Normandy boards & overlays

[von Marwitz]

He said, "slopes."

 

[Ric of The LBC]

To better simulate the narrow road between the fields what about having something similar to narrow streets along the hexside with bocage symbology on each road side?

 

[DonWPetros]

just a quick comparison to the J4 (ex Tactiques) overlays.... So is the thinking here to add more "spacious" bocage feel to complement these?

No. In fact I wasn't aware of these other overlays. Yes, the intent is to give more spacious bocage fields rather than little ones.

The project isn't just one small sheet of Bocage overlays. It includes 5 new geoboards, 3(4) sheets of overlays (Bocage, Orchard, Normandy buildings).
This is designed to be an MMP project.

 

[FrankH.]

To better simulate the narrow road between the fields what about having something similar to narrow streets along the hexside with bocage symbology on each road side?

Really good idea. Narrow street rules apply by module or SSR if bocage on both sides of the hex.

Edit: Or, alternatively, use a thicker artwork depicting the bocage hexside going deeper into the road hex, if wanting to definatively indicate a narrow road. In other places, the use of normal/existing-type artwork would indicate no narrow road, only a standard road.

 

[DonWPetros]

There is also a number of Bocage/Hedge overlays by BFP. Personally, I think that with regard to Bocage, we are pretty well provided already. But the "medium sized" overlays do have their merits. von Marwitz

I think it becomes difficult for designers to combine MMP and 3P components, and impossible to do so when preparing an MMP scenario.
These boards and overlays are intended to generate MMP scenarios for a future MMP release.

 

[DonWPetros]

To better simulate the narrow road between the fields what about having something similar to narrow streets along the hexside with bocage symbology on each road side?

I think that could be a great idea.

 

[asloser]

No. In fact I wasn't aware of these other overlays. Yes, the intent is to give more spacious bocage fields rather than little ones.

Okay these have been official since 20+ years J4 came out. And also readily avalable because of th overlay bundle.

But great to see that you have a different apporoach.

 

[semenza]

To better simulate the narrow road between the fields what about having something similar to narrow streets along the hexside with bocage symbology on each road side?

Yeah, that would be cool!

Seth

 

[DonWPetros]

A sample of how the overlays can be applied to an existing board (ie. 17) to create a more interesting Normandy village. The possibilities are pretty endless.

 

[kdalton]

We need arctic tundra boards. Talk about exciting terrain!

 

[csiemers]

We need arctic tundra boards. Talk about exciting terrain!

But but but we'll then need polar bear counters!

 

[wrongway149]

View attachment 31394A sample of how the overlays can be applied to an existing board (ie. 17) to create a more interesting Normandy village. The possibilities are pretty endless.

But Don --if you are doing that much overlay -- why not just do a new board?

 

[PresterJohn]

A new historical map board!

 

[kdalton]

But but but we'll then need polar bear counters!

SSR the cow counters in SME.

 

[Hutch]

You Moo... Rang?

 

[DWPetros]

But Don --if you are doing that much overlay -- why not just do a new board?

Well, I've done 5 new boards

• large Normandy village - stretched out lengthwise
• small Normandy village - on one side, bocage on the other
• rural Normandy - bocage one side, grain on the other
• double-wide Normandy hill - dense bocage on one side, sparce on the other side

But to answer why not do new boards instead of overlay - A) to give guys like you a lot of options to 'build' any Normandy field Name any battle in Normandy, and we can now build that terrain using the above and below pieces. The OLs work not just with the above, but with practically any other existing geoboard.

• medium sized bocage OLs
• medium sized orchard OLs
• Normandy style buildings

 

[DWPetros]

Scenario designers now needed to make this work!

As mentioned earlier, it seems we're lacking in scenarios that cover the Commonwealth actions around Caen. In fact, looking through the official scenarios, American/German actions outnumber Commonwealth/German actions by 2-1. Too bad. And the Commonwealth/German actions appear to feature many more combined arms battles, as the German panzer forces were concentrated against the Commonwealth forces.

 

[gorkowskij]

Lots of variety possible here, but it's worth noting that Britain's biggest battle around Caen, Operation Goodwood, was fought mostly in open country via armor-vs-armor battles. In several instances, British tankers advised their infantry to stay out of the fight lest they be slaughtered in the open. Yes, there were some infantry fights, even limited combined arms, but usually small and against dazed German garrisons crawling out after suffering a devastating bombardment. I suspect that has something to do with the limited number of scenarios on the topic.

 

[footsteps]

Scenario designers now needed to make this work!

As mentioned earlier, it seems we're lacking in scenarios that cover the Commonwealth actions around Caen. In fact, looking through the official scenarios, American/German actions outnumber Commonwealth/German actions by 2-1. Too bad. And the Commonwealth/German actions appear to feature many more combined arms battles, as the German panzer forces were concentrated against the Commonwealth forces.

10 years ago I designed a board based on St. Germain, France, which was the furthest advance of the Anglo-Canadian Operation Totalize south of Caen.

 

[DWPetros]

Lots of variety possible here, but it's worth noting that Britain's biggest battle around Caen, Operation Goodwood, was fought mostly in open country via armor-vs-armor battles. In several instances, British tankers advised their infantry to stay out of the fight lest they be slaughtered in the open. Yes, there were some infantry fights, even limited combined arms, but usually small and against dazed German garrisons crawling out after suffering a devastating bombardment. I suspect that has something to do with the limited number of scenarios on the topic.
View attachment 31475

Goodwood was large but wasn't the only operation (and wasn't what I had in mind anyway with the bocage). Operations Epsom, Jupiter, Martlet, Totalize, Perch, Spring and Charnwood were battles in mind. Many were in bocage, some not so much - but the larger point here is to have more Commonwealth scenarios in/around the northern Normandy area.