"A couple of new rules" Topic

The darn lockdown has given me a bit more time to explore WW2 wargaming rules.

I am happy to report two new sets and they really look interesting.

I was specifically looking for
-Battalion level where base element is a platoon
-Strong emphasis on command and control mechanisms
-High interaction
-Fast play
-No crunchy details

I give you All Hell Let Loose and Combat HQ:

link

Interesting rules, but if the focus is really on command and control unit activation has its limits. Ideally units should continue performing the same order until you change their orders or are they are compelled to desist by the enemy.

Makes sense.

I think that for All Hell Let Loose, your formation can withdraw on its own or if it gets an order, you can activate the individual platoons.

For Combat HQ, you can activate most of the formations but the order they activate is dictated by the series of dice you have, you also have HQ dice to give individual orders if I understood correctly. So you always have the possibility to be active but you can be very active or not so "very active". The order your units are activated is not fixed either and the dice series may dictate that your opponent has more initiative during one of the impulse of the turn than you.

In principal this is correct, but as Guderian discovered in Poland in 1939, when one of his regiments came across unexpected resistance at a river in the Polish Corridor, the motorised regiment simply stopped. Guderian had to go to the formation to find out what happened and restart the attack, which was successful.

At brigade level it's a bit of a cross over as per the above example, under a brigade, let's say a battalion, generally attempted to complete its orders, but depending on the "focus" the time to do so could vary. A mobile situation required a lot of hand holding. A lot also depends on the time a game-turn represents, at 15 min game turns then an order should stay active for several game-turns. At 2 hours per game-turn prodding is most likely required, like, why haven't you taken that hill yet.

The other aspect is command points also represents focus. Low command capacity and your single order could take a lot longer to complete than a higher level of command control. Command points does a reasonable job of representing that.
What order are best for is to force something to happen.

In spearhead orders and the reserve rules work beautifully together to ensure there is always something happening on the playing area, even if a player would prefer it did not. You can achieve this in other ways, but in spearheads orders/reserves are essential. In Combat HQ there is no need, or actually, its achieved through victory conditions and its game mechanics which encourages things to happen, because next game-turn you may not be able to do those things.

Very useful analysis. Look forward to hearing more as you study the 2 sets further.

Interesting rules, but if the focus is really on command and control unit activation has its limits. Ideally units should continue performing the same order until you change their orders or are they are compelled to desist by the enemy.

Exactly. Units are always capable of doing something. But I don't think it's so much as receiving an order but attempting to achieve an objective assigned at the start of the game. If you meet too much opposition and/or slow down the level above commander makes a visit and/or sends reinforcements.

Wolfhag