BCT playtesting

I put together my first play-test for BCT a few weeks back and am still sorting through my notes.  For the first attempt I chose to use COA #1 "Fist Full of Dice."  I chose to keep the scenario relatively simple with a single US Army Cavalry Squadron (essentially an oversized Armor Battalion)  defending a ridgeline from a reinforced Soviet Motor Rifle Regiment. I left the dismounts out of it as I wanted to focus on the basic firing mechanics, reconnaissance/spotting rules, and field artillery.  The overall order of battle then is

US Force
BN HQ with Mortar Platoon (1 die) and Air defense support (1 die), Cohesion 4.
3 Cavalry Troops with 2 M1 and 4 M3 Recon stands each
1 Armor Company with 3 M1 stands
3 SP FA Batteries with DPICM, HE, Smoke.  BN has Priority of fire (+2)
1 SP M110 8" gun Battery tasked to counter battery fire.
2 Flights Combat Air Support BN has Priority of fire (+2)

USSR Force

• Regimental HQ with Air Defense (2 dice),  Cohesion 3
• Regimental Recon company with BRM/BRDM (2 stands)
• Regimental AT Company with BRDM-3 (3 stands)
• Motor Rifle Battalion #1 (BMP-2) with Mortar Platoon (2 dice) and Air defense support (1 die), Cohesion 2.
• 9 Stands of BMP-2 
• 3 Stands T-64
• 1 stand CSOP
• Motor Rifle Battalion #2 (BMP-2) with Mortar Platoon (2 dice) and Air defense support (1 die)Cohesion 2.
• 9 Stands of BMP-2 
• 3 Stands T-64
• 1 stand CSOP
• Motor Rifle Battalion #3 (BMP-1) with Mortar Platoon (2 dice) and Air defense support (1 die)Cohesion 2.
• 9 Stands of BMP-1 
• 3 Stands T-64
• 1 stand CSOP
• Tank Battalion (T-64) with  Air defense support (1 die),Cohesion 2.
• 3 SP FA Batteries with HE, Smoke.  BDE has general support (+1)
• 1 Rocket Battery with 2 salvos HE and 1 Salvo Chemical.  BDE has general support (+1)

The basic plan.  Just some US cavalrymen defending a random "gap" along the inter-German border

A quick refresher on the basic concept.  I used the dice for Halo Ground Battles, ignoring the "skull" result except for special occasions.  This give the following results

Result	D6 Equivalent
Failure/No effect	1-3
1 Hit	4-5
2 Hits	6

In this case you roll a number of dice equal to your AT or AP value (depending on target) plus any additional dice from the modifiers and add up the results.  The defender rolls a number of dice equal to the defensive value and subtracts that from the attacker's roll.  The remainder is applied to the stand:

Points of Damage

1. Disrupted (Suppressed, white chit): Subtract 1 die from Attack/Defense values.  
2. Degraded (Neutralized, red chit): Subtract 2 dice from Attack/Defense values.  Model may not maneuver, will only move away to reach nearest improved cover.  
3. Dispersed (Destroyed)  Model is removed from play.

Modifiers affect the number of dice rolled for each side.  For example the Battalion mortars could support one platoon and give either +1 attack (for attacking infantry) or +1 defense (smoke to obscure fire) to up to three stands.  Field artillery could then be used similarly or applied on its own providing attacks against a specified beaten zone.  

My hasty QRF sheet for this game

Attack		Defense
Moving**	-1	Hasty Defense	+1
Long Range	-1	Deliberate Defense	+2
Ambush Fire	+2	Flanking Fire	-1
Mortar/Artillery Support***	+1	Mortar/Artillery Support (Smoke)	+1
Large PLT****	+1	Large PLT	+1

*all units get at least 1 attack roll

** Ignore for stabilized guns
*** Mortar support is for AP shots only. Mortars add 1 die to 1 platoon's total. An Artillery battery adds 1 die to each platoon in a company.

****all US platoons would rate as large with 4 or 5 vehicles each.  Advantage is lost when degraded.

Stat Sheet (all measurements in cm, 1cm = 100m)

Unit	Speed	AT/AP	Range	Defense	Init	Special
M1	6	3/3	30/20	3	5	Stab, TI
M3  section	5	2/1	35/25	2	4	ATGM, TI, Recon
CRP (T-64/BMP)	5	2/2	30/20	1	3	Recon
T-64	5	3/3	30/30	2	4	Stab, ATGM
BMP-2	5	2/3	30/25	1	3	ATGM
BMP-1	4	1/2	20/20	1	2	ATGM
BRM/BRDM Section	6	1/2	15/15	1	3	Recon

With that, I deployed the defenders on the table.  As this was a solo game, I figured I could keep myself honest.  One of the mechanics I am working on, however, is the reconnaissance phase:  

US Forces set in hasty defense.  Each company has 1 section of scouts forward.  The tank company is held in reserve back in the trees.  

In the Recon phase, the only units deployed on the table are the opposing recon platoons/sections and the Battalion Headquarters markers.  In this case, the BN HQ reflects the frontline "trace" of the BN.  Each turn the players alternate moving their recon units and doing some spotting.  Spotting roles are made against any recon units or HQ stands within range.  I arbitrarily set the initial spotting range at 50cm (5km) to reflect all the other assets (electronic sensing, air recon, ground surveillance radar)  After movement each element gets to roll 1 die.  On a modified roll of a '6' that unit counts as spotted.

