paolo.mt - Mar 2, 2005 12:09 pm (#3765 Total: 3770)   
    
EBRO: Questions about rules

I have just received new VV mag, Ebro, and I will try to play with my gamers group. 

Subject is really interesting, rules simple but original (quite detailed
air combat, air bombardment, artillery support...), OOB well detailed. 

I have some questions about rules and charts: 

1) Use 1D10; "0" is read "0" or "10"? 

2) Rule 6.6 says that bombers after losing one step have bombardment
factor halved; one step counter show full bombardment factor. Are
counters wrong? 

3) What about "AT" air units? No rule about them. I think they are more
or less like artillery, but please write correct rule 

4) CL: what about their placement and movement? I do not see a rule 

5) Combat: no need to attack all enemies in a unit ZOC and no worry
about attacks from different hexes and different divisions. OK? 

6) CRT: Why results for 8+? you have to use a D6 and there is not a
positive modifier to dieroll (more after...) 

7) Bombardment table: Why results for 7+? you have to use D6 and there
is not a positive modifier to dieroll (more after...) 

TEC: there are more modifiers for terrain here then in CRT and some are
different. Can we apply these more detailed dieroll modifiers and column
shifts taking precedence over ones on CRT? 

9) Final consideration: I do not play the game, but I see a D6 CRT and a
lot of dieroll modifiers, all negative. I think it will be quite common
to have attacks with a minus two to dieroll (for woods and hills) and a
minus three too (if you add fortification). So you will have a CRT with
few possible results. I do not know if it's a problem but it's a little
strange... 

Sorry for my crude English. 

I hope all questions are clear 

Paolo
 
 
Javier Romero - Mar 5, 2005 6:53 am (#3766 Total: 3770)   
    
Ebre 1938

Paolo,

Right now I don't have in front of me the definitive game as published.
Anyway I'll try to answer some of your questions the best I can. When I
can check the definitive game I'll give you more detailed answers.

1) Use 1D10; "0" is read "0" or "10"?
 
0 is read as 0.

2) Rule 6.6 says that bombers after losing one step have bombardment
factor halved; one step counter show full bombardment factor. Are
counters wrong? 

Probably so. 

3) What about "AT" air units? No rule about them. I think they are more
or less like artillery, but please write correct rule 

AT are "Assault" air units. They function like bombers although some of
them have somewhat higher air-to-air ratings. (The He 51 units, for
instance). 

4) CL: what about their placement and movement? I do not see a rule 

They move like all other ground units. They can stack with all other
units within the limit of 4 stacking points (mountain hexes) and 6
stacking points (all other terrain types). CL stacking value= 1 stack
point.

5) Combat: no need to attack all enemies in a unit ZOC
 
Correct, no need to attack all enemies in a unit's ZoC.

and no worry about attacks from different hexes and different divisions. OK?

Could you rephrase your question?

6) CRT: Why results for 8+? you have to use a D6 and there is not a
positive modifier to dieroll (more after...) 

I can't see the CRT as published but there should be positive drm
modifiers for elite units (50% or more of attacking combat factors are
elite units: Internacionales, Falangistas, Legionarios, etc) and/or
combined arms (tanks/armor, infantry and HQs in the same combat). 

7) Bombardment table: Why results for 7+? you have to use D6 and there
is not a positive modifier to dieroll 

9) Final consideration: I do not play the game, but I see a D6 CRT and a
lot of dieroll modifiers, all negative. I think it will be quite common
to have attacks with a minus two to dieroll (for woods and hills) and a
minus three too (if you add fortification). 

Not all the die roll or odds shift are negative. CRT modifiers should be 
the following:

DRMs (Modificateurs): 
-1 au dé pour une attaque contre un hex de terrain escarpé 
-1 au dé pour une attaque à travers une rivière ou un fleuve 
-1 au dé pour une attaque contre des unités sous une Fortification 
-1 au dé si parmi les défenseurs il y a au moins une unité de légionnaires, 
   coloniale, phalangiste, internationale ou de la 11e ou 46e Division Républicaine 
+1 au dé si parmi les attaquants il y a au moins une unité de légionnaires, 
   coloniale, phalangiste, internationale ou de la 11e ou 46e Division Républicaine 
+1 au dé pour les armes combinées : au moins une unité d'infanterie et au moins 
   une unité de chars ou de blindés, appuyées par un QG, participent ensemble à 
   une même attaque 

Odds Shift Modifiers:

