Bil Hardenberger

Nice presentation @IanL.. I do wish you had shadows turned on though... and you are still showing a lot of tree-poles. I'll send you a PM as well. Bil

Well done Ian love the elevation overlays. Bil

Really looking forward to this Bud... I challenge you to keep pace with Ian's thread! Bil

Sorry about that, those are an older version.. better to use the icons at this link: Threat Icons .. same style, just updated and "more better". There are versions for CMBN, CMFB, and CMRT. Bil

Not sure I belong in the company of those illustrious fellows... but I do appreciate that my blog was helpful to you. Bil

Really appreciate that. Let us know how you get on.

Minutes 14 and 15 A VERY busy couple of turns, so bear with me. Axis Bravo The action starts on Axis Bravo with the AT Team at the farmhouse... this team has been here since very early in the action and has been patiently waiting their turn to contribute... they spot one of the BMPs at Red Ridge and are finally able to fire the RPG they have been toting around.... (the following image was at the end of Turn 14)... Their patience was rewarded... my guess is that this BMP was not as Hull Down as Ian thought it was. The situation at the Farmhouse has my AT team withdrawing under enemy fire... but overall.. with @IanL losing two BMPs in this sector he seems loath to advance with his armor... he does have a couple infantry teams moving into this AO though... so that could get interesting. My forces here are very thin now... Axis Alpha The infantry team in Blue Gully knew the enemy team was there... they did take two grenades (no injuries) and returned one... after a brisk firefight that lasted over three minutes the enemy team was down two and I had also taken two casualties from the only active shooter Ian had left... But then I took an additional casualty and this team was broken. One quick word... this team was kind of unsupported.. even though they had a powerful BTR backing them up, it could not spot, and because they were out of C2 it could not apply Area Fire on the ridgeline throughout this action... so the rules really bit me... a realistic result I think. A quick nod of the hat to Ian here as he bested me in the first infantry on infantry duel. Meanwhile... BTR-1 took a partial penetration, but damage was very minor. The shooter was a BRDM that had crept almost to the Gully Intersection The damaged BTR then withdrew behind the crest and into safety... BTR-2 finished of the BRDM in the treeline that it had hit hard last turn... This was followed by BTR-1 quickly getting back on Blue Ridge, a little higher this time so it could attempt to get eyes on the BRDM that just fired on it...instead, it spotted another BRDM right behind... Its end was mercifully quick and at the end of the turn this BRDM was smoking in the gully... BTR-2 then spotted and fired at the BRDM that got hit a few turns ago... I am calling this one BRDM-1 as it was spotted first.. the other BRDMs in the Red Gully are numbered in the image below in the order in which they were spotted... BRDM-2 is the bastard that shot up BTR-1... BRDM-3 is the vehicle that BTR-1 just killed in retaliation... what I suspect is another BRDM (BRDM-4) has yet to be spotted, but I know where it is... so there are now two dead BRDMs in the Red Gully... and one in the woods across the road near the bridge. Ian must be reeling... But the action was not finished yet! BTR-3 spotted BRDM-2 (probably spooked by the death of BRDM-3) back out of the Red Gully.. it took several hits then disappeared from view... is it dead? Right at the end of the fifteenth minute BTR-1 took several hard penetrations from what must have been (BRDM-4)... that one hurt, there was one casualty, panicked, but at least for now.. it lives... Note that I don't think this BTR is Hull Down to BRDM-4... that's the cost of creeping further up the ridge in order to spot the lower BRDM better. Axis Alpha SITMAP Apologies... in the following Situation map I label three dead BRDMs in the Red Gully.. but really I only know of two kills in the gully at this point in the action. BRDM-2, if not dead is seriously compromised though. I moved the ZSU to hopefully get eyes on the infantry or a BRDM or two in the Red Gully.. it is in C2 by the way. FULL SITMAP

Very true... now wargames are easy to play.. but the good ones are hard to master.

Awesome @IanL [pssst.. its BTR not BRT ]

That isn't how it works... this game has simultaneous orders and neither player can view the action until after both players have given their orders. Both players will watch the same movie (from their sides of course) before they give orders for the next turn... it repeats like that until one player is left crying under his desk... The problem you are worrying about doesn't exist in this game. Bil Edit: damn beaten by @domfluff, damn your eyes!

I think this early iteration of the rules didn't have as much impact on firefight dynamics to be honest... the new set however should impact it greatly. Stay tuned though, there is a fierce struggle for the Bridge and the Gully Intersection coming in future reports. I am waiting for Ian to get caught up before continuing my side of the action.

My arrows are done manually in Photoshop using the Pen tool (with a drop shadow for added style points)... hope that helps. I would think any image editing software, even the free ones, probably have the same functionality. Bil

I suppose the Farm is a bit like the Monte Python sketch about using the only available bush for cover As far as my force at the Farm goes.. they are doing their job... Ian is targeting the Farm House and the area around it with BMP fire and has caused a lot of casualties, but my force there has also killed a BMP and they are making @IanL hesitant to advance down AA1.. at least that's how it looks to me. It'll be interesting to read his comments on the action around the Farm House as he fills in his side of the story. For me, the sacrifice of a couple Recon Squads and most of an infantry squad are well worth the information I have received. The fact that it has cost him one BMP and the other BMPs in this area seem overly cautious is a bonus.

