Korsun Pocket and Supply

[Fred98]

Joe’s definition of Supply


Intro

I am of the view that supply is necessary in a game. It reflects the importance of supply to those new to war gaming, it reflects in an abstract way the supply problems that actually occurred and finally, it stops one side from rampaging right across the map in an unrealistic manner.

But most players just want to know whether a unit is in supply and how to keep them in supply. The beauty of a computer game is that the computer can keep track of all the mechanics, leaving strategy and tactics to the players.

I have the view that the supply mechanics work very well in this game. It is very simple really. SSG have done a great job.

I have written this paper because the MANUAL is not clear on the mechanics of supply. I hope the manual for Korsun Pocket is clearer. If the publishers wish to use this format in the manual that’s OK by me. A credit in the back of the manual would be appreciated. The following is only my understanding. Perhaps others would like to comment.


Individual units

For a unit to be in supply, it must be able to trace a supply route, free of enemy ZOC, to a supply source. Troops can draw supply from 4 separate sources:

1. Supply Head

2. Supply Truck

3. Supply Dump

4. Town

5. Captured Supply Dump

6. Captured Town

1.0 SUPPLY HEAD

These appear on the edges of a map. They are hexes with a large oil drum. A Supply Head provides supply to Supply Trucks and Captured Supply Dumps. A Supply Head cannot provide supply directly to troops. Instead, troops must draw supply from one of the other sources.

The Germans, the US and the British each have their own Supply Heads. Each side can only draw supply from their own Supply Heads.


2.0 Supply Trucks and Supply Dumps


Troops draw supply directly from Supply Trucks, Supply Dumps, Towns, Captured Supply Dumps and Captured Towns.

A Supply Truck is a mobile source of supply and Supply Dumps and Towns are stationary sources of supply. They each have a supply radius. For a unit to receive its full supply for a turn it simply needs to move within the supply radius of any one of them. Then the unit can move out again and rejoin the battle all in the same turn.


2.1 Supply Trucks

Supply trucks must trace a line of supply to a Supply Head using a maximum of 24 Ops. This number applies equally to both sides.

Minor Roads cost no Ops
Major Roads cost no Ops
Enemy ZOC 3 Ops
Interdiction markers 3 Ops
Other terrain costs 4 Ops
Minor rivers 4 Ops
Major rivers without a bridge 8 Ops
From the manual: “and all movement penalties are at their normal cost.” Nobody knows the meaning of this last phrase.


Whilst a Supply Truck is drawing supply along roads, the distance to a Supply Head is irrelevant. The distance is only relevant if the road is cut. The road can be cut by enemy ZOC, by air interdiction, or by blown bridges. It doesn’t require enemy troops to actually occupy the road.

It seems to me that if a Supply Truck is drawing supply along a road and the road is cut, the supply is diverted along any other friendly controlled roads until it reaches a Supply Head.

Otherwise the supply goes around that place where the road is cut and then rejoins the road and continues to the Supply Head. Thereby incurring Ops. I suspect it automatically finds the cheapest route. And therefore it is hard to actually put a Supply Truck out of supply.

While the Supply truck is in supply, it has a supply radius. All units within this radius are in supply. Certain factors can influence the size of the supply radius.

If a Supply Truck was out of supply at the end of last turn, and would still be out of supply at the start of the new turn, it is immediately relocated as though it had been destroyed.

The supply radius of Supply Trucks

From the manual: “The map popup will show the cost that a supply truck incurred that turn in reaching a Supply Head. If this figure gets over 20, then the supply truck is close to being out of supply.” This has since been updated as follows:

As the supply level changes from 100%, 75%, 50% and down to 25%, the Supply Trucks suffer “Resistance” of 0,1,3 and 5 respectively.

The trucks suffer further Resistance if the route to the Supply Head is partially blocked by enemy ZOC, by interdiction, or by blown bridges.

If the total Resistance reaches 9, it has no effect on the Supply Trucks. Once it reaches 10 and climbs further, the supply radius of the Supply trucks reduces.


Friendly Supply Dumps and friendly Towns

Friendly Supply Dumps and friendly Towns will supply all units within a two hex radius that can trace line of friendly controlled hexes free of enemy ZOC, to that supply source. The Supply Dump or Town does not need to trace supply to a Supply Head.

2.3 Germans using captured US Supply Dumps


US Supply Dumps come in 2 types – Heavy with 2 barrels and Light with 1 barrel.

Players will be aware that at the start of each turn, if a unit is in full supply, it will receive enough supplies to increase its ACC (Attacking Combat Capability), its DCC (Defensive Combat Capability) and its Ops (Operating points for movement) to their highest levels. That level varies at the beginning of each scenario.

The Germans can capture US Supply Dumps. If it is a Heavy Supply Dump, then all units within 5 hexes get their Ops increased to maximum. For Light supply dumps, this radius is 3. It is not clear whether this only applies to the units that are present at the time the Supply Dump falls or whether it includes other units that come along later.

Additionally, all hexes, within a radius of two hexes around the Supply Dump, are considered to be supplied hexes, and thus units may move through those hexes and have their ACC and DCC increased as well.

Note that this does not mean that the units in the 5 or 3 hex radius are actually in supply. It means that with full Ops, a unit now has the chance to move into a supplied hex, receive full ACC and DCC and then move out again to continue the battle. But the manual ought to be clear on this.

I note that the supplied hexes are those in a 2 hex radius which is consistent with a US controlled Supply Dumps and Towns.

Once used, the supply state is decremented each turn. Heavy becomes Light, and Light becomes a Town. Also, if the Supply Dump cannot trace supply to a Supply Head, then once again the supply state is decremented, one step at a time down to the level of a Town.

To determine whether a Supply Dump is out of supply, I expect that you use the same criteria as is applied to Supply Trucks but the manual is silent on this. Nor is there any mention of the 24 Ops that Supply Trucks have. This implies that the Supply Dump is either in supply or out of supply.


Capturing Towns which are not Supply Dumps

From the manual: “If an enemy held Town has been owned for six turns it can act as source of supply”. If you capture an enemy town you must hold it for 6 turns. Then it provides supply for a radius of 2 hexes. Note that if a Captured Supply Dump has decremented down to the level of a Town, you must have held it for a total of 6 turns before the Town provides supply.

Of course it has the usual supply radius of 2 hexes.


Supply Dumps and their graphics

If a Supply Dump changes from Heavy to Light to a Town, the graphic changes so the players know where they stand.

Westwall Hexes

Any German unit occupying an out of supply Westwall hex is automatically in supply. If it leaves the hex it is out of supply.