Part 4 - Remote Commanders WWII D-Day Game

Some Game mechanics for you all to look at

Rules: Blitzkrieg Commander II

House rules:
I have allowed each American formation to take an attached Recce platoon. This platoon may only report to their own Commander. Also they will assist in spotting on the crib sheets I've made for this remote commanders game.

Opportunity fire Crib Sheet:
To keep me impartial I will us this Crib Sheet, its pretty basic but will do
 

Reaction to Movement:

Roll per enemy activation	Infantry/guns/soft vehicles	Recce/Armoured Recce.	Armoured Targets
In Range?	3+	6+	4+
Half range?	2+	5+	3+
Half Range and Flank/Rear shot?	Auto yes	NA	Auto yes

Reaction to Shooting:

Roll per enemy activation	Infantry/guns/soft vehicles	Recce/Armoured Recce	Armoured Targets
In range in OPEN	4+	6+	4+
In range in COVER	5+	6+	5+
In half range OPEN	3+	6+	4+
In half range COVER	4+	6+	4+
Half Range Flank/Rear OPEN	2+	NA	2+
Half Range Flank/Rear COVER	4+	NA	3+

Remote Commander spotting procedure.
This was a tougher prospect all together, I think that I have sorted away to give reports to off field commanders. Not perfect but will hopefully a keep them guessing and generally informed at the same time. Tricky.

1 moving = has an enemy moved into line of sight? – what they have seen move, Infantry, Artillery, tanks and other. Roll D6

1 = No report

2 = Report only enemy location

3 = Report location and direction

4 = as above but add Rough strength (rounding up!)

5 = Exact strength

6 = Full ID of enemy

Modifiers:

-1 on the chart for every full 20cm distance between spotter and enemy

-1 on chart if in light cover

-2 on chart if in heavy cover

+2 if any Recce unit is within 30cm of Enemy (max of 1 recce to help per roll)

2 shooting = has the enemy shot at you? – what is shooting at your forces, distance and direction. Roll D6

1 = Under fire from unknown enemy

2 = Under fire from enemy in direction x

3 = Under fire from enemy in direction and distance x

4 = Under fire from enemy and ID shooter

5 = Under fire from enemy, ID shooter and units under that same command

6 = Full report on enemy shooting strength, units and composition

Modifiers:

-1 if pinned

-2 if pinned and casualties

+2 if any Recce unit is within 30cm of Enemy (max of 1 recce to help per roll)

+1 if no casualties or pinning caused

3 assault = has the enemy assaulted you? – this will be situation dependent. If assaulted by the enemy it is assumed the report will be brief with only little detail. Type of unit and such.

Here is the map I made for both commanders, its not that great but will do!

Basic map I scanned into the computer and emails to the Commanders, they each printed 2 of them off.

Game time soon!

Part 1 - Remote Commanders WWII D-day Game

Hello, I'm back,

Ive been working on a new idea, after the fun and the great feedback I got from the One Man War-game articles I started work on the next thing.

Remote Commanders! [mad "doc brown" gesture]

This is the premise; I set up a game, write the scenario, have the forces and take pictures. Draw maps, send emails and keep them in the loop. allowing two of my friends to be safe at home and in some way act and feel like high up commanders in WWII. At our local club we have done this before with the separate commanders in different rooms but this will be done in different houses! Nice and Safe, in lock down. In a way this is more ambitious project than just a battle report. I will be sticking with the way I write the report going for a more historical documentary approach. The scenario is one I have made up, the area and commanders will be fictitious but I hop to capture the feel of the day after D-Day (D-Day+1). I may well throw the odd historical curve-ball but will be bending the rules too much.
https://www.facebook.com/STTGamingClub/?ref=bookmarks

So that in mind this will be a game set "somewhere" in the American sector of D-Day, one day after they landed. As such this game will be American forces pushing outwards and forming a beachhead. German opposition will be scattered and most likely disorganized. But rest assured the German commanders will be ready to offer stiff resistance to the Americans.

I am sure this sort of thing has been done before and maybe even you have been involved. Either way I invite you to keep on ready and see how this game unfolds. I will be completely unbiased and only do what instruction come through to me. No matter how insane they appear, I'm sure they have a plan and much like the commanders they are seeking to emulate will have a slowly clearing view of the battle as it continues.

As before all of the miniatures are from pendraken, the terrain is a mix of stuff I have made and N gauge railway things.
https://pendraken.co.uk/world-war-ii/

Before I continue its worth mentioning that their will be Nazi symbols visible in some of the pictures. these are included from a historical perspective and I in no way endorse Nazisim or any other national socialist ideals.

The Scenario

D-Day+1. After the initial landing the allied command was very aware they need to push inland. This battle represents a small portion of that advance as it starts to meet more organised resistance. The forces used are not entirely accurate but have been selected for our "based on historical events". I have made up some themed objectives that I think will keep the game interesting.

Objectives:

American -

1. As stated before the big part of the Allied strategy was to push inland and this will be represented by awarding the American commander 1vpt for every unit that ends the game more past the imagined halfway point on the table (65cm).    
2. The Airfield near the town of Murs Blancs is also an objective, although long abandoned by German fighter aircraft the dirt runways are still intact and could prove useful in later days and weeks as an airfield for allies. - 5vpts
3. An additional Objective to Capture enemy HQs and COs. This will naturally cause great disruption to the German fighting efficiency if their command and control structure is destroyed. Bonus 5vpts for every German CO or HQ knocked out. 

German -

1. As chaos reigns in German high command as to the fact of D-Day, the field commanders are left to organise the defense as best they can. The German command will follow their standing orders and Hold the Airfield +5vpts
2. Commanders on the ground will have to make the best of what they have, facing an unknown number of enemy troops and vehicles. +2vpts for every American unit Knocked out
3. The Village of Arret de Chaval has been designated vital by German inelegance and must held. if this village is taken it must be re-captured +10vpts of holding/re-capturing the village.

Scenario Rules

• Hedgerows - hedgerows block LOS, are impassable to vehicles but counts as an obstacle Infantry.
• Barbed Wire - barbed wire is impassable to wheeled vehicles, it counts as an obstacle for infantry. Tracked vehicles and Engineer can breach barbed wire by making contact with it during their move.
• Fields block LOS for infantry units but are counted as clear for moving
• Forests block LOS. with a -1 to hit units inside them
• Village blocks LOS. with a -1 to hit units inside its perimeter and gives infantry units a 6+ save from all attacks.
• Town uses standard build up area rules for Infantry shooing in and out of. If both Infantry units are inside the town perimeter: score hits on a 5+ with a 6+ cover save. Vehicles in built up areas are -1 to hit from shooting outside the town and increase their save by +1
• Bunkers - These are Counted as a fix MG platoon with 360° arc of fire, 4 hits and a save of 3+. They may only fire during the command phase and are only Pinned on a 6+. In close assault bunkers have no attacks but may not be driven back or Pinned. Engineers ignore the bunkers save in close assault.

The town of Murs Blanc in the south, Village of Arret de Cheval in the North west and the Airfield to the to the east.

 Part 2 coming soon
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