5Core Brigade Commander

[Dave Whitehouse]

Hi All

Glad to be on the group.

Does anyone here play 5Core Brigade Commander?

Jack and a few others started all keen but it seems to have died a death?

or a.m. I missing something? If I am please explain why. I am trying it, albeit solo, and it doesn’t quite work for me. I don’t have much space, But liked the concept.

Cheers

Dave

[Mike]

Is this a Nordic Weasel game?

[Dave Whitehouse]

Yes it is Mike

[Ivan Sorensen]

There’s players out among the blog sphere, not sure if they hang out here.

What parts didn’t work for you? It’s a pretty easy system to tweak and tinker with, so I may have some suggestions.

[Just Jack]

Dave,

Assuming the Jack you reference above is me, touché, Sir, the gauntlet has been cast! 😉

In my defense, I’ve been playing a ton of other 5Core games; I’m  working on four 5MAK battle reports right now!

The only thing keeping me from playing 5Core Brigade Commander is fitting it into, or tacking it onto, an existing project framework. The big issue is that I don’t really play that scale of game; it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that the stuff I’m doing currently (Cuba Libre in Cronistria and South Leon, WW2 Marines in the Pacific, Blood & Guts in the ETO, KG Klink, Sword of Gideon) are all Company-level games or smaller, usually much smaller.

But you (well, you and I both) are in luck! I believe I have a solution, possibly two, those there is a bit of work involved for me to get there. Shaun Travers and I have been chatting about larger echelon games in smaller spaces, and while he enjoys working up his own rules, I think these might do nicely for what I have in mind.

First, KG Klink is still mired in the blitzkrieg through France, which I’ve allowed to drag on for far too long. My intent is to finish up France using 5Core Company Command, then split a piece off. I believe the XO, Major Schultz, will be promoted and given command of his own Kampfgruppe, just in time for Barbarossa, while KG Klink goes to North Africa. KG Schultz will be a larger force, which I can play with 5Core Brigade Commander.

There’s also Cuba Libre, where I’ve let a Mechanized Task Force linger for too long. I need to extricate my Free Cubans from there; I’m thinking one last push to end the war, a la Market-Garden, which causes Yugoslavia to throw their full weight in to crush the Crinistrian rebellion, and the Cubans are forced to flee.

But this is 1990, and Saddam has just invaded Kuwait. The US is doing absolutely everything to build a broad coalition to act on a UN declaration, so the United States pays to re-equip the Cuban Mech Task Force, so long as it deploys to Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Which could make for some cool 5Core Brigade Commander games.

My intent is to play on a 3’ x 2’ table, perhaps even smaller, one base is a company. I’ll have to read up on the attachments and decide if I mess with that or just stick with basic 5Core concepts.

Whaddaya think?

V/R,

Jack

[Dave Whitehouse]

Ivan

Thanks for the rapid response!

I think it’s the packets and Off table asserts that confuses me. I understand packets are say a PSAM group or mortar section say. But you can combine these for counter battery fire? Not the PSAM group obviously 😃

The Assets are not represented usually but you can have a counterbattery asset as well? Sorry I know it’s my age but I am a little confused.

Road movement isn’t in but rough ground is. So roads through such terrain just regard the terrain in a column I feel. However Road nets determine a lot a brigade level so should be shown. I am not having a go! I have Company Commander and enjoy that. Maybe it’s the translation up two levels I am not making?

Cheers

Dave

 

[Dave Whitehouse]

Jack

Firstly let me say I really enjoy your blogs!

A few years ago you sent me a modern update idea with stats for Modern Company Commander, after we had been discussing Team Whiskey. My stalking goes a long way back😆

I still don’t know how you find the time to do what you do, AND write about it for our pleasure. Enough grovelling!

interesting you are talking about Cuban Brigade level games. I, having lived in South Africa for years, have been looking at the wars in Angola for 5CBC. Manageable in terms of technology, close terrain and limited air power.

I think I need to look at them again. I tried them using standard 1980 British and Soviets. They may work better at a lower scale conflict. Less infrastructure, roads, built up area may be a better setting, see comments to Ivan.

Either way I can go up to four feet square which should be enough.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

[Just Jack]

Dave,

Of course, AKA “Maxshadow,” with Kokonut Island, I recall now, the Cooke-Whitehouse thing threw me.  I hope all is well, and it’s good to see you getting back to some modern stuff.  Regarding play, the terrain stuff doesn’t really bother me, I just need to give a further look at the off-table assets and packets.  I may keep everything on table, and not use packets.  As Ivan can attest, I’m nothing if not simple 😉

Anyway, someone needs to contact Tin Man; he had the best 5Core Brigade Commander set up and batreps and, like him, I plan on going the 3mm route.

