Mystery Variants Question

[Arckon]

The Introduction to Kharkov post states both sides have 10 mystery variants.

1/ When you set up a game with mystery variants and side A gets variant #8, does side B get, say variant #6, most of the time, because that suits the overall setup the best, based on what variant A was given. Or perhaps variants 1,2,5,9 have 60% chance to appear and variants 3, 6, 7 have 30% chance leaving variants 4, 8, 10 only a 20% chance. Or will side B genuinely be allocated any of the 10 possible variants with equal randomness?

2/ How significantly different are the variants. Are we talking just a handful of units or only a few hexes difference for the AO system or are we talking more significant say an AO that starts in the middle sector of the battle in the historic campaign starting far north or south in the variants.

[Gregor_SSG]

ORIGINAL: Arckon

The Introduction to Kharkov post states both sides have 10 mystery variants.

1/ When you set up a game with mystery variants and side A gets variant #8, does side B get, say variant #6, most of the time, because that suits the overall setup the best, based on what variant A was given. Or perhaps variants 1,2,5,9 have 60% chance to appear and variants 3, 6, 7 have 30% chance leaving variants 4, 8, 10 only a 20% chance. Or will side B genuinely be allocated any of the 10 possible variants with equal randomness?

2/ How significantly different are the variants. Are we talking just a handful of units or only a few hexes difference for the AO system or are we talking more significant say an AO that starts in the middle sector of the battle in the historic campaign starting far north or south in the variants.

Both sides get Mystery Variants without reference to the other as we don't want the fact that a player has one variant to give him any info on what his opponents variant is. To do otherwise is to encourage him to game the system and predicate his actions on his chances of facing different variants.

For example, one variant involves a Russian offensive on Belgorod in the north. This encourages the German player to keep some defenders up north where they should really be. Even if the Russian player doesn't have that variant, he may be able to make a demonstration and put some doubt into the German player's mind.

That sort of tactics won't always be possible, as some variants are more immediate and more obvious than others. For instance the variant that allows an early start for the German offensive in the south has a fairly dramatic effect. Even those variants which merely expand an Area of Operations are very useful as they they act to prevent your opponent from trying to exploit the limits revealed in the historical AOs.

Gregor

[Arckon]

Gregor_SSG

Both sides get Mystery Variants without reference to the other as we don't want the fact that a player has one variant to give him any info on what his opponents variant is. To do otherwise is to encourage him to game the system and predicate his actions on his chances of facing different variants.

Thanks for the answer Gregor. That is what I was hoping the response to the question would be.

I am surprised more people aren't making more comments on this postitive feature of the game, due to the replayabilty it adds.