My BAOR Boardgame - AAR

As previewed earlier I managed to buy SPI's BAOR at the end of last year - and then instantly worked up my own counters and rules for it in order to have a late 80s scenario and to "own" the rules. Set up was on election night, and I've just finished the first 12 turns (2 days game time) and reached a convenient point to call a halt (with ~250 counters and ~2 hr game time turns (~45 mins real)) this is a BIG game).

The Soviets have destroyed the British 1st line of defence along a line Hanover-Goslar, apart from a small para hold-out in Hildesheim - but not for insignificant loss themselves. There's now a bit of a shaky defence line before the Weser with remains of 4, 7 and 20 Armd Bde, and 24 (Airmob) Bde (me!) has just been flown in to plug a gap in front of Minden. Then it's up to 3 Div dug in along the Weser itself.  11, 12 and 22 Armd Bdes are all goners. The RAF has been doing  pretty well and the Soviets have been losing air superiority fighters.

The para hold out in Hildesheim despite desperate night-time house-to-house fighting

To get a clearer picture of the current state (I may resume later in the year), here is the same map as above but with only Infantry, Tank and Bde/Div HQ units shown.

So key thoughts so far:

• The rules are actually working really well. Tweaking as I go along but giving the sort of game I wanted and without the "predictability" of the CRT and SPI style factors (its all D10+DMs)
• Not had time to really try the command point/bde activation, just playing IGO-UGO
• Not remembering to use EW, either for CP or to support attacks. Need on board not in side bin?
• AIR working OK. Was too powerful initially but have backed it off a bit. Don't think I really need the air base granularity, but am using a refuelling box so each Sqn only flies every other turn.
• FIRES again been backed off and now OK. Have both AIR and FIRES as phases before movement/combat as forces you to remember to use them, and possibly a bit more realistic. Does add time to turn though but think I'll keep (particularly if streamline elsewhere). Not tried CB yet. Soviets (and even BAOR) do seem to have too many Arty units so may keep to Regt level.
• AD working OK, but ranges need to to realistic as people flying NOE, and too many counters. May incorporate AA rating into Regt/Bde HQ (each unit also has organic rating).
• Far too many engineers - counters everywhere! Again may abstract into HQ or to Regt level. Think the mine breaching rules OK. need a "tidy up" for passed fields.
• Not really using recce, so again counters everywhere but no use. May only put on table if using fog-of-war rules (which I'm currently not)
• Put the last few together and next time I play there'll be far fewer counters so easier to see what I'm doing!
• I deliberately avoided a "flipped" counter model as I wanted more damage granularity. But most units are Strength 3; when they get to 1 they take a morale test and leg it unless well dug in, so realistically only using 3 and 2 - so why not flip? Will think about it.
• Really like the 4 turns day, 2 turns night model. Units take fatigue if they have to move/fight at night and haven't sleep banked (in theory). Even though not fully playing it does make you think a lot more about resource management.
• Soviets really haven't got a 2nd wave to push through, guess next time I need to get 10th or 12th GTA ready!

One thing I do want to do is reread Third World War and other counter-factuals to see how close my rate of advance (Hanover line in 2 days) and damage (50% front line Bdes) matches theirs.

So pretty pleased really. I might look at doing a Bde/Div level version (NATO Division Commander anyone?) , with pretty much the same rules, and then with the more streamlined version for the Corps game. I can then use that to drive miniatures games as the scope here is just too big for that. The rules should also work for WW2 and other campaigns, something to try next year!