von Marwitz
Forum Guru
Based on an AAR I have recently posted I have received a PM asking me for the reason why I stacked a squad with a 4PP MMG and a 1PP LMG while leaving a second squad without any SW in my setup. This obviously is not beneficial to movement or optimal with regard to Firepower usage.
The answer might be of some value especially to newer players, so I thought I might post it for the general public. Veterans might even add to it.
Here's the basic situation at the end of the setup before game start (Romanians move first):
"von Marwitz,
I noticed in the AAR picture you have a 347 carrying a 4PP medium mg and a lmg. Obviously you did this on purpose, what was the reason?
Thanks"
What you see in the screenshot depicts the situation at game-start. This means, concealment is already gained for units elegible but it is not yet the start of the first Rally Phase.
This means that at this point, the Russians may not yet inspect the Romanian stacks. Had the Russians not had LOS to the stack with the 347+MMG+LMG and 347, they would also have become concealed.
But now to your question:
In case no LOS had existed to the squad which the Russians may not inspect before game-start (i.e. the first RPh), then he would only have known that there is one 347 in it for sure but not what is beneath. Had I stacked the LMG with the second 347, he would have known that there is the LMG over there but not which unit holds it. However, a HS will unlikely hold an LMG, so he would have concluded that the two topmost units were a 347+LMG with some certainity.
If the entire stack would have become concealed, because no Russian has LOS, then I could have transferred the LMG to the 347 carrying nothing without losing Concealment during the first Romanian RPh.
So the bottomline is that in case of no LOS, the Romanians could have obscured just a little tidbit more of information to the Russians compared to stacking the LMG with the 2nd 347 from the beginning.
As it turned out there is LOS, the Russians will be able to inspect the stack at game-start - provided his unit in 1C1 is real. So if the Russian asks me to show him the contents of the Romanian squad, I have coerced another tidbit of information from the Russian. Which is quite valuable in this situation as a real unit in 1C1 can slow down the Romanian advance on that flank and will influence the way I move.
Of course, it is highly imporobable that the Russians in 1C1 are dummies as it would be a gross oversight to leave that flank only barely covered from 1F3 (not counting possible HIP units), so I am well advised to treat it as real anyway. BTW, unsurprisingly it was real in our game.
You see that this detail in the setup is just a battle for tidbits of information gained or withheld.
For the same reason, you might notice some more little mindgames:
The leaders in 71A7, 71G7, and 71J7 are not stacked on top. This might help to make it more difficult for the opponent to figure out which stacks of mine might be able to move further (leader bonus) or not. And it might influence his Sniper placement if he knew where exactly my leader were. Still, of course, he might well guess positions where the presence of leaders are likely. But guessing is not knowing.
In 71D7 and 71L7 the HS are not stacked on top. As it is pretty easy to figure out that the Russians will not have LOS to these stacks before game start, I will get concealment before the Russians have a chance to inspect anything. This means, he will know just a little bit less about the strength of the stacks. If there is infantry on top in a stack of 2 units, he can conclude that there is no SW beneath, so it has to be more infantry. It is more beneficial for me if the Russian can only guess if I have two full 347s in those stacks or just a 347 / 137 combo. If I put the 137 on top, he knows that there is a HS in there which is just a little tidbid of additional information for him which I can avoid giving away.
In 71G7 and H7 I did place HS on top. The reason here is that it is less valuable for the Russian to know that I have deployed (at least) one squad rather than to know where my Assault Engineers are - which will also give him some further clues where my DC's and the FT might likely be found as these can be operated without penalty only by Elite personnel. Knowing more details about my most dangerous units might influence the way he conducts or withholds his Defensive First Fire during the first Romanian Movement Phase. Of course, most of the Romanian units will lose their Concealment during their first MPh as they have no time to lose in this scenario. But again, it is a battle for some little tidbit advantages which is behind this.
ASL is a game of chances. It is rarely one tidbit that makes the difference in a scenario. But the number of tidbit advantages in information, DRMs, etc. add up throughout a game and in sum it is more likely that they do make a difference.
