atiff

The covering vehicle highlighted is a Pz II by the looks of it. If the other vehicles in the covering group are also only armed with 20 or 37mm weapons, they are probably "out of effective range" and so the TacAI won't engage them (as they won't do much good). That's my guess.....

I assume uhu's "-1 for buring tank" modifier is meant to represent the fact you don't reuse a burnt-out one (whereas if it is just plain KO it might be repairable). Anyway, Biltong already has a rule like this - take a look in BCR South '42, Appendix D. As it says, if you are keen you can port this into BCR 41 without modification (and I have, and have been missing two of my tanks for the last four battles.... )

I would recommend that if you are using the editor to set up your battles that you use the map packs to provide the maps and flag placements. This means that you have to re-enter your troops each time to set up each scenario, but the maps are really good and provide more tacticaly challenges. Also, if you are fighting on one of those maps and roll up a counterattack or immediate attack/assault, if there is enough room left on the map you can re-use the map for teh next battle. All you have to do is adjust the deployment zones to suit the result of the last battle, and shift the flags a bit to make them appropriate to the next battle, and off you go. Provides a good feeling of continuity from one battle to the next.

Where to start with HQ abilities: good question. For my campaign, I rolled a dice for each ability on each HQ: 1-6 gave no bonus for that ability, 7-9 gave +1 and 10 gave +2. In theory, that would give you about +2 in total bonuses for each HQ. As it turned out, I rolled pretty poorly and started with my Co HQ with +2 command, my MG platoon HQ with +2 morale, one squad with +1 morale and the other two squads with nothing. I must say though, that +2 command on my CO HQ has been very handy....

No problem. I've gotta give something back.... Or reflection, doing HQ "ability imporvement checks" every 10 (or whatever) XP is easier than doing by number of battles, as you con't have to record any extra information (ie, you already have the XP sitting there). I am also giving XP to HQ's a little differently, as has been discussed in previous BCR threads. I give 1 XP to an HQ for surviving the battle, and 1 XP if "they did a good job in the battle" (instead of based on the number of casualties they cause). This is mostly subjective, and it is easier to list the instances when I DON'T give the extra XP point; they don't get it when: - they suffer high casualties (about 30% or more of the men in their squads) OR - they don't capture (or defend) an objective (not necc a flag) that I set for them as part of my battle OR - they don't do anything useful combat-wise (no bonus XP for just walking somewhere); usually this means the squads have caused casualties that total less than 5-10. - My company CO doesn't get the bonus XP point unless the battle result is a Major or Total Victory. Seems to be working; the HQ's are of similar XP to the squads after half a dozen battles of following this scheme. IMHO this is the sort of result it should give; the whole platoon should be about the same level (barring exceptional cirumstances, such as one squad getting decimated and replaced with Greens).

Heya Uhu, there has been proposals for this to be implemented in the rules. It is as subjective and as controversial that it can get. I believe there someone is trying them out but in principle it is not against logic that some leader qualities could improve with experience. </font>

The prisoner's section has, as you say, 1st/thereafter/HQ's, and then just below that 3x/1x/4x. For your first prisoner, you get 3 favour points. For each prisoner thereafter you get 1 favour point each. If any of those prisoners were HQ's, you get 4 favour per HQ man (instead of 3 for the first, and 1 for "thereafters"). Thus, if you captured 42 prisoners made up as follows: 29 in infantry squads, 10 in weapons crews and 3 in HQ units, you would get: 1x3=3 pts for first prisoner 38x1=38 for the basic "thereafters" 3x4=12 for the HQ men If you captured only 2 HQ men, you would get: 2x4=8 for the 2 HQ men If you captured 16 men, all normal infantry or crews, you get: 1x3=3 for first prisoner 15x1=15 for "thereafters" OK?

[sigh] Shifted to a new country recently, and one of the things I made sure I packed was my current BCR files so that I could continue my campaign in my new home. Well, at least I *thought* they were my current files - turns out they were the blank ones. So goodbye to 25 battles worth of playing [sniff] been over a month sice I played so I can't even remember what I had before [sniff] Oh well, started a new campaign last night, will just have to work extra hard to "catch up" again [ June 14, 2003, 11:17 PM: Message edited by: atiff ]

(removed) [ June 15, 2003, 09:07 PM: Message edited by: atiff ]

No, i don't understand. Every roll of the dice is a action on itself, why should it be different when you start rolling the Axis Parameters :confused: </font>

Ah, that's the fickle nature of war for you. Chances are that your troops are not defending the location they have been sitting at recently. Imagine the following: Major: "Colonel, there is a Soviet attack coming in through sector 6!" (General looks at map) Colonel: "Quick, send a message to Company 1, tell them to get their men to here <stabs map>. That point is vital!" (Major rings your CO:) Major: "Captain, get your men to ref A6B3 ASAP and defend against expected Soviet advance." You: "But we have not chance to prepare fortifications! And we've got nice warm trenches here where we are!" Major: "But where you are is not where the enemy are! Do your job Captain, that's an order!"

that's sounds great, i really dislike "paperwork" Can you send me a copy of yours *.xls ? With the calc. cell afcource </font>

Another question for you guys who are into 1942; how many battles have you played all up? I've just started #20, and it is only August '41.

