Asymmetric GCM/HITS games

Garnier has altered his mod so that, when setting up GCM/HITS games (as Ron does almost every Saturday, and if you're not there, you're missing out), the host has the option of creating an imbalance in the sides (both of infantry and artillery).

We already have options defining the number, and proximity of objectives. Apart from the number of them, and their proximity to eachother, I believe we have limited control over them.

We therefore need to discuss suitable asymmetrical scenarios, and victory conditions. Here's how I would get the ball rolling:

1) Fix Bayonets!
In this scenario, the smaller team would have time to set up before the larger team was allowed to move. The smaller team would be trying to prevent the larger team from capturing N fixed Objectives. The side imbalance, number of objectives, number of objectives to catch, and time limit would all be very important factors, but this would be a relatively straightforward alternative scenario to the stock balanced meeting engagement.

2) Escape!
In this scenario, the smaller team would be trying to get a proportion of their forces to a map edge before the time runs out. A couple of thoughts:
a)The starting location for the small force wouldn't be known to the large force (and vice-versa), but this will be known after the game. The target board edge could be defined as the one furthest from the smaller force's first division, though this remains unknown to the larger force!
b)The larger force will be forced to split up (to locate the smaller force), and also to force march (exhausting troops), both of which are going to be realistic and exciting situations to be put into!
c)The smaller force may be forced to commit units into delaying actions, but this should always be a difficult decision. E.g. 50% of the smaller force must reach the board edge without being broken or routed.
d)When the larger force finds itself being held up by a delaying action, it has to make the decision to try and bypass the delaying unit, or not. All great stuff, and all by courier!

3) Get those guns
An adaptation of (2), the larger force is simply trying to capture the guns of the smaller force, before these guns reach the target table edge.

Oh how glorious this could all be!

Thanks for kicking this off, Ollie. Beyond the limitation that any in-game victory locations selected will appear randomly and at some pre-defined percentage of area from the center of the selected map area, the world's our oyster here.

One additional point I'd make about the potential imbalances that can now be created is that we may now choose to make one side infantry-poor but artillery strong (perhaps defending an approach to Vicksburg or other strong-point?) while their opposites are infantry-strong, but with virtually no artillery (a classic fast attack force).

I like the sound of the Escape! scenario. Much like a scripted scenario I was creating until I ran out of time to play the damn game!

Excellent ideas! I like assymetric situations.
As usual, the players must be given some time to think about a strategy, before starting to move.

I too agree, asymmetric scenarios are great fun. For some of those, we don't really need the objectives. We would just need to agree before the movement phase begins where the area of interest is going to be. Then both forces can move to appropriate jumping off positions and begin.

Mr. Digby wrote:I like the sound of the Escape! scenario. Much like a scripted scenario I was creating until I ran out of time to play the damn game!

Good to hear from you Digby - hope you manage to sort out matters and can join us again soon, sir!

Leffe7 wrote:Excellent ideas! I like assymetric situations.
As usual, the players must be given some time to think about a strategy, before starting to move.

The “Councils” that start the game are very important, although maybe not so much for the one I held before HG6. I think 90% of our planning was out the window in the first 10 minutes of maneuver!

Uncle Billy wrote:I too agree, asymmetric scenarios are great fun. For some of those, we don't really need the objectives.

Here’s one that ignores objectives -- with a Jacksonian flare. Forces begin with Confederates outnumbered perhaps 2 to 1 or 3 to 2. The “surprised” Federals begin the game frozen in place (formation changes are permitted -- or maybe we allow movement for the first 2 or 3 game minutes). Federal leaders may move, familiarize themselves with the ground near their troops and communicate per usual, but must always remain within 100 yards of some friendly troops.

You KNOW where I'm going with this! Confederates move freely from the beginning. They have only limited time (darkness is closing in) to "scout the Federal flank," organize, and execute their attack. If it’s clumsily done, they will either soon find themselves knee-deep in enraged Yankees, without sufficient time to complete their mission, or both.

Triggers that free-up Union movement
Union troops are free to move when either
1) A Union player/leader spots Rebel infantry (defined as being able to click on an enemy regimental flag). This frees the spotting player only to move his own units. (Note: sighting a Confederate officer is not a sufficient trigger);
2) A courier is received from the Union CinC stating that enemy infantry is attacking (i.e., if a player hasn’t spotted Reb infantry himself, he may nevertheless move once he receives a courier from Fighting Joe reporting the attack on a teamate per 1 above.

Victory conditions:
Rebels win immediately at any point that finds them up a net 2,000+ casualties (not points) on the Yankees, after reaching a threshold of 3,500 casualties inflicted --or other suitably large number. The Federals win by avoiding Rebel victory conditions by game’s end.

The numbers certainly need some refinement. This one would best be played on one of the more wooded maps and is ideal when everyone is feeling the need for more confusion and chaos in their lives.

"May god have mercy on Bobby Lee for I will have none."
Hooker was a drunken kindred spirit of Gen. Georgia