WW2 campaign game scenario setup

To avoid having too much text in this post as I quickly run through the rules for setting up a game having already determining terrain. I have included a few photographs from the most recently played game which is yet to be written up.

A game in progress

These scenario rules are heavily influenced by the "Wargaming Scenarios" chapter in "Wargaming Nineteenth Century Europe 1815-1878" by Neil Thomas.

Air support

Having decided upon the terrain and identified the order of battle from the available units (see here for an example) it is then time to figure out the scenario which done in two steps:

1. Pre-battle events impacting the force deployment and unit availability
2. Deciding scenario objectives

Pre-Battle Events

When deciding upon the pre-battle events roll a dice for both players and on a score of:

1-2 Interdiction
Enemy air support has attacked and delayed important supplies and the arrival of reserves. 20% of the force (rounding down any fractions) must be removed. The units removed cannot be of all one unit type and must include a variety of types. For example: tank, armoured cars, infantry, AT guns, Artillery.

The opposing force will not have any air support available during the game as it was directed to interdiction activities. However, air support is available to the side impacted by interdiction.

3-4 Defence in Depth
The defence has held back part of its force in reserve ready to be deployed to bolster a defensive line or form part of a counterattack. 30% of forces (rounding fractions down) are to kept in reserve, They cannot include artillery units.

The reserves can be deployed any time after turn 4 on a successful dice score of 4+. They arrive on the players base edge or rear flanks (see photo below).

Reserves can arrive on a players based edge (13 hexes) or rear flank (3 hexes). The tabletop is 13 hex wide and 10 he deep.

5-6 Flank Attack and Aggressive Defence
The attacking force is able to make a flanking attack. 30% of the forces (rounding up fractions) are involved in the flank attack. The flanking force cannot contain any artillery units.

The flanking force can be deployed any time after turn 5 on a successful dice score of 4+. They arrive on either flank but not on the last 2 rows on the defenders base edge (see photo below).

A flanking force can arrive on either flank, but not close to the defenders base edge. The side edges on my tabletop measure 10 hexes.

The defending force once all units are deployed (bar the flanking force) can reposition 30% of its units (rounding down) anywhere on table top providing they are move than 3 hex from any enemy units.

Deciding Scenario Objective

Between 1 to 3 scenario objectives are now assigned to key terrain features. The tabletop is divided into 3 rows from one side to the other aligned to the terrain cards. In each row 1 objective can be placed using the following rules:

1. Place objective on hill (when placing the 3 hills in a zone 2 are always placed adjacent)
2. Place objective on Escarpment
3. Place objective on town
4. Hills take priority over escarpments, which in turn take priority over towns
5. If none of there above are terrain features in a row, then no objective is placed
6. If 2 hill features are in a row dice to see which is the objective

See example below...

A tabletop showing the zones and 3 objectives

Note - This approach to assigning objectives allows the defence when switching objectives to deprive the attackers of having an objective in their deployment zone. Making it difficult to gain a victory with 2 objectives. While the attacker can switch terrain cards to move objective apart to spread defensive efforts.