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Update 22/07/05 Getting That Useful Artillery To Arrive
The TFL Xmas Special 2005 featured an excellent article by Rich Clarke on adding National
Characteristics for off-table artillery fire.
This allows national variation for Artillery Support which helps recreate the tactical usage and
differences in practice between the main protagonists of WW2.
Lately we've been noticing in our games that Impromptu fire seldom arrives for some Nations.
British and US artillery, in particular arrives, historically accurately relatively speedily.
German and Japanese impromptu artillery fire arrives five and eight turns respectively after it is
requested though.
Here are some observations and ideas I've discovered to make that off-table artillery function
better when you are playing with Axis forces. I don't possess Japanese troops as yet so I will
confine myself to discussing that of Germany, although the method I will describe will work for
Japanese too, albeit slowly.
The main problem with artillery is that it only has one card in the pack with which to activate.
Once the pack has lots of cards the chance is still 50% that your artillery chip will arrive in a turn.
However, once unit cards have arrived you may find your troops wanting, whilst the enemy
manouvers unhindered.
If you really want to use impromtu fire then it is vital you keep the numbers of cards in the pack
to a minimum. The best way to do this is what I call 'Recce By Fire Support'. You must be
patient though and allow the artillery time to react to the FO's directions.
When your initial 'Blinds Move' card is drawn your Forward Observer, or Big Man able to act as
an FO, should mark on a map the postion where the artillery strike is desired. The 'Artillery Fire'
card will therefore be added to the pack at 'Tea Break'. Your troops are now waiting for the
response time, in the case of Germans five draws of the card.
It is now of the utmost importance that your blinds DO NOT spot enemy blinds or are spotted by
the enemy. You must try and keep your unit blinds reserving their dice to enable you to fire if
threatened, but must ensure that they occupy either positions in cover, or, out of line of sight of
the enemy.
Whilst you are doing this your fake blinds must advance a little to keep the enemy guessing and
that they recce, not by spotting, but by moving to within 9", or 6" if in buildings, of possible
enemy positions. Once they have moved to within these distances the enemy must place the
blind in position but not its troops represented by the blind, as that will require you to spend an
initiative dice to spot. This will allow you to have an idea of where enemy units or fakes lie,
allowing you to direct artillery onto these positions.
It is important to ensure that your unit blinds are well out of the way, or even off-table, to ensure
that when the artillery fire arrives it does not fall badly wrong and on your own troops. German
artillery fire ranging shots deviate by 3D6, and Japanese by 5D6 so it is important you do not
target an area within 18" and 30" repectively if using these troops. The average will be 9" and
15" though so you can risk it as close as this if required.
Once artillery fire has eventually landed, and is observed (score 4-6 on D6), it is of the utmost
importance that your FO calls 'Fire for Effect' the next time his card arrives. Don't try to bother
waiting for your artillery to range in closer, reducing its deviation dice by one dice per turn of
ranging shots.
Once you have called 'Fire for Effect' deviation will only be a single D6, so you can cut out the
middle man so to speak.
The next time the FO card is drawn he is able to move the point of barrage a maximum of 6". So
in other words he can walk the barrage onto enemy blinds that your fakes have identified!
Of course, it is worth mentioning that while this happens it is of the utmost importance that you
do not spot enemy blinds, thereby increasing the pack size and allowing more cards to be
entered as enemy units are identified. You must use your own fake blinds aggressively to keep
the enemy from taking up good positions.
Once you have called 'Fire for Effect' you can start to act more aggressively should you wish to
do so with your units, but still keep an eye on the pack size.
Your artillery blast zone will probably be about 6" to 7" in size - a battery of four mortars or guns.
So hopefully you can hit more than one blind at a time.
It is worth remembering that in IABSM artillery support is limited in causing casualties. Its real
role is to pin the enemy, frustrating his movement, and by accumulating wounds on his forces
and requiring him to use his Big Men's initiative dice or 'Rally' card to remove these.
The use of stonks is for more destructive and spoiling fire prior to the game start.
Try these tactics out and hopefully you will find that that useful artillery fire may take on a greater
role in your games.
Kev
.......And The Counter Tactic.
If you are aware that this is happening to you, and you will know as the enemy Artillery card will
be arriving, it is important that you as the receiver of artillery fire try to activate units to include
more cards in the pack, slowing down the enemy artillery fire.
This is best done by activating units which results in the inclusion of many National
Characteristic cards for their forces.
A Big Man MG unit is a good idea to activate as you will add Big Man, Unit, MG Bonus, and Rally
cards respectively in some nationalities.
Another good unit is a Big Man led vehicle mouted Recce unit. In this case Big Man, Unit, Recce
force and perhaps AFV bonus move would be added.
Soviets are really useful as a Big Man led Infantry Platoon can as they can add 'Commissar',
'Uhraieeee' and 'Tank Killers' to their Big Man and Unit cards. Soviet armour act on their own
individual cards so in otherwords one per tank. A Platoon of three Soviet tanks can add three
cards, plus an 'Armoured Bonus Move', and if they're Big Man led one for him too, and light
tanks adding a 'Recce Force' into the bargain.
Every tactic has a counter, it's spotting what is required which is fun, plus the unpredicatbility of
the card system which adds real depth and colour to this wondeful rule system.
