From: "lars.silver" <LARSS@bisse.fek.uu.se>
Subject:       All Quiet (as text and in mail)

Tactics and strategy for ”All Quiet on the Western Front” (henceforth called AQ)

So you have just acquired AQ? And you desperately want to win the next game?
Well, in my humble opinion you have two alternatives, either you will have to be
very lucky or you can listen to those of us who have failed consistently in
achieving success and are now learning the hard way. AQ, as you will soon notice,
is easy to learn but hard to master. Without a firm strategy combined with a 
sense of how to accomplish things tactically you will end up on the sorry side,
unless your opponent is of the same caliber. 

Tactics 

I will not repeat what AQ is all about, there are reviews covering that sort of
stuff. It is sufficient to say that the AQ system is innovative, well developed
and quite fun. The first unusual aspect a first time player will have to grasp
is combat. There are no odds tables in AQ, in every combat one side fires first,
and then the other, hopefully, gets the opportunity to reply. The losses are
measured in steps, also units can not advance without having eliminated the
opponent. All of which basically means that the number of steps available to the
defender is the single most important variable in each combat. The defender will
have to plan his defense on the basis of available steps and on the importance of
not letting the enemy gain ground in that particular area. Each army has special
characteristics on the attack which will have to be considered as each attack is
planned, and the appropriate defense to prevent that attack from being successful.
Also, there are supporting arms that will be able to assist in the attack.

The combat tables:

It is virtually impossible provide an analysis of how to best maximize effects on
the combat tables. It is merely sufficient to argue that Stosstruppen and Tank
supported attacks better use exactly the amount required to be able to use the
next column. A good German attack is 22 SP’s (2 6-4’s, 2 5-4’s - all Stoss). The
British preferably use 28 SP’s (4 7-4’s - one Tank). The French finally 19 SP’s 
(3 4-4’s, 1 7-4 - one Tank). Of course, a combined attack is even better 32 SP’s.
If Stoss and Tanks are not available you have to expect to lose some 4 SP’s due
to defensive fire. 

Exploitation:

Perhaps the most important decision as to where to attack and when is the
possibility to exploit any breakthroughs achieved. Only the Initiative Player
(IP) may exploit, which is important to remember as the IP plans his defense.
As it is impossible for the NonInitiative Player (NIP) to exploit breakthroughs,
his counterattacks will be feeble at best. The discussion below assumes that
the defender do not have a second line to prevent exploitation, this is quite
unlikely in any event. The exploitation capability varies between the different
army. The German army has a very good capability, the British a limited ability
while the French and the Americans are poorly equipped to exploit successfully.
Attacks have primarily one (or both) of two goals; either you attack to kill off 
the enemy or you attack to gain ground. In the latter case your aim should be to
conquer territory, disrupt the enemy defenses and hopefully to cut off enemy
supply to certain units.

Decision 1. Where to attack is dependent on three variables; Enemy strength,
Terrain and Exploit capability available. 

Enemy strength is important as you need to eliminate enough units to prevent a
retreat from gaining more than one hex. Thus the Enemy strength variable is
dependent on the hex grid. It is far better to attack hexes where the defender
have to cover three hexes during the retreat to prevent exploitation, as opposed
to hexes where the defender only have to cover one hex. 

The Terrain variable is very important, exploitation is prevented in Rough,
Swamp, Towns and Cities. Rivers prevent units from continued exploitation.
Especially Rough terrain is commonplace, for example it virtually secures the
whole Verdun area against exploitation.  This seriously affects strategy as well.

Finally the Exploit capability available is especially troublesome for the
Entente player. Tanks tend to disappear during the attacks while Canadians
usually end up getting mauled in offensive action or by artillery.

