Ted Raicer was kind enough to send me his Cambrai rules. These are the same basic system as They Met At Gettysburg, Bloodiest Day, and with a nod to Breakout Normandy. Attacking units pile into an area and compare scores with the Defender. If the Attacker outpoints the Defender Casualty Points are inflicted (which can Spend, Eliminate or retreat units). If the Defender outpoints the Attacker all the attackers are Spent and the lead unit eliminated. The fighting at Cambrai is atypical but thinking about this model did lead me to put together the following models. Firstly, I would like to propose that apart from a few exceptions the TEM (Terrain Effects Modifier) becomes a Tactical Effects Modifier reflecting the different tactical solutions of the era rather than the terrain. These would be added to the defender's fire. Secondly and consequentially, that the advance into an Area to fight is not a good simulation of the longer engagement ranges of this period. Instead, to steal an idea from my Death Ride: Mars-La-Tour one uses fire zone markers to handle areas swept by prepared fires. Assault from a Fire Zone requires the attacker to halt and himself be attacked before entering the defender Area. Only if this fire is survived may the assault go in (minus a few units). Casualty points in such a situation can only be taken as retreats if all units use retreats (so the attack either goes forward taking losses or goes to ground). Let's see how it might be 1.August 1914: German units bump into BEF forces at St Crotte-sur-Marne. The BEF can use the villages and woods for Terrain and the German attacks are made with a Kindermord TEM (+3 for the Fire Zone) as they mass in clumps of men before the Lee-Enfields. The BEF can lay down Fire Zones but the Germans will arrive randomly so presenting the constant risk of flanking. When the BEF attack they use Skirmish Order TEM (+1 for the Fire Zone). Bombardment is a separate activity whose arrival can be delayed. 2.Late 1914: The terrain is getting increasingly flattened, the TEM is now linked to trench capability. The BEF attacks are losing their skill level and both sides are coming to Rushing TEMs (+2) against Fire Zones (basically a spread-out bayonet attack). These are better than kindermord but not much. 3.Early 1915: Bombardments are now trying to not only kill defenders (who are harder to hit in their trenches) but to blow away the prepared Fire Zones. However, the delay in British troops hitting the German line might allow a German Player to dice to replace the Fire Zone if his men get out of the shelters fast enough (and of course there are those Unknown Wire counters I did not mention). Both sides are counter-attacking using the Rushing TEM (+2) but most counter-attacks are not facing Fire Zones which take time to apply so the effect is felt in the defender Area. The French are beginning to use Rushing TEM after their version of Kindermord (Elan) (+3) kills too many of them. 4.Early 1916: By now the weight of artillery is up. The Germans have learned to lay down successive layers of Fire Zones, including ones targeted on their own front lines. The BEF is bigger but has reverted to a massed formation New Army (+3) which is slower than others. The other nations are beginning to move towards Skirmish TEM (+1) with smaller groups moving forward in rushes (the French on the Somme). Artillery fires are preplotted (see the Cassino game). Those tempted to be smart-arsed with the New Army would be allowed to advance in Open Order (+2/+1 on Fire Zones) but at a high chance of units Spending. New Army units would not automatically unSpend at the end of the turn. (See how clever you look when your entire attack goes to ground Mr Captain-so-called-bleedin Liddell Hart). 5.1917: The BEF begin to achieve Skirmish TEM capability. There is the first appearance of a number of new Tactics. The Creeping Barrage TEM is used by most Allied Attacks, it is a joint Artillery-Infantry assault designed to smash up the Fire Zones as the Infantry advance as well as damage the defenders. A number of dice scores result in it failing (these reduce over the period). The Tank Assault TEM may not be combined with Infantry (although both may be activated together and Assault separately) and it can (and maybe must) exit an Area with great ease. The Tanks aim is to damage the defenders and disrupt their Fire Zones before the Skirmish TEM infantry arrive. Such an assault is particularly prone to Artillery fire and Breaking Down (the Tank version of the Creeping Barrage problem). The Germans are discovering the Stoss TEM (-1 or 0) against Fire Zones and with the same penetrative power as Tanks. Defender TEMs are tactical unless in trenches. 6.Late 1918: The English and French are not permitted supporting Fire Zones so are still sitting stacked in their trenches when Ludendorff comes calling. German Stoss skill levels begin to fall, (+0 on TEM) while Allied Skill levels lift Skirmish TEMs to 0 against Fire Zones. Tanks breakdown less but still cannot combine in action. The Americans go through the entire gamut of tactics (but faster). Back to Perfidious Albion #95 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com