Low cost of german arty

[shortreengage]

Hello JP,

yep - I think we all find that at one time or another in the game that 10% of points will buy a ton of artillery.. much more than a meeting engagement would normally have available.. I use meeting engagement because IIRC, these are the vast majority of the games we play here.. where it would probably be more appropriate to be playing assault/defend or attack/delay types of games..

anyway - I digress..

A solution I've found that seems to work well:

allow only the artillery that come integrated in a full company purchase (armor or infantry).. most of the time this would result is a company having 1 or 2 light to medium mortar units available..

once the purchase reaches a battalion level.. (appx 3 companies).. then the appropriate battalion support/heavy weapons company can be purchased.. which would usually include MG's and an artillery battery (roughly 6 gun tubes, which is not the same as units) and sometimes a FO.

off-map heavy artillery probably ought to be only in the game with an assault/defend situation.. and appx 5%-10% for each player for off-map would be right.. in addition to integral company artillery (just like we set up the team game you and I are involved in right now)..

Once the game reaches 3+ battalions, then regimental artillery can be added.. in the form of on-map light/medium artillery, rocket launchers.. etc, and off-map heavy artillery.. at roughly 1 artillery battery per battalion perhaps. These ought not to be controlled by point allowance, but simply the fact that the game has reached proportions where regimental or divisional artillery assets are appropriate..

things like SP guns/CS tanks were intended as direct LOS fire support of troops.. and probably ought to appear in numbers of appx 1 section of 2 tanks for one infantry company.. and up to about 4-6 tanks per battalion.. typically SP guns were not used as indirect fire artillery.. including the ability in the game to use these for 'z' firing to augment other artillery & etc..

Setting things up like this may give the more historical accuracy to the artillery issue you mention

Regards,
Greybeard

Hi Greybeard, Hi Jad,
That is not a bad idea. But. Some armies rely on artillery more than others. In most western tactical methods FIRES (arty/mortars) support MANEUVER ( tanks/inf). In Soviet style armies MANEUVER supports FIRES. Soviet Arty is pooled and formed into groups for specific tasks. It is not uncommon for the lead Battalion to have upwards of 6 Battalions firing in support, though some of this would be in the form of Counter-Battery fires. It depends on the mission and if the unit is conducting main or supporting attack. Guidelines are good but need to be realistic. One of the things I hate is when my oppo spams cheap mortars. Where did all these mortars come from? I know WW2 Soviets and US had Mortar BNs but come on.