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[Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - Hugmenot - 06-06-2012
EDIT: See page 3 for a picture of a better defensive setup.
I am not sure if there is an interest but I will post pictures of my initial defensive setups to help solo new players who, like me, are agonizing over the initial deployment of their troops.
If a veteran wants to critique my initial setup, please feel free as I welcome any feedback.
The first picture shows the initial German deployment; the second the situation after Turn 3. In retrospect, I don't think this was a great setup but you will have to read my AAR (to be posted later tonight) to find out why.
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - J6A - 06-06-2012
I haven't played this one, and my thoughts would be that a few guys in the center of town could go defend the hedge rows in 0311-0313 so the French have to fight their way through them. Also hexes 0613 and 0714. They can always fall back to the town later. I don't like fighting with nowhere to run.
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - enrique - 06-06-2012
Fantastic pictures!
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - Hugmenot - 06-06-2012
Thanks Enrique. I bought a Fujifilm 505exr as an early birthday present for my wife. The model is being discontinued (and 75% off) and I wanted to get one while they were still available.
Very easy to use, even for a technophobe like me.
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - vince hughes - 06-06-2012
Josh,
Shame on you. This was the one I said we should play next. Its a shame we have not fitted it in so we could comment in detail to Hugmenot !
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - J6A - 06-06-2012
Vince - I thought that set-up looked familiar
And I'll echo that the pictures were very nice.
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - vince hughes - 06-06-2012
(06-06-2012, 02:56 AM)Hugmenot Wrote: The first picture shows the initial German deployment; the second the situation after Turn 3. In retrospect, I don't think this was a great setup but you will have to read my AAR (to be posted later tonight) to find out why.
Hugs,
Before reading on. What turn is that you are showing with the French advance. They seem to have gotten to the north of town easily and in good order from their west edge march ?
A real shame I have not got to play this as planned with J6A yet, then I could have given you a re-run.
However, a couple of things spring to mind.
Either on this forum or on CSW I wrote in a joking way "I still go by The Maxims of Napoleon" in response to somebody's comment (darned if I can remember the subject).
Anyway, joking aside, I can see what I would NOT have done with this set-up AND it uses one of Napoleon's Maxims that stayed with me ... "He who defends everything, defends NOTHING" and your Germans are trying to defend EVERY hex of the town !
This is a really important maxim in a lot of PG defence scenarios.
Look at the VC's. 1VP per enemy step removed and a useful 2VP's for each town. Do not be beguiled by the 2VP value. 10 x town hexes means a 20pt bounty available but in many defences, it is worth adding them all up and see how many you are willing to give up for a more concentrated defence of leatier morsals.
In the set-up, there are just 8 German INF platoons available and a solitary HMG. You have put them all in the town hexes to defend them. Strung out in solo platoons.
The attacker is allowed to enter anywhere on the west edge but only has 12 turns to take towns and inflict damage. He also has just a 14pt OBA, so that won't frighten '8' moraled defenders with a 10-1-1 and 10-1-2 leader available. But you have wasted this advantage by trying to defend everything, strung out thinly, thus allowing an attacker that concentrates at a Schwerpunkt point of concentration to overwhelm anything that he comes across.
Furthermore, all the roads are open (in the dark) for his swift movement should he wish and you are also allowing him to enter the board, close to Haut-Le-Wastia and handing over the hedgerow cover. Also at night your troops will not be able to see them enter from their town deployment. This prevents German movement in SSR 4.
So whats an alternative ?
I would possibly place a dug in platoon on the roads at 0314 and place another 2 platoons at 0516 ready to move and advance toward 0317 once the French have been spotted by my other deployments explained below. These two positions immediately only allow the French an advance through woods. That'll eat up 1 turn by itself in his movement allowance, let alone that he has to dislodge you too.
I would also protect the north part of Haut-le-Wastia in case the French try coming in higher up the board, by deploying in hexes 0410 dug-in and 0511 in the buildings. This will allow spotting of the enemy if they come in quick, or force the enemy around you, by which time, its getting lighter and you will spot them anyway. This now leaves 3 x platoons of INF and the HMG. This is easy. HMG in 0313. INF each dug-in in 0312 and 0311. Leaving 1 x Pln spare to place perhaps behind them all ready to advance to a French concentration point
From this I will be happy that I have achieved delaying and or cutting down any quick frontal advance by the French, managing to spot them quick so I can start moving etc, denying them some turns and eating time. All roads are cut off for the Frenchies as well. If they do try a frontal assault, they will have no cover at all and the Opp Fire will be horrendous for them. They are positioned right next to the town so can easily fall back.
This achieves a point per step lost for him and he is still nowhere near the town. If they try coming in further up the board, the north part of town is defended as stated and you now have a mass of reserves to deploy to that end of the board.
All in all, I would expect minimum building loss (perhaps 3 to 4 hexes and some of those contested, not lost), and hope to achieve higher step losses on the French as they have to spend time moving in order to snatch towns. The point of the set-up briefly is
a) Deny quick French advance from west edge.
b) Deny cover to French western edge
c) Channel French to move round north of Haut-Le-Wastia.
d) Eat Time
e) Achieve step-loss superiority for VC purposes
That all said, once the dice start rolling, who knows where it will go !
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - vince hughes - 06-06-2012
Just edited my large post re initiative:
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - J6A - 06-06-2012
I'm expecting Vince to use this setup when we do get to play.
Overall, though, I agree with his general assessment. A flexible defense seems to make more sense instead of a thin line.
OTOH, I find your French approach interesting...why not take advantage of cover? You don't have to take your objectives by turn 5. Advancing in a more cautious manner to avoid some of the step losses Vince mentions could be the difference between winning and losing.
Vince - My schedule is mostly insane for the next 2 months between a family visit, CSW Expo, going to the VPG offices for a week and WBC, and hopefully we can sneak in a play of this. Even if you want to start it PbEM, we may make good progress because I can allocate 5-10 minutes at a time instead of several hours!
RE: [Fall of France #11] Initial German Setup - vince hughes - 06-06-2012
Josh,
I'll contact you re PBEM as it is only a one boarder and will still fit on my current PBEM table (which is housing the 4 boarder Slowing The Juggernaut). PBEM is good as long as you don;t like to rush it. Patience is key there. Of course, I'll have to throw in some other googlies to fox you (curveball in baseball terms). Can't have that Fiesler Storch crashing and the plans being captured :-)