New Player PzC Questions

[Mr Grumpy]

I'm in the middle of a hotseat game against myself in the Drive Over the Dnepr (H2H) scenario of Smolensk '41. I read somewhere, probably in regards to Volcano alt scenarios, that some units are given hard attack values with 0 range, which means that these numbers only work during an assault, and only while using the alt assaults optional rule. (If I have that right)

The H2H scenarios are strongly urged to be used only with the pre-determined OR's, but the German side has many PGr battalions with hard attack values of 0 range. Since I'm playing with the H2H set OR's, these HA values serve no purpose that I can see.

Should I be playing with the alt assault rule on? Do the units not fit the scenario? Or am I just overlooking a use for these HA values?

Ubercat,
This version of Drive Over the Dnepr scenario is not one of Volcano's scenarios (it is actually a Mod of mine ;)), all of Ed's scenarios have _alt on the end of the filenames and in the titles to avoid confusion, if you read the word doc that comes in the zip file for this scenario it lists the Opt rules to use as Artillery Set Up, Recon Spotting, Optional Surrender, Quality Fatigue Modifier, Night Fatigue and Programmed Weather.

So the infantry units will be using their assault values for assaults on hard units as the alt assault rule in not selected, however you are correct to say that if this had been a _alt scenario then yes you would have selected the alt assault rule and the infantry would be using their hard attack values of 0.

I do understand that the whole Opt rule feature can be very confusing and Brian & myself work hard at this ladder to try to clarify which rules you should use.

I hope that clears that up for you.

Thanks for getting back so soon. I assume that the HA for these units serves no purpose, then? If that's the case, then I'm also assuming that the units were drawn from a general, overall OOB, rather than custom made for the scenario (stat-wise).

Yes if you are playing with the alt assault rule OFF and a infantry unit has a hard attack value of 4/0 and a assault value of 16 then that indicates that the hard attack value cannot be used in direct fire (range of 0) and an assault on a hard units would use the 16 assault value, so in effect the 4 is not used.

Of course in the alt assault rule is ON, then again you cannot direct fire (range of 0) but when you assault the hard attack value of 4 is used.

Also with the alt assault rule ON and the hex being assaulted contains both soft and hard units then the engine uses a proportion of the HA value of 4 and the assault value of 16 in the same proportion as the numbers of hard and soft units in the hex being assaulted, in that case you will not know exactly the assault value being used unless you are great with maths.

Yes there is an overall OOB which 99% of scenarios use, but it is possible that certain scenarios have their own OOB to reflect specific values for that situation.