The Allied counterattack in campaign turn 3 continues the second battle where their 1st Armoured Division is attacking the Trieste infantry division.
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| The campaign map showing the 1st Armoured division advance. |
The terrain is determined with the usual terrain cards and the tabletop setup. The defender selects the base edge to defend, then both sides switched to adjacent cards (please refer to previous
posts on the rules on how this is done). The key to winning this game will be taking and holding the central hill.
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| Terrain cards are used to determine the tabletop layout. Black arrow shows the Axis side and read Allied based edge. |
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| Tabletop showing objectives. The defending Italians will take up position on the far edge. |
The opposing forces were laid out and each unit diced for to determine whether they are unavailable for battle and not succumb to the wear and tear of operating in the harsh desert. Each unit is unavailable for the battle on a score of 1. As neither force had lost a battle there was no need to deduct 1 from the score. Divisions that have lost a battle would deduct 1 from their score until re-equiped during the campaign supply phase.
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| Italian forces have to remove 2 tank and 1 infantry units. |
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| Allied forces only have to remove 1 tank unit. |
At the start of the campaign I was planning to track unit losses for each division, but later switched to just tracking division that lose a battle and when they are re-equiped during the supply phase. To help with this tracking I have created a campaign supply table (see below). Whenever a division is involved in a lost battle they are marked with a burning wreck, and any re-equipment is shown with barrels.
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| Supply tracker. |
On the bottom line of each army I track the supply choices. An arrow going up is an attack, a down arrow shows taking a defensive stance with improved positions for defending forces, a barrel is resupplying and re-equipping division. A circle with a line shows supplies have been interrupted or redirected to other fronts.
The next post will be the after action report.
Attrition takes a toll on the Italians before the first shots are fired. This will be interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe loss of 2 tank units may hurt, but they have the advantage of occupying the central hills and just have to hang on tight.
DeleteI like your simplified roster concept, and it looks like the Brits have drawn a favorable fight, with 1st Armoured up against Trieste; hopefully the Allies walk all over them to sew up this campaign turn and push further west.
ReplyDeleteV/R,
Jack
Thanks. This is an important battle for the Allies. Their one remaining armoured division, 7th Armoured, is in need of a refit as they lost their previous engagement. So a loss here may mean they have to use one of their infantry division to attack.
DeleteThat's a neat way of tracking a campaign. I'm looking forward to the game report.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I figured if I made it more of an infographic I would remember to update it.
DeleteThe reliability of those Italian tanks is really letting them down when they're badly needed - I think I can guess who's going to win this one.
ReplyDeleteThey are starting on the back foot.
DeleteSorry, not related to the current post but just questions about the rules an odd typo.
ReplyDeleteHills (p2): allow units (other than inf) to fire over others but presumably not over anything else that blocks LOS, dune, dust, burning wrecks, etc.?
Typo: 'Facing', p2, 2nd paragraph: "... whether unit is turreted OR not."
Turns (p3): as I read it players throw to determine how many APs they have before making any moves - correct? It seems a lot of dice throwing for a percentage chance of 0 APs = 6.25%; 1 AP = 11.72%; 2 APs = 20.51%; 3 APs = 30.76%; and, 4 APs = 30.76%. Why not roll a D10 for similar probabilities? Alternately why not roll for the next AP after the AP has been used - makes grand manoeuvres, and when to fire your ATGs, a little more uncertain.
Typo: 'Movement', p5, 3rd paragraph ending: "... movement IS on a road." 4th paragraph, delete "terrain" as doesn't add anything to ""any hex adjacent".
Line of Sight (p6): I read LOS as only blocked if "crossing" a hex means that none of these 'blocks' stop LOS into / out of the hex they are located in, i.e. doesn't include the hex containing the target or firer/observer?
Typo (p6): 'Combat Resolution', the last line in the 2nd paragraph should be a sub heading for next paragraph.
Minefield (p6): can units move freely out of a minefield they are in at the start of their move? Forcing to stop on exiting would make minefields a better obstacle. I do like the need to cover obstacles with fire. Also can you do Group Moves, or Directed Moves, into / out of minefields? I think I'd assume not...?
Dust (p8): are all dust markers removed by the owning player at the start of his/her move? Mounted infantry should perhaps be penalised if caught while moving?
Smoke (p8): does not block LOS? I know a unit is in the hex anyway but does being on a hill allow an observer to overlook smoke as well?jjjjjj
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as the unit?
Thanks for the suggestions, questions and picking up typos. I like the turn use of D10 idea. I will work my way through your questions and update the rules and reply here again when done.
DeleteThe last comment obviously reached some sort of limit on size... All I had left was whether for **units that can re-roll on shooting it would not be quicker to roll two dice and use the higher score?
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the campaign and do intend digging my collection out of the attic at some point and hope my comments are helpful as they're intended to be.
Many thanks, most helpful.
DeleteI have updated the rules and included suggestions. Many thanks.
DeleteThumbs up for your simple yet attractive campaign tracking sheet, Peter!
ReplyDeleteThanks. I am trying to minimise any campaign bookkeeping.
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