|
Advanced Artillery
Just for fun, I thought it would be an interesting thought exercise to see how much historical detail you could add to the off-table bombardment rules. I do not actually recommend using the following house rules in an actual game... Panzer Grenadier is not meant to be as complicated as ASL or other games with reams of rules. That said, the simplicity of PG makes it easy to house rule and modify and so I thought I'd do this as a thought experiment for kicks.
9.6 Advanced Artillery Rules
Under the advanced rules, there are three categories of artillery. Organic artillery includes all of the units capable of bombardment that appear on the map board according to the scenario. These follow the normal rules described in the rules above. Off-Board Artillery, as given in the scenario description, are divided into further types and use the additional rules below. The two types of Off-Board Artillery are Direct Support and General Support. Compare the Off-Board Artillery fire values with the highest-ranking leader in the scenario to determine the artillery types, as described below:
Lieutenant (LT) or Lower: All are General Support.
Captain (CAPT): Fire values of 12 or lower are Direct Support. Higher values are General Support.
Major (MAJ): Fire values up to 18 are Direct Support. Higher values are General Support.
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) or Higher: All are Direct Support.
9.61 Artillery Availability
At the start of each turn, each side must roll to see if General Support is available that turn (Direct Support is always available). Make a leadership roll for the highest-ranking leader in the scenario. If the test is passed, that side may call upon General Support batteries. Otherwise, they are not available this turn. Once Off-Board Artillery has depleted its ammunition stores, all Off-Board Artillery (including Direct Support batteries) is unavailable for that side (see 9.63). Occasionally, a scenario will have its own rules for artillery availability, which should supersede the rules here.
9.62 Off-Board Artillery Ammunition
As an optional rule, if both players agree, ammunition may be limited for Off-Board Artillery support. Determine a number, five or less, that will serve as the Artillery Ammunition Level for all Off-Board Artillery on a side. This can be determined by carefully reading the scenario description for the larger operational context of the forces or otherwise it can be set to a standard number (we recommend a base 3 plus 1 for every 10 full turns of the scenario). Some guidelines are below:
Artillery Ammunition Level
5 - Represents approximately 3 and a half hours of sustained artillery fire.
4 - Represents approximately 2 hours of sustained artillery fire.
3 - Represents approximately 1 hour of sustained artillery fire.
2 - Represents approximately 30-45 minutes of sustained artillery fire
1 - Represents less than 20 minutes of sustained artillery fire.
9.63 Ammunition Depletion
Every turn that Off-Board Artillery fires (regardless of how many batteries are used), the player must roll one die. If the result is equal to or less than the current Ammunition Level, then there is no change for the Ammunition Level. If the result is higher, then the Ammunition Level is reduced by 1 for all future rolls. Once the Ammunition Level reaches 0, that side has used all of their ammo stores and their Off-Board Artillery becomes unavailable. Optionally, for longer scenarios, the players may agree to allow a resupply. If this is the case, roll 2D6. That side's Off-Board Artillery Ammunition Level will be restored to its original scenario default in that many turns.
9.7 Calling Artillery Support
There are three ways to call Off-Board Artillery support in the advanced rules. Attacks may be made either using registered target points, using undemoralized infantry leaders with line of sight to a spotted enemy hex or with an undemoralized Forward Observer with line of sight to a spotted enemy unit.
9.71 Registered Target Points
At the start of the scenario, the defending player may secretly register a number of target points equal to their starting initiative by writing down any hex number on a piece of paper. These target points can be used to make any indirect fire attacks, regardless of whether the hex is spotted or there is a leader with line of sight to the hex. Bombardment attacks against target points do not cause friendly fire and gain the +1 column shift modifier for "target is spotted by firing unit." They cannot be changed after they have been registered.
9.72 Leader-Observed Fire
As per the normal rules, undemoralized leaders on the game map may call in Off-Board Artillery strikes on a spotted enemy hex. Any leader may call upon Direct Support artillery, but only the highest-ranking leader on the side may call upon General Support (for an exception, see 9.73 Forward Observer, below) and only if it is available that turn (see 9.61). This rule assumes an "average" national artillery doctrine for WW2; for better or worse artillery doctrines, see 9.74, below.
9.73 Forward Observer
At the player's option, he or she may choose to designate a single leader as a dedicated Forward Observer at the start of the scenario. This leader no longer counts as an infantry leader, cannot activate nearby units and no longer provides fire or morale modifiers to units in its hex or any benefit to attack columns. Instead, the Forward Observer may call upon Direct Support or General Support to make bombardment attacks, just like the highest-ranking leader, although this requires its entire activation. Off-Board Artillery bombardment attacks called by the Forward Observer do not cause friendly fire and gain the +1 column shift modifier for "target hex spotted by firing unit." The Forward Observer retains its individual Leadership value and can move and be destroyed like normal leaders and does count in other respects as a leader (for example, for the purpose of initiative loss).
9.74 Artillery Doctrine
Different nations at different points in the war had more or less flexible artillery doctrines than what is implied by rule 9.72, above. Before 1944, European nations other than Germany and Great Britain can be typically assumed to have a more restrictive doctrine, whereby only the highest-ranking officer on the side as well as a Forward Observer (if present) can call for Off-Board Artillery fires of either type (Direct Support or General Support). Conversely, the Americans and British forces from 1944 on have a more flexible doctrine that allows any undemoralized leader to call upon General Support, assuming it is available that turn. If the leader is neither the highest-ranking leader on that side nor a Forward Observer, however, they must first pass a successful leadership roll each time they call upon General Support to see if they are able to successfully communicate with the General Support batteries.
Next time I'll discuss some rules for destruction attacks, harassment attacks, creeping barrages and more!
|
