The Amy H [OA29]

jrv

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Tom Arnold had a pile of scenarios he wanted to try. I looked through them and picked out "The Amy H," OA29. The scenario is notable for having a British Matilda with a 9-2 armor leader and two jihadi with truck bombs. Other than that the British have a very small number of squads (5.5) and a French 20L Gun. The Germans meanwhile have a fairly standard force of motorcyclists and early war tanks, two Pz IVD and two Pz 38(t)A. The Germans have to clear the center of the town of Good Order British Infantry.

The greatest difficulty came from the combination of rules for the truck bombs. They are ammo vehicles (E10.3) that can be detonated like Goliaths (German MAVN 93) by their inherent driver. Despite having a bombs on board, these truck bombs are not "armed units." Perry provided this answer, with the justification being that it has no inherent crew [index: armed]. This means they can't DM broken guys, don't prevent rout toward themselves, and don't force rout (although it's probably a bad idea to remain adjacent to them). As UUV they also don't cause concealment loss or prevent concealment gain, probably not a big issue in this scenario. They also don't prevent enemy movement through the Location nor fire out.

The truck bombs can be detonated in any fire phase by the British (only). They can't be detonated as DFF in the German MPh, nor as BFF in the British MPh. They can also be detonated in CC (rather like a very large Nahverteidigungswaffe). If one is detonated in the PFPh or the DFPh, there is an additional +2 DRM on the IFT. When detonated in the AFPh or the CCPh the +2 DRM does not apply. If the Germans capture one they can't detonate it (the SSR says the British player only may do it). The truck bombs also detonate if they become a burning wreck, without the +2 DRM as best I read the Goliath rules. Because a truck bomb is still a vehicle, it can't end its MPh in Location with an enemy AFV.

The SSR (and ammo vehicle and Goliath rules) leaves some questions. What happens if a truck bomb malfunctions on detonation (presumably using the X11 malfunction of the Goliath)? Is it removed, as a Goliath would be? Does the truck become a wreck? Does it remain on board still operational? If it is not removed or made a wreck, can detonation be attempted again? When detonated, does leave a burning wreck or a wreck? Or is it removed as a Goliath? Per E10.5 if one becomes a burning wreck it instead attacks and is removed. I believe in all cases it should be removed, but that's not 100% clear to me.

Tom had the British, and he was a bit perplexed about how to use the the truck bombs. He started them out as "area denial weapons," rather like big, one-time minefields. He had one in the woods, but one could just as easily be left in bypass of a building. I think that is a good use for them, but they can also be used as THH (Truck Hunter Heros) by driving into hexes (or bypass of hexes) with and/or adjacent to enemy units, then blowing themselves up. If used in this way they might wait until a German unit has used DFF/SFF before making their charge. They can't end their MPh with an enemy AFV in general, which would perhaps be the most desirable use for them, but when they detonate adjacent they would attack any CE crew collaterally. If an enemy tank ends up in bypass, they could move into bypass out of LOS and detonate. This last attack is really, really sleazy because the attack would be as an Successfully or Optimally placed DC despite the building or woods between the truck bomb and its target, but there would have to be another enemy unit in LOS that would also be affected in order to qualify for detonation.

The Germans entered on their motorcycles with the British set up right in their face. There are a few blind hexes, and the Germans tried for smoke dischargers in other hexes. Only one tank brought its smoke discharger, so most of the motorcyclists had to enter the handful of blind hexes. A couple halfsquads managed to draw some fire. The Germans pressed up against the British in the DD3 and DD7 areas.

The Matilda was in CC2, which was both a problem and an opportunity. The Matilda remained where it was during the British first turn, and in the following German turn Smoke was put into DD2 adjacent to it. Two squads, the 8-1 and an 8-0 entered DD2, and the Matilda rolled successfully for Motion. Both squads and leaders entered for CC. The 8-1 and the first squad immobilized the Matilda, which unfortunately let it attack at full FP against the other squad and 8-0, killing them. A Pz IV that had malfunctioned its MA drove into the hex with the Matilda. Here I made a rules mistake, as the tank could not have remained in the hex with the Matilda. Fortunately for me Tom fired and flamed the Pz IV. The 8-1 and a squad dashed across the street, then came back for CC against the now immobile Matilda. With street fighting, the leader and immobile, the attack was a 6 CCV down 3. The Matilda went up in flames.

