Ardennes 1944

[Ranger6]

I would appreciate any feedback, AARs, or playtest of Ardennes 1944, posted on both The Wargamer and The Strategist web sites.
It is primarily regimental level, 2.5 km per hex and 60 half-day turns. Although it is playable as PBEM as well as Allies vs PO, my personal playtesting was German vs PO.
I plan to do some minor revisions by 16 Dec...
Rob

[viridomaros]

i had fun with it when i started playing toaw
but once you're experienced:

-not very accurate from an historical point of view. (not that much a problem for me)

- totally unbalanced in the hands of experienced players. US troops profeciency suck. German should win every games.

- The german can maintain air superiority through all the game.

Bastogne 44 or the battle ofthe bulge are definitely better scenarios.

[Ranger6]

Pierre,
You said "looking forward to the new version of toaw"
Which version of toaw are you using now,and which Ardennes scenario did you play?

[viridomaros]

oops, looks like it's time to change my signature :rolleyes:

i have both toaw III and cow 1.4, i have played Ardennes 44 with cow 1.4 . I don't think playing it using toaw III will make the scenario any better really. but that's just my feeling

[Ranger6]

Pierre
Please take a look at Ardennes 1944 (not Ardennes 44) designed using TOAW III. It is posted at The Wargamer and The Stragegist under TOAW III.

I look forward to your comments...
Rob

[Menschenfresser]

Totally different scenario Pierre...

[viridomaros]

woops sorry for the mistake :hush:

this one certainly looks interesting. the best way to find out about the scenario would be to play a game if it's ok for you Ranger.

panzers can't move during the first turns, somewhat disturbing but he justified it so ok. Profeciency for both sides seem to be ok.

What is strange is how he modelled the airforces. I looked at the game and the german can have air parity for the whole game, the allied don't get any new air units. I looked through the events and couldn't find anything lowering german replacements or anything that weakens their airforce.

german fighters (authorized): 1972 on map: 911
allied fighters (authorized): 1320 on map: 1032

the german get 10 fighters per turn while the allied get 9.

The allied do get a lot of ground units though, might be enough.

i'm really interested by giving it a try, i think the following house rule is needed: no arty attacks on airfields.

Too bad the designer didn't use the max round per battle feature, we can still modify it anyway.

[rasmus]

this one certainly looks interesting. the best way to find out about the scenario would be to play a game if it's ok for you Ranger.


i'm really interested by giving it a try, i think the following house rule is needed: no arty attacks on airfields.

Too bad the designer didn't use the max round per battle feature, we can still modify it anyway.

If you wish we could take it for a ride.

[viridomaros]

that's been a while Rasmus :smoke:

I was making the offer to Ranger, but i have room for more. Though i'd like to play different sides. So if you don't mind the side, we're going to wait for Ranger's reply and i'll take the other side.

[Ranger6]

Pierre,
Thanks for your observation on air units.
Indeed that is one of the areas I will be looking at in the 1.0 version. Most sources say the Germans put up around 1000 aircraft in direct support of the Ardennes offensive. The exact number the Allies had is more difficult to come by, since they were generally spread out over the entire theater. Parker gives the number of Allied sorties by day- from only 2 on 20 Dec to a maximum of 1138 on 24 Dec The Germans flew 2 and 1088 sorties on those dates (see To Win the Winter Sky by Danny S. Parker.)
See Daniel McBride's Rundstedt's Plan Martin- a "what if scenario" included in TOAW III for a highly detailed air war over the Ardennes where he modifies the Air Shock values on a turn-by-turn basis based on the actual weather. I decided in a more simplified approach.
Rob

[viridomaros]

ha you're the designer :surprise:

Well then may be Rasmus and I can start the game and we'll report to you how it goes. Unless you want a game as well?

about the air units: i have played daniel's scenario quite a few times, his approach is not exactly the same than yours. I prefer yours because allied air units can fly from the begining of the game but with very low effectiveness (20%) while german are somewhat better (30%). Daniel included a lot more allied air units later on. It's true his scenario is larger than yours. We'll see how the air war turns on in the game i'm going to play against Rasmus. From an historical point of view, can you tell me if the german were able to maintain the balance in the air until january 14th (when the scenario ends)?
I feel like they had some light air superiority at the begining but it gradually shifted to the allied. But those are just my feelings.

I have alos noted that you speak about operation Bodenplatz ( the german bombing of allied airfields) but i didn't see any events other than news only. Is it intended?
What do you think of the max round per battle feature?

[rasmus]

that's been a while Rasmus :smoke:

I was making the offer to Ranger, but i have room for more. Though i'd like to play different sides. So if you don't mind the side, we're going to wait for Ranger's reply and i'll take the other side.

Any side is fine by me.
Let me know.

[Ranger6]

Pierre, Rasmus,
Please go ahead with a game! Let me know how it goes.
Rob

[Ben Turner]

Parker gives the number of Allied sorties by day- from only 2 on 20 Dec to a maximum of 1138 on 24 Dec The Germans flew 2 and 1088 sorties on those dates (see To Win the Winter Sky by Danny S. Parker.)

I imagine the Allied sorties were more effective, since the quality of the Luftwaffe had fallen pretty far by December 1944. As a case in point, the airdrop that was made at the start of the operation in question fell seriously short of its intended target due to the inexperience of the transport pilots.

[FM WarB]

Is the scenario you are discussing the same as the one included in TAOW III?
The scale is the same as mentioned here.

[Menschenfresser]

No, it is a new scenario. Check here: http://www.the-strategist.net/RD/scenarii/display_scenario.php?Id=718