The German advance in Russia has reached the city of Portagrad, and they are about to mount an assault. The defenders have managed to throw up some defences around the city, but they know that they are outnumbered by the attackers.
German assault force
4 x Infantry units (3 SPs each)
1 x Heavy machine gun unit (2 SPs)
1 x Light artillery unit (2 SPs)
1 x General (2 SPs)
Total: 18 SPs
Russian defence force
2 x Infantry units (3 SPs each)
1 x Infantry SMG unit (3 SPs)
2 x Light machine gun units (1 SP each)
1 x Light artillery unit (2 SPs)
1 x General (2 SPs)
Total; 14 SPs
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Both sides set up their forces within their respective Reserve Areas, and units were only allowed to entre the battlefield when they were activated.
Turn 1
Both sides threw a D6 die to see who would have the initiative this turn and how many units they could activate. The Germans threw 3 and the Russians threw 1.
The Germans moved 3 infantry units onto the battlefield and the Russians responded by moving 1 infantry unit into the city's defences.
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As no units were in range of each other, there was no Fire Combat.
Turn 2
Both sides threw a D6 die to see who would have the initiative this turn and how many units they could activate. The Germans threw 2 and the Russians threw 3.
The Russians moved their two light machine gun units and their General into the city's defences and opened fire on the advancing Germans.
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Their fire was very accurate, and two of the German infantry units lost 1 SP each.
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In response, the two German units that had suffered loses moved forward ...
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... and fired at the Russian light machine gun units ... with no effect.
Turn 3
Both sides threw a D6 die to see who would have the initiative this turn and how many units they could activate. The Germans threw 3 and the Russians threw 5.
The Russians moved their remaining infantry unit and the infantry SMG unit into the city's defences ...
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...whilst the two light machine gun units fired at the two German infantry units that were threatening them ... with devastating effect as both German units lost a further 1 SP each.
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To add insult to injury, the Russian light artillery unit fired from the Reserve Area at the third German infantry unit ...
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... and inflicted a loss of 1 SP on it!
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In response, the two depleted German infantry units charged the Russian light machine gun unit ...
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... and in the ensuing Close Combat, both sides lost a 1 SP ... and a German infantry unit and a Russian light machine gun unit were destroyed.
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The German light artillery unit attempted to engage the Russian light artillery unit with counter-battery fire, but it missed.
At this point in the battle Germans had lost one third of their original force, and I decided that there was no chance that their attempt to break through the defences of Portagrad would succeed and I halted the battle. The Germans had lost 6 SPs and the Russians had lost 1 SP.
Notes about the rules
The rules used were those currently available as a PDF entitled Fast Play 3 x 3 PW Russian Front Rules in the Files section of the PORTABLE WARGAME Facebook Page but with the following changes:
- Light machine guns throw 2 D6 dice to fire and can move and fire in the same turn but only have 1 SP.
- Heavy machine guns throw 2 D6 dice to fire and cannot move and fire in the same turn but have 2 SPs.
- Neither side was allowed to set up any of their units on the battlefield. They had to be deployed from their respective Reserve Areas. This had the effect of making the 3 x 3 grid feel larger.
Lesson learned
- The changes to the rules that separate Fire Combat (i.e. one unit firing at an opposing unit in an adjacent grid area) and Close Combat (i.e. one unit fighting an opposing unit in the same grid area) worked better than I expected.
- Giving different units different Strength Point Values also worked well and gave infantry units more staying power.
- Making each side deploy from their Reserve Area increased the tactical choices available to the players.
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A really fine game and post Bob. I'm interested to see that you are allowing fire out of the Reserve Area. Is this to reflect the more powerful weapons of the 20th Century?
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteCheers! You are spot on about allowing artillery fire from the Reserve Area. Not only does it reflect the great ranges but also frees up more space on the main grid as the artillery units still count as one of the six each side is allowed.
All the best,
Bob
I like the off board artillery. Maybe have a chance for friendly fire? On a miss, roll again if a 1 is rolled the square in front of the target square is hit?
ReplyDeleteHaving both sides start in the reserve area would be an excellent way to simulate encounter battles.
I'm enjoying the way this system is evolving, it has much greater scope and traction than I originally thought.
Mark Cordone,
DeleteI had not considered the possibility of artillery fire falling short … but the idea certainly appeals.
Using the Reserve Area as a jumping off point would ideally suit encounter battles, but I wanted to see how it would work for an ordinary battle … and it certainly did.
The whole 3 x 3 concept has really taken off … and it’s thanks to your initial idea!
All the best,
Bob
So.... are we going to have a new book published on next months???
ReplyDeleteSlorm,
DeleteI hope so …
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteThis is looking good for this kind of 'set piece' infantry assault. I like the idea of arty shooting from reserve area into the battlefield; presumably 'counter-battery' from reserve area to reserve area would be 'verboten'?
It seems that this sort of action could be anything from platoon to battalion level, with, say, the infantry 'units' being squads/sections, platoons or companies. To me the action had the 'look' of the middle of those scales.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI think that you are right. It works well for this sort of set piece assault. I might try to see if it will also work for fighting in a built up area.
I’d only allow counter-battery fire after the artillery in the Reserve Area has fired. Until then, I’d rule that it wasn’t allowed.
In this game I regarded the units as being companies (or their equivalent), but they could equally have been platoons or battalions.
All the best,
Bob
I really like the deployment from reserve area; this has been on my list at of things to try - you bumped it up a notch for me.
ReplyDeleteThe off board artillery is perfect for modern times. Should work well for other eras as well - at least I can see it working for Napoleonic era and later battles.
Mike Taber,
DeleteDeploying from the Reserve Area seemed to be the next logical step to take. Likewise, for the modern era, placing artillery there made sense ... and both seem to have worked quite well.
All the best,
Bob