EP '14 mechanics/balance

[Nitram Draw]

Also, just in general here, regarding Namur in France 14 - I am in the middle of playing the Grand Campaign as a team right now on the German side and the Germans did assault and have nearly captured Namur. Why do it as someone said? There is no reason to do it because there are no VPs there. Well, again, I am not against adding VPs there, but the fact is - ***it is a foregone conclusion that Namur will be taken***. That said, variable VPs would certainly influence the Germans to attack it sooner (and I am not against the idea if I can get it added to the series, but again, a game designer has to work with the tools available). The Belgians will be withdrawn, so with static VPs there they are essentially guaranteed and as such, are pointless. All other VPs on the map are not guaranteed, or in the case of the ones present in the Ardennes, exist to allow the possibility of the French to attack at the start of the campaign to achieve an immediate termination victory. But I digress, so in our campaign why did the German commander decide to assault and capture Namur when there are no VPs present within? Because tactically it was a good thing to do - it secured VPs from destroying the units inside the forts, and it secured VPs from killing the Belgian division inside the perimeter.   It also provides a more direct route across the Sambre/Meuse, being at the tip of both.

My point about Namur is that while you can break into the area with the forces you have outside of it, you will most likely lose more than you kill and lose VP's. So why do it. It will fall by itself. I suspect once people realize all the forces will be withdrawn, for both sides, that nobody will launch an assault there. But it would be the perfect spot to put a disappearing VP hex in. Then you might have a reason to use those great A morale units that are outside the fortress :)