Band of Brothers Ghost Panzers (Bob help required)

[JudgeDredd]

Yep. I don't normally go a lot for "training" scenarios and this one seemed odd with the forces so close together, so many Russian units and so much better German units...it all seemed strange

But playing through and seeing what's important has made the scenario make a lot of sense

[bob48]

Tonight I was playing one of the bigger 4 map scenarios and had a situation where 2 Russian 4/1 units managed to assault a German 6/5 unit that had a level 1 suppression. The German unit passed its moral check and rolled 2 hits whilst the Russians managed to obtain no hits at all, leaving them both reduced and with full suppression.

[JudgeDredd]

So here's the rest of Turn 2

Turn 2
Russian Operations Phase
The Russian Operations Range is 3-4


Unit 1
The Russian WT in D7 opens fire on the German squad in E6


The Russian MG FP of 6 is reduced to 4 because the German squad is in a Stone building
A roll of 4 is a hit and the fully suppressed German Squad - however, had I bothered to double check the rules I'd have noted that there was no point in this attack as no result could have resulted in the German Squad taking casualties and as they are already fully suppressed, they cannot be suppressed further.

But we learn


The Russian squad is marked with a Used marker



Unit 2
The Russian Squad in B8 moves from B8 to C9 to D8 to E8 - STOP!


The German Squad in E6 attempts Op Fire but it has to pass a Morale Check
A roll of 5 means it cannot perform the OpFire action


The German Squad is marked as used


The Russian Squad continues it's move to F7 and stops for a complete movement allowance of 5


The Russian Squad is marked as used



Unit 3
The Russian Squad in H6 moves to G6 to F5 and is marked as used



Unit 4
The Russian Squad in C7 moves to C8 to D8 to E7 - STOP!


The German Squad in E6 attempts Final OpFire
A roll of 8 means it failed its morale check and cannot fire.


The Russian Squad is out of moves and stops - leaving it in a precarious position for the next turn (where the German Squad will lose one suppression level and have a better chance of passing a morale check)

The Russian Squad is marked as used


This ends the Russian's Operations Phase for this phase of the turn



German Operations Phase
The German has an Operation Range of 1-4


Unit 1
The German squad in B3 moves to C3 to D3 - STOP!


The Russian Squad in C6 performs OpFire on the German Squad. However, a LOS check shows that the building in C5 obscures vision and so OpFire cannot take place. The Russian Squad is marked as used.


The German Squad continues to E4 and stops


The German Squad is marked as used



Unit 2
The German WT in D2 opens fire on the Russian WT in D7 (and therefore loses its Conceal bonus)


A German WT has a modified FP of 7 (FP of 8 -1 for the Russian Squad being in a wood building)
A roll of 0 is a miss!! Who would've thought it!


The German WT is marked as used



Unit 3
The German unit in C3 is marked as OpFire


This concludes the German's Operations Phase for this phase of the turn

Both sides units have all been activated and so the Operations Phase for this turn is over.

Rout Phase
Russian Rout Phase
The Russians being the side to move first goes through the rout phase first.
There are 3 Russian units which are in a position to rout - E7 is next to an enemy unit not in melee and 2 units in F5 which are in melee
However - as these units are not suppressed, they automatically pass their morale check and do not rout


German Rout Phase
The Germans have 2 units in a position to rout - one in E6 which is adjacent to an enemy unit not in melee and one in F5 which is in melee and both need to pass a morale check in order to remain where they are.


Unit 1
The German Squad in E6 rolls a 0 and fails it's morale check and must rout.


As the German Squad is adjacent to a Russian unit not in melee (E7) then the roll is compared to the First number of the German Squads Casualty Rating. As the roll was more than the units first Casualty rating number, then the German Squad is also reduced.


The German Squad must move to a hex which gives a positive modifier against direct fire, not closer to a Russian unit and not next to a Russian unit not in melee. Such a hex exists...E5 and so the German Squad moves to E5



Unit 2
The only hope for the German Squad in F5 is to pass it's morale check. If it does not, it cannot rout because it will immediately be next to 2 Russian units not in melee.

A roll of 7 means it has failed it's morale check and because it cannot rout, it's eliminated



That ends the Rout Phase


Melee Phase
There are no units of opposite sides in the same hex

This ends the Melee Phase


Recovery Phase
All USED and OPFIRE markers are removed


All Fully Suppressed markers are turned to their Suppressed side



The Turn has ended and the Turn Marker is moved to Turn 3 and both sides get their Command Point back (though the Russians didn't use theirs). The Germans could have done with holding onto that for the morale check of that unit in F5!