The TFL Xmas Special 2005 featured an excellent article by Rich Clarke on adding National
Characteristics for off-table artillery fire.
This allows national variation for Artillery Support which helps recreate the tactical usage and
differences in practice between the main protagonists of WW2.
Lately we've been noticing in our games that Impromptu fire seldom arrives for some Nations.
British and US artillery, in particular arrives, historically accurately relatively speedily.
German and Japanese impromptu artillery fire arrives five and eight turns respectively after it is
requested though.
Here are some observations and ideas I've discovered to make that off-table artillery function
better when you are playing with Axis forces. I don't possess Japanese troops as yet so I will
confine myself to discussing that of Germany, although the method I will describe will work for
Japanese too, albeit slowly.
The main problem with artillery is that it only has one card in the pack with which to activate.
Once the pack has lots of cards the chance is still 50% that your artillery chip will arrive in a turn.
However, once unit cards have arrived you may find your troops wanting, whilst the enemy
manouvers unhindered.
If you really want to use impromtu fire then it is vital you keep the numbers of cards in the pack
to a minimum. The best way to do this is what I call 'Recce By Fire Support'. You must be
patient though and allow the artillery time to react to the FO's directions.
When your initial 'Blinds Move' card is drawn your Forward Observer, or Big Man able to act as
an FO, should mark on a map the postion where the artillery strike is desired. The 'Artillery Fire'
card will therefore be added to the pack at 'Tea Break'. Your troops are now waiting for the
response time, in the case of Germans five draws of the card.
It is now of the utmost importance that your blinds DO NOT spot enemy blinds or are spotted by
the enemy. You must try and keep your unit blinds reserving their dice to enable you to fire if
threatened, but must ensure that they occupy either positions in cover, or, out of line of sight of
the enemy.
Whilst you are doing this your fake blinds must advance a little to keep the enemy guessing and
that they recce, not by spotting, but by moving to within 9", or 6" if in buildings, of possible
enemy positions. Once they have moved to within these distances the enemy must place the
blind in position but not its troops represented by the blind, as that will require you to spend an
initiative dice to spot. This will allow you to have an idea of where enemy units or fakes lie,
allowing you to direct artillery onto these positions.
It is important to ensure that your unit blinds are well out of the way, or even off-table, to ensure
that when the artillery fire arrives it does not fall badly wrong and on your own troops. German
artillery fire ranging shots deviate by 3D6, and Japanese by 5D6 so it is important you do not
target an area within 18" and 30" repectively if using these troops. The average will be 9" and
15" though so you can risk it as close as this if required.
Once artillery fire has eventually landed, and is observed (score 4-6 on D6), it is of the utmost
importance that your FO calls 'Fire for Effect' the next time his card arrives. Don't try to bother
waiting for your artillery to range in closer, reducing its deviation dice by one dice per turn of
ranging shots.
Once you have called 'Fire for Effect' deviation will only be a single D6, so you can cut out the
middle man so to speak.
The next time the FO card is drawn he is able to move the point of barrage a maximum of 6". So
in other words he can walk the barrage onto enemy blinds that your fakes have identified!
Of course, it is worth mentioning that while this happens it is of the utmost importance that you
do not spot enemy blinds, thereby increasing the pack size and allowing more cards to be
entered as enemy units are identified. You must use your own fake blinds aggressively to keep
the enemy from taking up good positions.
Once you have called 'Fire for Effect' you can start to act more aggressively should you wish to
do so with your units, but still keep an eye on the pack size.
Your artillery blast zone will probably be about 6" to 7" in size - a battery of four mortars or guns.
So hopefully you can hit more than one blind at a time.
It is worth remembering that in IABSM artillery support is limited in causing casualties. Its real
role is to pin the enemy, frustrating his movement, and by accumulating wounds on his forces
and requiring him to use his Big Men's initiative dice or 'Rally' card to remove these.
The use of stonks is for more destructive and spoiling fire prior to the game start.
Try these tactics out and hopefully you will find that that useful artillery fire may take on a greater
role in your games.
Kev
.......And The Counter Tactic.
If you are aware that this is happening to you, and you will know as the enemy Artillery card will
be arriving, it is important that you as the receiver of artillery fire try to activate units to include
more cards in the pack, slowing down the enemy artillery fire.
This is best done by activating units which results in the inclusion of many National
Characteristic cards for their forces.
A Big Man MG unit is a good idea to activate as you will add Big Man, Unit, MG Bonus, and Rally
cards respectively in some nationalities.
Another good unit is a Big Man led vehicle mouted Recce unit. In this case Big Man, Unit, Recce
force and perhaps AFV bonus move would be added.
Soviets are really useful as a Big Man led Infantry Platoon can as they can add 'Commissar',
'Uhraieeee' and 'Tank Killers' to their Big Man and Unit cards. Soviet armour act on their own
individual cards so in otherwords one per tank. A Platoon of three Soviet tanks can add three
cards, plus an 'Armoured Bonus Move', and if they're Big Man led one for him too, and light
tanks adding a 'Recce Force' into the bargain.
Every tactic has a counter, it's spotting what is required which is fun, plus the unpredicatbility of
the card system which adds real depth and colour to this wondeful rule system.
Thoughts on Impromptu Artillery Fire
in IABSM
in IABSM
