Tips & tricks for Red Barricades

bendizoid

Official ***** Dickweed
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
Messages
4,630
Reaction score
3,244
Location
Viet Nam
Country
llUnited States
What I wanna know is what kind of defense did the Russians have in those gullys by the Volga ? The Germans could not get rid of those guys! It must have been caves on each side supporting each other with tunnels and such.
 

Proff3RTR

Elder Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2014
Messages
4,270
Reaction score
597
Location
Cornwall
Country
llUnited Kingdom
Cut the Russian OB by a third, and lower the cost of German Pioneer Kompanies, and allow them to be field at full strength instead of rolling to see if the are depleted or not.
 

Bryan Holtby

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
1,220
Reaction score
103
Location
Ontario, Canada
Country
llCanada
Why the German often fails is due to not recognizing the fact that RB CG's come down to accounting.

German CPP's must kill off an equivalent # of Russian CPP's. Take that to the extreme of saying 14cpp worth of Pioneers have to kill off 3 coy's of conscripts or 2+ coys of 447's to be worth the investment. OBA is the tricky one, for the Germans anything after 80mm is very expensive and must kill off at least one coy of Russian troops. 80mm oba is worth more thanks to SMOKE and its ability to protect your own troops. Using this theory its easy to see why its hard to justify the 150 oba module at 6 cpp (+1 for pre reg to get the extra black chit), needing to kill or cause to be killed almost 2 coy of Russian inf.

Im not overly familiar with the leaflet rules but I believe they restrict the # of Russian coy's that can be bought in reserve. If so, this reduces the strain on the Germans as they no longer have to kill at a greater than 2-1 ratio per day to achieve victory.

The volga gullies had very steep sides with caves/bunkers dug into them. Unless both sides of the gully were controlled it was impossible to bring firepower into the defenses.
 

clubby

Elder Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
2,425
Reaction score
643
Location
CA
Country
llUnited States
I was browsing those leaflet rules and can somebody explain to me the ins and outs of this house rule because frankly it doesn't make any sense to me as it reads or more likely as I'm reading it.

14. LIGHT MORTARS (LT. MTR): At the end of each of the following four phases: PFPh, MPh, DFPh, and AFPh, each LT. MTR’s Area
Acquisition counter is removed from play. Each time a LT. MTR hits a hex, the player has the option to consider that hit to be a miss instead (i.e.,
no Effects DR has to be made on the IFT).
LIGHT MORTARS (LT. MTR): The speed of play is increased immensely since you can easily play without the large Area Acquisition counters and the
effect that you can derive from this weapon is less effective than before, it will also generate less sniper activation than before and this we consider to be
more as it should be, since not to fire them in an attempt to decrease the enemy sniper activity was hardly the case during a battle, quite the opposite in
fact. Now it is up to you if you want to conduct a Light Mortar attack such as a 2 FP +4 DRM that can only result in a PTC or similar. We have used this
house rule for many years now in Red Barricades and we would like this to be a standard ASL rule.
 

Gunner Scott

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
13,737
Reaction score
2,669
Location
Chicago, IL
Country
llUnited States
I did not like those house rules, ya it gives a different spin on RB but I thought those house rules just hamstrung both sides with too many checks and balances. But then again to each their own.

I was browsing those leaflet rules and can somebody explain to me the ins and outs of this house rule because frankly it doesn't make any sense to me as it reads or more likely as I'm reading it.
 

clubby

Elder Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2015
Messages
2,425
Reaction score
643
Location
CA
Country
llUnited States
My query wasn't to the overall playability of the house rules in general, it was to the specific rule regarding Light Mortars.
 

jrv

Forum Guru
Joined
May 25, 2005
Messages
21,998
Reaction score
6,206
Location
Teutoburger Wald
Country
llIceland
My query wasn't to the overall playability of the house rules in general, it was to the specific rule regarding Light Mortars.
With what in particular are you having trouble? Acquisitions are removed frequently. A unit firing a light MTR at a fortified stone building can decide to forgo the effects DR when it is anything but a CH (a normal hit is two PF up 4: a snakes is a PTC) so it can avoid the possibility of a SAN on the effects DR.

JR
 

klasmalmstrom

Forum Guru
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
19,778
Reaction score
7,203
Location
Sweden
Country
llSweden
...A unit firing a light MTR at a fortified stone building can decide to forgo the effects DR when it is anything but a CH (a normal hit is two PF up 4: a snakes is a PTC) so it can avoid the possibility of a SAN on the effects DR.
I know that was discussed here on GS a while back, but wasn't that denied via Q&A?
 

witchbottles

Forum Guru
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
9,100
Reaction score
2,254
Location
Rio Vista, CA
Country
llUnited States
Enjoy any house rules you prefer, my last time into the rubble was with Bryan upthread - we only had one , no kindling. That in and of itself makes the russian task much harder, as now the only thing bringing the multi-level spotting locations down before the germans can occupy them is a lucky rubble from a rocket OBA or a german started fire from a FT.

Cg III is the best, more than anything its a understanding both sides CAN win, and anything CAN happen in ASL. So it becomes a PMC contest over the 30 possible scenarios.

