Optional game rules 9d 25 Mar 18
 

Latest rules as of 25 March 18. All previous changes included plus the newest, AFV stacking, which is now set to two.

Re: Optional game rules
 

Just a note re. artillery (nitpick, I know), should be:
1) not 149mm but less as a divider (Italian 15cm howitzers were in fact 149mm for example ;))
2) Distinction by purpose as well - 105mm field guns were considered heavy assets usually and were distributed scarcely, if ever - IIRC, for example in German "official" TOE from early war, there should be a battery of 4 105mm guns attached to sFH (15cm) Bn of divisional artillery.

Re: Optional game rules
 

Another nitpick re. mortar setup, IIRC mortars tended to have problems in forests (risk of hitting branches on the way up), so maybe restrict the forest for their placement? (arty most likely as well, for that matter...)

By the way, found a nice free utility to create and maintain OOBs, so maybe these rules can be also transformed to a graphic form - or maybe not rules as such, but "typical structures"?

Utility is called FreeMind and looks like this:
(first attempt at the rules, which drifted to the "typical constructs" sphere)
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/2...ructgm4.th.pnghttp://img232.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif

The second is how I put together German OOB found at Bayonetstrength website:
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/7...manyih6.th.pnghttp://img232.imageshack.us/images/thpix.gif

Re: Optional game rules
 

Interesting usage of mind mapping Marek.
In fact, seeing as I've been using freemind and other mind maps for years, I should have thought of it first ;)
Cheers !!

Re: Optional game rules
 

The "149mm" and less rule is to take into account all periods from 1930 to 1975; the 8f rules are for all versions. At first we had it at only 105 but that did away with all that lovely Russian 122mm arty which was their bread and butter gun.

The mortars in woods should be there unless I forgot to add it in. We play that they can be set on the edge of wood lines, but not in it. I will check again.

Thanks for the feed back.

Re: Optional game rules
 

I discovered FreeMind this autumn, it was presented to us during a seminar for PhD students at my school. The moment I saw it, I saw possible OOB application. Have now translated some OOBs from bayonetstrentgth and other WW2 OOBs, as well as OOB (for modern times) from US Arny OPFOR field manuals (100-60 series). Once I get myself to create a website, I will publish 'em, if you want to have a look, might as well post them at rapidshare or something such.

Re: Optional game rules version 9A 24 May 2017
 

This is the latest build of the optional game rules I use; they can always be found on The Blitz, in the sticky section, under "game rules as used by players."

Re: Optional game rules
 

These are good! Most of these should be incorporated into the game IMHO.

Re: Optional game rules updated 15 Jan 2018
 

These are the latest rules, now includes pictures for clarification and also explanations as to why a rule is as it is.

Re: Optional game rules
 

Couple questions:

1) Can infantry advance toward tanks or other AFVs at the risk getting shredded? This will soak up shots but not with impunity.

2) What do you mean by "support units" in Z-fire rule #2 being able to fire an unlimited amount? Does that include MGs and AFVs, just AFVs, or what? Thanks in advance.

Thanks also for clarifying the size-3-plus vehicle woods movement rule.

Re: Optional game rules
 

Infantry can always move anywhere; if you want to have them wiped out that is up to you. By support weapon I mean anything that is crew served (mgs, tanks, inf guns, ATG etc). So if it is part of a squad then it is limited to 1 Z-fire.

Re: Optional game rules
 

It was pointed out that the box formation is in reality 4x4, alright then, call it so. Instead of uploading a new document just amend your copy to read 4x4 if you wish, but the correct formation is as per the picture in the document. toMAYto/toMAHto

Also it has been asked "what is considered a support weapon"? For the rule purposes a support weapon is anything that has a crew (mg, atg, atgm, tank, etc).

Re: Optional game rules UPDATED 20 Jan 2018
 

Newest set of rules. Added a suggestion that MGs be allowed to be used as artillery and also reworded some stuff and added the missing section of deploying artillery in woods; sometimes I encrypt stuff. As always feedback is welcome.

Re: Optional game rules amendment 9c
 

A small change, not worth rewriting the document for. Please amend your document as follows:

Artillery rule 5, Optional artillery patterns: Please delete the word "optional", players may now either call in rounds on a single hex and allow the pattern to disperse and stay that way, or at their discretion they may plot a formation but each turn they must rebuild the formation on any impact hex. You cannot switch an active shoot on a hex between the two, either it is a single hex shoot or a formation, but you cannot make it both.

Re: Optional game rules
 

There is a text error in the rules, but it isn't worth a releasing a new version. You will note in Z fire rule 2 that support weapons may fire to LOS+1, there is no mention to a limited number of shots. In the summary it states that support weapons are limited to firing once at LOS+1, this is WRONG.


There is no limit to the number of times a support weapon may fire when firing LOS+1.


Please amend your 9c rules accordingly; sorry for the confusion.

Bare bone rules
 

These are BARE BONE rules, many things have been deleted or amended. For those who find the full set of rules too much this may be more to your liking.

Final version of rules
 

This is the final version of the rules, version 10 final. Two new rules have been added that allow infantry to be more flexible in the advance or unloading from AFVs. An infantry unit that is moving and comes under fire and becomes pinned may now pop smoke, and one that is unloading from an APC and comes under fire may have the APC pop smoke.***to clarify, the squad could also pop smoke if they wish instead of the APC***