Question on Alternative Assault Resolution

[Ricky B]

Tim, the default rules for Sicily do NOT include alt assault, and what you are seeing is one of the big reasons most of us recommend sticking to the default fire and assault rules. For Moscow '42, I think the original default rules for testing included alt assault, but the bunkers were very tough to crack that way, near impossible, for the same reason you are seeing here. So stick to the default assault rules in general - too later here so follow the advice above.

True, but this all goes hand-in-hand. With the Alt values over the default ones, then typically hard attack strengths and assault strengths will be higher. So, your chipping away power should be greater, but your ability to take the hex by a coup de main is weakened, which means more preparation is necessary. Anyway, just saying: one choice doesn't come without a consequence somewhere else.

Exactly, Ed, your values are designed (or not but that is how they work anyway) to work with the alt assault rules so it balances things. But play Kharkov '42 campaign with the alt fire and assault rules and the Soviet player has at best a minimal chance of breaking into the German bunker line. Had a Soviet opponent suggest just that many years ago and we quit after about 15 turns as the attack had broken down (losses were horrendous and most attacking Soviets, even Guards, were disrupted) with no more than a couple of bunkers lost. But tweak the values used for the rules being used and the fight can be very interesting, going either direction.

Rick