On the other side of the board one truck bomb was in AA8. A halfsquad entered the hex with it, and here we messed up the rules. We thought that a blown truck only attacked the adjacent hexes if it became a flaming wreck, and we didn't realize that it could blow itself up in the CCPh. I captured the truck. I blew it up (also illegal) in a later turn when Tom moved in for some more CC. This probably caused more damage to me than if Tom had blown it up when I initially moved in, so I think this misplay was a wash. The second truck tried to perform a THH attack, but was eliminated without becoming a blazing wreck by a three FP BMG shot.

The rest of the game was just a matter of clearing out the victory area. The British can have a HIP MMC, so the scenario devolves into a bug hunt. The last two British positions were VBM-frozen by tanks driving into their buildings. As it turned out, Tom chose not to have use the HIP MMC option. This worked out well for him as I don't count counters, but I still had plenty of time and units to check buildings. In the end he ran out of units before I ran out of time.

edit: also note per A20.53 an unarmed unit may be captured by making an immediate CC attack in the MPh, rather like an infantry OVR. For this reason keeping a truck bomb in Motion might not be a bad idea.

edit: another question, can the British detonate a truck bomb even after the Germans have captured it?

edit: per A11.52 an unarmed vehicle is instantly captured if it is alone with enemy infantry in the CCPh and not in Motion.

JR
 
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von Marwitz

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I played this one last year and found it difficult to use the Ammo-Trucks, too. In the end, I resolved to use them as Area Denial weapons. But - as they are unarmed as JR has pointed out, they can get automatically captured in CC. If you drive them around (car bomb approach), that is quite dangerous, too, because of the "Goliath blast radius" - you might hit your own guys worse than the enemy if the truck ist stopped and detonated by Defensive Fire en route.

Now, I would probably keep them in the back and wait until I have lost some British units. Then there is more room to maneuver them. Still, they are difficult to use.

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jrv

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I played this one last year and found it difficult to use the Ammo-Trucks, too. In the end, I resolved to use them as Area Denial weapons. But - as they are unarmed as JR has pointed out, they can get automatically captured in CC. If you drive them around (car bomb approach), that is quite dangerous, too, because of the "Goliath blast radius" - you might hit your own guys worse than the enemy if the truck ist stopped and detonated by Defensive Fire en route.

Now, I would probably keep them in the back and wait until I have lost some British units. Then there is more room to maneuver them. Still, they are difficult to use.
Although the unarmed vehicles are automatically captured, they are only automatically captured at the end of the CCPh and if not in Motion per A11.52. If the enemy declines to attack them (or they survive the sequential CC), they can self-detonate during the CCPh before they are automatically captured. I would also recommend keeping them in Motion. If the enemy moves into the hex (which they can't prevent), they can blow in the DFPh (with a +2 effects DR vs the enemy units but not vs. terrain). If the enemy advances in for CC and doesn't attack, the truck can self-detonate. If the enemy advances in for CC and attacks (either while the truck is in Motion or not) he risks a blazing wreck detonation. A squad against a stopped truck bomb in bypass attacks at five CCV with a -5 DRM, -3 unarmored, -1 no MG, -1 bypass/ambush, meaning a CC DR of 7 is a blazing wreck/detonation. Against a truck bomb in Motion the net DRM is -3; a CC DR of 5 is a detonation, and a CC DR > 7 allows the truck bomb to self-detonate in CC, leaving a very narrow window of DRs of 6 or 7 to kill the truck bomb without setting it off.

I think the problem we had was not so much that they are difficult to use but rather that it was difficult to grok all the rules that apply in the context of playing a game at a tournament. I tried to go through all the rules that apply in this AAR to give potential players an idea of how they work. There's also the psychological problem that they may not perform up to what you think they should do, but for me if they draw fire for a phase they probably have done enough. If they manage a real attack, that's a bonus. They are dangerous to friendly units as well, but then don't stack with them.

JR
 

von Marwitz

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Although the unarmed vehicles are automatically captured, they are only automatically captured at the end of the CCPh and if not in Motion per A11.52. If the enemy declines to attack them (or they survive the sequential CC), they can self-detonate during the CCPh before they are automatically captured. I would also recommend keeping them in Motion. If the enemy moves into the hex (which they can't prevent), they can blow in the DFPh (with a +2 effects DR vs the enemy units but not vs. terrain). If the enemy advances in for CC and doesn't attack, the truck can self-detonate. If the enemy advances in for CC and attacks (either while the truck is in Motion or not) he risks a blazing wreck detonation. A squad against a stopped truck bomb in bypass attacks at five CCV with a -5 DRM, -3 unarmored, -1 no MG, -1 bypass/ambush, meaning a CC DR of 7 is a blazing wreck/detonation. Against a truck bomb in Motion the net DRM is -3; a CC DR of 5 is a detonation, and a CC DR > 7 allows the truck bomb to self-detonate in CC, leaving a very narrow window of DRs of 6 or 7 to kill the truck bomb without setting it off.