V/R,
Jack

[Dave Whitehouse]

Jack

not me I am afraid😕

I agree packets and off table assets regarding indirect fire weapons is a bit confusing.

cheers

Dave
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[kyoteblue]

I need an AAR Jack!!!

[Just Jack]

Dang it, I’m sorry, aren’t I a heel?  As I mentioned, I am a bit simple…  I humbly apologize, it just seemed to match up.

It’s definitely easier for me to keep everything on table, and I don’t mind arty being on table at this echelon of fight, but the packets are still up in the air.

For example, they’re very useful to add a capability that wouldn’t otherwise be present as a separate, company-level stand. Think a couple ATGs attached to an infantry company (or, perhaps more appropriately, being defended by an infantry company).

V/R,

Jack

[JozisTinMan]

Hey guys, sorry fot the delayed response, we are still in the midst of moving house so not much gaming going on. Jack, thanks for th3 reccomendation.

I hope this helps, here is a link to my site that links to battle reports on my blog. As soon as we get moved i intend to fire up my Cold War project again and maybe convert to hexes.

I dont use packets, just assets for artillery, see my asset cards on the site.

Dont give up on these rules yet and good gaming!

https://sites.google.com/view/tinmanwargaming/late-20th-21st-century-warfare

 

http://jozistinman.blogspot.com/

[Dave Whitehouse]

A big thank you to everyone who replied.

With support like this how could I give up!

Really appreciate the comments

Dave

[Ivan Sorensen]

A greater focus on road networks would be a good addition for a (far off) future revision.

The current version had as an aim to remain as compatible as possible with Company Command, so there’s a few short-cuts that a “true” Brigade level game might have benefited from.

If you guys want a blow-by-blow of how Packets work, I’ll post one up tomorrow.
I AM open to suggestions on how to better handle arty at this level of conflict, particularly in an abstracted form, but lemme give you guys a write-up on how it works currently.

[Dave Whitehouse]

Thanks Ivan I would really appreciate that!

Dave

[cmnash]

I’d appreciate it as well Ivan – Brigade Commander is something that I’ve wanted to try for a while now

.

[Ivan Sorensen]

Alright gang.

So the Packet system is heavily abstracted.

Let’s say I have 3 artillery packets available: I’ll grab three gun models to represent each (or three forward observer vehicles, which might look better).
Each of these could represent a small gun battery or (in a smaller game) even just a few mortars. It’s all intended to be pretty local stuff just beyond the table edge.

* * *

Packets can be used in two ways: Local support or concentrated fire.

If assigned in local support, put the gun/observer model next to a unit to show they are receiving supporting fire.
(You could also be clever and do cotton puffs or craters).
If an enemy moves within 6″ of the unit, they have a shock die rolled against them. This reflects the platoon officers, company commander etc calling in targets as they present themselves.

* * *

If you want to concentrate your guns, you pick a target in sight of one of your units and roll 1 Shock die for every packet you concentrate.
This eats up one of your activations for the turn though.

So if you want to represent your available batteries firing to support your troops, attach them.
This will benefit the unit itself, by making it harder for enemies to operate near them, but probably won’t create a breakthrough.

if you want to bombard a position and try to force the enemy back, concentrate the guns.

* * *

Does that help a bit? If not, lemme know!

[JozisTinMan]

As soon as I can get my $&(@! House sale, purchase, and move complete, I plan on doing a brigade commander / Squad hammer mashup on a 4” hex grid. In 3mm.  My company bases are 1.5”  square so looking at 1 Hex = 1 km. So you could squeeze a whole battalion into a 1km frontage but artillery, air, and even direct fire would get a bonus against you…  spread out you are less vulnerable but can bring less combat power to bear.

But you cannot go wrong with Brigade commander out of the box.  I am a weirdo who cannot stop tinkering with rules…

http://jozistinman.blogspot.com/

[Dave Whitehouse]

Hi Ivan

Thanks for the description it has certainly helped. Starting to make some progress.

To clarify, a stonk is different to say three packets concentrating? Just thinking in terms of modern Soviets here, as stonks are more lethal. Representing better ammo supply and more intense fire for example?

I like the recon units. They do have a purpose unlike many rule sets that don’t allow you to use them as in real life practise.

Cheers

Dave

[Ivan Sorensen]

Yeah, the “Stonk” is more of a concentrated barrage from far behind the lines. Pre-planned fires or those “call in an entire battalion” moments.

And thanks! I am incredibly pleased with the recon rules. It’s still a little bit abstracted, but it does give a nice feel of recon actually mattering.

[JozisTinMan]

FWIW I use batteries attached from the Regimental Artillery Group to maneuver companies as assault gun attachments.  I am doing 1980’s so I figure the 2S1’s would be firing direct fire over open sights.

 

And I agree, the recon rules are great!

http://jozistinman.blogspot.com/

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