Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Some Resolution with COMBAT TEAM! and a visitor?

Okay so after a good night's sleep, breakfast and coffee, the final determination made in my COMBAT TEAM! issues yesterday are simple:

Keeping the game fast-moving, fair and "fun" are still top priorities so I'll change the rules to reflect the following:

Hits recorded in close assault / firefights
All infantry stands have a basic save of 5+ / 1D6 modified by terrain, which increase the save potential. (Thank you A-Historian!  This suggestion worked well and with it, the Germans were finally able to break through those Paras)

Every other stand (rounding up) has an integral support weapon die roll that they can fire during regular shooting in the operations phase (so a company of 3 stands would have 2 support weapon dice, a company of 7 stands would have 4 support weapon dice).  This keeps the game moving so advancing infantry aren't completely wiped out World War I style.  In COMBAT TEAM! Light Machine Guns are integral parts of squads and are only close combat/firefight weapons.  Medium/Heavy machine guns are platoon and company assets and as such receive their own die roll for shooting.  Assigning 1 support weapon dice per platoon (every other stand) gives the game much better balance.






In a large departure from EPIC: Armageddon, Infantry in Close Assaults (engage order in E:A) WILL receive their saving throws.  2 Infantry Companies in Epic could see as many as 30 stands involved in close combat.  COMBAT TEAM! may have as little as 6 or 8 counting both sides.  (the scale is also a little larger in COMBAT TEAM!).  This way the game stays balanced.  One potential problem on the horizon I am eyeing is how to best integrate morale into Close Assaults and I'm tinkering with some ideas for playtesting next.  (using the Tactical Initiative Value and working it into the final die roll to determine who won the Close Assault for one thing).


German troops lose the close assault and also their morale check!
Also yesterday, work finally got underway in the painting of my 15mm Soviet Motor Rifle Troops!  I know everyone is excited to see them so of course naturally I'll keep everyone in suspense for another day or so. Some of them are Khurasan Miniatures and are a serious joy to paint!!

Also SOUND OFFICERS CALL is happy to report a distinguished visitor toured our ranks yesterday after a "hard day" of playtesting, organizing and painting!
Lady Christina checking on the progress of her Army.

12 comments:

  1. Glad I could help! Sorry I didn't reply on the last comment, I have literally *just* seen how to get notifications about my comments...

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    1. No problem at all. Your help is greatly appreciated! As I get the rules into a more exportable format, I'll continue to share them on the blog. Thanks for the feedback.

      Steven

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  2. Excellent and interesting write up.

    And of course...awwww...she just wants to play with Dad's toy soldiers. Start 'em young Steve. My two are teenagers and just want to play D&D (must think they're actresses).

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    1. Duke,
      My little one loves Orcs - especially the 1/72 scale Caesar Orcs! She also loves the "folk art" cheap acrylic paint bottles.

      I am designing a pirate game for her with one of those "buckets" of toy soldier-scale 1/32 skeletons and pirates. She'll be old enough to play it in a few years.
      Who knows - maybe I can enlist her to help daddy with some terrain projects?

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  3. The joys a young daughter brings... By daughter Ursula is grown up now (age 21) and domiciled in Australia. She never was all that interested in war gaming, though I did build her an army of mostly Napoleonic figures (only the dragoons are 7YW). This army was built around a 54-figure lot of Airfix French musketeer figures from the Artillery pack. The Principality of Ursaminor - the young Princess Ursula being its Head of State - has a common border with Altmark-Uberheim, the Empire, The Grand Duchy of M'yasma and the Landgravate of Jotun-Erbsten. The last of these also has an army of Napoleonic figures, built for a friend's daughter who is several months older than Ursula. They were friends until Ursula left for Oz - I suppose still are, really.

    I saw your comment on my earlier posting and have published a reply. But I think there is a full posting there... Especially concerning your scaling down comments.

    Cheers,
    Ion

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    1. Archduke,
      She is at that age where she's talking more and more and developing a wonderful sense of humor. She is also entering her "terrible 2s" and my goodness no one warned me about those!!!
      I would love for my daughter to love toy soldiers like her father as there are certainly much worse things to be addicted to!

      I love the names of your imagi-nations!

      Steven

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  4. Now that last shot is cute and should be framed for the games room brag wall!

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    1. Paul,
      That's a great idea! That will go right next to my George S Patton famed print!

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  5. Very sweet! I hope she catches a healthy dose of the gaming addiction and stays clear of the often associated gamer's OCD. But I have to ask, what was it that she was wanting to say when she looked back, "Daddy, does Mommy know you have so much spray paint? Why do you have so many boxes of things?..." :-)

    I was only ever able to get Big E to paint one 10mm figure (which actually turned out awesome). Thankfully, [Chairman] Mo will talk history and politics without any encouragement. Strangely, she loves dictators, despots and tyrants?!

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    1. Dave,
      I am hoping so too - I'm trying as hard as I can to get her hooked! The orcs are helping :)
      She's probably saying "Daddy this is silly how many boxes of these things you have" and "I want this color and this color and this color"

      Hahahaha Chairman Mo is hilarious! The dictators, despots, and tyrants always make for the most interesting conversations!

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  6. Awwwww. I remember when my daughter was that age and saw one of my war-games laid out and reached for the cavalry figures. "Horsies!" she squealed in the excited voice that only a toddler can produce. Enjoy it while you can.
    Glad your rules are making progress.
    Cheers,
    Michael

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    1. Thanks, Michael! She absolutely loves going into the "wargame bunker" or our basement (or as Paul calls it, "the man cave"). One day she will be pressed into service helping with terrain projects.

      Steven

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