Spotting table

Spotter is not a scout	-1
Spotter is moving	-1
Target is moving	+1
Target made call for fire last round	+1
Target fired last round	+2
Target within visual range (<30cm or as terrain allows)	+2
Target is concealed	-1
Target is behind scout unit	-1

Once a unit is spotted the spotting unit may make direct (if in visual/weapons range) or indirect fires against it. When a battalion HQ is spotted, the controlling player must deploy the entire battalion onto the table with the lead stands on-line and centered on the HQ marker.  The HQ marker is then moved to an appropriate position behind the fighting platoons.  

Initial skirmish, the Bradly scouts manage to spot the Soviet recon element and engage with ATGMs

I opened up with an initiative roll (simple d6) and had each side alternate movement by battalion.  Following the scouting rolls, I got started with artillery.

Artillery is composed of two pieces:  Call for fire and Attacks.  The call for fire is a simple roll to activate a battery.  (You don't need to roll for Battalion Mortars)  Roll D6 and apply modifiers

Call for fire/ CAS

Priority of Fire	+2
General Support	+1
Umsupported unit	-1
Jamming	*
Counter-Battery	*
Consecutive engagement	+1
Brigade air defense	*

For Jamming and Counter-battery I opted to make it easy and have it be an attack die roll.  If a 1 or 2 comes up deduct that value from the roll.  The HQ stand can make an air defense with its dice to prevent an air mission from coming in.   Each battery dedicated to counter battery fire gives 1 die, but can only affect 1 target battery.  (2 for heavy (203mm+) guns)  

The call is successful on a 5+

A Troop scouts fall back under pressure

To make things simple the attack roll results in 1 die roll against each stand in the target company.  Guns can be used in three ways.

• Smoke the target  -all units get +1DEF versus attacks from that company
• Suppress the target  -Roll 1 die versus each stand in company, results of 1 or 2 disrupt the target.  Disrupted units are degraded. Units cannot be destroyed by this type of fire.   
• Supporting fire (battery adds 1 die to direct fire rolls against units in company this turn.)

The idea is to abstract artillery effects.  You can use it to protect your force, support an attack or disrupt enemy movement.

US Scouts finally locate the lead battalion, 3 companies of BMP-2s and a company of T-64s

Overall, I am pleased with how the recon and artillery portions worked out.  My scouts were able to suppress targets without exposing themselves and disrupt the Soviet advance.  As the game developed the Soviet side was able to use effective fires to aid the assault on the objectives.  Counter-battery worked rather well and prevented artillery from dominating the game or requiring me to track ammunition expenditure.

B Troop engages in the center.  A company of BMPs approach the hill with no idea of what is waiting on the other side of the valley.

Once both sides located each other the game got underway in earnest.  The hidden Troop in the south was able to volley fire and destroy a Soviet company using ambush fire.  After that it became an exchange of fire as the Soviet side attempted to mass fires against the objective in the center.

C Troop identifies another Infantry battalion approaching them.  B Troop gets pounded by Soviet artillery.

Coordinated platoon fire from A Troop eliminates the BMP-2 company as it crests the ridge

The Soviet center battalion is virtually wiped out by concentrated direct and indirect fires.  The Soviet regimental commanders commits his anti-tank reserve to clear A troop off his right flank.  

Another mechanics I introduced was cohesion.  Rather than have units remove damage tokens at the end of the turn, each battalion rolls attack dice equal to its cohesion value and removes up to the resulting total hits from the battalion.  The Regiment's cohesion dice apply to any units in the command.  This forces the player to focus on supporting the critical point and husband resources.

Things are going better on the Soviet left.  B troop gives ground and artillery suppresses the American right. 

Frustrated by his lack of success, the Soviet commander orders a chemical strike on the road intersection.  The American center collapses. 

For Chemical Weapons I went with a simplified system.  Roll 1 attack die per stand, on a skull result the platoon is destroyed. Otherwise it automatically takes 1 hit.  Long term I may need to add a marker system for contaminated areas and defense roll for protected vehicles.

The discovery of the Soviet tank battalion convinces the US commander to call in some air support

Following the Soviet chemical attack, the US commander called for friendly air support.  I brought in the A-10s and designated 1 companies to attack.  Each flight rolls 1 die per company stand (Gun) or 3 dice against 1 stand (bombs)  The defending unit rolls its air defense dice.  Any results of a 1 fend off the attack. (Roll again next turn) a 2 result eliminates the asset.  BN Headquarters fire defensive dice.  Brigade Headquarters only impact the call for fire roll.

Disorder rules the day as the pressure mounts on the remaining defenders.  

C Troop falls back as the last US A-10 makes its run.  

That stalled the attack a bit...

Alpha Troop falls back in disorder.  Delta Company commits to the fight.

With the hits stacking up, Delta covers the withdrawal of the rest of the Squadron. The covering force battle is done, hopefully the main body is ready to receive the follow on Soviet Attack.   

Overall, the system is giving me what I want.  Although the narrative might seem complex, the actual play worked intuitively.  I did run into some speed issues that I plan to address in the future:

Company Fire - Speed up the game by having companies fire on companies rather than stand versus stand.  I started doing this after about 30 minutes and it significantly sped things up.\

Markers for Mortars/Artillery - I kept forgetting battalion mortars.  I am thinking of giving each hq a single smoke/HE marker per mortar die to allow it to designate the target at the end of movement.  Perhaps the same can be done for artillery.

I want to try out the infantry rules next, and then repeat the entire process using a single D10 per stand rather than a pile of dice.