Not necessarily. I don't have a printer either, so I do the "pencil and paper" approach on Excel. I just use the Excel file as is, keeping track of which parameters are in effect by making those cells bold (eg, if the weather is "heavy fog" I make that cell bold on the Parameters sheet). I've also added a few calculation bits to work out my Squad XP when they get replacements for casualties; just have to enter a couple of numbers and then read the cell which calculates the result. And a cell to work out from the points I have and battle type what point size of battle it should be.

The idea is you keep the same Core Units through all battles. So you should keep your Mech Inf for all battles. Of ourse, as the rules say, if you want to change things around, then feel free to do so. Yes, as they get XP then they will improve to Veteran, etc, and then you have to adjust the points totals. If you are assaulting, you take YOUR total points and divide by 1.72 to find the points the Soviets have (and what size the battle is). Eg, if you have 1000 points, then 1000/1.72 = 581, round up to 600. So the battle is a 600 points Axis assualt, the Soviets have 600 points and you will actually have 600 x 1.72 = 1032 points to spend (you can use the few extra points to buy extra little things, as stated in the rules) ...because the Soviets are usually Green or Conscript. This is very common - get use to it! EG: One of my battles I was defending against a Soviet counter-assualt and there were something like 1,200 enemy infantry (about half a division!!!) to my 250 or so. Fortunately, I had 3 tanks and they didn't.... also, my two 150mm infantry guns caused something like 200 casualties each!

Point taken! Now how to fix it or somefink? The red tape involved with keeping track of each unit = how long they must stay away and how much exp they should retain, is a bit much. Unless someone can come up with a simple formula? </font>

Yep, I'm well aware of that! The fact I was losing boys through the casualty setting wasn't the problem; I was kinda getting sick of yeat another battle before normal replacements. And I had to try to make an effort in every battle, becuase (A) those were my orders and ( if I quit and get a big defeat the Soviets are much more likely to stage (another) counterattack! Mainly, I was bummed to lose my CO and favour due to a dice roll which was only needed becuase of the casualty setting - the only reason my Company CO had a casualty was because I was playing with 20% losses. Personally, I prefer to think of him as temprorarily out of action, rather than dead, so he can come back at a later date. Anyway, finally some good news, we beat back the Soviet counterattack with minimal losses and a Tactical Victory, and no orders to go into battle again, so have been reinforced again - looking much more healthy.

One other thing: Biltong, could there be another way for a company commander to get XP? It is mighty hard to get XP from casualties (and seems unrealistic too). The CO's job is to run the battle; perhaps instead of XP for casualties the Company CO should get XP for the battle result (maybe give 1 XP for a Major or Totoal Victory)? This shows that the CO performed well in the battle through his commands, rather than his marksmanship. Similarly, maybe the platoon HQ's should get XP for other things instead of causing casualties. Perhaps they could get 1 XP (total) for something like fulfilling all of the following: having their platoon cause X casualties overall, having less casualties on them than they caused, and having no squads broken. This simulates that their platoon has been in significant fighting, and the HQ pulled them through it OK.

The fickle nature of war..... I'm up to battl #17, early August 1941 (having managed to roll a week off between battles in June, and three weeks off in July) First, I succeed in an midday assault of a Soviet position with 10% casualties from the dice roll(total victory with only a handful of casualties on the field). Then the Soviets counterattack at dusk, and I lose 20% of my boys to random dice roll casualties. Oh well, kiss goodbye to all of my attached units to patch up the holes in my core force. Win that one too, then have to Immediate Assault at night with 20% further casualties from dice roll (plus a few from the previous battle). So now I'm down to two squads per platoon in my core force, no attached units left, at least I still have my tanks. Manage to survive with a Minor defeat, but lost a couple of squads in the battle, more men than any other battle to date (I think). I'm doing the postbattle stuff and notice my CO has one casualty (from the 20% casualty setting). Roll the dice and.... go from knocking-on-Veteran to Conscript, 420 favour to -50. Sigh. Oh, and you guessed it, the Soviets counterattacked again at dawn, against my one-squad-left-per-platoon core force and only 100 points of other troops. It's a 1000 point game of which I only have about 700 left by the time I move all the "dead" squads off the map. Oh well, at least I still have my tanks.

Nope - Simply too easy - no reward for that - all in a day's work The premise I used, is what would you get a medal for (as an infantry man). </font>

Being a Kiwi, CMAK will definitely have me sending the 2 NZEF into battle as much as possible - especially playing/making scenarios based on the NZ official histories. Or if I get tired of that, I can always overrun some Aussies with some Germans (or Italians, for that extra embarrasment factor)

Yep, this is normal. Mainly because the Soviets are all Conscripts (or Green at best) to start the campaign, so they usually outnumber you. Also, if you have the misfortune to have rolled up a Handicap of more than zero, then the Soviet forces increase in size quickly.

Thanks all for your replies to my question.

I have a question about the CMBB battle setup side of BCR. How do you set up a battle where all your troops have different Experience levels? I mean, if you have a company with one platoon as Regulars and the rest as Green, how do you purchase that? As far as I can see, you can only do this by setting up your forces in the Editor, then saveing the map and loading it into the QB. Is that what you guys are doing? And thanks to Biltong and everyone for their efforts.

Got CMBB in the mail today here in Dunedin, NZ, so it looks like you can expect it soon