Obiettivi nel Gioco di Guerra

Victory Determination in Wargames

The battlefield at Lobositz, con truppe prussiane ed austriache engaged in battle. The action occured during an online re-fight of the 1757 Bohemian Campaign. Letters on the map were added later to illustrate the concept of weighted objectives.

Likely Objectives

Prominent Hill (A)
Prominent Ridge Line (M)
Town o Village (B - F)
River Crossing (K)
Road Junction (G)
Sunken Road (L)
Rough Ground (H)

A typical battlefield may have upwards of 50 eligible victory point areas, many of them double objectives like G-K, a road junction immediately adjacent to a river crossing, o triple objectives like road junctions inside towns on prominent ridge lines. Even if many victory point areas exist, they need not all be accounted for individually. For the purpose of the battle simulation, we shall consider only 10 terrain locations, preferably the most prominent e strategically important ones. Prior to deployment, the players shuffle a set of 10 VP markers e distribute them face down on the battlefield. The players roll dice to determine who may place the first marker, then they take turns placing markers until all 10 of them are on the table.

This part of the process is very enjoyable, because it makes players appreciate the terrain more completamente than they otherwise would. Usually, this is the negotiable part of the game, as both sides work together to identify the 10 most likely terrain objectives. Certain methods of marker placement will develop over time, but one important rule is that neither player may place markers inside his o her own deployment area. However, if a defending player has had time to occupy e study the terrain, 7 of the 10 markers must be placed inside his deployment area. If VP markers are bunched unrealistically close together, the battle will turn into a slugging match right at the focal point. If markers are spread widely apart, units may have to fight in isolation in order to capture as many markers as possible.

Marking the Terrain

VP markers should be round, to differentiate them from the more numerous variable terrain markers, e they may be terrained uniformly to blend in con the tabletop surface. However, if these markers are terrained in such a way that they can be identified by the player who made them, the actual marker denominations must be shuffled to avoid any unfair spying. The umpire might use adhesive labels to change the VP denomination of each terrain piece used, o keep a hidden VP log if the markers are open e just numbered 1 through 10.

Weighted Objectives

The umpire o scenario designer informs the players that the sum of all victory point markers on the table equals 100%, e that posession of the majority of these points is an important victory condition. Victory point areas are weighted, because markers of different denominations are used in the game:

• 1 VP marked 30% - Primary Objective
• 1 VP marked 20% - Secondary Objective
• 1 VP marked 15% - Tertiary Objective
• 7 VPs marked 5% each - Minor Objectives

Players may examine VP markers only if a friendly fanteria o cavalleria unit occupies the marker location o is immediately adjacent to it. The last player who examined a VP marker is considered to be in control of it, even if the unit which occupied the marker has since moved on. Defending players who have occupied the battlefield for a period of 10 daylight hours prior to battle, may examine all VP markers inside their own deployment area. VP markers occupied by enemy units may not be examined until the position is taken. VP markers are never contested, they belong to the side which occupied them last, even if a unit which occupies a marker is currently attacked in melee.

Victory Determination

Most regolamenti di wargame have troop point value tables o dedicated victory point tables which may be used to compute victory based on caduti incurred. Unfortunately, many of these tables are needlessly complicated, e players tend to ingore them for that reason. It is important to remember that battlefield caduti of the defeated side were remarkably similar within any given period in history, ranging from near annihilation in ancient e medieval times, to an average of 35% loser caduti during the guerra dei trent’anni, e little over 20% loser caduti from the Guerra dei Sette Anni onward.

Keeping in mind that 50% of wargame caduti are typically considered to be stragglers ed other temporary caduti, it becomes immediately apparent, that 40% tabletop caduti mark the critical point at which an XVII, XIX o XX secolo wargamer may have to concede defeat of his army. A defeated army must withdraw from the battlefield, some of its units in full flight while others maintain good order in the ranks. The concept of situational morale may be applied to army withdrawals, rear-guard actions, ed other critical events.

Withdrawal Test

Any player, friendly o enemy, may challenge the commander-in-chief to perform an army withdrawal test at any time in the game. The withdrawal test is legitimate if the challenged army has incurred a minimum of 40% caduti.

1. Note original army strength at the beginning of battle
2. Count current army strength at the time of the withdrawal test, not including routed units, off-table reserves, ed units which have left the table for any reason.

3. Current Strength
   --------------------- = Residual Strength Percentage (RS%)
   Original Strength

   Proceed con the withdrawal test if the RS% equals 0.60 o less.

4. Count all VP percentages (VP%) currently controlled by the army

5. RS% * VP% = Withdrawal Factor

6. Roll 2D10 percentage dice. If the dice result exceeds the withdrawal factor, the army begins to withdraw next turn, e the opponent is the victor. No further tests are required.

Example: An army originally joined battle con 235 stands of fanteria, cavalleria, ed artiglieria on o off the table. Current effective strength is 138 stands, not counting a unit con 7 routed stands, ed an off-table reserve formation of another 20 stands. 138 divided by 235 equals 59%, indicating that the withdrawal test is legitimate. The army controls 5 VP markers con a combined VP value of 60%. The withdrawal factor is 35% (0.59 * 0.60). The commander-in-chief happens to roll 28 on 2D10, meaning that his army need not withdraw this time, but it may have to test again later.

Subsequent Testing: An army, legitimately required to check for withdrawal, and which passes the test, does not test again until it captures o loses another VP marker, o if the army commander o one of the corps commanders is captured o otherwise incapacitated.

Exception: An army cannot be challenged to perform a withdrawal test in the game turn that the army commander o one of the corps commanders is attached to a formation engaged in melee. The exception persists if the unit is victorious in melee e the army o corps commander remains attached to call a charge again next round. This action is a desperate measure which puts higher echelon commanders at risk, e the troops would reward it by staying put until the heroic event is resolved.

Penalties: An overanxious player who calls for a withdrawal test prematurely, i.e. before the strength of the challenged army has fallen below 60%, deducts a negative modifier of 20 percentage points from the Withdrawal Factor the first time his army is required to test for withdrawal legitimately. This is a cumulative penalty, it applies every time a player calls for a withdrawal test prematurely, even against his own army. Players are not allowed to count friendly o enemy stands during battle. Players need to use intuitive judgement to decide if a withdrawal test is called for o not, ed only then may the challenged army be counted.

Domande più frequenti

Per ulteriori informazioni, per favore contatta la redazione di Rivista Military Miniatures nel Miniatures Forum.

Return to the Homepage

– Pubblicato: 1997 – Aggiornato: 05.06.2007
© 1997-2012 by IDL Software GmbH, Darmstadt, Germania. Tutti diritti reservati.