Maneuvre
This is the 2nd part of the combat resolution model, the Maneuvre Phase.
The maneuvre phase represents the jockying for position between two task forces, it also considers the rate at which the task forces can prepare for the Combat phase.
The phase has 3 parts, the covering force combat, the reduction of terrain/field defences/mobility benefit and the actual resolution of deployment.
Covering force combat
All of the scout and skirmisher troops will fight while the 2 task forces maneuver to contact. These forces are attempting to take or refuse advance positions from the enemy as well as trying to shoot up the opposition while they deploy for combat. All of the relevant (Scout and Skirmisher) elements are formed into a adhoc unit that fight a round of combat with the opponents force. This combat is fought at a range determined by the following table.
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-5 for each level of terrain
+- 10 for the home side (AI Decision) +- 10 for winner of scout phase (AI Decision) |
The damage is randomly allocated between the covering force elements. Each side then does a morale check with any elements that have been damaged. Any that fail drop out of the covering combat. We then determine if the covering combat ends. If a test of 30% + 10% per covering combat fought, is passed then the covering force combat is complete. If not another round is fought.
For each round that goes by each sides engineers can produce field defences and can gain the terrain defensive benefit up to the dispersion value of the elements engaged. If one sides covering force is wiped out and the other side still has covering forces then the side with a force remaining gains some additional benefits for each round of combat fought from that point. The benefits include the reduction of enemy field defences by 1 per round (and stops the actions of the engineers), a reduction in opposition mobility by 1, a reduction of opposition defensive terrain benefit by 1. This shows the ability of the covering forces to maneuver their opposition out of their field defences, and terrain based deployments as well as forcing the opposition units to be more careful and so lose a degree of mobility. Should the removal of terrain benefit be per round as well ?
Once the covering force combat is concluded we need to determine the maneuvering effect. To determine the effect first we need to determine the strength of each side. This is done by the following formula. -
Total Covering strength = (The square root of the (sum of (friendly cover elements still in the covering force * (1/2 mobility - terrain mod) ) + (total elements * 2)))* scouting bonus * (Generalship factor ^ rounds of maneuvering).
The side with the highest value is considered to be the advantaged sides and gains a benefit equal to the square root of their Covering strength - the oppositions covering strength. The ongoing german example gives us a basic covering strength of 98 * 1.14 (from the scouts) * 1.2 (Good General) ^ 6 (assuming 6 rounds of maneuvering took place) for a total of 334. The russians have a value of 120 * 1(no scout advantage) * .85 (Bad General) ^ 6 = 60. This gives us a difference of 274 the square root of which gives us our maneuvering modifier to the force of 16. The germans will there fore gain a 16% benefit over the top of the 3% benefit from scouting to their basic firepower values in the final combat phase. They have also managed to gain complete mastery by running off the opposition covering force in the 3rd round so the german engineers have been able to provide enough field fortifications for a defensive benefit of 2 and they have been able to maneuver the russians into suffering a loss of terrain benefit. It is likely to be a bad day for the Russians even though they started out outnumbering the germans 2/1.