Platoon Mega Playtest: Part 5 - UltraCombat

Presentation

UltraCombat was a Kickstarter last year and backers have had several releases of the PDF versions of the rules. Latest copy is full-colour facsimile of the hard copy version which is due imminently. Nice looking, lots of good DoD and wargame photos. One potential issue is that rules cover 3 "scales" - platoon, section and fireteam, so the rule book has 3, almost identical, sets of rules in it! It is of course related to UltraCombat:Normandy (which may have made more sense for this test but I don't own a copy), and by DishDash Games who did Skirmish Sangin.

Set-Up

Onto Scenario 3 of TFL's Op Martlet, entitled Attack on the Hauptkampflinie. The British now benefit from an extra section. UltraCombat is of course a modern set, but most stats are abstract so I could make a reasonable stab at WW2 versions.

The British Advance under way

Given how open the Left Flank is, the Brits decided to put all 4 sections R of the road, 2 up, 2 back, wit Cromwell to support as required, and the 6pdr covering the road and open ground. The Germans put one Gruppen in the farm, and the other two opposite the British R flank.

How It Played

The British 2 Section (extreme R) tried to push forward but got pinned by the forward German MG42 and more or less failed to move for the rest of the game, bottle gone. The Cromwell tried to lend a hand but didn't achieve much, so No. 4 Section had to push through and took out the MG42, but then got pinned by the interlocked fire from the rest of the German 3. Gruppen.

Face off between No. 43 Section and 3. Gruppen. 2. Gruppen taking casualties.

The Pz Kfz IV was lured out by the Cromwell threatening the MG42, but it had hardly broken cover to advance across the open ground on the L flank when a first shot from the 6pdr took it out! The Cromwell was now free to cross over to the L flank and bring down fire on the MG42 sqaud in the farmhouse who were harrassing Nos. 1 and 3 sections who were trying to press forward in the centre.

The Cromwell supports No. 3 Section as they advance into the gloom!

No.1 Section made if through the gardens and had a firefight with the German 2. Gruppen which they won admirably and then charged into melee, taking fire from the Gruppen and the MG42 but they got into contact and eliminated the Gruppen. With the Cromwell neutralising the MG42 No. 1 Section (undamaged) was free to turn S and assault into the flank of 3. Gruppen, who they destroyed for minimal loss.

The farmyard, and Panzer IV just before the 6pdr struck!

With 2 Gruppen dead, the third MG42 gone, and the Panzer it was game over. A decisive British victory.

Rules Impression

It may have been working from a PDF, and not helped by the 3-in-1 concept, but I really struggled with these rules. Of course this may be due to not reading things right, and another playthrough with hard copy and watching/reading some more about them may help clarify things, but issues I encountered were:

• There is zero friction, you just choose who you want next, have a dice-off with the opponent, and then as long as there is no morale off they go
• There appears to be an infinite opportunity to interrupt. Some words elsewhere suggest that when a unit interrupts its card is counted as "played" but that is not clearly stated in the interrupt rules
• Spot and Fire methods were fine, as were DMs, but almost any hit stops a unit as they get a minimum of Hesitate. Hence units sticking still for so long in the game.
• Defender fire against assaulting unit not clear - inherent or counted as interrupt or none?
• Couldn't actually find a rule for moving vehicles! The Armour rules are a separate section after the 3 rule sets, so spent whole time going form front to back of book.
• Couldn't find direct fire HE rules, e.g. against buildings
• Only smoke seems to be some grenades
• Layout of rules often confusing, e.g. initiative and turn sequence under combat, 2-3 pages after Action Points
• Not clear how many die tank guns roll for AT (esp when a LAW rolls 8!)
• The Hestitate/Pinned/Suppressed markers/states just seemed confusing, remembering what did what and finding that Suppressed units get no -DM in combat!

I'm sure I'd find answers to some of these if I hunted on the forums, but I shouldn't need to, clear enough in other rules. The unit cards are a nice idea, but as I keep finding a summary sheet of A4 with all the details is often easier - still good for activation though.

Whole game was only 3 turns too!

No.1 Section secure their 2nd objective

Overall

I want to like these, I liked some of the ideas of Skirmish Sangin, and wanted a "simpler" version, but whilst the guts of a simpler game are here I think there are a fair few things that just seem to needlessly complicate it - both in layout and methods. I did have the chance to playtest but frustratingly I didn't have time to contribute at the time, although I did do some proof-reading, a missed opportunity? Will give another go and with a modern setting once the hardcopy figure rules and figures come through. A disappointing 6/10.