Biltongs Campaign Rules - updated for '42

[Joachim]

Biltong’s Campaign Rules

Latest versions

41 South v2.3 updated on 5 June 2003 and

42 South v1.3 updated on 17 November 2003

As there were some minor problems with the core force in 42 South v1.2 after July '42, I started an update from July to December and later for the whole year. See changes from v1.2 to v1.3 in the release notes for v1.3.

Player Guide v2.2

A complete walk-through of the first battle, the more difficult rules explained in some detail and lots of lovely pictures [Wink]

BiltAid (41 South v2.2 compliant at the moment)

SeaHawk & Sabe have automated nearly all the ‘paperwork' and made BCR accessible to the non-fanatics [Roll Eyes]

BCR Map Packs with over 220 maps!!

All of the above - Get it here:

SuperSulo's site

If this is the first time you hear about BCR [Confused]

BCR is a set of Campaign rules that enable you to play a series of battles from Barbarossa to Berlin.

BCR 41 & 42 South is the set of Rules covering the months June 41 to December 42 in the Army Group South Theatre of Operations.

Operation Barbarossa erupts on 22 June 1941 and you and your Battle Group storm through the Soviet ranks through the long months of summer in the steppe and the mud and rain of October. You take your men all the way to Rostov, Kharkov and the Crimea before the incredible cold of November halt you in your tracks. Then the Soviet counter attacks start.

You are the commanding officer of a company of German Mechanized Infantry and some armor that you take through the whole CMBB time frame. As you lead your company and armor into Russia most of the parameters of the battles are dictated by historically accurate data, e.g. on the 4th week of October 41 it suddenly turns bitterly cold and the German advance freezes to a halt.

You, your men and armor gain or lose experience throughout the Campaign. You start off with Regular troops, but after a year it becomes obvious that the quality of your replacements are getting worse... How your men grow in experience will depend on how they fare in each battle - how many men did they lose; did they get rattled; did they take out a MG pillbox or maybe even a tank?

You yourself, as the CO, learn and slowly gain or lose Favor with your own commanding officer. If you screw up, you lose favor... Favor that you could have used to avoid launching an Immediate Assault straight after your last battle without even getting reinforcements.

You also get a Task Force to support your Battle Group: Infantry, Support, Vehicles, Armor, Arty or Air, depending on factors such as who assaults or attack who, weather etc.

With designed scenarios you quite often have balanced forces, but with BCR you get the real thing: Sometimes you know who your opponent is; sometimes you are facing unknown odds. Sometimes you have an easy go of it - hammering low on ammo and decimated green Partisans, but later that night you might face a counter-attack from 3 companies of Guards Mech, before you had chance to get reinforcements... You have to think on your feet and learn to retreat when necessary... no more heroic defenses or assaults till the last man!!

Your men's survival is of the utmost importance... even to the extent that you'll rather lose a battle than lose too many men! The objectives still matter - you still want to win, but not at the cost and risk of decimating your men. Here realism rules for the first time.

As a learning tool this is unsurpassed.... You learn to think and act like a real commander... If you think you’ve got your tactics down pat, [Razz] Think again. You will get into situations that you’ve never encountered before and never will with normal scenarios and QB’s.

BCR is just for yourself - the battle is between yourself and an enemy who grows stronger every year. You will have to become a better commander for you and your men to survive till the end.

If you have any questions - post in this thread and usually I or one of the old hands will answer you within a day or 2.

Enjoy!!

(i.V.) Joachim

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BCR Single Player Campaign Rules for Masochists