Break, d--n you break!

[rmonical]

I've been testing VMs France 40 alt scenario as the German. This is my first significant experience as the attacker in PzC scenario and it seems to be very difficult (if not impossible) for a disrupted unit to break as the result of an assault.

In this most recent turn I had two separate isolated and disrupted companies surrounded by the better part of a panzer division each. Neither broke despite being subjected to artillery, direct fire and multiple assaults. In one case, I had a lone rifleman (disrupted and isolated) that was all that was left of a 200 man company. It was preventing a panzer battalion from moving by.

Is it possible for a unit to break as the result of an assault?

My impression is that there is a point of diminishing returns on an assault so I break my assults up in order to try to eliminate these surrounded units. Is there a rule of thumb for the best odds to use? I could do a 10-1, or I could do three 5-1s as the target gets steadily weaker.

I notice that I am using the wrong optional rules for a VM scenario but do have the optional assault rule turned on.


Thanks

[Sgt Fury]

A unit must be at max fatigue to break, so you need to do more damage first.

Fury

[Volcano Man]

Optional Assault Resolution rule is the most important one to use in regards to assaults and since you are using it then that is good. But as Sgt Fury said, you have to do a lot of damage to a unit to both have it disrupted and max out its fatigue before it can be broken.

Other than that, a unit can break as a result of an assault but the first two prerequisits must be met first. The best thing to do though is to not wait for a unit to break, just surround and isolate the unit and then disrupt it. After that you assault the unit and you will get most of the unit to surrender since it cannot retreat.