Virtual Supply Truck vs Explicit Supply(FWWC)

[BigDuke66]

Hi
I was wondering how much the Explicit supply rule changes the gameplay. Obviously with the extra units it can lead to more traffic on the roads what could cause problems. But besides that the mechanics how both work regarding the Low Ammo effect may impact the gameplay too, page 76 on the user manual states that:
"In addition, the basic test to determine when Low
Ammo and Low Fuel potentially occurs is modified
by using a default Local Supply Value of 80. This
means that under Explicit Supply, a unit has a 20%
chance of requiring resupply each time the test is
performed."

When I understand correctly, without Explicit supply the local supply value is used to determine if Low Ammo occurs and the local supply value depends on the distance to the supply sources.

Doesn't this overall mean that using the Explicit supply rule will lead to:
A. Units close to a supply source being more often on Low Ammo than it would happen without the Explicit supply rule.
B. Units far away a supply source being less often on Low Ammo than it would happen without the Explicit supply rule.

If so it seems to me that the Explicit supply rule evens the field and makes the probability of a unit going Low Ammo the same no matter how far away it is from a supply source, so the performance would not degrade if moving away from the supply source.
Without Explicit supply the probability of Low Ammo occurring would steadily rise and with that the initial performance would degrade the higher the distance is to a supply source, isn't this what is wanted especially in the FWWC series?

[Ricky B]

Although a more complex question than I have time for now, here is a fairly short answer. Per turn with a shot taken, you are right, the explicit supply rules even out the chance of failure no matter the distance to a supply source. However, the further the units get from the supply unit entry hexes, the longer it will take to get supply up to the front, using explicit supply. So effectively, that means the supply level will drop as the distance grows longer as it will be longer before units resupply after going low ammo/fuel.

The main difference I have seen is that explicit supply, if effectively set up, leads to a more realistic usage of your units. When you know you only have X amount of supply as with explicit supply you will not attack everywhere - at least in PzC where low fuel has a terribly hard impact on motorized units. Whereas normal rules it doesn't matter if everybody is out of ammo on a turn, they all have a good chance and can eventually get back to having ammo. With explicit, you won't have enough supply to get them all back and so will be partially handicapped after that point.

I say when effectively set up. I played a custom Bulge version with explicit supply, as the German player. We finished the game, but both sides, worse for the Germans, had nowhere near enough supply units. For half the game, over half my units were low fuel/ammo and most artillery was unavailable - maybe 10 artillery shots per turn could be taken. And I conserved as much as I could from the very beginning, but there needed to be a huge jump in supply units to reflect something near history.

[BigDuke66]

What also seems worth to be considered is how resupply of Low Ammo units works.
Playing with Explicit supply it's enough to place a supply unit in range of the Low Ammo unit to resupply that unit.
Without Explicit Supply a test has to be made that is based on the distance between the unit and the (usually a Brigade) HQ, according to the formula the chances can be as low as 50%(at maximum command range of the HQ) and as high as 100%(in the same hex as HQ unit).
So the guaranteed resupply with supply units is nice as it allows to set a schwerpunkt where the supply flows to keep an operation going.

Just to clarify, even when using Explicit Supply rule there is still the second test made like it is described on page 71 of the manual?

[Ricky B]

Page 71 of which manual from which game? Probably better to simply quote the passage, at least in summary. But there is no second test for resupply at least??? Once a unit goes low ammo/fuel, it must have explicit supply in range. If it is regarding failing the supply test and going low ammo/fuel, then yes a second check is made, compared to the HQ, I believe.

Rick