Sunday, May 15, 2011

Operational Plan

In order to get myself up and playing with Platoon Forward as soon as possible, I've come up with a plan to form a "starter" pool of miniatures that should suffice initially, though of course I'll want to expand later. I detailed the why's and wherefore's on my other  blog, but here it is in a nutshell:

1. Limit myself to "patrol" scenarios
2. Limit myself to a single player-controlled squad
3. "Proxy toward the mean." For example, instead of having LMGs, MMGs and HMGs, I move toward the mean and on any enemy MG result, treat it as an MMG
4. "Aim short of the ceiling." About 50% of enemy positions are empty in patrol scenarios, so I should be able to get away with half to two thirds of the maximum possible numbers of enemies
5. "Force pool limit re-roll." If an enemy result would exceed my enemy force pool for any type of troop, I simply re-roll.

With this in mind, the following should work (again, as I say, just to get started):

Americans (my player-controlled force)
One Rifle Squad (1 x SMG, 1 x BAR, 10 x Rifle) = 12 men

Germans
2 x Rifle Squads (1 x SMG, 1 x LMG, 8 x Rifle) = 20 men
2 x Mortar (2 crew) = 4 men
2 x MG (2 crew) = 4 men
1 x Halftrack

Total = 40 men + 1 vehicle

5 comments:

  1. I've not encountered these rules due to my blinkered approach to gaming, so I am looking forward to seeing this in action...good stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Monty:

    I've only just discovered these campaign rules myself, but they look awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll have to do a google on Platoon Forward rules too :)

    ReplyDelete

Two Up, One Back

"The dominant (though not the only) tactical formation for the infantry in both attack and defense remained 'two up, one back.' This was a product of the triangular organization that the infantry used from platoon to division level. Triangular units had three main 'maneuver' elements (weapons units did not count as 'maneuver' elements). Rifle platoons had three squads; rifle companies three rifle platoons; battalions, three rifle companies; and so forth. This encouraged commanders to place two of their maneuver units forward while keeping back the third so that it could relieve or reinforce a frontline unit."

--John Sayen, U.S. Army Infantry Divisions 1944-45 (28)