
| Probability of Recovery | % retained from initial allocation - Soviet * |
% retained from initial allocation - NATO * |
||
Crushing Victory
|
80
|
85
|
||
Decisive Victory
|
70
|
80
|
||
Marginal Victory
|
60
|
75
|
||
Marginal Loss
|
65
|
70
|
||
Decisive Loss
|
55
|
65
|
||
Crushing Loss
|
45
|
60
|
* Swedish Rounding
The percentages are based on the idea
that a significant proportion of losses will be recovered, and the
difference between NATO and Warsaw Pact results from a) the greater
ratio of recovery vehicles to teeth in NATO, and b) the much higher
tail to teeth ratio – NATO is about 3.5, whereas Warsaw Pact is
about 1.7.
After the battles applying to a Battlespace have been conducted, calculate the recovery for each sector. Recovery is simply the Probability of Recovery multiplied by the FPs allocated to the Sector. The recovery for each sector is added together, then rounded. The new rounded value is combined with the Force Points for the next Battlespace and freely allocated amongst the sectors.
After the battles applying to a Battlespace have been conducted, calculate the recovery for each sector. Recovery is simply the Probability of Recovery multiplied by the FPs allocated to the Sector. The recovery for each sector is added together, then rounded. The new rounded value is combined with the Force Points for the next Battlespace and freely allocated amongst the sectors.
Example 1:
Attack on Three Fronts, Sector 2 –
combat in Battlespace 1. WP allocated 3 FP and NATO 2 FP. After the
battle the WP had achieved a crushing victory over NATO, who
concomitantly received a crushing loss. On this basis: WP applies 80% to 3FP = 2.4; NATO applies 60% to 2FP = 1.2.
Example 2:
Attack on Three Fronts, Sector 3 –
combat in Battlespace 1. WP allocated 2FP and NATO 2FP. After the
battle NATO had achieved a marginal victory over the WP, who
concomitantly received a marginal loss. On this basis: WP applies 65%
to 3FP = 1.95; NATO applies 75% to 2FP = 1.5.
Example 3:
Attack on Three Fronts, Sector 1 – combat in Battlespace 1. WP allocated 3FP and NATO 3FP. After the battle the WP had achieved a marginal victory over NATO, who concomitantly received a marginal loss. On this basis: WP applies 60% to 3FP = 1.8; NATO applies 70% to 2FP = 1.4.
Example 3:
Attack on Three Fronts, Sector 1 – combat in Battlespace 1. WP allocated 3FP and NATO 3FP. After the battle the WP had achieved a marginal victory over NATO, who concomitantly received a marginal loss. On this basis: WP applies 60% to 3FP = 1.8; NATO applies 70% to 2FP = 1.4.
Example - Battlespace Recovery:
Attack on Three Fronts, combat in Battlespace 1. WP allocated 8FP and NATO 7FP. After the battle NATO recovered 1.2 + 1.5 + 1.4 = 4.1, while the WP recovered 2.4 + 1.95 + 1.8 = 6.15. On this basis: WP has 6 + 4 = 10FP to allocate in Battlespace2; NATO has 4 + 3 = 7FP to allocate in Battlespace2.
Final Thoughts
Having worked through this example of recovery of FPs, I'm happy with how the results work out. What it does bring out is that the number of FPs, and therefore the forces on the gaming table, are smaller that I expected, potentially with fewer bells and whistles.
My thoughts are tending toward adding to the die rolls to determine the forces to be used for each FP allocated
Well, that's it for now.
