Revamping North African Campaign?

[Rico]

The New Look North African Campaign!!

I have been looking at this campaign/tourney and have some thoughts of possibly restarting it from TURN 1 with some changes and some lessons learned along the way.

Three major problems have been identified:

One has been the lack of multi-unit and multi-directional attacks -- and I am working on a way of solving that.

The second being that units damaged or destroyed in battle can be refitted far too easily and quickly and the advantage gained from winning battles is very short-lived.

The third is a lack of a scoring system to gauge each side's performance.

1. I am working on a way of sorting out a combat system that allows for multi-directional and multi-unit battles.

1a. I am also thinking of introducing more force-multiplier support units that get assigned to the Div's by the CO's to add extra punch in crucial areas for either attack or defence.
Axis: stuka support, Corps arty and bonus 88 and AT gun units
Allies: Corps Arty, Matilda Regt

These would be added in as bonus units to the OOB when starting the QB's.

The exact numbers of these will be determined later.
The idea is that these units can only be lost in Total Defeats, but could possibly be used as step loss points (air support being the exception here) and can be rebuilt.

Possibly Allies could get Close Air Support after Nov 1942 as well.

2. REPLENISHMENT POINTS

I'd like to strip down the supply and replenishment points available to both sides considerably and make refitting and rebuilding of units a slower and more expensive process.

Refitting:
When refitting or rebuilding a unit it will take 1 TURN to refit or rebuild 1 STRENGTH LEVEL per division.
So a full division will take 3 TURNS to be rebuilt once destroyed, plus travelling time back to the front from the home base of Alex or Tripoli.

Infantry & Mech Inf Div STRENGTH LEVELS will cost 1 Replenishment Point (RP) to refit.
Tank Div STRENGTH LEVELS will cost 2 RP's to repair.

REPLENISHMENT POINTS
The supply of RP's will still depend on which SUPPLY ZONE on the map the majority (more than half) of your divisions are.
ZONE 1
AXIS
Die Roll 1/2: German: 0 Italian: 0
Die Roll 3/4: German: 1 Italian: 1
Die Roll 5/6: German: 2 Italian: 2
(Germans and Italians get separate die rolls)
ALLIES
Die Roll 1/2: 0
Die Roll 3; 1
Die Roll 4: 2
Die Roll 5: 3
Die Roll 6: 4

ZONE 2
AXIS
Die Roll 1/2/3: German: 0 Italian: 0
Die Roll 4/5: German: 1 Italian: 1
Die Roll 6: German: 2 Italian: 2
(Germans and Italians get separate die rolls)
ALLIES
Die Roll 1/2/3: 0
Die Roll 4; 2
Die Roll 5: 3
Die Roll 6: 4

ZONE 3
AXIS
Die Roll 1/2/3/4: German: 0 Italian: 0
Die Roll 5/6: German: 1 Italian: 1
(Germans and Italians get separate die rolls)
ALLIES
Die Roll 1/2/3/4: 0
Die Roll 5: 1
Die Roll 6: 2

This is a severe reduction in available resources and should better reflect the course of the desert war as supplies get stretched, but also will make it trickier for sides beaten in a set-piece battle to recover.

PS:

Might also redesign the unit counters to look more like this:

More ideas to follow -- I will keep you all posted.

 

[Nathangun]

Sounds good.

 

[mTk]

Rico, nothing to lose since the campaign is pretty much stalemated as is. I really like how the Ardennes Campaign is run (when its running) so any leanings in that direction would be a good thing.

I haven't examined things in great detail but using a replenishment system based on historical accuracy pretty much dooms the Axis. I'd vote for more play balance here, giving the players more control over the outcome.

Proposed counters look good!

 

[Rico]

Rico, nothing to lose since the campaign is pretty much stalemated as is. I really like how the Ardennes Campaign is run (when its running) so any leanings in that direction would be a good thing.

I haven't examined things in great detail but using a replenishment system based on historical accuracy pretty much dooms the Axis. I'd vote for more play balance here, giving the players more control over the outcome.

Proposed counters look good!

I agree -- historically accurate supply and replenishment rates would doom the Axis eventually... so I've evened that up for both sides... it just becomes more difficult to keep going the closer you get to the final objective.

 

[Lord Bane (FGM)]

In attack and probe battles, more time is needed. It is hard to launch an attack with only 20 turns against an enemy who is dug in unless you result to suicidal frontal attacks.

I reccomend that these battles should be increased to
Attack-26-28 turns.
Probe-24-26 turns.