This is why I attempt to fight for every little seemingly negligible tidbit whereever I can.
That said, rolling low remains the best tactic, though...
Cheers,
von Marwitz
The answer might be of some value especially to newer players, so I thought I might post it for the general public. Veterans might even add to it.
Here's the basic situation at the end of the setup before game start (Romanians move first):
"von Marwitz,
I noticed in the AAR picture you have a 347 carrying a 4PP medium mg and a lmg. Obviously you did this on purpose, what was the reason?
Thanks"
What you see in the screenshot depicts the situation at game-start. This means, concealment is already gained for units elegible but it is not yet the start of the first Rally Phase.
This means that at this point, the Russians may not yet inspect the Romanian stacks. Had the Russians not had LOS to the stack with the 347+MMG+LMG and 347, they would also have become concealed.
But now to your question:
In case no LOS had existed to the squad which the Russians may not inspect before game-start (i.e. the first RPh), then he would only have known that there is one 347 in it for sure but not what is beneath. Had I stacked the LMG with the second 347, he would have known that there is the LMG over there but not which unit holds it. However, a HS will unlikely hold an LMG, so he would have concluded that the two topmost units were a 347+LMG with some certainity.
If the entire stack would have become concealed, because no Russian has LOS, then I could have transferred the LMG to the 347 carrying nothing without losing Concealment during the first Romanian RPh.
So the bottomline is that in case of no LOS, the Romanians could have obscured just a little tidbit more of information to the Russians compared to stacking the LMG with the 2nd 347 from the beginning.
As it turned out there is LOS, the Russians will be able to inspect the stack at game-start - provided his unit in 1C1 is real. So if the Russian asks me to show him the contents of the Romanian squad, I have coerced another tidbit of information from the Russian. Which is quite valuable in this situation as a real unit in 1C1 can slow down the Romanian advance on that flank and will influence the way I move.
Of course, it is highly imporobable that the Russians in 1C1 are dummies as it would be a gross oversight to leave that flank only barely covered from 1F3 (not counting possible HIP units), so I am well advised to treat it as real anyway. BTW, unsurprisingly it was real in our game.
You see that this detail in the setup is just a battle for tidbits of information gained or withheld.
For the same reason, you might notice some more little mindgames:
The leaders in 71A7, 71G7, and 71J7 are not stacked on top. This might help to make it more difficult for the opponent to figure out which stacks of mine might be able to move further (leader bonus) or not. And it might influence his Sniper placement if he knew where exactly my leader were. Still, of course, he might well guess positions where the presence of leaders are likely. But guessing is not knowing.
In 71D7 and 71L7 the HS are not stacked on top. As it is pretty easy to figure out that the Russians will not have LOS to these stacks before game start, I will get concealment before the Russians have a chance to inspect anything. This means, he will know just a little bit less about the strength of the stacks. If there is infantry on top in a stack of 2 units, he can conclude that there is no SW beneath, so it has to be more infantry. It is more beneficial for me if the Russian can only guess if I have two full 347s in those stacks or just a 347 / 137 combo. If I put the 137 on top, he knows that there is a HS in there which is just a little tidbid of additional information for him which I can avoid giving away.
In 71G7 and H7 I did place HS on top. The reason here is that it is less valuable for the Russian to know that I have deployed (at least) one squad rather than to know where my Assault Engineers are - which will also give him some further clues where my DC's and the FT might likely be found as these can be operated without penalty only by Elite personnel. Knowing more details about my most dangerous units might influence the way he conducts or withholds his Defensive First Fire during the first Romanian Movement Phase. Of course, most of the Romanian units will lose their Concealment during their first MPh as they have no time to lose in this scenario. But again, it is a battle for some little tidbit advantages which is behind this.
ASL is a game of chances. It is rarely one tidbit that makes the difference in a scenario. But the number of tidbit advantages in information, DRMs, etc. add up throughout a game and in sum it is more likely that they do make a difference.
This is why I attempt to fight for every little seemingly negligible tidbit whereever I can.
That said, rolling low remains the best tactic, though...
Cheers,
von Marwitz