Kommissars in assaults

[campsawyer]

Today, I had another new experience within PG. The power of Kommissars in an assault. Although they do not give a bonus to any fighting, their bonus is to bounce demoralized units back to life and make it very hard to kill them. In an assault that lasting longer than it should the Kommissar just keeps the Soviet infantry going, the only way to get rid of them is a step loss. He is a morale 10 in a town so any effect of the demoralization is lost and he kept them going. It was bad enough that the Germans keep having to shuffle fresh troops in as the Soviets were getting morale checks on them. A tough fight, but alas the Komissar was mortally wounded when one of the Soviet steps were lost. The end will be soon for the remnants. But he did his just and it has held up the German advance enough that it will be a close one in the end. I just found it very interesting that Komissars can have some combat value other than trying to catch the stragglers.

[vince hughes]

Alan,

I was going to mention leader loss before getting to the end of your post, but I see that it took its toll. Sounds like a good use for them.

[Poor Yorek]

Of course, per rule 6.61, the Kommisar would be required to leave the assault hex should another Soviet unit become DD (my short for demoralized) elsewhere (unless another KOM were available). When compared with 6.65, it is not clear to me whether 6.61 implies the KOM must be activated if there is any DD friendly, or only when stacked with a DD (i.e. providing an "out" by just not having the KOM in the assault activate). Still, the language of 6.61 seems to suggest (the "must") a strong sense of the ordinary reading that KOMs exist to move to DD units and must do so.

:hrug::

[vince hughes]

PY,

I think in Alan's an example, the Soviets were DEM'd each turn, meaning the KOM could stay in there and assist to recover. At least that's how I took it to be.

[Poor Yorek]

PY,

I think in Alan's an example, the Soviets were DEM'd each turn, meaning the KOM could stay in there and assist to recover. At least that's how I took it to be.

Sure, I wasn't disputing that. But, it might make it expedient, under certain circumstances, to hold the assault (i.e. not activate to attack) a few turns and try to DD units nearby to force the KOM to flee; then hit the assault again. Not being critical, just trying to think of ways of dealing with the general situation of a KOM in an assault.

[campsawyer]

Vince is right on with the assault, the Germans were demoralizing the Soviets each turn, but the Komissiars was bringing right back to life. So the Komissar was not forced to move. But even so, the FoW rolls would have probably keep him in place anyway. It was also critical that the Germans attack this town as the VP's are town control as well as it was the gateway to the other town hexes. As said the Komissar was killed when a step loss was finally incurred.

I would not do this all the time several items fell into place. First a high morale Komissar is important as well as units defending a town or entrenchment given the morale bonus for recoveries. But in this case it was there and in a key spot.

[armyduck95]

Vince is right on with the assault, the Germans were demoralizing the Soviets each turn, but the Komissiars was bringing right back to life. So the Komissar was not forced to move. But even so, the FoW rolls would have probably keep him in place anyway. It was also critical that the Germans attack this town as the VP's are town control as well as it was the gateway to the other town hexes. As said the Komissar was killed when a step loss was finally incurred.

I would not do this all the time several items fell into place. First a high morale Komissar is important as well as units defending a town or entrenchment given the morale bonus for recoveries. But in this case it was there and in a key spot.

Very cool technique to remember