"Combat Hq Rules" Topic

Hi,

At the outset of this post may i say that i am in no way connected with the author or publisher of this ruleset. I just find it strange that there has been so little discussion about them.

Ive played a few games with the rules now with some friends and have to say that these rules have come closest to scratching my long time itch for the perfect set of WW2 rules.

The rules work at any scale although I've been playing at 15mm where one of my infantry bases represents a platoon. Last week we played a cracking game on a 8foot by 6 foot table with about 20 units per side in about 3 hours.

The game uses a number of very innovative rules that both speeds up play and delivers so much interaction that it doesn't appear like a turn based game at all.

Fundamental to all this is the Command dice rules. Essentially at the start of each turn the player rolls a number of d6 depending on the number of units he has on the table at that time. This can be modified by a number of factors such as the armies command and control ability at that time of the war but its decided before the game begins and doesn't change.

If a player rolls more 1s that 6s it represents a command failure. The ones rolled are passed to the opponent who may use them as "wild" dice to grab the initiative and perform more actions with his own troops. The dice are setout in "command chains" of the same number so if you roll 3 4s this chain of fours would allow you three actions which may be move , rally, fire, recon etc… Four units of any type within a command range of each other are grouped and can perform the actions together.

All units have a reaction value which reflects their defence taking into account speed armour profile etc.. These are the number of d6 rolled when fired upon. Similarly an attacker as an AT (antitank) and FP (Firepower small arms) rating. So a Panther for example firing at a T34 at normal range would roll 9d6 and the T34 would roll 7d6 in defence. Both rolls start at 4+ to count, adjusted by a few modifiers and you compare the attackers count to the defenders to determine the outcome. There is no morale roll as its all in the one calculation.

Too much detail here but its all there, mortars, artillery, shoot and scoot, recon rules, blinds, scenario setup and even a campaign.

I would be keen to hear what others think about the rules and if you are interested pop over to wargamesdesign.com where you can get a free set of rules which will allow you to get a feel for the system.

I'm hoping more people will take to the rules so we can share ideas and experiences.

Take care,
Mike

Sounds interesting.
However, my interests at the moment are Vietnam, Old West, Musketeers, IDF '67 or '73 and Zombies.
My brain can't take more, but I will download a copy for later. 👍🏼.

If I understand correctly, 16 dice quite up there for a single tank shot resolution. But the command and interaction rules sound impressive. Wd be keen to read more AARs.

Stated goal: Armour Battles Design Goals Armour Battles grew out of my desire to play a fast-moving World War Two miniatures game that not only required players to make decisions as army commanders, but also contained sufficient detail to capture the intricacies and complexities of World War Two
armoured combat in a tense but fun game.

It's a platoon based game. Based on activations and the player control over platoons it appears the layer is the Company Commander and does not know exactly where and what each platoon does. It uses alternate command impulses and generally not enough C&C for all units to perform.

It uses command phases and impulses with "dice chains" (dice laid out in view sequentially). The number of dice chains you have determines how many orders you can issue. Players alternate activation.

If you like dice mechanics and options this game has them and some appear to be unique to me. "Wild Dice" can be used for other actions and activations creating uncertainty and gives players more options in the game. Rolling multiple 6's can allow Staff Orders. Multiple 1's can end your turn. The enemy can use your Command dice against you.

Units do not have to be in a formation but the enemy must engage the closest units. You can "protect" valuable units by placing them behind other units. "Cover Dice" can obscure targets.

Opportunity Fire: The rules for this seem a little too involved (like most games). Hidden units can use opportunity fire for an ambush.

Combat: Results can be suppressions, kills and withdraws. Options include shoot & scoot and break contact. Things like sloped armor and low profile gain additional "Reaction Dice" in combat. Don't expect the traditional to hit + DRM shooting.

Reaction: When a unit is hit, it makes a Reaction Check. The more armour a vehicle has, the more Reaction Dice it has.

Movement length is uncertain needing a die roll added to base movement. The game does not state a time frame but based on a scale of 1" = 50 meters and an average of 8" movement in a turn each turn represents about 60 seconds of real time.

It appears one of the tasks for players will be to manage the "Dice Chains" as there are many options available to use them and you can see what your opponent has too. There is a 2-page QRS to help you along.

If you like playing a level of command where your subunits do not perform exactly as you desire and have variable activations with mony options you should probably look into the game. The "Dice Chains" do have an interesting level of strategy and tactics in the game.

I hope I got all of this right.

Wolfhag

Just getting into these myself after checking out the free rules first. Also have been in contact with the author. Very interested in others experience. Hope to get a game among some friends going soon.