This is the position at the end of the second turn. It's not looking good for the German units.



I have to say - I really like the rout mechanic. It seems like it allows for a "fluid" battle.

[bob48]

Good stuff, JD.

Bear in mind that the German player could spend a command point(s) to take an action with a unit prior to the Russian turn. This is often useful if you want to take a fire action against an adjacent unit before it fires at you.

[JudgeDredd]

Good stuff, JD.

Bear in mind that the German player could spend a command point(s) to take an action with a unit prior to the Russian turn. This is often useful if you want to take a fire action against an adjacent unit before it fires at you.

Yep - already planted that one in the head - thanks.

Those command points are useful and so limited you have to take care on when to use them.

[bob48]

Of course, if you wanted to risk it.............move the German squad into F5 to assault. The Russian unit will be able to op fire first, but the max FP he can get is 4, or 5 if you spend a CP. The German squad, if it makes it, will have a much better chance in the assault, needing 6's to score hits against the Russian 4's. Even if the German unit takes a suppression, then he still has a 60% to continue into the building and a 60% chance of passing a moral check.

;)

[JudgeDredd]

Bob

If the German squad moves from F3 to F4, isn't the modified FP for the Russian squad 6? FP=4-1(wood building)+3(adjacent)?

Actually Bob - the modified FP for the Russian squad is 3 is it not?

FP=1(proficiency FP)+3(adjacent)-1(Wood building)? Which could increase by 1 if the Russian player plays his CP...no? Or does the German squad not get the benefit of the wood building because they are moving out of it?

[bob48]

Check the three possible additions for prof FP. You get a plus 1 for being adjacent, and this is in addition to the 'normal' +3 modifier for being adjacent.

Rule 9, para 5 and see also the modifiers on the player aid card.

[JudgeDredd]

So does the German unit not get a defensive bonus for being in the building?

[JudgeDredd]

Or they do...

Attack
FP=1
OpFire Adjacent=+1
Normal Adjacent=+3
Defensive
Wood Building=-1

Total = FP4?

The CP cannot be used to increase the FP to 5 because it would take it above the normal FP of 4

I'm not getting it. Can you please lay out what the final FP is made up of?

[bob48]

Yes the German does get the defensive modifier, but I think what you're missing is that the prof FP additions cannot exceed the original FP, but the other modifiers will still be added, therefore;

Prof FP = 1
+1 Prof FP for being adjacent
+1 Prof FP if you spend a command point.
+ 3 'normal' FP for being adjacent
-1 for the German terrain defence.

Modified FP = 5

So, for example, like the German unit;

Prof FP = 5
+1 for being adjacent.

Now that = 6 which is the main FP and so the German player could not add any more Prof FP modifiers, such as for an Op Fire marker or spend a command point, but the FP could be further modified by any of the standard modifiers (moving in the open / adjacent).

Again, if you look at the next para in rule 9, you will see it says that once you have calculated the Prof FP as above, you then apply any of the standard modifiers.

[JudgeDredd]

Great - thanks Bob.

So if the German unit used a CP to start things off, opened fire on the adjacent Russian units, the FP would be 7?

PFP=5
+1PFP(adjacent)
+3(adjacent)
-2(stone building)

Glad you mentioned the last sentence - I was going to say couldn't you be fly on how you added the modifiers so that you ended up with the maximum...but the order is
Add Proficiency Modifiers (to the maximum of normal FP) ONLY for OpFire
Add Standard Modifiers
Remove defensive modifiers

Is that right?

Sorry to keep on - but I've had such long breaks between turns (real life) that I forget some of the rules and skim read - resulting in missing some small but important parts. For example, in my post where I struck my text out, I had forgotten that it was the proficiency fire power that was used!

[bob48]

Yes, you've got it right. Just remember to calc the Prof FP first, then all the other plus/minus modifiers afterwards.  O0

[JudgeDredd]

Yes, you've got it right. Just remember to calc the Prof FP first, then all the other plus/minus modifiers afterwards.  O0

Thanks pal.  O0

[Boggit]

Great AAR. O0

I am a bit confused as to why Bob didn't channel his attack H7-H4-G5, which would give him the benefit of a covered approach using the buildings even though he would have to cross the road? At least going from H7 to H4 he would not face a unit at point blank, thus having a better chance to get a toehold in cover and then set up a base of fire from G5 to support the attacks/lead the attacks to F5/E6?

I hope you do some more scenarios together. This one has been quite interesting.