Decision 2. Where to go is a paramount question. Cutting enemy supply is possibly
the most effective way to turn a local breakthrough into a not so local rout. In
particular the German should try to plan his attacks based on how to bag as many
enemy units as possible. Try to position a HQ right behind the actual
breakthrough hex. If the attacker succeeds in creating encirclements on a large
scale, the enemy may not even be in a position to form a new offensive line.
Think as if you are in the east front in 1941-1942 rather than in the great war.

A properly conducted exploitation may win the war.  Finally one crucial advice;
NEVER EVER attack into a hex adjacent to a successful penetration of the enemy
lines! (unless absolutely certain that you will be able to eliminate the enemy).
Any retreat will only cause the defender to hinder your forthcoming exploitation.
In any case, it is better to let the enemy starve themselves into prison camps,
rather than throwing away your best units attacking them.

Artillery:

Always counterbarrage if possible. Defensive artillery is devastating, especially
against the Entente as the German will invariably reduce your meager exploitation
capability first (the Canadians in particular should bring a steel umbrella to
the battle scene). Offensive artillery is also very effective as it may turn an
almost impregnable line into a fairly soft one. Positioning two units within
range of any attacks is a good option as one may counterbarrage and the other
can provide artillery barrage. Of course, a defender should be wary as to where
the enemy HQ’s are positioned.

Air power:

The problem with the air units is how to use them. There are a number of
worthwhile missions. Interdicting rail lines is quite effective, especially if
you believe that it is possible to achieve some encirclements which opens up the
front. Artillery spotting and the simple strafing mission are also interesting, a
nice option is to first bombard with air spotting in the barrage phase and then
strafe the defender in the combat phase, that could make even a 6 step stack in
Primary trenches look vulnerable. 

Strategy

”Where do you like to go today” would be a pretty good slogan for AQ. The
alternatives are immense. First I will start with a discussion of some important
strategic issues, after that some strategic options will be discussed.

Railroads:

Trains are very useful as they provide some rapid transport for 6 (Entente) or
4 (German) divisions every couplet. For the defender it is the only rapid
movement capability aside from the dreaded ”Instant teleportation via heaven”
(I should not mention this one as it is quite unsportsmanlike, the idea is to
attack, get killed and then reincarnate somewhere else through the replacement
system). Unfortunately for the allies the wiseguys planning for France’s
transportation system requires that any French units that want to support the
British will have to pass customs in Paris. A small sightseeing detour limiting
the effect of rapid transportation and transforming it into a ”slow boat to China”
variant, this works both ways of course. Always have some reserves waiting at a
central railroad station if possible (perhaps not in Paris though, having some
40 000 soldiers going to Lido or Moulin Rouge every night tends to create some
havoc). 

Strategic reserve:

Use it! It may seem awfully wasteful to have 24 prime stock Stosstruppen
divisions waiting in limbo, but you will find them quite handy as the battle
develops. Having a strategic reserve enables the attacker to adapt to unfolding
events. It also keeps the defender on his toes for a while. Do not underestimate
the casualties an offensive will cost you. Few players will probably keep the
strategic reserve at a large scale for more than one or at most two turns. It
does however have an additional effect after a few game turns, as you could then
build up destroyed units and place them in reserve for some rapid movement.

Alsace:

Both players should try to use the option of resting units in the deadpile down
in Alsace (imagine watching an advert from your local undertaker recommending
you a long vacation in Alsace as soon as you are dead!). Therefore an option
would be to start with relatively strong units in Alsace, since they would take
up less railroad capacity.   

The French-British dilemma in March:

The Germans will attack either the French or the British, rather on the south or
north map, but not on both (if he manage to keep his senses). This is good and
bad for the Entente player. The most negative effect is the inability to quickly
transfer units to the threatened front. On the positive side it should be noted
that it is a safe bet that if the Germans go for the British, then the French may
safely unstack their defensive forces and send everything except for one unit a
hex up north. The same applies the other way around as well. Some claim that
attacking in the center is the worst thing you can do as the German, since the
other army gets into the fray so quickly (for example the designer Ted Raicer).
If you use the open area between the Entente armies and then run away from
whoever it is you are not attacking, I would claim that it is quite possible to
succeed.

