"Tactical Nuances for Cold War Land Battles" Topic

So, I'm interested in avoiding just those plain, head-on, frontal assaults for every Cold War land battle, and have been considering options to make that a reality.

Granted, a lot of them may end up being just that, but really don't want that to be more than about 33% – 50%, if I can avoid it.

I've been thinking about some sort of simple campaign, with map, or boardgame hexmat unit movement tracking, just for grins. Probably don't want to bother with logistical considerations at all, unless very abstractly, like attacking/defending units rotate out of the front lines after a pitched battle, to rest and reload ammo, assuming they survive the encounter(s).

Not sure at what scale, but pondering company vs. company, company vs. platoon, battalion vs. battalion, and/or battalion vs. company level units (unit counters). The former are for Soviet/W.P. units, and the latter for NATO.

Would like to game some of the recon and advanced guard moves for the communists, pitting them against the same for NATO, and/or front line units. I think it might be a bit more interesting to permit a bit of maneuver by both sides, to seek weak points, and/or to be able to exploit breakthroughs and conduct counterattacks vs. exposed flanks.

So, has anyone else given any though to this?

Given the size of our gaming tables, and the weapons ranges of the vehicles, it's sometimes difficult to represent true maneuver warfare on the tabletop, without using hexmats, boardgame maps, or topographical maps to permit that. By using these, it should be possible to set up surprise flanking attacks, ambushes, and even attacks from the rear, occasionally, which should make games a bit more interesting.

Thoughts?

I always thought games between recon elements and other advance elements would be a ton of fun, particularly because it forces you to rely on lighter weapons and a lot of very easily exploded units :)

Other options include airborne landings and assaults, infiltrators/stay behind units, partisans etc.

When I do map campaigns, I just guesstimate it. Sketch out where each side are on the map and when one side has a win, move the front line a bit in that area.
You could easily adapt a board game map for the purpose though, if you want to move units around a grid.

try this

link

One scenario my group ran was a flip on the classic 'thin blue line vs the red horde'. The scenario was an attack by 2 NATO (this case, US) BN size TF on a depleted WARPAC MRR in defense (covering the flank of a spearhead). Gave a nice change to the tactical choices (the Reds in defense, the Blues on the attack).

The Cold War issue of Wargames Soldiers & Strategy had a scenario by Allen Curtis where the lead/recon elements of a Soviet force are up against a small American force trying to delay long enough for engineers to get a tactical nuke in place on a bridge. The issue should be available digitally.

Zaloga's Red Thrust had Spetnaz and airmobile scenarios, IIRC, and Peters' Red Army had a cool one with Russian airmobile forces in a city. Not really a maneuver scenario, but different.

You could also look at Battlegames magazine's Tabletop Teasers and see about converting them to modern warfare; I converted a bunch to the Vietnam War era, but haven't played them out yet.

Check out SPI's Central Front boardgame series. Units are companies and batallions for NATO, and batallions and regiments for WP. The games can be found quite easily on eBay. The game titles are:
Fifth Corps
Hof Gap
BAOR

Look at the scenarios for Assault by GDW (@ 1985). 4-5 different ones, with upto 10 different forces levels for each side

I'll echo the Central Front rec.

Also take a look at "Air and Armor," I'm planning on doing a combined boardgame and miniatures campaign with this. Basically each step represents a company, and you do all the operational and grand tactical maneuver in the board game, then fight the battles out with miniatures.

Also track down "Red Actions" by Capitan. It is a campaign game for the Russian Civil War but could easily be adapted to your game.

Maybe because it was because I owned SPI's The Next War… but for the Cold War I always want to try something more grand in nature. I want to play something that is a battalion per unit and have the potential for maneuver and massive clashes. I like the idea of it too as you can collect more nationalities to game with.

It has been a number of years (about 40) since I took serious interest in possible Cold War combat scenarios. What we (a Mech Infantry Heavy Task Force) trained and planned for at that time (for real not a game) was being attacked by a horde of Warsaw Pact forces advancing in waves of MRRs. Optimumly we would have enough warning to move across West Germany (in a 75 mile long road column) to our planned defensive positions and to prepare them (i.e. dig in, clear fields of fire, lay mines construct road blocks, AT ditches and the like) before the Russian arrived. We expected to be able to stop 2.5 MRRs and then our survivors could get into a single VW van and withdraw. Worst case we would be attacked without prior warning at about 10PM on the Saturday night between Christmas and New Years.

Do not discount logistics, particularly fuel resupply. In a defensive posture vehicles need to be refueled at least daily. Which means withdrawing combat vehicles from the front line to a "safe" place in the Battalion rear area to meet the fuel trucks and then return without the Russians knowing or identifying the fighting positions.

There is one other factor that you might want add to the mix refugees, particularly ones with cars, clogging the road net as they flee the advancing Russian Hordes.

I've always wanted to make two big "WW3" tables you could roll on for all the things that could go wrong or get messed up for both sides.

Line up your T80 and M1's and all your shiny toys… only the M1's got lost on the way and the Polish infantry deserted.

I'd second the use of "Air & Armour". It's a great system.

British Recce would not be likely to meet an opponent head on if it could be avoided. Soviet recce doctrine involved fighting for information so it would not be wrong to have T-64 re-enforced Recce taking on troops. Scenarios could include key point defence, assault river crossings or perhaps an/elements of an independent tank bn encountering a NATO unit in its hide/moving to/from a start point etc.

One element of Soviet doctrine was to by pass built up areas or heavily defended area. Another scenario might be where forces in such an area decide to push out and encounter the flank protection etc (More reason that in 20mm we are sadly lacking an MT-12!!)

Tally Ho!

A couple of years ago I did something like this but using the boardgame 'Air & Armor' as the strategic backdrop. Air+Armor uses 2hr turns, 1 hex: 1 mile, Company level units.

The original Air+Armor game was in US Vth Corps area but someone had done a map for the Hanover area at 1 hex: 1 mile for another game called 'Tac Air', so I put together a Campaign for that. This was for Brits and Germans vs 3rd Shock.

The game went well and I also produced Campaign guide for use with miniatures and FFOT3 rules that use platoon level stands and 1":100m scale.

The Air+Armor campaign was written up at:
link

Campaign play started at:
link

The miniatures campaign is here:
1drv.ms/1CG9giu

Hope this helps,

B

Here are some ideas from the National Training Center. Changing the terrain from the desert to Germany should not be a problem.

link

Thanks for all the ideas, tips, and links.

I really appreciate them, and will check them out.

Our Cold War games are very maneuver oriented. Here are a few things that have worked for us.

Try lowering the unit density. When there are too many units the temptation is to line up the vehicles hub to hub, forcing a head on battle. Fewer units=more maneuver.

Try adding multiple avenues of approach (AoA)to your terrain. Most boards I see have random clumps of terrain. What really happens is units maneuver in valleys which are separated by ridges and usually tree lines. Keeping a reserve to respond to the most threatened AoA adds to maneuver.

Try turning your table sideways. On a 4x6 table start on the 6' side and attack across instead of starting on the 4' side and attacking the length. This requires a screening force and a maneuver reserve. More width=more AoA.

Try using flank marches where some units may enter on the side edge of the board. Modern Spearhead has great rules for this. Having been an armor officer at Co/Bn/Bde HQ, I think this is an excellent game and these rules add a lot of surprise, but it may not be your cup of tea.

Good luck.

Tom