From: tqr@inel.gov (Tom Repetti)
Subject: ASL: Weather/Defense
John asked about...
> 2. Dealing with weather. How do your tactics have to change when it's Muddy, or in Extreme Winter?
Can't answer those, so will answer what I know about. And that's Rain/Snow. When there's a +1 LV Hindrance at 0-6 hexes, the attacker is in Fat City. I'd think all the Defender can do is go for firelanes and do some agressive counterattacking of his own; you can rearrange a defense more easily with that LV hindrance working for you. Whichever side has the advantage in CC will want to close the range and get up close and personal.
From: "J. R. Tracy"
Subject: Re: ASL: Weather/Defense
Mud: Slows things down across open ground, might make bog checks a little tougher. So, keep in mind you won't be getting where you're going quite as quickly, and plan accordingly. On defense, recall this penalty affects routs, too!
Extreme Winter: If you're one of those unfortunate nationalities that just can't deal with bitter cold (pre-'41 Russkies, pre-'42 non-Finn Axis), choose your use of SWs wisely. As a Russian in 1940, rattling away with a 2(+1) 'what the heck' shot at a Finn isn't such a good idea when your B# goes down to '9'. Also, you should pass up trying to rally DM'd troops not in buildings unless you absolutely have to - they will CR on an '11', which is about as likely as they'll rally. Now, if you don't suffer these nasty effects and your opponent does, press your advantage - the OoB will take into account your superior Winter skills, and so you'll be forced to use them to win.
Rain: Yep, a +1 LV for 0-6 hexes is nice on the attack, but with light rain, where the LV doesn't start 'till 7 hexes, the attacker [may be at a disadvantage] as he can't use Smoke.
> 4. Setting up a defense. Basic stuff. How far forward should you set
up?
Tom Repetti's reply to the below question:
I rarely set up much very far forward. Anybody in front of the front is there to do one specific job and then die in place. Blocking an attack route with their bodies is fine, as is laying some resid in key attack hexes. I'm just starting White Tigers, and I put a 248 halfsquad way up front on the board 37 trail. He was guaranteed to slow the Japanese infantry down at least 2 hexes, which was good enough for one turn's delay, and he also revealed a lot of the Japanese infantry on that side. I'm gonna miss him :-)
One very comforting absolute rule is that you always have to think about what you're gonna do if the guys manning your big machine guns break and can't rout away with the MG. Put 'em in the back where their range advantage comes into play and you can re-man them or move them easily. Firelanes, firelanes, firelanes.
If you need to cover a lot of ground or if you have some time before you're gonna use them, dm those heavy SW (MMG's, HMG's, light MTRs) and make 'em more mobile.
Always think about what can happen to your defense if the enemy is able to cancel one of your stacks by using smoke or Banzai/Human Wave/VBM Freeze. Anticipate that it may happen, and you won't fail a Personal MC if it does.
Think about what the scenario gives you; [some editing]. You are given a certain amount of time/space/force; usually you have to balance these resources against each other. If you have little force, usually you are given a break in time/space - as the defender, maybe the scenario is short; as the attacker, maybe it's long. Use what you are given. If the VC's say nothing about a Casualty VP ceiling, then you are allowed to throw away units and in fact probably need to in order to win.
Tuomo the Sage also relates:
>If you need to cover a lot of ground or if you have some time before you're
>gonna use them, dm those heavy SW (MMG's, HMG's, light MTRs) and make 'em more
>mobile.
Once a defending opponent dismantled his dug-in HMG in his *Prep* phase - I thought, 'how odd'. After I hammered him in the DFPh, he was able to rout away with the now-3PP weapon. He figured he had to skedaddle anyway, and believed I'd break him as he exited the foxhole - this way he got away, and kept the heavy to boot. Very clever. [I've done this, too. It works best when your SW is too exposed but there are rout paths available.]