Standard tactics abound elsewhere on GS Forums and other places, but they include buy all the regular and sturm companies as fast as you can, buy the heavy weapons next, save some CPPs for a pioneer unit only 1, as early as you can buy it in reserve, to put the regenerating FTs in play. Buy 80mm Bn Mtr OBA for the smoke, buy the Stukas on every clear day, only 1 CPP and easily capable of killing off 1 CPP of russians, if not more- and too many days with no air support possible, attack every single scenario, no rest for either side, buy the rest of the HMG units ( crew so immune to ELR and the rest of the pioneers ( 5 ML and ELR only to HS) late in the game, after both sides are down to ELR of 1 or 0 from so many scenarios without an idle day. The russians will begin crumbling then, late CG game, your lead units are those pioneers and crews at that point, with high and N/A ELR.

Russians have only three concerns: plan for a final holding / stop line early and begin fortifying it as you can; burn anything that is more than ground level and going to fall into german hands anyway; and fight a delaying action across 95% of the map until reaching the " Alamo" position late in the CG. If they manage all three, those elite troops and crews and the worn out survivors are not going to be enough to push them out of a strongly fortified zone in the backfield in just the 2-4 scenarios left in the CG.

KRL, Jon H
 

Peter Quant

Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Messages
83
Reaction score
11
Location
Amsterdam
Country
llNetherlands
Joh H, This is useful: the kind of bird's eye view of CGIII that gives a new player something to hold on to. Thanks.
 

witchbottles

Forum Guru
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
9,100
Reaction score
2,254
Location
Rio Vista, CA
Country
llUnited States
Joh H, This is useful: the kind of bird's eye view of CGIII that gives a new player something to hold on to. Thanks.
I highly recommend you spend a bit of time poking around the internet from Google searching into the old Red Barr threads on GS and CSW. People like Bryan Holtby and Scott Holst have a lot of good things already said about the module and its component CGs and scens.
 

Proff3RTR

Elder Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2014
Messages
4,270
Reaction score
597
Location
Cornwall
Country
llUnited Kingdom
Also, I would add to what Jon has said but also, play a few of the larger scenario from the module to get a 'feel' for the Barricades, and maybe smash CGI just to dip your toe into it as they say, either way it is winnable as the Germans, but you are certainly up against it, but that is exactly what they faced historically.
 

Bob Miller

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2005
Messages
1,526
Reaction score
196
Location
Chicago
Country
llUnited States
I'm interested in seeing how the late game plays out in CG-III (does it end up resembling CG-II ?) CG-III is a 30 date CG. Russians have 16 447 Coys, 12 527 Coys and 4 426 Militia Coys. Thus 30 "cheap" infantry companies. Cheap at 5 or 4 points (4 or 3 if reserved) My Russian opponent (Infante Terrible Holst) is buying up all the cheapies first. We are starting the 6th date (Oct 22nd) and he has purchased 12 of these cheap infantry companies so far including this date that we are just starting. At this rate all the cheap infantry RGs will be spent 1/2 way thru the CG. How will things play out in the second half when his infantry will cost him double than what he is paying now?
 

Philippe D.

Elder Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
2,132
Reaction score
1,393
Location
Bordeaux
Country
llFrance
If you don't kill them fast enough, the new infantry will cost him double, but he'll have all these dozens of remaining squads from previous purchase to pound you with :)
 

Eagle4ty

Forum Guru
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
6,913
Reaction score
5,094
Location
Eau Claire, Wi
Country
llUnited States
In my experience, the mid-game is the toughest for the Germans (25 Oct-9 or 10 Nov) as the Russkies can get up on you with masses of decent Infantry. However, at the end if the German has an iron PMC and able to inflict a significant amount of casualties on the Russians, your final purchases of Assault Engineers & a company of "Sturmers" (if you're fortunate enough to have saved one) will get you over the top. In my estimation, you're well ahead of the curve in territory gained (if the AAR is any indication), and a few turns of pounding the Red horde with Arty in a constricted area should pay dividends. In the middle game, small chunks is the order of the day, gains (if any) may be a single factory or a small chunk of rubble locations.
 

Gunner Scott

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
13,737
Reaction score
2,669
Location
Chicago, IL
Country
llUnited States
Hi-

I do agree, the Germans need to save their 150mm Rockets for the end game where as the Russians need to use their Rockets during the initial stages of the CG, this is to disperse the Germans and slow their attack down. Then during the middle stages of the campaign, buy 120mm OBA and use harassing fire to slow any possible German advance down. As with the real battle, the Artillery plays a very key role in each scenario. That's a great thing about RB and what makes it the best CG around.
 

kcole4001

Stray Cat
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
1,582
Reaction score
455
Location
NorthEast
First name
Kevin
Country
llCanada
I feel what the full CG offers is the need to think operationally as well as tactically.
You're always considering how you are setting up the next Refit Phase, which in turn sets up the next CG date.

No last ditch two turns of suicidal scrambling to exit and barely make the necessary VC of a short scenario.
Neither side can afford to throw away troops, therefore it brings the player that much closer to what the game was intended to simulate.
Would you risk a valuable AFV via bypass freeze to kill one or two MMCs when you'll need it to continue providing value on following CG days?
Probably not.
 
Top