River Crossing rule rationale?

[Blackcloud6]

For my edification.

What are the Major River Rules depicting by having you have to roll to make it to the far shore?   How are the crossing numbers determined?  What do high ones represent? Low ones?

[Matt W]

High numbers indicate a river with low banks and easy access to the banks, also a slow current and a lack of mid-stream obstacles. Low numbers mean the opposite.

Of course, anything that creates a difficulty to the engineers can cause the crossing number to go down. As a result a designer might look at a situation where the crossing appears easy but the force attempting to cross was inept and simply reflect that lack of skill by lowering the crossing number. Not all engineers are equally capable. Note also that in some cases the designer may reflect the defenders resistance in these numbers as well as, for example, the case where defenders sharpshooters are particularly effective in picking off the engineers.

So the river crossing number is actually an amalgam of factors, some specific to the river, some specific to the attacker and some specific to the defender.

[Blackcloud6]

Thanks. Also, I assume that what is being depicted is engineers using assault boats and rafts but not bridging.

[Matt W]

Within the time span of most scenarios (4-6 hours) it is mostly assault boats and pontoon crossings for vehicles (ferries), especially when we look at early WW II scenarios. With such scenarios spanning a timeframe from 1936 through 1951 the ruleset needs to accommodate a huge change in tactical capabilities.

[Blackcloud6]

Within the time span of most scenarios (4-6 hours) it is mostly assault boats and pontoon crossings for vehicles (ferries), especially when we look at early WW II scenarios.  With such scenarios spanning a timeframe from 1936 through 1951 the ruleset needs to accommodate a huge change in tactical capabilities.

One could put in Bailey Bridges for US and UK forces and they could be constructed in some of the longer scenarios.

[Matt W]

There are some river crossing preparation rules in Road to Dunkirk that could probably be ported over to other games, especially later in the war.

[Blackcloud6]

There are some river crossing preparation rules in Road to Dunkirk that could probably be ported over to other games, especially later in the war.

Cool.