DNO 3.5 question

[Kraut]

In our DNO 3.5 game my opponent playing the axis side got pest 1 at turn 14. I thought the axis pestilence should kick in during winter to represent the german losses due to the extreme cold but in the manual I can read 1% pest starting turn 15 and 2% pest during winter. What is the 1% pest supposed to simulate ?

[Ben Turner]

Originally posted by Kraut
In our DNO 3.5 game my opponent playing the axis side got pest 1 at turn 14. I thought the axis pestilence should kick in during winter to represent the german losses due to the extreme cold but in the manual I can read 1% pest starting turn 15 and 2% pest during winter. What is the 1% pest supposed to simulate ?

A low pestilence value is fairly normal in any scenario... it doesn't simulate anything in particular (though of course the designer may well correct me). It would be what Clausewitz would call "friction".

[Kraut]

well, OK, but the pest 1 is eating half the axis resupplies every turn. They get 700 rifles/turn, assigned approx. 30.000 1% pest therby means 300 rifle squads/turn are gone.
Seems to be a little high for normal desertions/injuries, especially if the soviets have no pest. IF this pest 1 is supposed to represent normal losses during transport/illness etc the soviets should at least have the same pest settings, probably a little bit higher due to dessertions and chaotic supply/command situation following Barbarossa and therby causing more losses.

[Ben Turner]

Originally posted by Kraut
well, OK, but the pest 1 is eating half the axis resupplies every turn. They get 700 rifles/turn, assigned approx. 30.000 1% pest therby means 300 rifle squads/turn are gone.

IIRC Half of pestilence losses go to replacements. I'll leave it to the designer to answer the rest.

[Chuck?]

I think there was a problem with pestilence in one version of DNO but that has been fixed.

[Kraut]

Yes, the pestilence-bug was a soviet pestilence of 10% for no aperent reason but the axis 1% pest is mentioned in the manual therefor intentional, I'm just curious why it was included.

[Stauffenberg]

I thought that was mentioned in the notes somewhere, but it has been a feature in the design from Day 1. If you read detailed accounts about Barbarossa you will realise that major German losses, outside of pitched battles at Yelnya and the like, mostly came from cummulative small unit engagements, a "death of a thousand cuts" if you like. German infantry squad repls have a cushion to absorb this pest to some extent, but the degradation of equipment was a key consideration here--German tank losses to mechanical breakdowns a prime example.

D.