Décalage de 1 colonne vers la gauche pour une attaque contre un hex de Position 
 Dominante 
Décalage de 1 colonne vers la gauche pour une attaque contre un défenseur qui a 
 attribué une CL pour sa défense (maximum 3 colonnes vers la gauche) 
Décalage de 1 colonne vers la droite pour une attaque si l'attaquant a attribué 
 une CL à son attaque (maximum 3 colonnes vers la droite) 
Décalage de 2 colonnes vers la gauche pour une attaque si l'attaque se fait à 
 travers un bord d'hex de l'Ebre (voir 13.5) 

As for the bloody CRT, this is intentional. Tactically, the Spanish
Civil War was closer to late WW 1 than to early WW 2. The idea here was
that to attack without HQ support, without armor/tanks and without
"attack supply" (The Logistical Columns, CLs) was costly. The CRT is
bloody; and to improve the combat odds the Republican needs to move
across the river supplies (CLs), HQs (includes artillery and engineers),
armor, etc., and to do so you must build bridges and defend them against
the Nationalist air force and/or the floodings provoked by the opening
of the flood gates of the Ebro reservoirs under Nationalist control. Add
to this the fact that the Ebro is a wonderfully defensive terrain, so
attacking there without HQ/armor/supplies was terribly bloody, as the
body count of the attrittion battle of August-November can attest. 

In Ebre 1938 players must play two parallel games: for the Republican,
one to build bridges and keep them open in order to supply the
offensive, and another to race to the key road junctions of Villalba and
Gandesa; for the Nationalist, one to destroy the bridges and to
reinforce/counterattack against the Republican onslaught. 

 
paolo.mt - Mar 5, 2005 10:06 am (#3767 Total: 3770)   
   
Ebre 1938

Thank you very much for your quick answers! 

Published CRT does not have positive modifiers! They are really important. 

Some clarifications: 

1) About my questions 5. I see that there are limits about stacking
units from different divisions in the same hex. But you can attack an
enemy stack from different hexes with stacks of units each one from a
different division, without problems (No negative die roll or
proibition). Is it right? 

2) When you write about "elite" units status, there is no mention to
Carlistas. They are strong units but not elite, like for example
falangistas. Why? (just a curiosity...) 

3) To have combined arms bounus you need infantry + tank/armored car +
QG support. Do I understand well? 

Many thanks 

Paolo
 
 
paolo.mt - Mar 5, 2005 10:38 am (#3769 Total: 3770)   
   
Ebre 1938

Other two rule questions: 

1) Combat elite modifier: you need just one elite unit or at least 50%
stacking points to qualify? 

2) Bombardment table: what about missing positive die roll modifier
(Bombarment table has a 7+ result...)? 

many thanks 

Paolo
 
 
Javier Romero - Mar 6, 2005 5:37 am (#3770 Total: 3770)   
   
Ebro Q&A

About my questions 5. I see that there are limits about stacking units
from different divisions in the same hex. But you can attack an enemy
stack from different hexes with stacks of units each one from a
different division, without problems (No negative die roll or
prohibition). Is it right? 

Yes.

2) When you write about "elite" units status, there is no mention to
Carlistas. They are strong units but not elite, like for example
falangistas. Why? (just a curiosity...) 

You're right, I forgot to add the Carlistas as fanatical/elite units.
Mea culpa. Consider the carlistas as elite units. 

3) To have combined arms bounus you need infantry + tank/armored car +
QG support. Do I understand well? 

Yes. You need infantry, tanks and/or armored cars, and HQs for the
Republicans. For the Nationalists you need only infantry and Corps/Army
HQs (the Nationalist armor is factored into the Corps/Army HQ support
factors). 

1) Combat elite modifier: you need just one elite unit or at least 50%
stacking points to qualify? 

No, you need at least 50% available Combat Factors to qualify. That
means available Combat Factors. That is, if you have a 5-5-14 elite unit
reduced to a 2-3-14, attacking along with a regular 2-3-12 unit, there
are 2 elite combat factors, and therefore the modifier applies. (At
least 50% of the Combat Factors are elite). 

2) Bombardment table: what about missing positive die roll modifier
(Bombarment table has a 7+ result...)? 

+1 drm for bombing hexes adjacent to a friendly controlled Position
Dominante. Mea culpa again, I forgot to add this one to the final
version of the Tables sent to the editors. 

This rule (and the +2 Combat Factor for HQ units supporting units within
2 hexes of a Position Dominante) is explained by the advantage given by
controlling the high ground (you can keep the enemy until continual
observation, spotters identify targets and correct the fire of your
artillery and bombers). See the Designers' notes for a more complete
explanation. 

Bombardment Table Modifiers:
-1 drm for bombing a fortification hex. 
-1 drm for bombing a woods/mountain/town hex
+1 drm for bombing an hex adjacent to a friendly controlled Position 
 Dominante. 
+1 rightward odds shift for bombing an overstacked hex. (see 3. Stacking).