Several Moscow 42 Questions

[ComradeP]

Thanks for the answers David.

I know German air units are in the air availability listing, my point was that the Soviet reinforcements are generally listed as DEC Reinforce or something like that in the OOB editor, whilst the German air groups that arrive as reinforcements are not listed in a different way in the editor. There is no JAN reinforce behind their name.

The same goes for a formation like the SS cavalry brigade, which also doesn't seem to have a date set for it even though it has one in the game.

It could also be that there are scenario specific dates aside from the ones in the OOB, and that you're trying to tell me that those are there.

It just seems a bit odd that some units have a reinforcement day or period set in the OOB editor, whilst others only have a scheduled arrival/availability date in the game and seemingly no special mention in the editor.

I'm still hoping to get answers for these questions as well, as it would help me understand the system:

"76mm, unless I'm mistaken you asked a question about what determines the chance for defensive artillery fire. Was that ever answered? I may have missed it and it's one of the things I've been wondering about.

-

I have a number of questions after rereading the manual:

-the "replacement rate based on supply instead of quality" system used in this scenario. The manual only refers to a replacement "rate". Does that mean that as long as a unit meets the conditions specified for receiving replacements (not having moved and so forth), if the rate is (at least) 1 due to local supply being 50 or higher, it will receive replacements according to the percentage chance specified for the system based on quality (so the percentage chance based on how many losses a unit has taken where higher losses=more replacements)? That is: without additional supply checks?

-Do artillery units that fire once have a lower chance of becoming unavailable than artillery units that fire twice.

-The manual mentions only a "random" chance for things like Low on Ammo units being in supply, whilst other chances are clearly specified using their formula. Is the formula a secret to prevent gaming the system too much? "

[Strela]

ComradeP,

Firstly let's be clear, the notes in the OB were for me - not general consumption. In some cases as the SS Cavalry Brigade that you mention I was maybe not as diligent as I was with the Soviets. The Soviets had the vast majority of the reinforcements as well as transferring units between various armies. This prompted me to spend a lot of time adding additional data to the OB as there was so much change between each of the campaign scenarios.

The notes function in the editor is a fairly new feature and as you have pointed out was used by me in a fairly unstructured way. It's not something I am planning to go back and correct

As far as your other questions;

Defensive artillery is completely random unless the optional rule manual defensive fire is selected.


For Strength recovery, the manual says the following;

In addition to the strength recovery described above, it is possible for certain organizations in the order of battle to receive replacements. When this is defined for an organization, then each unit eligible to recover strength as specified above can also receive a variable number of replacements based on a specified percentage of the unit’s full strength value. Quality does not affect the replacement rate, however, Isolated units and Disrupted units cannot receive replacements. Detached units received one-fourth the usual replacement rate available to them.

Please note the eligibility rules for strength recovery apply;

Before a unit can recover losses, it must not move, fire, assault, be fired upon, or be assaulted during the previous turn. In addition, the unit cannot be Digging-In, be building a bridge, be Broken, or be in a minefield.

I believe that the comment 'variable number of replacements' indicates it is a random number up to the replacement percentage.

Artillery & supply. The manual does not call out any difference between firing once or twice in regards to supply checks. It clearly indicates that firing will trigger a supply check the following turn. My take is that there is no difference - so if you're going to fire, then fire twice.

No idea on why the formulas are called out in some cases and not in others. The manuals have been written over time and possibly by different people.

David

[ComradeP]

OK, thanks for the answers. The replacement rate being random is somewhat peculiar.

That would essentially mean that, if the maximum is indeed the replacement percentage, the average replacement rate is actually half, which would make the effective replacement percentage closer to 0.5% than to 1%, on average.

[Strela]

OK, thanks for the answers. The replacement rate being random is somewhat peculiar.

That would essentially mean that, if the maximum is indeed the replacement percentage, the average replacement rate is actually half, which would make the effective replacement percentage closer to 0.5% than to 1%, on average.

And I am very happy with that.....

Both sides had essentially committed everything they had and the use of replacements vs recovery allows a dribble of reinforcements for those unit that are unengaged. This has the added feature of being impacted by supply state resulting in both sides essentially slowly dying on the vine when at the end of their respective advances. The replacement here represent the few men returning locally from sickness or light wounds not reinforcements that have been trucked in.

David

[ComradeP]

After checking the point values objectives and doing some math with likely casualty figures and their points value, I'm beginning to wonder if the Germans can't win a big victory by bleeding the Soviets because objectives are not worth all that much relative to the points given by inflicting casualties. It depends on the casualty ratio, but I have a suspicion that a bit more of an incentive to hold the rear area objectives by giving some of them a higher points value wouldn't hurt, but I'd have to play a campaign game for any kind of real conclusion.

The main thing that keeps surprising me about unit movement is the difference between German motorized infantry unit movement rates and that of the Soviet infantry in winter. In summer, the latter would be able to move 3 clear hexes, the former 4. In winter, the latter can move 1 hex, the former 2, so their relative mobility advantage is more substantial than it is in summer, even though the weather is much worse.

[76mm]

well, just finished the Moscow 42 GC with a major victory on Turn 88, vs the AI of course. I think the Sovs will have a real challenge vs a human player. Kind of disappointed by the brain-dead AI but I know better than to expect more, so that's life I guess.

While I generally like how combat works, I did find one thing unrealistic, so was hoping some of the veteran players could respond: unaccompanied artillery units seem to really chew up attacking rifle battalions, which seems a bit implausible. Lots of times I'd attack a German artillery unit in a woods hex, only for it to disrupt a couple of the attackers. Particularly in woods, villages, etc., I think an artillery unit would be screwed if attacked by a couple of rifle battalions, because the artillery would not be able to deploy properly to target the attackers with direct fire.

[JDR Dragoon]

An artillery battery is not just something you can approach. The guns are very effective in direct lay (which is part of their doctrinal role as "backstoppers" btw. When the 37mm AT gun proved a failure, german AT defense devolved onto the divisional 105mm howitzers forming gunfronts, untill more effective AT-gun designs could be produced). The guns have a weak assault value, so once you close in they will be gone fast.

[ComradeP]

Hmm, Strela, unless installing a mapmod broke the replacement system, it seems to work differently than both of us expected. I'm seeing anything between 0 and ~12 replacements for the couple of turns I checked, which is between a 0% and about a 6% replacement rate, so the maximum actually seems to be higher than it would be with the regular replacement system, which at 1% could give A quality units 2%, unless I'm misinterpreting the manual.

[Liquid_Sky]

The main thing that keeps surprising me about unit movement is the difference between German motorized infantry unit movement rates and that of the Soviet infantry in winter. In summer, the latter would be able to move 3 clear hexes, the former 4. In winter, the latter can move 1 hex, the former 2, so their relative mobility advantage is more substantial than it is in summer, even though the weather is much worse.

Umm...their relative mobility advantage is identical.

4-3 is one.

2-1 is one.

If you move away at speed 4, and I only move speed 3, you will gain one hex a turn of separation.

If you move away at speed 2 and I only move speed one...you will also gain one hex a turn of separation.

[76mm]

An artillery battery is not just something you can approach. The guns are very effective in direct lay (which is part of their doctrinal role as "backstoppers" btw. When the 37mm AT gun proved a failure, german AT defense devolved onto the divisional 105mm howitzers forming gunfronts, untill more effective AT-gun designs could be produced). The guns have a weak assault value, so once you close in they will be gone fast.

I can see that in open terrain, but in a forest, or a road through a forest? Or other close terrain? Also, their assault values are enough so that they generally last 2-3 turns of assaults, so they do pretty well.