PolishGI’s Working Thread (WWII & Vietnam)

[PolishGI]

GI,
Oh yes, I can find the VC!! When the rounds start buzzing in the air from my flank, or both flanks and rear.
The static grass looks awesome.

Thank you sir! I chuckle from time to time when playing in the Vietnam era because I do lose VC infantry when playing. I dont find them until I pick up the board. I cant decide if that is good or bad... hehe

[redleg]

For me it will just be flocking. Your grass is spectacular, but I don't think I will ever be that advanced!

[chrisswim]

GI,
Oh yes, I can find the VC!! When the rounds start buzzing in the air from my flank, or both flanks and rear.
The static grass looks awesome.

Thank you sir! I chuckle from time to time when playing in the Vietnam era because I do lose VC infantry when playing. I dont find them until I pick up the board. I cant decide if that is good or bad... hehe

GI, that’s a great story, always missing pieces until you are putting terrain away. Keep on keeping on.

[pmskaar]

I love the static grass you have, Polish GI! It looks very realistic.

[PolishGI]

I love the static grass you have, Polish GI! It looks very realistic.

Thank you Pete!

[PolishGI]

So I am hoping to have some time to myself finally over the Holiday break… Besides the norm for me (working on cars, teaching myself to paint a car), I want to try and sneak in a few battles. Blowing something up on the tabletop is quite satisfying. Lol Below is my current list of possibilities…

Northwest Europe Scenarios:

Scenario called Panzer Lehr Stands Strong. This is a scenario I ported over from the Panzergrenader series to Command Decision. Takes place on June 9th, 1944.

Background:
Caen was a first day objective for the British forces on D-Day. Now, three days later it was still German held. The leadership recognized the significance of Bayeux's position, and after capturing it, planned to use it as a strong base for the next stage of the offensive. Taking little time to consolidate their gains of the last few days, the British pushed aggressively south towards Tilly-sur-Seulles. Just to the east of Tilly-sur-Seulles lay the hamlet of Saint Pierre, and just beyond that, the all important bridge over the Seulles River.

Scenario looks interesting as it is soon after the D-Day landings… And it involves a bridge hex or two! Lol I have the two bridges now… but I fear I may not have enough river hexes… so I will make due with what I have and put that on the TO DO list.

Tentative Map:


Objectives:
British have to control Saint Pierre (east side) by the end of play or at the very least, control the eastern bridge hex by the end of play. So Im guessing there should be a lot of fighting for this bridge.


The next scenario is called Misinterpreted Intentions. This is a scenario I ported over from the Panzergrenader series to Command Decision as well. Takes place on July 11th, 1944.

Background:
Over the previous few days the Americans had consolidated their defenses protecting St. Lo. Intelligence determined that the SS Das Reich Division was stretched too thin to properly respond to the American pressure, and that a retreat was imminent. Therefore, when increased enemy activity was noted opposite the 9th Infantry Division, the U.S. First Army Headquarters concluded the Germans were pulling out.

This scenario also involves a bridge hex or two! Scenario involves elements of the Panzer Lehr Division and the US 9th Infantry Division with supporting armor from the CCB, 3rd Armored Division.

Tentative Map:


Objectives:
Victory Points are awarded for each town hex controlled, for each enemy unit eliminated and for the Germans only, VPs awarded for exiting combat units off the northern edge of the table.


Eastern Front Scenarios:

Scenario called Summer Fury. This is a scenario I ported over from the Spearhead book called Where Iron Crosses Grow. Takes place during June of 1942.

Background:
The Donetz Basin
The endless winter of 1941-1942 is finally over and the bottomless mud of the Rasputitsa has dried out, yielding firm, if dusty, roads. June has brought excellent campaigning weather. The depleted ranks of the German forces, at least in Army Group South, have been made whole again and the cutting edge of the Panzer and Panzergrenadier troops has been restored. All are eager to be at the Russians and end this war once and for all. Things have changed among the Russians, too. They have proven that the Germans can not only be stopped, but pushed back as well. Tactics have become more refined; the days of the tank "penny packets" supporting the infantry is over. The infantry themselves are more confident and better equipped. They look forward to another encounter with the enemy.

Scenario could be fun but on the larger end of the spectrum. This includes elements from the 15th Pz Rgt/11th Panzer Division, 110th Schutzen Rgt, 11th Panzer Aufklarungs Bn, off board artillery support and a couple flights of Stukas if called. Russians get the reinforced 132nd Rifle Regiment, divisional AT Bn assets and a couple of independent tank brigade assets.

Tentative Map:


Objectives:
Germans have to exit any 10 armored fighting units off the eastern edge of the table by the end of play. Germans also have to eliminate at least 12 Russian units before play ends.



Scenario called Debut. This is a scenario I ported over from the Panzer Grenadier series game/book Eastern Front. Takes place on September 22nd 1942 and might be the first battle that the new PzKw VI is used up near Leningrad.

Background:
By mid September 1942 the first Panzerkampfwagen VI tanks, the famous Tiger, had arrived on the eastern front. Four of the new tanks and a platoon of PzKw IIIs joined the 170th Infantry Division for an attack against the positions of the 2nd Shock Army. 1st Company of the 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion is supporting the 170th Infantry Division attack on two villages south of Leningrad and Lake Lagoda.

Scenario might be fun but it mostly infantry in nature. There is a special rule for the Tiger covering each movement. If you roll a certain number, the Tiger becomes immobilized for the duration of the game. Kind of a fun add… knowing me… I will most likely roll it. lol

Tentative Map:


Objectives:
German player must control all three villages along with eliminating 16 Russian units along the way. Russian player wins if they deny the German attackers any of their objectives or if the Tiger platoon is destroyed.


