Legion
Member
Jazz had made some good points in the "Rules I dont like" thread; rather than hijack the thread i thought i would explore his points separately.
We are discussing Battlefield Integrity A16, an optional rule.
I make it even easier by the use of my matchbox storage system that lists the BPV of all units (and their HSs) on their containers
We have played it even with scenarios (remembering that there must be >10 squads) and while i will certainly agree that it does tip the balance of a scenario or CG, i think it is rarely gong to unbalance the odds too much.
Think of the odds here: the best leadership modifier is added to the ELR drop DR, as are modifiers for things like lack of sufficient AT support and unopposed enemy air-cover - all things that you would have to agree are pretty devestating to a soldier.
In a scenario too the time is limited and if a side is getting hammered enough to drop ELRs than there is little chance that they have much chance of recovering anyway!
I beleive that it is in CGs that BI comes into its own... for instance in our current ABtF CG JP's SS now have ELR 0! (-1 to the ELR 1 due to being Night Defenders) This has a MASSIVE effect on his strategy (any break is an ELR reduction at the moment) and is actually serving to check the phenomenal strength of the Germans. It also makes the player who is suffering the ELR drops think about his reinforcements, as these can positively affect the ELR (A16.3)
This is, i feel, historically accurate (the Germans were slow to co-ordinate and effectively respond despite their overwhelming strength because of the battles taking place in the landing zones), and that leads to Jazz's other point...
I do enjoy playing a game that is close and does have a sense of 'history' to it - and i admit that whilst i am kicking JP's lederhosen right now i will feel mightily happy if the Brits manage to hold on despite the odds and ammo depletion etc, OR if the GFerman's can rally and mount a strong enough offensive to flush my valient men out.
Using BI gives us both an ally and threat that must be factored into our strategy - it benefits neither of us more than the other apart from the initial CG position of an over-whelming British attack flooding inexperience German defenders...
We are discussing Battlefield Integrity A16, an optional rule.
I have played BI with JP ever since we started with ASL, so it is just second nature - we play VASL mostly now that we live in different cities, but every time we send a log we also include the info sheet (I have included the current one for the ABtF CG we are playing). This makes the book-keeping very simple, and with 12+ years of practice we have it down pat!Jazz said:Problem is, most scenarios these days (or in any days for that matter) are not playtested using it. I can think of a number of scenarios that would become unbalanced if it was use. Most of the scenarios with '39 Poles come to mind off the top of my head.
I make it even easier by the use of my matchbox storage system that lists the BPV of all units (and their HSs) on their containers
We have played it even with scenarios (remembering that there must be >10 squads) and while i will certainly agree that it does tip the balance of a scenario or CG, i think it is rarely gong to unbalance the odds too much.
Think of the odds here: the best leadership modifier is added to the ELR drop DR, as are modifiers for things like lack of sufficient AT support and unopposed enemy air-cover - all things that you would have to agree are pretty devestating to a soldier.
In a scenario too the time is limited and if a side is getting hammered enough to drop ELRs than there is little chance that they have much chance of recovering anyway!
I beleive that it is in CGs that BI comes into its own... for instance in our current ABtF CG JP's SS now have ELR 0! (-1 to the ELR 1 due to being Night Defenders) This has a MASSIVE effect on his strategy (any break is an ELR reduction at the moment) and is actually serving to check the phenomenal strength of the Germans. It also makes the player who is suffering the ELR drops think about his reinforcements, as these can positively affect the ELR (A16.3)
This is, i feel, historically accurate (the Germans were slow to co-ordinate and effectively respond despite their overwhelming strength because of the battles taking place in the landing zones), and that leads to Jazz's other point...
Well, while i do say that BI is an eloquent way to sink the boot in when the opponent is down, i also do not play for blood-lust.Jazz said:I suppose an argument could be made for historical accuracy....but then one needs to ask why they play the game. To simulate history or to enter into a competition with your opponent where each player has an equal chance of winning based on the quality of their play.
I do enjoy playing a game that is close and does have a sense of 'history' to it - and i admit that whilst i am kicking JP's lederhosen right now i will feel mightily happy if the Brits manage to hold on despite the odds and ammo depletion etc, OR if the GFerman's can rally and mount a strong enough offensive to flush my valient men out.
Using BI gives us both an ally and threat that must be factored into our strategy - it benefits neither of us more than the other apart from the initial CG position of an over-whelming British attack flooding inexperience German defenders...
Last edited: