OBA...just having the SR down has an effect...the enemy forces generally scatter when an SR is near by. This will help keep the Germans from massing up large FG's.Getting ready to start a RO CGII and after making my purchases I had 1CPP left over. What would you spend this 1CPP on??
I have already made my choice.
I forgot to mention, I am the Russians. This would be a great choice if I was the Germans!What about Stukas?
I have used the MOL-P before...difficult TH...and you have to remember to fire them first in any fire phase...the added crew are OK.Don't have RO yet, but I think MOL-P's in reserve are good buy in RB. Anti tank capability, smoke, and extra crews if needed in case a Gun loses one.
If you were talking about a SAN bump from 3 to 4 or even 4 to 5, I might agree. A SAN of 6 has a potential to do harm far out of proportion to the 1 point (a 9-2 or 10-2 dropping dead). The problem w/ OBA is the Red Army draw pile - 5B/2R for argument sake. It would come as a surprise to no one if only one fire mission was successfully obtained.SAN bump is nice but you have no control over it while you can drop a SR in the middle of a German attack sector and watch them run for cover!
You kind of made my point...if the presence of an SR makes the German do the above then you never have to bring down the FFE and you can retain the OBA. Bumping the SAN to a 6 means you could drop at least 1 maybe 2 in SAN during the next RePH.As for scattering a German attack,... I'm not so sure. Not stacking, maintaining '?' by use of aslt mov/adv, using buildings with upper levels as cover, etc., can lessen the effective application of Russian OBA (and German to be fair).
An increase in SAN by one increases the expected number of SAN activations by 1 in 36 DRs, whether the increase is from 2 to 3 or 6 to 7.If you were talking about a SAN bump from 3 to 4 or even 4 to 5, I might agree. A SAN of 6 has a potential to do harm far out of proportion to the 1 point (a 9-2 or 10-2 dropping dead).
The 5:2 draw pile results in exactly one mission 9.52% of the time, while the 8:3 draw pile results in exactly one mission 15.15% of the time. That extra red chit hurts more than the extra black chits help for that particular statistic. On average the 5:2 draw pile has 3.33 missions before double-redding while the 8:3 draw pile makes 4 missions before double-redding, so in that particular statistic the 8:3 is better.The problem w/ OBA is the Red Army draw pile - 5B/2R for argument sake. It would come as a surprise to no one if only one fire mission was successfully obtained.
But you are not just rolling the die once across the life of a scenario or campaign date. I'm sure you and others have tracked all the DR through the phases that can possibly activate a sniper and the number of times a 6 is rolled over a 2 (3, 4 or 5) becomes evident. A high SAN will (normally) be far more effective than a low SAN. You still need a 1 or 2 for the attack but that can only happen if the SAN is achieved first.An increase in SAN by one increases the expected number of SAN activations by 1 in 36 DRs, whether the increase is from 2 to 3 or 6 to 7.
OBA is always something of a crap shoot , which at the company level is probably not that far off the mark. Whenever I am the Russians I almost hope for red card on the first draw. I cannot even recall how many times in RB or regular scenarios where my valiant Red Army gunners fail to drop a single SR on the map - which is just bad luck, and perhaps not all that far off the mark. I can only recall one instance where my Brit gunners (8B/2R), for example, failed me with a double red.The 5:2 draw pile results in exactly one mission 9.52% of the time, while the 8:3 draw pile results in exactly one mission 15.15% of the time. That extra red chit hurts more than the extra black chits help for that particular statistic. On average the 5:2 draw pile has 3.33 missions before double-redding while the 8:3 draw pile makes 4 missions before double-redding, so in that particular statistic the 8:3 is better.
Fair cop but I rarely stack under even the best conditions much less if the other side has OBA. Since an SR can't hurt you, scout HSs can still DASH across roads to draw fire or strip concealment while '?' 8 morale troopers aslt mov/adv through the buildings.You kind of made my point...if the presence of an SR makes the German do the above then you never have to bring down the FFE and you can retain the OBA. Bumping the SAN to a 6 means you could drop at least 1 maybe 2 in SAN during the next RePH.
A higher SAN will be more effective than a lower SAN: that seems obvious. What may not be apparent is that the increase in the number of a due to moving a two SAN to a three SAN is the same as from a five SAN to a six SAN, i.e. the SAN activates on 1/36 more DRs. The increase in activations is linear with the SAN number.But you are not just rolling the die once across the life of a scenario or campaign date. I'm sure you and others have tracked all the DR through the phases that can possibly activate a sniper and the number of times a 6 is rolled over a 2 (3, 4 or 5) becomes evident. A high SAN will (normally) be far more effective than a low SAN. You still need a 1 or 2 for the attack but that can only happen if the SAN is achieved first.
JR,.... this is all fine and good but lets not get too far down into the weeds on this. In the scope of this single campaign game date and the availability of 1 CPP, what will be more damaging to the German attacker?A higher SAN will be more effective than a lower SAN: that seems obvious. What may not be apparent is that the increase in the number of a due to moving a two SAN to a three SAN is the same as from a five SAN to a six SAN, i.e. the SAN activates on 1/36 more DRs. The increase in activations is linear with the SAN number....
What JR points out is that your 1 CPP does not get you SAN 6 by itself - it changes a SAN 5 into a SAN 6.JR,.... this is all fine and good but lets not get too far down into the weeds on this. In the scope of this single campaign game date and the availability of 1 CPP, what will be more damaging to the German attacker?
Two, perhaps (w/ good luck) three, FFE from 12 or 16 FP in a heavily urban environment against (comparatively) high morale troops?
Or a SAN of 6 (which does not care about morale, class/type of unit or building DRM)?