Last option for a scenario is a scenario called Corntesi Town. This is a scenario I ported over from the Panzer Grenadier series booklet Panzer Lion: Grossdeutschland in Action: 1944. Takes place on May 2nd 1944.

Background:
While 93rd Guards Rifle Division was getting bogged-down around Nicola, another Russian column headed straight for Contesi where the headquarters of Grossdeutschland's Fusilier Regiment was located. As Russian tanks entered the village, salvation for the harried Germans was already arriving in the form of the Panzer Lion himself.

Scenario covers a Russian combined arms attack with just German infantry holding the line. Can they hold it long enough for the German armored reinforcements to save them? Aside from the infantry, this is a battle covering the T-34/85 against the Tiger and Panther tanks.

Tentative Map:


Objectives:
Germans score Victory Points for each Russian unit eliminated and for each village hex occupied at the end of play. Russians score Victory Points for each German unit eliminated and for each village under Russian control at the end of play.

[pmskaar]

I love the aerial views of the battlefields, Polish GI. I do have a couple of the Avalanche Panzer Grenadier games but have not yet played them.

I am looking forward to seeing how things progress and which scenario or scenarios you decide on. They all look interesting so far. I know scenario design can be fun and challenging to try to get the right mix of balance and playability.

[PolishGI]

I love the aerial views of the battlefields, Polish GI. I do have a couple of the Avalanche Panzer Grenadier games but have not yet played them.

I am looking forward to seeing how things progress and which scenario or scenarios you decide on. They all look interesting so far. I know scenario design can be fun and challenging to try to get the right mix of balance and playability.

Hi Pete. Agreed. That was one of the reasons I am porting over the PG scenarios… they are platoon units/size per stand/model. Maybe that will help IF already play tested.

Don’t judge… I have all of the unit charts in an excel spreadsheet. While it lists the size/weight, armor and speed along with weapon/gun/MGs, ROF and ammo types of a unit… within the ammo types, it has penetration levels at different distances which I like… more realistic? And ammo tracking…

But since everything is in an excel spreadsheet, each file is a scenario. So in theory, if players have laptops, you can work off your laptop while playing. (e.g. markings hits, kills, ammo checkoff, extraordinary events etc.) If laptops are not available, then the excel files are ready to be printed off hardcopy and fall back to pencil/paper tracking.

But in that theory… when I pull together a file/scenario and populate the units within that given mission/scenario, there comes a “Point Value” with each unit. So while creating the OOB, the excel file is already calculating the OOB point value for that side. (point value is much like Bolt Action for game size. But not using BA pt values) When complete, I can compare overall point values from one side to the other depending on whether it is a meeting engagement, or which side is attacking and which side is defending…

Screenshots below as examples…

From the game Command Decision. Vehicle specs are from CD4 while the gun performances/ranges are from CD3. (I dislike CD4 is some regards. CD3 has more detail but that means more tracking, which is ok to me)


Example of a scenario/game file I created. Lists the unit specifics from the above pic/source. On the left column is the unit point value with a summation of everything up top in orange. On the right side are the boxes needed for tracking ammo. Via excel/keystrokes or checking off boxes with pencils.



Another example from another scenario:

[PolishGI]

Here is the board that I just set up for the May 2nd, 1944 scenario.

A Russian Rifle Division along with elements of a Guards Tank Corps will be attacking from the north (top side of the map). With a German Fusilier battalion, a platoon from the Pioneer Company, a Regimental Infantry Gun Company and elements from the Flak Battalion defending the town.

Can the German Fusilier battalion hold on long enough until the German panzers arrive?

























I’m hoping to get this finished in the next couple of days outside of the obvious. (holiday)
I need to start re-doing my forest hexes... not entirely happy with the old school set up I have...

[redleg]

Beautiful terrain, Polish!

[chrisswim]

Very nice set up. Looking good.

[pmskaar]

Great looking layout, Polish GI! I look forward to seeing how this battle develops and .... can the cavalry arrive on time or not. Are you using the Command Decision rules for this?

[PolishGI]

Beautiful terrain, Polish!

Thank you redleg.

Very nice set up. Looking good.

Thank you Chris.

Great looking layout, Polish GI! I look forward to seeing how this battle develops and .... can the cavalry arrive on time or not. Are you using the Command Decision rules for this?

Thank you Pete. Me too! I am. I am torn between CD3 and CD4. I like elements from both. CD4 was “streamlined” but some of the details were dropped in the interest of speeding things up or less “tracking”. So I use elements from CD3 and elements from CD4.
But for me, I like the tracking… as you can tell from my spreadsheets. (e.g. either via laptop or pencil/paper) I like tracking ammo because it forces a player to have to choose when and how much to fire. Or it limits how powerful an AFV is in the game… perfect example is an Elefant. Comes with 9 rounds? (everything is scaled down by 5) You have limited rounds so you cant pop off 2 rds each turn and go for very long. So then you can advance and stop… waiting for a Maultier to catch up with the Elefant to reload it and then continue again… or if you are the enemy force, you target the support vehicles to keep the Elefant at bay… Stuff like that…

[Hoth_902]

Polish,


First things first. Great terrain. Second, love your thoughts about tracking. It adds depth to the game. Sometimes beer and pretzels type game of shooting is great. Sometimes adding depth to the game to showcase real strategy. I can go either way and probably like somewhere in between.

[7.62]

Great looking real estate, almost makes me want to relinquish my Imagi-nations non aggressive non expansionist nature.