Yeah I had always intended on grabbing the Farm House and using it as an LP/OP. Now however I am using my infantry at the Farm to entice Ian to bring his armor out to play. I know they are pretty much out on a limb there, but they can handle it. Bil

Minutes 11 through 13 I thought an overview showing all of my pre-battle analysis would come in handy for reference. To this point @IanL has been pushing down AA2 and AA3. Other than some long range sniping I have yet to see much movement down AA1... if you don't count the two BMPs and the BRDM-AT that appeared in the last post. That movement seems to have stopped anyway for now. My forces obviously are at KT3 elements of 3rd Platoon Mech Infantry. I also have overwatch elements on KT1 (Blue Ridge) which will change slightly this turn and start to heat up... at KT2 we are both moving toward the Gully Intersection and it could become very deadly ground soon. Axis Alpha I moved one of my BTRs from the woods where they couldn't see into the Red Gully too well up to the Blue Ridge to join the first BTR in overwatch on the Red Gully approach and also the AA3 wood line approach. I pulled the ZSU off this ridge and into the Blue Gully to protect it as that BRDM-AT worries me. It didn't take long for the new BTR to spot another BRDM.. this time in the woods on the AA3 approach. We both opened fire, but while my rounds hit, his missed high... it looks like my BTR was hull down to him while his was not... that was the difference in this gun fight. So it looks like Ian has two Recon Platoons approaching the bridge, one on AA3 and the other on AA2 in the Red Gully. I don't know if the BRDM that got shot up this turn is knocked out or not, but it took some damage regardless... still with the status of the previous BRDM I hit in the Red Gully also unknown he has eight light armored vehicles in this sector (all BRDMs I suspect) to my four BTRs, one BMP and ZSU. Whatever happens its going to get hot over the next several turns. Axis Bravo This sector has become fairly static. Ian is still area firing with his BMPs on the Red Ridge and has even moved one of them to the near Red Ridge. I am keeping my 1st Platoon Mech Infantry (BMPs) in reserve but have moved them forward into the trees to provide overwatch in case Ian attempts to move beyond the Red Ridge or farther into the open area in front of his BRDM-AT. My infantry at the Farm House have taken significant casualties from his area fire... I have lost one complete Recon Squad, the second has taken a few casualties, broke and ran back to the assembly area. The infantry squads in this area have also taken a beating, the two near the Farm House are both down to one man each. The AT Team is intact though, as is the Infantry Team (with RPG) on the right who also has a Armored Cover Arc in place. The 3rd Platoon HQ is there to attempt to instill some order. SITMAP to this point: I have labeled the two suspected Recon Platoons on AA2 and AA3, also the suspected Mech Infantry Platoon on the Red Ridge. The two BMPS (one knocked out) and the BRDM-AT in the center of Ian's line I suspect could be his HQ element. I have not seen much of his infantry, and I also suspect he is also keeping his Mech Infantry Platoon (BMP) in reserve for now.

I wanted to say that I LOVE the detail of your posts.. don't sacrifice that for brevity... I guess I would rather you maybe post your really long posts over several posts but definitely don't lose the descriptive details. My main reason is that I like to really think about what's happening and I start to lose the flow when you have so much action in one post. I've been outvoted anyway, most like the length of your posts so just carry on. Bil

Very good ideas @domfluff. I think this type of testing and training is rare in CM.. many players just jump in and try to figure it out as they go.. best course of action is to start withthe basics, practice them, then add complexity to your toolbox as you gain experience. In other news, I have added a Blog post about the Hard-Cat Rules.. if you haven't been following along with my thread in the General CM Forum or with the CMSF-2 AAR where @IanL and I took an early version of these rules for a spin... now is your chance!

@Kaunitz I think adding the detail you mention above would be tough to determine for most players and besides the intent of these rules is to force the player into thinking like a commander and using command and control more effectively. @IanL and I fought this shortly after C2 came out, so its been a while. Trying to remember what we were thinking and creating the supporting graphics are the hard part but this is all being done on the fly now, none was pre-written.

I would love to do a series on German specific platoon tactics at some point. Wouldn't mind seeing your library and picking your brain at some point. Bil

Thanks @IanL, its very interesting to see the difference in the intelligence picture at this stage of the battle. Really enjoying reading about your side of the hill!

I believe the HQ was out of C2 from the BMPs because they dismount without a radio themselves... so @IanL had to move back into C2 range with the BMPs to regain control of them. That is indeed one of the cool aspects of these rules that you would never notice in a normal CM game because it lacks the restrictions... Ian is in a dilemma.. what is more important, C2 with the dismounts or with the BMPs? He can't really maintain C2 with both and that could impact his ability to react or project power at some point. Bil

Once again, I have updated the rules with the new information on Higher HQs discussed today... I have updated the PDF and the images in the initial post Other Edits: I adjusted the Area Fire Exception: EXCEPTION: independent squads (even split)/teams/vehicles performing a scouting mission are exempt from rules 3.b through 3.d Formations (i.e. Recon Platoon/Company) performing a scouting mission AS A formation must still abide by these rules

The more I think about the Italians and the Russians (and armies organized like the Russian (Syrians)) the more I think this is by design.. the Italians, though not an effective force by any means, were organized on the Western model (as far as I remember)... the Russians are something altogether different. The Russians were (are) very strict when it comes to chain of command etc. So I am not surprised that they (and their ilk) seem to be the only ones effected. Bil

I did my testing in setup phase of a scenario... worked a treat. I think I'm going to make another edit to the Hard-Cat rules to account for these differences. This is all very interesting. Bil

@General Liederkranz, brilliant stuff, I appreciate you doing those tests. It is amazing how deep this game gets. I wonder, did you test recon units? Be curious if Syrian or Russian Recon units could take advantage of this feature. Bil