[WarInEur] partisans (resend)

[Ian Raine]

Just as a matter of interest, who here playing axis dosen't cover the entire 
railway line through Yugoslavia and the hexes adjacent to it with units or 
zocs (usually using Bulgarians, Italians, etc), and eliminate any cadres 
within that 'exclusion zone'?

By the time the partisans can actually attack you the reason for maintaining 
that line has usually gone away.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Wardall Clark
To: war in europe forum
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 2:58 AM
Subject: [WarInEur] partisans (resend)


The Decision Game rules have the benefit of being completely clear. They 
also have the liability
of encouraging the Axis player to completely ruin one important aspect of 
the simulation. For all
other areas of the Map, with the possible exception of the USSR, partisans 
are simply a nuisance
designed to encourage at least an approximation of Historical rear area 
garrisoning.

Kent is right, the number of partisans and cadres that are "supposed to be" 
on the map is
indicated by the 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945 campaign scenarios. 
erThese numbers
seem to indicate that overruns did not prevent formation of cadres in 
Yugoslavia.

However the Scenario deployment rules contain obvious errors.
1) A partisan cadre is a ghost unit, its existence does not impede axis 
movement so even if
every hex of Yugoslavia is covered by axis combat units, the allied/soviet 
player should be
allowed to make initial placements of cadre counters when setting up a 
scenario.
2) a Partisan unit lacks the movement points to move into a hex containing 
an enemy unit, but
enemy units are allowed to move on top of Partisan units when they have the 
MP for the hex.
Partisan units are always considered to have sufficient MP to move out of 
enemy occupied
hexes. HENCE the presence of Axis ZOC in Yugoslavia hexes should have no 
effect on the
the initial placement of Partisan units.

The DG website needs to be contacted concerning these mistaken rules 
regarding partisans
in Yugoslavia.


 The ultimate origin of the Partisan rules is WitE first edition.  However, 
the designers realized that
partisan counters slowed the game down considerably (by making the counters 
harder to move) with
very limited military effect.   Partisans were an optional campaign game 
feature.
    The original rules were as follows
     a) cadres only formed when a cavalry or infantry unit was wiped out 
within the 1939 USSR. (I think
that placement was not automatic, but depended on terrain.)
     b) The roll to convert cadre depended on the distance to a supply 
center.
     c) Partisan units could cut a rail line if the rail hex was unoccupied 
(at least as I understood the rules)
     d) Partisan units which became supplied could convert to 1-4s !!!!!!
optional e) The Soviets could air drop partisan units to OOS locations to 
enhance local activity.

Because of the enormous number of cadre created by the initial invasion and 
the risk to precious rail lines
I never felt comfortable omitting partisan activity altogether, at least 
when playing the campaign game.

The new rules, which are all mandatory
     a) LImit cadre formation to 2 per cycle and any hex within "air drop" 
range can be chosen for placement.
erratum: The placement hexes have to be unfriendly--i.e. behind German 
lines.
     b) same as above
     c) Partisans block rather than cut rail lines, and if an Axis unit is 
on top of the Partisan this effect is
nullified
d) If the germans do not adequately garrison a Personnel Center, a 1-4 can 
form on or next to it.
<to me this indicates some sort of insurgency with access to resupply.)
     e) The optional air drop of Partisans is gone, instead the Soviets may 
create airborne 1-4's.

Under these rules, Soviet partisans are never more than a nuisance. The 
really important rule is the required
garrisons for the major cities.  In Yugoslavia, the situation is rather 
different in that the Partisan units
eventually become Partisan divisions and there are many more cadre and units 
present to begin with--or
at least there would be were it not for the gimmick allowing overruns to 
prevent partisan cadre formation.

For CWIE, the presence of Cadre and Partisan units in no way complicates the 
movement routines. This means
that the original rules would be workable and in fact something like them 
are in force for Yugoslavia with optional
rules allowing axis partisan activity such as the anti-Soviet Finnish 
partisans. (who could just as easily be anti-fascist
partisans if the Axis violates Finland.)

If it were up to me:
   I would restore the original WitE rules for russian and Finnish partisan 
cadre placement to CWIE, with an exception
that ATP are required for a special partisan CADRE "air drop" so that German 
air superiority would preclude the drop.
      declare that any supplied Partisan Cadre automatically converts to a 
Partisan unit if the Soviet player desires.
      create special soviet partisan divisions for what happens when a 
partisan unit comes into major supply.
      require that a security division be part of any attack on a cadre, and 
only allow attack from the same hex as
the cadre. (that makes them tougher to kill and give the security divisions 
a more important function than simply
squatting on Personnel centers.)
      revise the required city garrison rule to allow placement of extra 
cadre rather than a 1-4.
    Allow Partisan units to CUT any rail hex and convert cities and ports to 
friendly status provided that the hex is
not in a hostile ZOC.

BOB.



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