CLASH OF ARMOR

CoA incorporates a number of interesting features, chief of which is the use of activation roles to get units to do anything. If you examine the orders of battle below, you'll see that each battalion has a leader rating followed by a parenthetical command span [e.g., +4(3)], a numerical morale rating, and an experience rating (green, regular, etc.). The morale rating is used during play at various times to test whether companies want to do things and whether battalions want to remain in the battle. The experience rating seems to affect how one assigns battalion morale ratings; beyond this, we've not quite figured out what its used for.

Each component company (referred to as a Maneuver Element - ME) has an activation rating and a fatigue level. During game play, the player with the initiative selects one ME and attempts to activate it by casting 1D10 less than or equal to its activation number. If successfully activated, the ME can move, fire, or any of several other actions. Some actions, such as opportunity fire, take place when the opponent has initiative. Battalion leaders may apply their leader rating (e.g., the +4, above) to the subordinate MEs activation number to help it to activate. Leaders may only do this, however as many times as their command span (e.g., the (3), above).

An ME may attempt to activate without the help of its leader but if it fails, it's finished for the turn; An ME who was aided by its leader but still failed to activate may try again (with a penalty to the die roll). An ME that's activated already in the current turn may try to activate again - also with a penalty to the die roll. When an ME activates, it may accrue fatigue points. These penalize all further activation's by that ME until its successfully executed a Recover action which reduces the fatigue level (as well as hits - referred to in CoA as cohesion hits to represent the fact that they don't merely represent materiel destruction).

In short, all of this means that MEs perform much better with the help of their leader, but even with that help, they tire and have to rest periodically to recover their pep. Leadership and activation numbers control the pace of the battle and the side with the higher values will gain and retain the initiative.

Combat Resolution System

CoAs other noteworthy feature is the combat resolution system. A weapon has a numerical rating - a fire value - at a given range. To fire, one casts 1D10 against a chart, checking the column for that rating. The cross-referenced value is the attackers fire effect number. One checks another chart that compares the target type (hard vehicle or other, basically) to the targets terrain type. The cross-referenced value in this chart is the targets casualty value. One then divides the fire effect value by the casualty value - the result, dropping fractions, is the number of hits the targets suffered. Three hits destroy the target. There are a number of other factors that modify this, including, in the case of antitank fire, the targets armor value, which the attackers fire value must exceed in order for there to be any effect.

As may be obvious, with companies being the basic maneuver elements, CoA places the player squarely in the position of Battalion Commander. We stretched things a bit in Korpetsch, approximately doubling our spans of control. The game played reasonably well but would've been a bit smoother had we an extra player on each side.

COMMAND DECISION II

CDII has a deterministic command control system. Players have various command elements in each company and battalion that can issue orders to subordinate units by placing any of several types of chits next to those units. The chits indicate, with arrows, where (direction) and how (the type of arrow indicates how fast) a units to move, or whether its simply to sit tight (no order). When the chits placed, the unit will act.

Units are rated for both experience and morale and this is at the games core. More experienced units take more damage (hits) before fleeing or being destroyed - this is a powerful force modifier on the tabletop, as shown by the Soviet 15th Tank Regiment later in this article.

Units with higher morale are more likely to pass morale tests taken as a result of casualties. In extreme cases, units - companies and sometimes battalions - may simply disperse and be removed from play as a result of really bad morale dice rolls.

The game turn includes three fire phases - opportunity (fire at moving enemy units), general (fire at everything), and close (fire at enemies within 500 yards). Which phases a unit may fire in is determined by how far, if at all, the unit moved in the immediately preceding movement phase. Also, weapons have various rates of fire, so CDII combat tends to be fairly bloody.

Combat

Combat itself is fairly straightforward. Each weapon has a specific chance to hit at any given range, as well (if applicable) as a basic armor penetration value for that range. One rolls 1D10 less than or equal to the chance to hit in order to damage the target. There are modifiers to this roll that apply mainly to small arms and indirect fire. Antitank fire adds another die roll, which is added to the basic penetration value to determine how much armor the hit will penetrate. The difference between this number and the targets armor value determines, via a chart, how many hits are inflicted on the target.

As with CoA, CDII makes a Battalion Commander of the player. With the slightly simpler play sequence (place chits versus rolling to activate) and combat system (minimal mental arithmetic), CDII played reasonably well with two active battalions per player. I felt funny, but the game didn't mind.

SPEARHEAD

The essential feature of SH is a no-nonsense command control system designed to allow you to move large numbers of battalions about in a realistic manner. Of the three rule sets, SH was the only one that required sketch maps of the battlefield. This is because whenever a battalion moves - beyond minor adjustments of position or local patrolling around an objective - its movement must be plotted on a map by means of a line showing the battalion headquarters route of march, with an arrowhead showing its objective. There's no ambiguity about what a battalion's doing, but there is a surprising amount of flexibility in how the battalion does it with regard to positioning specific platoons and companies along the line of march.

All battalions start a game with orders that they'll happily follow. Changing orders can however be a problem, as one must cast 1D6 to see whether the battalion in question understood and/or reacted to the new orders. In some cases this isn't so bad - German battalions will react 5/6 ths of the time. Early war Soviet battalions, however, react only 1/6th of the time. Most battalions in combat cant have their orders changed - they're somewhat preoccupied (the Germans, again, have an advantage here). This works, especially in a large game with many battalions.

Combat

Combat is also directed towards the big game. Weapons fire out to 9", 12", or rarely, 18". All units have a defense value, an anti-armor attack value, and an anti-infantry attack value (used against other soft targets as well). These are not range-dependent, though weapons that can fire out to 18" do suffer a penalty at extreme range. All combat resolves by casting 1D6 subject to several modifiers including the difference between the appropriate attack value and the targets defense value. A 6 result kills while a 4 - 5 result suppresses, which essentially pins the target down until it can recover. This may sound a bit simple, but the goal is for a player to maneuver several battalions during a game and to pay attention to a battalions activities, not those of its component companies and platoons.

Morale is straightforward - battalions that have lost, based on their experience rating (green, regular, or veteran) a given percentage of their strength, cast 1D6 on a morale table. They may be dispersed from the game, may retreat, or may pass the check. Again, treatment takes place at this (the battalion) level because the battalion is just another maneuver element.

COMPARISON OF FEATURES OF RULES USED

1 We doubled the ground scales for these two rule sets in order to be able to use (approximately) the same game board.

2 CoA and SH had units sight one another based simply on cover and range. CDII required a single spotting roll for each target (vs. Having each spotter try to spot).

3 SH fire combat is detailed elsewhere but was much quicker and simpler than the others.

a All three rule sets allowed opportunity fire that effectively (or actually) takes place during the opponents turn.

b Units directly supporting a battalion may fire over the heads of the battalion.

c Trucks stay in play after depositing troops in CDII, disappear for the duration of the scenario in SH, and disappear, only to return when troops want to re-embark, in CoA.

The Comparison

WWII Rules Comparison Introduction
Assault on Korpetsch (historical overview and order of battle)
Clash of Armor replay
Command Decision II replay
Spearhead replay
Conclusion

Rapid Fire replay (#77)

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