Sharpe
02-16-2007, 06:45 PM
In order to promote cohesion and aid the designers, this is a thread for those who want to deal with the rules in toto.
1. Platoon Cards--There are as many game situations as there were platoon organizations in WWII. Therefore, instead of locking players into rigid formulae, why not take the Chinese menu approach. Allow players to select a certain number of units from specific categories (Column A--commanders; Column B--basic infantry; Column C--personal Anti-tank weapons; Column D--crew-served MGs) and give them a 33% discount on the grouping.
2. Enfilade Fire--My personal motto is "Avoid Crack Shot like the Plague." Add 1 or 2 Attack Dice. Better yet, if a player creates an enfilade situation, each success over the minimum to destroy the unit grants -1 on the cover roll. Example: A Garand has one Mauser directly in front of it and another behind it. The first Mauser rolls 5 successes on its eight dice. The Garand makes cover on 5+.
3. Special Units--The definition of a scenario implies limiting the choice of units. If you mean to introduce limits into tournament or casual play, then the Law of Unintended Consequences will rear its ugly head. Limiting heroes was sensible. No more intervention is necessary. Let the invisible hand of the tournament market place handle this.
4. Firing at Aircraft--See Number 2 above. A better idea would be to limit the number of units which can fire at aircraft, i.e. no more than 3 units without anti-air can fire at each aircraft per assault phase. No double shot without anti-air. Anything but die-roll modifiers.
5. Defensive Fire--Expanding defensive fire would paralyze the gameboard. This is a problem that can be solved by players and interference would largely prove counter-productive. See Law of Unintended Consequences. The best thing that could be done for the game now is to rule that defensive fire causes units to stop except when specifically excluded (Polish Cavalry).
6. Overwatch--This is the most sensible suggestion, but overwatch declaration should occur after the aircraft phase and before both assault phases. Otherwise, the first player would gain an inordinate advantage, especially if coupled with a change in the initiative (if overwatch persists past the assault phases).
7. Grazing Fire--Maybe make this a form of overwatch that covers a cone-shaped area. Any unit that moves or fires in that area receives an attack from the MG with an immediate face-up result. Since grazing fire was designed more to pin, maybe it should be limited to disruption. I'm not sure about which way to go, but an unforeseen loophole in this rule could make MGs the new uberunit.
8. Gun Shield--Should have been an SA allowing a reroll for cover or a cover roll in the open.
All in all, the best solution to most of the problems in the game is correctly pricing the units.
1. Platoon Cards--There are as many game situations as there were platoon organizations in WWII. Therefore, instead of locking players into rigid formulae, why not take the Chinese menu approach. Allow players to select a certain number of units from specific categories (Column A--commanders; Column B--basic infantry; Column C--personal Anti-tank weapons; Column D--crew-served MGs) and give them a 33% discount on the grouping.
2. Enfilade Fire--My personal motto is "Avoid Crack Shot like the Plague." Add 1 or 2 Attack Dice. Better yet, if a player creates an enfilade situation, each success over the minimum to destroy the unit grants -1 on the cover roll. Example: A Garand has one Mauser directly in front of it and another behind it. The first Mauser rolls 5 successes on its eight dice. The Garand makes cover on 5+.
3. Special Units--The definition of a scenario implies limiting the choice of units. If you mean to introduce limits into tournament or casual play, then the Law of Unintended Consequences will rear its ugly head. Limiting heroes was sensible. No more intervention is necessary. Let the invisible hand of the tournament market place handle this.
4. Firing at Aircraft--See Number 2 above. A better idea would be to limit the number of units which can fire at aircraft, i.e. no more than 3 units without anti-air can fire at each aircraft per assault phase. No double shot without anti-air. Anything but die-roll modifiers.
5. Defensive Fire--Expanding defensive fire would paralyze the gameboard. This is a problem that can be solved by players and interference would largely prove counter-productive. See Law of Unintended Consequences. The best thing that could be done for the game now is to rule that defensive fire causes units to stop except when specifically excluded (Polish Cavalry).
6. Overwatch--This is the most sensible suggestion, but overwatch declaration should occur after the aircraft phase and before both assault phases. Otherwise, the first player would gain an inordinate advantage, especially if coupled with a change in the initiative (if overwatch persists past the assault phases).
7. Grazing Fire--Maybe make this a form of overwatch that covers a cone-shaped area. Any unit that moves or fires in that area receives an attack from the MG with an immediate face-up result. Since grazing fire was designed more to pin, maybe it should be limited to disruption. I'm not sure about which way to go, but an unforeseen loophole in this rule could make MGs the new uberunit.
8. Gun Shield--Should have been an SA allowing a reroll for cover or a cover roll in the open.
All in all, the best solution to most of the problems in the game is correctly pricing the units.