From: John Best Subject: Some SCS changes to NGP A few folks asked me to post these, so here goes: The changes can be grouped into three categories: Stacking, ZOCs, and Combat and Step Losses. Stacking: Each full strength regiment is worth 3 stacking points, each full strength battalion, 2, and each company 1. The stacking limit is 3 stacking points for the Pact forces, and 4 stacking points for the NATO forces. This stacking limit is the same for every hex on the board. ZOCs. Observe for the standard ZoC rule from the SCS: Units can move directly from one ZoC to another, as long as they sufficient movement points to do so. It costs 2 movement points (in addition to any terrain, or hexside features) to enter the ZoC of an enemy unit. In NGP, units exert a ZoC only into their two "facing" hexsides (units face a vertex in each hex, not a hexside). A couple of cases, and then some implications: ZoC case 1. An airmobile unit stacked with a helicopter unit has "all-around" facing, and an "all around" ZoC. (i.e. such a combo doesn't have a flank, and so it can't be attacked from the flank, and units must pay the ZoC costs regardless of the direction they use to approach such a combo). These properties are present only when the airmobile unit is stacked with the helicopter unit--when separated each type of unit is just like any other unit.). An airmobile/helicopter combo does not have to pay ZOC costs for any type of unit that it approaches. Zoc case 2. Artillery units (all types Field arty, SP arty, and rocket artillery) must maintain a facing, although they can "fire" (ie, add their combat strength) into attacks or defenses in any direction, as long as the target is within their printed range. Arty units never have a ZoC. Implications. Imagine 2 units on opposing sides, each of whom is in the other's ZoC. Let's assume the other guy is the phasing player. For the phasing player, at the beginning of his turn, if he passes his disengagement roll (under some conditions you have to do this to leave a ZoC in NGP), then he can move his unit up "beside" yours for only the cost of the terrain, and pivot his unit around to get a flank shot at yours in the combat phase. It might be wise to leave some other guys back to project a ZoC into every hex of your front. This tactic won't prevent the scenario I just mentioned, but it might prevent an entire bad guy division from blowing past your lone mech battalion in the movement phase so they can all get deep into your artillery parks. Combat. In the original NGP, each unit had only one step. In this version, each unit starts with as many combat steps as it has stacking points. Ditch the CRT that came with the game and use the CRT from your favorite SCS game (I think the Africa CRT is a little too bloody, I've used the Yom Kippur CRT.) All the combat modifications from the original game seem to work ok (you can call up some air points, the Pact can use chemicals, both sides get EW points, and so on). When the CRT calls for step losses, distribute these using the standard Gamers' conventions: That is, the unit with the largest unmodified combat strength takes the first hit, subsequent hits can be distributed by the owning player provided that no unit takes a second hit before all those in the combat have taken at least one. Step losses reduce the unit's combat strength proportionally. Here's an example: A Soviet tank regiment (3 combat steps) has mobile and close combat strengths of 19-6. It takes the first hit in a bollicksed-up assault across the Elbe. It loses 1/3 of its combat strength: 1/3 of 19 is 6.33 (round to 6), and 1/3 of 6 is 2, so now its strength is 13-4. The loss is shown by putting any of your favorite loss markers under the counter. I've been using the disruption markers from GDW's Third World War, which come in red and black (seems like good colors for this situation too), and in denominations of "1" and "2" (you won't need anything bigger than a 2 because nobody has more than three steps). When taking losses, I round any fractions to the nearest whole number. Let's say the above mentioned guy gets belted again: He has two steps remaining, so one hit is 1/2 of his strength. One half of 13 is 6.5, I round to 7. One half of 4 is 2. His remaining combat strength is 6-2. Other than that, you play it the way it was written. So far, my take on it is that the combat is very "swirly": Units have to risk exposing their flanks to get a flank or rear attack. If they don't follow through and kill the units they are attacking, then friendly guys come up and get flank shots on the original flankers. Hope you have fun with these. Thanks for reading, John Best cfjbb@eiu.edu