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Here is a small scenario that I hope will stretch the limits of SPWAW enough to model Sabre Cavalry. The idea was to see if
the Melee (Alt-M) feature could be brought out.

This has a "different" feel to it.

____H2H SABRE CAVALRY*
_____September, 1939*
____Poland vs Germany*
_Sabre Cavalry in Action*
________13 Turns*
_______For the H2H Mod*
_____Scenario design by:*
__________Redleg*
___For the Dirty Dozen Web Site*
*

This small fictional scenario takes perhaps an hour to play. It should be played with C/C turned off and all other options set to default (ON). The human player may play either side of this scenario but the Polish side is a better fight.
**

The cavalry units for both sides have been armed as follows:*
Sabres (Kukri knives)*
Pistols*
Some German units have lances (bamboo spears)*
*

This is a "King of the Hill" type battle. The side which controls most of the hill at the end will likely be the winner.

Sounds fascinating, Redleg. Good choice of close in weapons. I still wish we could have kept the abiity to dismount cavalry...WB

Redleg:

Saw it
got it
played it
drawed it
enjoyed it
you again did it.

Thanks, Chief.

Sort of a toughie, at least from one side (ain't sayin' which).

Yes, WB. I have often wished for dismount cavalry but I guess it wasn't to be.

It is fascinating (to me) to watch the combat with the spears and knives..... and the pistols.

That was a frustrating challenge--in a good way. I kept saying, "**** I wish my Poles had an SMG or a carbine. Sten, M-1, I'd KILL for something with a little range. I'm finished... all my units are at 5 men, except for A0 and D0 (formerly D3), and they're only at 8. I KNOW he has at least one more cav unit at 10..."

And I was right. He had one at ten... and one at 9. And that's it. ^^;

(re-reads the first post here)

And yes, I did get to melee on 3 occasions. Once it was just a loss of one man on both sides (both had 8 men to start with). Once it was a total Polish victory, 9 men crushing 3 or 4 to the dirt. And once it killed 1 or 2 Germans in a unit of 4, with the attacker (A0) having 7.

I think the big problem with Melee is that, at best, you can move up right next to the enemy. By that point you get fire POURED on you. You have to move at least one hex. Then you get spotted and lose movement. Then you get fired on and lose more movement. Then you get suppression and lose more movement. By then you probably can't even move onto a hex with a friendly unit, much less one filled with hostiles. The only nation I've been able to force a melee engagement against an enemy unit which wasn't retreating with any regularity with has been the Japanese, partly due to their massive 18-man squads.

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I know it makes it a lot less exciting to me. But it does make a melee engagement a special thing.

Melee is something I really like - even when it fails. I often try for it knowing that it will most likely result in the loss of a squad.

The same with Alt-O with armor.

Unlike you, I had some occasions when losses were 6 or so men. But then, I played about a dozen times seeking different ways to approach enemy formations which is really the key to limited ranges. Position is everything.

The power of some weapons at a range of 1 was quite surprising when I first tried it.

The version I posted here seemed to be pretty difficult (at least to me) so I created two other versions that I will post on the Dirty Dozen in a few days.

For those of you who tried this experiment, THANKS!.

Oh, you may find this interesting:

6 man Polish cavalry squad opfires at a 10-man German cavalry squad. Hit chance in the 7-14% range (I didn't check). No suppression.

Kukri's hit and inflict 5 casualties.

**** man, there should be a blood-splatter graphic for something like that. XD GUWAHAHAHAHA, those boys are getting medals!

Yes, that murderous action is more typical of what I encountered if I was aggressive.... the troops (squads) just melted away.