Lord Bane

 

[Lord Bane (FGM)]

Rather than trying to run the campaign through every month of the war. Maybe only certain months of each year should be used. In this way, you could cherry pick months where the sides had more or less equal strength and quality equipment. I don't know how hard that would be to do, but then we wouldn't have these battles with tanks that can't kill their opponents. I like a good challenge, but pretty much every battle has been that way. With the limited amount of time, small maps, lack of cover and concealment on the battlefield and lack of smoke, the battles are basically line up and shoot it out.

I am all for a restart though.

Lord Bane

 

[Bootie]

If we restart I would like to hand over control as A Victory Lost is gaining momentum and I will have the website software to work on in the coming month or so.

 

[Padre19]

Vote: RESTART!!!

 

[Rico]

In attack and probe battles, more time is needed. It is hard to launch an attack with only 20 turns against an enemy who is dug in unless you result to suicidal frontal attacks.

I reccomend that these battles should be increased to
Attack-26-28 turns.
Probe-24-26 turns.

Lord Bane

I agree -- we'll make those battles a few turns longer.
Good suggestion.

 

[Rico]

Rather than trying to run the campaign through every month of the war. Maybe only certain months of each year should be used. In this way, you could cherry pick months where the sides had more or less equal strength and quality equipment. I don't know how hard that would be to do, but then we wouldn't have these battles with tanks that can't kill their opponents. I like a good challenge, but pretty much every battle has been that way. With the limited amount of time, small maps, lack of cover and concealment on the battlefield and lack of smoke, the battles are basically line up and shoot it out.

I am all for a restart though.

Lord Bane

I disagree with that one... I wanted the tourney to run through all periods as the advantage in armour quality swings back and forth all the time... and players and CO's should deal with it with creative strategies and tactics.

 

[Lord Bane (FGM)]

I disagree with that one... I wanted the tourney to run through all periods as the advantage in armour quality swings back and forth all the time... and players and CO's should deal with it with creative strategies and tactics.

Good point Rico.
Lord Bane

 

[Rico]

Here's a pre-view of the current map situation with some sleek new-look counters.

If I have time tomorrow I'll post my new ideas on combat and support units etc.

 

[enven]

I like it a lot.

 

[Cargol]

Restart it if u like, but give me little time to smash 7th Armoured first.

 

[Rico]

Restart it if u like, but give me little time to smash 7th Armoured first.

Hahaha -- that's the spirit

 

[Michael Clarke]

...So we continue playing current battles right?

 

[Rico]

...So we continue playing current battles right?

Yep. Yes. Da. Ja.

 

[mTk]

Swell. I wouldn't mind skipping the carnage for my men coming soon as they wander across the open ground into the teeth of MGK's defenses.

 

[Rico]

Here's a preview of the sleek new counters for the NAC restart.

Counters for Tank/Panzer, Mechanised and Infantry Divisions with the numbers under the unit icon representing the strength point level on the left and the movement range on the right.
Also included sample of that lighter markers for units that are down to 1 strength point.

Each strength point represents 500 points of forces of the force mix according to Division type.

The Force Multiplier counters represent support units that are assigned to the divisions by Army HQ during each side's orders phase. (if the divisions are in supply and can trace a line of 9 clear hexes to the Army HQ.)

After the battle phase, they revert to Army HQ control and are freshly re-assigned during the next orders phase.

These units are only destroyed after a Total Defeat -- and can be rebuilt in Alexandria or Tripoli using RP points.

Luftwaffe Stuka support:
This adds a bonus of 2 Stukas and 1 Fighter to any battle's OOB.
(this air support is available based on a die roll every turn and can be stockpiled to a max of 3 Air Support points -- Allied Air Forces can get Air Interdiction Points and can use these to eliminate Axis RP points)

Corps Artillery Support
This is available to both sides (1 Italian, 1 German, 2 British) and adds 2 bonus heavy arty spotter (+ 2x Target ref points) to a defence or attack battle.
German: 1x 105mm spotter, 1x 150mm spotter
Italian: 1x 100mm spotter, 1x 149mm spotter
British: 1x 25pdr spotter, 1x 4.5 inch spotter

Matilda Inf Tank Regt: - 1x available
6x Matilda II's (3 Reg & 3 MatildaCS)

PAK support unit - 1x available
6x 50mm PAK (or 4x 75mm Pak once available)

88 Flak Guns - 1x available
4x 88's

The intention is for these units is to provide extra punch for attack or defense battles in crucial areas and the enemy will only know of their assignment after the orders phase is over and the battles have begun.

There is a limit of TWO force multiplier units of any combination that can be assigned to any one division.

