tournament proposal

[oldrocky]

This is my idea for a new tournament of which I will be willing to create and officiate if interest is shown.

This team play tournament will represent one day of battle on the Eastern Front during August of 1944. Each battle ( segment) will be 20 turns in length representing one hour of combat at which time the game will pause as the map is edited , reserves/reinforcements committed, win/loss conditions are calculated and units transferred from one map to another; then the next segment will begin right where the last segment left off. Each segment will be scored using the standard scoring system currently in use at the Blitz, after which the next segment will begin using the same map, forces and/or reserves that have been committed and/or forces that have transferred from an adjacent map. After each segment I, ( The Game Master), will make the necessary adjustments to the map and force dispositions ( KIAs, vehicle immobilized, reserves, force transfers, etc. ) according to the orders given by the opposing Commanding Generals (CGs). The initial map size and composition of the forces will be determined by the number of participants involved as well as by player preference.


Each team will represent either a German or a Soviet force and will be commanded by the Commanding General (CG). The CG is in overall command of the subordinate team players and will issue orders to the subordinates as the tactical situation dictates and demands. The CG will be the only player in possession of the Master Situational Map and therefore will he be the only one who has the entire overall picture of the battlefield so he will be the one in the best position to direct the subordinate players in their tactical conduct. The CG will be the final authority as to the direction of the overall maneuver scheme and to the subordination of the players under his command. ( I can envision a situation where a subordinate commander may not agree with an order from the CG and therefore not be willing to execute a disagreeable command. In this case the CG, as it is in the REAL tactical world, has the option of dismissing this commander and replacing him. (( Or having him shot.)) But be advised Colonels, you will command only a section of the battlefield and only the CG will have the complete and overall picture of the situation. The Master Situation Map cannot be shared with or viewed by the subordinate commanders.


As it is a team effort a win or loss will be shared by the team. A player can lose his individual battle during a segment yet still be awarded a victory for that segment depending on the overall team result for that segment.


The Game Master will create a Map that encompasses the entire Area of Operations (AO).( To which only the CGs are allowed to view in its complete entirety). This master map will then be divided into sectors; the number of sectors will be determined by the number of players involved. Each player ( a Colonel) will then be assigned a sector by his team CG and the forces he will use to accomplish his mission will also be allocated to him by the CG who will draw these forces from the supply depot which has been established and stocked before the game begins. Example: A Soviet Tank Brigade versus a German Regimental Kampfgruppe is envisioned for this example; Each with 1 to 2 Tank Battalions- comprised of approximately 50 to 70 tanks in total , an Infantry Battalion and supporting Artillery, Recon, Engineers, etc. will complete the force. The opposing forces will be roughly even in terms of purchase points, combat power and maneuverability. As it will be the CG of each team who will allocate forces to his commanders depending on the maneuver scheme he has developed then it is possible that on a given map an opponent may be outnumbered, or vice verso. It all depends on how the CGs decide to deploy their force. The CG may also decide to keep an off map reserve for later deployment or even as a fire brigade in case of emergency.


The number of total game segments is undetermined. I anticipate that after a few segments there will not be much left in the way of maneuver forces if the battles are fought as I have fought them in the past , and seen them fought at the Blitz over the years. An entirely new style of maneuver must be developed by the players ensuring force conservation if they expect to go the distance. The tournament is WON by having all available V hex's on all the competing maps captured during a segment.


Also; "ammo" will be "ON" and resupply will be limited which will also require a separate brand of conservation because as one segment ends and the next begins the surviving units will posses the exact same ammo allocation as they did when ending the previous segment. In fact everything will be the same because it is a continuation of the previous segment. The only change to the forces will be units that may enter the map between segments either as reserves or as a movement from an adjacent map during the segment break; OR you may be ordered by the CG to transfer some of your units into off map reserve; OR the CG may order you to assemble a company ( or more ) on your map edge at a certain location in anticipation of transferring that force to an adjacent map during a segment break. ( Which will require extensive editing by the Game Master after each segment. However this will be eased by the fact that I will be the one creating the initial battles therefore I will have a master roster for each map and force involved.) It is very likely that your units will need to resupply during the tournament, that is if they survive long enough, so allowances during the maneuver scheme for this eventuality must be anticipated.


This is only a preview of my Tournament Game System and there is much more to it but as you can see it expands the standard 20 to 30 turn game that most are used to playing into a battle which will now allow complex maneuver schemes to be employed. With this Game System a team could actually lose every previous battle while wearing down his OPFOR and in the end win the tournament by capturing all of the MASTER MAP V hex's in a devastating last segment. A skilled and thoughtful CG has now the time with this system to employ Feints and Ambushes. The CG could lure an unsuspecting opponent into a well planned battle of annihilation by allowing his foe to advance in the center and then in later segments envelope him in a destructive pincer movement. The maneuver options are unlimited. You get the idea.

If there is enough interest I will commence to writing up a detailed ROE and creating a suitable Battle Map.

Oldrocky