New Scenario: Gauntlet

[Aleph]

New Scenario: Gauntlet

You can find this new Ogre scenario at the link above. Please play it and comment - on game balance, clarity of instructions, or whatever else you think of - here in this thread.

[Dave Crowell]

I was a bit puzzled at first by the instruction in 2.03 to set up stacks of 6 GEVs and 6 GEV-PCs on the Ogre map. Then I read 3.3 on unstacking and it made more sense. The instruction to "follow legal stacking" could be clarified. I assume it is legal stacking for the Ogre map (1 Armor Unit or 3 squads of Infantry) not GEV map stacking.

[dwalend]

This looks fun. The MkIII variant looks especially challenging.

3.2 Why use the ogre ramming rules instead of overruns? Is it unsportsmanlike to use the INF as a fence?

3.3 "They must unstack on the first turn and follow legal stacking limits thereafter."

Is that the 3 INF or 1 armor tan-map limit? Or the 5 armor (15 INF) green map limit? I assume it's the latter. (Dave Crowell picked the other way.) Otherwise GEV-PCs can't work. (There's also the problematic "stacking limits are arbitrary" clause added to ODE.)

Either way considering spreading them out into inconvenient clumps as part of the setup. Maybe anywhere on xx22 hexes would do.

SOL would make a fine title if you want to save Gauntlet for something else.

[HeatDeath]

I'm pretty sure it's the 3-squads-or-1-armor" limit.

GEVs plus INF are called out in the rules as being a valid stack for this scenario.

[wolf90]

Agreed.

There's just the sole "illegal" stack to start the game. Otherwise, it's normal Ogre rules.

D.

[dwalend]

Originally Posted by wolf90

There's just the sole "illegal" stack to start the game. Otherwise, it's normal Ogre rules.

I dunno. Why specify just Ogre ramming rules, instead of full tan-map rules? (Are the green map rules in _Reinforcements_? Or is it strictly needed for the 66 INF?) It at least needs clarifying, and has one nasty interaction.

3.3 ... "Note that a GEV-PC carrying up to three infantry units is a legal stack."

5.11.3 ... The infantry may dismount in any hex of the vehicle’s movement on any turn thereafter, but may not move “on its own” on the turn it dismounts, or mount and dismount on the same turn.
Infantry may fire normally on the turns it mounts and dismount.

With tan-map stacking, you'd better handle those GEV-PCs carefully. Be sure to dismount before the last hex of movement, and get that GEV-PC at least one hex away.

[Dave Crowell]

5.11.3 might be a good place to clarify whether Infantry can mount and dismount during GEV second movement has. I recall seeing a clarification somewhere that they cannot, but can't find it now. This is a scenario where it makes a difference.

[offsides]

The problem with GEV-PCs and Ogre Map stacking rules is that they are inherently in opposition to each other. Per the Ogre Map stacking rules, INF cannot ride vehicles at all. While the statement of "Note that a GEV-PC carrying up to three infantry units is a legal stack." helps, it's still less than clear which stacking rules are being referenced. I would suggest changing 3.3 to read as follows:

3.3 Unstacking. Most of the ambushing units begin the game as a huge stack in the same hex. Beginning on turn 1, stacking is not permitted (per 5.02.1)with the exception of a single GEV-PC carrying up to 3 squads of INF. GEV-PCs may not stack with dismounted infantry.

However, this also raises the question (which may have been answered before) of what happens when an Ogre rams a GEV-PC carrying INF? Do the INF jump off and survive? Are they reduced? Or do they get crushed along with the GEV-PC?

[dwalend]

Originally Posted by offsides

However, this also raises the question (which may have been answered before) of what happens when an Ogre rams a GEV-PC carrying INF? Do the INF jump off and survive? Are they reduced? Or do they get crushed along with the GEV-PC?

One easy out is "green map rules", at least as a rules starting point.

However, that might change the balance of the scenario. Qualitatively it balances out maybe. I'll have to play. So many scenarios involve crushing your enemy and reaping the rewards. Gauntlet isn't that.

Green map rules would let INF fence off the ogre; overrunning a 3INF will cost a healthy ogre 2 treads amortized (or 2 AP guns or ...). The 3INF will be off the table, so won't be shadowing the ogre for the rest of the game. The effect on a wounded ogre, especially one short of guns, is more pronounced. An ogre with few treads and few guns is taking a bigger gamble in an overrun, so a stacked INF fence may be insurmountable.

Maybe "green map rules" , stack limit of 1, except for GEV-PCs. I need to play some games to get an opinion if that's even needed.

[dwalend]

What happens if you keep the 6 missiles on the MkV, and add six more GEVs?