STUKA support units are counted separatedly - limit of ONE per battle.

Italian and German force multiplier units can be freely assigned to each other's divisions.

PAK and 88's assigned to mobile attacking units will be assigned towing vehicles.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to especially recreate the Germanss creative use of AT guns in this theatre -- which are unlikely to ever be selected in a QB's.

Next step is settling how to handle combat...especially multi-hex multi-unit combat.

 

[Rico]

Multi-Hex Combat

On the unit counters, each Strength Point (SP), represents 500 points of the corresponding Division type (tank, Mech or Infantry)

More than one Division can join up to attack a single enemy Division.

When units attack a unit from non-adjacent hexes, they are awarded a multi-directional attack bonus that is added to the QB points total. (see below)

Any defending units, which is not under attack itself, may support an adjacent unit which is under attack.
This is to reflecy the need for an attacking unit to cover its flanks if adjacent friendly units don't pin down enemy units.

1 SP level cadre units are not able to do this -- as shown in bottom example on image below: The 1 SA Div is too weak to support the NZ Div being attacked by the 90 Light Div.

If a unit is adjacent to two friendly units under attack, the CO can chose which unit it will support - see example A: her the NZ Division can either support either the 4th Indian or the 50th Division.
(Attacks are always indicated with RED arrows, defence support with BLUE arrows.)

BATTLES EXAMPLE

How does all this work in practice together with the Force-multiplier units shown in an earlier post?

Here is a sample battle situation:

I will run through each battle from A to D.

A:
15 Pz Div of 1 SP (with the PAK unit attached) clashes with the advancing 1st Arm Div of 2 SP (with the Matilda unit attached)
Battle: ME battle (Armour Only or Armour force mix)
Axis: 500 pts (+6 50mm PAk attached to OOB)
Allies: 1000pts (+6 Matildas attached to OOB)

B:
21 Pz Div and 90 Light Div (both 3 SP) attack dug-in 50th Div (3 SP)
Axis have assigned a Stuka air strike in support, and 50 Div has a heavy arty unit in support.
Battle: AXIS ATTACK (Armour Force Mix vs Combined Arms Force Mix)
Axis: 3000 pts + 10% multi-directional attack bonus (+ 2 Stukas, 1 Fighter added to OOB)
Allies: 1500 pts + (1x 25pdr spotter, 1x 4.5 inch spotter & 2 TRP added to OOB)

C:
164 Afrika (3 SP) vs NZ Div (3 SP)
164 Afrika Div has German heavy arty assigned to it.
4th Indian Div is able to support the NZ Div as Brescia was not ordered to attack. 1 SA is too weak to support and the heavy arty counter assigned to this division does not come into play.
Battle: AXIS ATTACK, Inf Only vs Combined Arms Force Mix
Axis: 1500 pts (+1x 105mm spotter, 1x 150mm spotter & 2 TRP added to OOB)
Def: 1500 pts + 10% defence support bonus

D:
7 Arm Div (3 SP) attacks Littorio Div (2 SP) which has an Italian Heavy Arty assigned to it.
Battle: ALLIED PROBE: Armour vs Combined Arms Force Mix.
Allies: 1500 pts
Axis: 1000 pts (+ 1x 100mm spotter, 1x 149mm spotter & 2 TRP)
... no other bonuses apply.

BATTLES
Battles occur when units are ordered to attack by the CO (PROBES & ATTACKS) or moving units collide (MEETING ENGAGEMENTS).

The SP's of the units involved get added up for both sides and a QB is built with Random AI unit pick with Variable Rarity setting as per the old NAC.

I will have to get creative in how I attain the correct force sizes on each size and will manipulate the handicap bonuses to get as close as possible with maybe small rounding down in favour of the defender.

The type of Force Mix is determined by type of SP's involved.
If two attacking units consist of for example:
3 Tank SP's and 2 Mech SP's: Armour Force Mix
3 Tank SP's and 2 Inf SP's: Armour Force Mix
1 Tank SP and 2 Mech/Inf SP's: Combined Arms Force Mix

A majority of Tank/Panzer SP's in a total of attacking SP's will result in Armour Force mix.
A minimum of 1 SP of Tank/Panzer type amongst a total of attacking SP's will always result in Combined Arms Force Mix.

TURNS

MEETING ENGAGEMENTS: 20 turns
PROBES: 24 turns
ATTACKS: 28 turns

VOLUNTARY DISENGAGEMENT
I want to retain the existing rules about disengaging voluntarily as attackers or retreating as defenders with relevant SP losses as per the current NAC Rules.