Distant Garrisons, Like Malta!

[JerseyJohn]

We've had many discussions about Malta. In a normal game there are realistic ways for the Axis to take the place by just hitting it hard. Once in a while the situation becomes downright stupid, however.

I played one game where the Italian Navy, increased by an aircraft carrier (11 pts), five German Air Fleets (11 each) on Sicily with Kesslring in Palermo, and two Italian Air Fleets near Tripoli (12 each) with an HQ, all hammered away at the place. It contained a UK infantry corps (2 ribbons) that sat there and shrugged it all off even when it had 0 entrenchment. It gleefully held out turn after turn while the air fleets took 2 & 3 points losses each!

At that point I became disgusted and shut the game off.

Something needs to be done to avoid this sort of ridiculous situation.

To begin with, losses are too easily replaced in garrisons that are so far removed from any link as to be virtually isolated. When a garrison like Malta is reduced, it should only rebuild 1 point per turn. The only places that should be able to rebuild in multiple points are either capitals, or units with a direct land connection to friendly bases.

In the case of a base like Malta, cutting it off with naval units should begin weakening the place and also cutting off any reinforcement at all.

Hubert, how about some sort of Malta Isolation rule that would be applied within the scenario editor as well?

[Edwin P.]

Note: I think that the port rule is best for Malta - Unit can't reinforce above 5 if port is zero.

[JerseyJohn]

The thing is, how can Malta be reinforced at all? During the war this was done through major operations.

The one time the Axis applied pressure to the place it was ripe for the picking. Unfortunately for them, Rommel talked Hitler into cancelling the final phase, the actual invasion!

[Edwin P.]

Good point, I was trying to think of a simple way to reflect this; ie No Port = No Allied Naval Presence in the Area.

[SeaMonkey]

This brings up a great point, JJ, that I have been thinking about quite a bit. Its the SC supply model, perhaps a bit too abstracted. I know this has been discussed to the point of a rotting skeletal horse, but far from being resolved in a comfortable manner, IMO. I remember many of the discussions, especially with Shaka, among others about the oil factor, and the reinforcement mechanics when units are cut off and surrounded. I'm thinking GGs WaW may shed some light on this model and I'm hoping to get it ASAP and apply some of its features to this very important aspect of any wargame.

Perhaps some sort of tile linkage needs to be established periodically to island bases with an abstracted convoy/transport system. Some way to take into account the ability of submarines to deliver limited supply as the Japanese did in WW2.

I think that the naval model needs to have some provision for convoys to pass through enemy occupied tiles with a certain chance of not being spotted, ie a search and discovery factor based on intelligence and unit proximity with spotting abilities and cloaking weather patterns. Maybe there are others? It just seems to me that the vast area encompassed by ocean tiles should leave an interception in doubt, as IRL.

Maybe the "run silent" feature could be somehow modified to include the supply transport system to a certain extent and some provisions for escorting by allocating MPPs to the convoy. Sort of a convoy initiating procedure that players would be allowed to organize to supply far off/cut off bases.

Anyway, such a feature should require very little user management, but a coder's nightmare...sorry Hubert! Needless to say I am willing to wait months for SC2 release if it would incorporate a decent supply model.

[JerseyJohn]

Thanks SeaMonkey and Edwin,

Questions only Hubert can answer!

Oh, wait, I feel an answer coming this way -- " "

[Bill101]

What I don't understand John is why you were investing so many Axis resources into taking Malta?

[pzgndr]

One of the changes in SC2 is that max reinforcement is reduced by adjacent enemy units, to a min of 5. This also works for naval units adjacent to land units, like for Malta. So it's possible to cut Malta off and limit reinforcement to 5. This helps from an Axis perspective. Naval bombardment is generally not enough to reduce Malta completely, so some air and HQs would be needed. I just tried this and it took several turns to take Malta with a Corps defending.

Axis needs to commit resources to take Malta and it is possible to do so, as it was during the war. Of course, if all this is at Malta and the Allied player knows this then he has an opportunity to do something else. Is Malta worth it or not, for either player? That's what players need to decide for themselves during a game.

[Edwin P.]

Excellent, I did not realize that the effect of adjacent enemy units also applied to naval units vs ground units.