Quiet fronts:

There are fronts which are all quiet even in this game of lightning maneuver. The
attacker should basically cover up with as few units as possible in these quiet
sectors. The defender can not really afford that luxury as the attacker may
change direction. An exception is the French and British in March as was already
mentioned. The defender have to make an cost-benefit analysis as the game
develops.

Some strategies for the German offensive:

To win by turn 8 the German needs to take about 13-17 victory points in
geographical objectives if attacking the French and about 19-23 victory points if
attacking the British. (Calculation French 43 - 2 (bombardment of Paris, average)
-16 (morale declines by 2 every turn) -8/-12 (estimation of HQ’s activated during
8 turns)).

Of course the option used will depend on the Entente set up, almost any front can
be breached though, however tough it may seem at first. It is also possible to
attack at several different places, therefore these are only a few of the many
alternatives.

Against the British:

The Flanders option

A straightforward attack in Flanders aimed at capturing the Ypres area,
Hazebrouck, Dunkirk and St. Omer

Net gain: 22 VP’s (average)

Advantages: Good defensive line (if attack fails), close proximity to VP’s, far
from the French

Disadvantages: Bad terrain, short front, no alternatives, boring (!)

The backhand blow to the Channel

A breakthrough around Arras and Bethune also capturing St. Pol, St. Omer and two
out of Boulogne, Calais and Hazebrouck.

Net gain: 20.5 - 22 VP’s

Advantages: Good terrain, expanding front (makes it easier to thin out enemy
line), many alternatives (Amiens/Abbeville or Ypres area), far from the French

Disadvantages: Poor defensive line, quite far to some VP’s

Operation Michael revisited

An historical option conquering the 6 C hexes around the devastated area plus
Amiens and Abbeville.

Net gain: 21 VP’s

Advantages: Relatively good terrain (the devastated area gives some protection
afterwards), expanding front, some alternatives (Arras and St. Pol)

Disadvantages: Poor defensive line, quite far to Abbeville, close to the French

Against the French:

The run for Paris

An all-out for Paris, using the opening between the French and the British and
then running for open country. Capturing Compiegne, Soissons, Villers-Cotterets
and Meaux on the way.

Net gain: 12.5 before Paris, as many as you like in Paris.

Advantages: Relatively good terrain, expanding front, some alternatives (Rheims,
Chateau Thierry and Epernay), Fun (either you win quickly or you lose almost as
quickly)

Disadvantages: Very poor defensive line, it is a long and treacherous passage to
Paris, close to the British

Breakthrough to Chalons

A fairly common strategy. Breaking through to Chalons, then taking Rheims,
Epernay, Vitry and Bar le Duc

Net gain: 17.5 VP’s

Advantages: Relatively good terrain, expanding front, some alternatives
(primarily Verdun), far from the British 

Disadvantages: VP’s spread out through area,  poor defensive lines

The reduction of Verdun

For those who like a real shoot-out. Capturing Verdun, Toul, Nancy and Bar
Le Duc.

Net Gain: 18 VP’s

Advantages: Good defensive lines, relatively close to VP’s, fun (if you like
watching the Germans get blown to pieces by the forts)

Disadvantages: Lousy terrain, short front, virtually no alternatives, not so
fun (if you are the German that gets blown to pieces)

Suggested Entente set up for the campaign:

Based upon Ted Raicer’s suggested channeling defense for the British

British: 3 units per hex between the Belgians and Arras, 1 unit per hex south of
Arras. Reserves in the south, west of Peronne and Ham on RR, 1 HQ near south
mapedge.

French: 3 units in fortified trenches (remember the ZOC rules!), 3 units north
of Rheims and then possibly channeling the Germans towards the area west of
Verdun or simply setting up 2 units per hex.  

Good hunting, LarsS