4.2 Chinese Intervention Options

4.2c Chinese Alternate Variable

Under this option, a mixture of controlled and variable intervention is provided.

Communist intervention and infiltration is triggered by the table below. The entire Intervention Force is placed in the Intervention Box on 1 Oct 1950. The Communist (Comm) player rolls two dice (makes a DR) for Intervention at the beginning of each Communist Reinforcement Phase beginning with the 1 Oct 1950 turn in hopes of deploying these forces onto the map.

Variable Intervention Table
DR RESULT
9 or less: No effect
10: Limited
11: Limited or Surprise
12+ Limited or Massive Surprise

Dice roll modifiers (DRMs) +1 each "Limited" result. +1 on/after 1 Nov 1950. -1 each "Limited" result that is cancelled (see below).

Results

"No effect" means no intervention is possible this turn.

"Limited" allows the Chinese to protect the Communist supply source hexes on Map A. Move one Chinese Army HQ and three infantry divisions from the Intervention Box to each supply source that the player chooses to protect. Deployed divisions are free to move normally, but the HQ must remain in the supply source hex until "Surprise" or "Massive Surprise" occurs. A supply source can only be protected once, so no additional reinforcement of hexes already containing a Chinese HQ is possible (nor to Hoeryong if UNoccupied). Thus, at most 5 HQs and fifteen divisions will be deployed in this fashion during the course of play.

"Limited" does not count as full-blown Chinese Intervention. It does not trigger 2.6 or the post-intervention change in UN shipping, but does bring rule 2.7c into play.

"Limited" gives the Comm player a +1 DRM in his favor for subsequent Intervention rolls. The LIN has a chance to cancel this DRM. Count the number of Chinese HQs (including those just deployed) that are within ten hexes of one or more attack-capable enemy units. Roll dr less than or equal to that number to cancel out the +1 DRM.

"Surprise" results in full Chinese intervention. Everything in the Intervention Box is now deployed onto the map. Follow the deployment procedures in 2.5. Roll dr with a +4 drm for infiltration distance. A single infiltration roll is made for the entire force, and is made after announcing choice between "Limited" and "Surprise."

"Massive Surprise" results in full Chinese intervention. Everything in the Intervention Box is now deployed onto the map. Follow the deployment procedures in 2.5. Roll DR with a +8 DRM for infiltration distance. A single infiltration roll is made for the entire force, and is made after announcing choice between "Limited" and "Massive Surprise."

More Intervention Options

1) When deploying the Intervention Force, do not allow distance trace to be made into/through hexes containing UN attack-capable units. This gives the UN forces a bit more rear- area security.

2) Only apply infiltration distance modifiers on/after 1 Nov 1950.

3) Intervention-related rolls should normally be made in the open, but if players agree the Comm player can make them in secret. This will keep the UN player in the dark as to the current DRM for intervention.

Commentary

This intervention option fulfills several objectives. First, it can explicitly depict the limited intervention that occurred historically in Oct 1950. Second, it potentially gives the Comm player more control over intervention by giving him a DRM every time a "Limited" result is taken. Third, by giving the UN player a chance to cancel some of those DRMs if he moves aggressively toward the Yalu, it encourages him to stay north even when Sudden Death Victory seems beyond his grasp. Finally, whenever dice are rolled anything can happen, so the Variable Table gives the UN a real chance to conquer North Korea and end the game early. I like the excitement.

Simplifying Proportional Strength

My approach is non-standard, in that I round strength to a whole number, but I find this makes proportional strength much easier to use. I feel that fractional strength values should only be used when a unit is weakened by terrain, DG, and OOS effects. Note that in Korea most divisions do not require rounding anyway.