Bridges - blowing/rebuilding

[RedBones]

In KP bridges can be re-built in one turn. Okay there are movement penalties when passing over the newly rebuilt bridge, but is it realistic that a bridge can be built in 12 hours?? Given the key nature of holding/blowing bridges to restrict an opponents advance, would it be more accurate for the rebuilding to take say 3-4 turns?

Is the bridge blowing/rebuilding function being done slightly differently in BIN, or is it the same as KP?

[&o]

[pterrok]

It's the same, but different!

It's the same in that ANY unit has a chance to blow a bridge--which when you think about it, it's HARD to bring a bridge down. A regular infantry unit may not have any explosives with them, yet they still have a chance to demolish one. So maybe it's better to think about it being blockaded, weakened, etc.

Engineers can blow bridges with a greater chance of success and they are still the only units who can repair them--and from what I've seen on the AARs it still takes just one turn.

New however, is the feature that Engineers can lay NEW bridges--pontoon bridges ANYWHERE over a river as long as there is no enemy unit adjacent to them. After they lay the bridge, they have to stay adjacent to it to keep it up and they can move away and pack it up when they leave.

So you may want to think about regular bridge repair as being a kind of pontoon bridge, if that'll help--and I believe those can be thrown up fairly quickly...

[Fred98]

The pontoon building Engineers will be very important units. I hope there are not too many of them.

[Rob Gjessing]

There arent too many of them.,. and yes they are important.. but they bring their own challenges.. for example, they can only lay a bridge/pontoons when they are NOT adjacent to the enemy.. so sometimes its hard finding a suitable spot for them to construct.. and then once they do manage to get their bridges down they can not move and they are very vulnerable to attack.

[Fred98]

Are they worth many points?

They can only be used in friendly territory but, if you have only a small bridgehead, could be vulnerable to a counterattack.

[Gregor_SSG]

ORIGINAL: RedBones

In KP bridges can be re-built in one turn. Okay there are movement penalties when passing over the newly rebuilt bridge, but is it realistic that a bridge can be built in 12 hours?? Given the key nature of holding/blowing bridges to restrict an opponents advance, would it be more accurate for the rebuilding to take say 3-4 turns?

Is the bridge blowing/rebuilding function being done slightly differently in BIN, or is it the same as KP?

Turns in BIN are 24 hours. Given that bridge repair requires a specialist unit, I don't think that's unreasonable.

As mentioned above, the Pontoon units are new. They're slow to get into place and can be even slower to withdraw, but they can make a difference in the right spot.

Gregor

[&o]

[RedBones]

Thanks for the reply... forgive me if I am being naive, (I'm a newbie on KP, only had it 3 weeks, but I'm really enjoying the challenge though)... but it would seem that holding a 'key' bridge doesn't have much tactical influence if pontoons can be placed elswewhere along the river. I'm not a history expert but are we reducing the influence of pinchpoints/key bridges with the set-up as described in yours and other replies?

[Rob Gjessing]

RedBones, as mentioned previously, sure, pontoons will be valuable for bridges blown and then then evacuated.. but if you blow bridges and then still try and hold a line on the other side of the river, then the pontoons are unable to be laid.. they cant be next to an enemy unit and lay pontoons.. also, the units are very vulnerable to attack anyway as they are support units.

Pontooning will only be able to be done on rivers where there are no enemy units.. infact often the frustration is having pontoon capable ENG (not all ENG units can lay pontoons) units and not being able to use them where you need to due to enemy activity.

Blowing and holding the bridge will still be the key.. trust me..

[freeboy]

Somewhat off topic, I noticed in the Normandy screen pix a good deal of swamp areas, are armored and armored inf prohibited from these hexes?

[JSS]

Expect you'll see only leg movement units can enter swamp terrain.

There are, of course, roads and railroads running thru the swamp that the track units could move along.

[freeboy]

On the origonal ? of time, for bridges if you have a bridge engenier, and ready materials and a stream not a major river a few hour would work for repairing, or creating a suitable bridge.

[Fred98]

This brings up an idea that could be incorporated into the next game in the series – and we all hope there will be a next game!

Currently rivers come in 2 sizes – small and large.

It could be that it takes one turn to build a bridge over a small river and 2 turns over a large river.

Of course some scenarios have 12 hour turns and some have 24 hour turns. But I think counting turns is better than counting hours – because then you get consistency between scenarios for the players.

[freeboy]

Interesting Factoid, some of the smaller rivers where in reallity very difficult to cross due to the lack of trained engeniers in The Battle of the Buldge, several groups where in reality Naval troops "drafted" into the engeniering corp..


and a third type of river.. very large.. no bridging at all with only ferry cappibility