New Scenario Rules for CE!! Variable Unit Introduction

[maxm2]

I know this has been brought up before, but Mark Ezra and I wanted to share the way we are spicing up the Chance Encounter scenario. Using this method of introducing units on a chance basis means that you never know what units you will have at which point, or what your opponent will have. No more being sure that five Shermans will come barreling down the road at the beginning of the scenario: the US player may have access to NONE of them! Or only one. Or all five. Etc.

Here are the rules we are currently playing with:

Each side is divided up into various infantry unit groups based on platoons. For the US side, initially, you have (I think) platoons B, C, & D. For the Germans, platoons B through G. All the unattached zooks, schrecks, and machine guns are attached to one of the platoons, however you both agree to do it. Mortar spotters can be attached to an HQ (we're doing it that way).

HQ units not attached to a platoon will be dealt with momentarily.

You have to trust your opponent (or not care about cheating), since this involves each of you doing die rolls to decide when each of your units may advance onto the map. Here, I would like to recommend a web site which allows you to generate random numbers quickly within any parameters. Also, you can ask for six random numbers at the same time if you need six "rolls:" http://www.irony.com/igroll.html

You start out at the setup turn with ALL your units, except for non-platoon HQ (that would include Company HQ, Battalion HQ, Platoon HQ), on RESERVE status. Reserve means they have to stay put wherever they are set up and cannot move until the correct die roll for the platoon they're attached to releases them. The correct or "lucky" number you must roll to release a platoon is determined before the setup phase. You roll one six-sided die to find out which number (1-6) is your "lucky" number. You then keep using that number throughout the game, or until all your units are released.

After you have your lucky number, for each platoon unit (or however you decide to divide up your forces)you roll one die once before each time you move your forces. If you roll the lucky number, that unit is released. If you don't roll the right number, your unit sits there for another turn.

At the setup, you should "hide" all your units and put them behind some covering terrain if possible, because otherwise the units may be spotted and fired upon, either by the AI or your opponent. RESERVED UNITS CANNOT BE MOVED DELIBERATELY! Therefore, you may have to sit there while your reserved units are chewed up and broken, etc., although they can return fire from wherever they are sitting. If someone has a better way for handling this, let's hear it. We could not come up with a way to avoid reserved units from possibly being drawn into battle, if only by the AI. You will have to trust each other to not place reserve units in places where they can immediately fire upon opposing forces....the idea is that they are "tucked away."

Anyway, any feedback, other people's experiences in the "reserve" idea, etc.? We considered other ways to handle the chance element such as using two dice or more elaborate schemes, but they seemed to create too small a chance of actually getting all your units into the battle. With the above rules, all your units should get on within the first ten turns or so. I think.

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Max Molinaro

[Major Tom]

Well, one way you can do this, but, reverting back to trust, is, (works pretty well in CE) to move all of your reserved units into the two wooded corners. You can align your troops in a defensive ring (In case an enemy sneaks through) but this should hopefully remove the tac-AI problem.

AFV's couldn't really be modled this way (they get stuck in trees), but, you could position them behind a patch of woods.

Of course this leaves these troops locked out of the battle until they have been released from the game. They have to make a long trek to the battlefield also.

[Bullethead]

O/T

Max said:

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Here, I would like to recommend a web site which allows you to generate random numbers quickly within any parameters.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey, thanks for the tip. I especially like how you can have the results sent email to your opponent.

-Bullethead