I think the problem we had was not so much that they are difficult to use but rather that it was difficult to grok all the rules that apply in the context of playing a game at a tournament. I tried to go through all the rules that apply in this AAR to give potential players an idea of how they work. There's also the psychological problem that they may not perform up to what you think they should do, but for me if they draw fire for a phase they probably have done enough. If they manage a real attack, that's a bonus. They are dangerous to friendly units as well, but then don't stack with them.

JR
In my game, a Concealed enemy Infantry unit advanced in for CC. CC is sequential. If he declares a Capture-Attempt as his attack, wouldn't he succeed automatically?

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jrv

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In my game, a Concealed enemy Infantry unit advanced in for CC. CC is sequential. If he declares a Capture-Attempt as his attack, wouldn't he succeed automatically?
I missed a rule: if an unarmed vehicle is in CC alone and stopped it is captured instantly [A11.52]. There's no need to attack, and it doesn't wait until the end of the CCPh. For that reason the truck bombs should be kept in Motion.

JR
 

von Marwitz

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I missed a rule: if an unarmed vehicle is in CC alone and stopped it is captured instantly [A11.52]. There's no need to attack, and it doesn't wait until the end of the CCPh. For that reason the truck bombs should be kept in Motion.

JR
Yes. I had not been aware of this rule either. My opponent was, though. So as my Ammo-Truck was parked (to retain Concealment), he just took it away from me in this manner. Style points were granted...

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Matt Book

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edit: another question, can the British detonate a truck bomb even after the Germans have captured it?

JR
We had the same question, I think we treated it like a Goliath but as a captured truck with an inherent driver...

Along the same lines, can Japanese produce DC Heroes if they capture DC's?
 

jrv

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We had the same question, I think we treated it like a Goliath but as a captured truck with an inherent driver...
The problem I have is really a technical issue. The SSR says that the "British Player may detonate a 15-cwt in the same manner as a Goliath is detonated (German Vehicle Note 93) with the inherent driver of the vehicle as its «controller.»" On the one hand this disallows the German player from ever detonating it. On the other this doesn't say that the inherent driver has to be British, although that perhaps is obvious

Along the same lines, can Japanese produce DC Heroes if they capture DC's?
I don't think there's any reason they couldn't. The DC Hero rules just say that the unit creating has to possess a DC, without any mention of nationality.

JR
 

von Marwitz

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Along the same lines, can Japanese produce DC Heroes if they capture DC's?
Excellent question! I like that way of thinking, regardless of whether it ultimately proves to be illegal by the Tome or not. Good idea.

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Jacometti

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This scenario is also known as "Bug Hunt with Rulebook Reading...." I played it long ago at a European tourney and did not like it at all. Very boring for the British player and endless rule debating over the damn trucks. Failed design IMO.
 

jrv

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This scenario is also known as "Bug Hunt with Rulebook Reading...." I played it long ago at a European tourney and did not like it at all. Very boring for the British player and endless rule debating over the damn trucks. Failed design IMO.
The bug hunt is a problem of sorts, although the British can't guarantee a win with it. I forgot to mention above my opponent did not use his HIP allotment; he felt the British needed every man on the line. Since I don't count counters I was still hunting the HIP guy up to the end. If the Germans don't play for it, then it could lead to a disappointing ending.

The truck bomb rules are less of a problem when the players have time to prepare. If you have put them together in a short time like in a tournament where you've selected something on the fly, then it's difficult. For some reason I can't put my finger on, the Goliath rules are a tough read. Then you toss on that you are adapting them to a truck with an inherent controller, that makes it a bit overwhelming. And it distracts you from the real British weapon in the fight, which is the Matilda with the 9-2 armor leader. If the Matilda pitches into the German attack, the Germans are in for a long day. Meanwhile the truck bombs should either set up in a key piece of terrain (probably in bypass) or wait for an opportunity to run in where units are broken and/or have first fired for an assault run. They are the OBA of the scenario: they can produce dramatic effects, but they can also fall to the ground with a reverberating thud.

I won't say it's a perfect design, but I think played in the right circumstances it could be ok.

JR
 
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