attacking build up area

[duc de limbourg]

Has anyone succeeded in attacking a bua succesfully? We have tried in our game various times to attack a bua but without succes. The unit inside the bua received casualties but can save them very easily. Do we do anything wrong.
Or; what is the best way to attack a bua

thanks

[Undave]

By far the best way to engage enemies in a building rich environment is to take as many assault weapons as possible and engage them in close combat.

Or use a flamethrower... that would do it nicely.

[duc de limbourg]

I will try to convince my wargames opponent that my French napoleonic engineers are armed with flamethrowers.

[Andrew Chesney]

So far I have used:

Tanks
Flamethrowers
Assaults
Howitzers
Airstrikes
Bombardments

But by far the best way I found is with mortars. They don't need to get too close, they don't suffer any penalties to hit for hard cover and even if the enemy go down all the time and don't suffer many casualties they do get a huge number of pin markers.

Andrew

[Cubster]

I'm just guessing here, but since it's in the Black Powder section, the Duc may be asking for advice about how to attack built up areas in Black Powder.

Now I don't play the game, but I couldn't resist flinging an arm out to the Duc on this one as he desperately treads water. Personally, I'd go with trying to ignore troops in built up areas if you can possibly help it. Leave a holding force to make sure they don't leap out and give you a nasty shock, but historically they have been very costly to take with a determined defender. More than one commander has wasted too much time and too many of his soldiers pouring them into a meatgrinder, when he could/should have simply bypassed the position and kept his eye on the primary objectve.

Of course, if capturing the town is your objective, you'd better hope the scenario is balanced enough to allow the attacker a reasonable chance of success.

[Hedwerx]

Staggering, absolutely staggering. Its says Black Powder at the top.. Not Bolt Action.

Can you not shell with cannon, or go in with Bayonets fitted? If they were Redcoats, you'd just have to tell them the houses contained liquor and tawdry women. You'd have to hold em back.


*Cubster just beat me, but I'd thought I'd add in my disbelief too.*

[Mike Target]

+1 Disbelief
Anyone need reading lessons?


Built up areas are difficult to assault in BP but not impossble.

If taking the area is a requirement of victory than Id recommend a brigade of 4 regiments of Foot and 1 or 2 peices of artillery be assigned to the task:

Concentrate this force to attack one side in assault column with one regiment assigned as the assault force and the other three in support: i.e 1 to each side and and 1 behind, and advance to the objective (though it occurs to me you could free up regiments by letting the guns get close enough to support.

Get the guns as close to the objective as possible and treat the defenders to grapeshot and a -2 save modifer...pound away untill your asssault troops are in position.

The three supporting battalions give you the +3CR and effectively cancel out the defenders bonus of +3cr. Engaging with your chosen battalion (while the other three stay close enough to support but not too close!) means that the whole thing comes down to your 6 (assuming a standard regiment) dice at 3s to hit and 3s to save, V the defenders 2 dice at 4s to hit and 4s to save.

Obviously your not going to win each combat by much but the odds are in your favour, though only bad dice rolls will see the enemy break! This is where the guns come in, softening up the defenders and hopefully shaking them before the asssault troops go in. Id pick a particularly tough unit to lead the asssault, highlanders or Old Guard or similar to increase your chances: after that its just a case of hammering away untill he rolls low on his break test.

All youve got to do then is screen the assaulting force for long enough to carry out the assault, whilst the rest of his army tries to intercept them...

[Big Al]

Apparently, Bolt Action is the only thing Warlord produces. I mean I commented on the fact that people were trying to post absolutely anything in that section instead of the relevant one, so now they are doing just that....posting WW2 stuff in any section. Undave, I expected better from you! Still funny, though.

I'm with Cubster here and have said so before in other threads. The best way is to ignore the BUAs and concentrate on the rest of your opponent's army. Eventually, his force will break and those in the BUA will have to retreat or surrender. Of course, this can be a bit awkward if you're working on taking out a fortress or something, which may require some house rules, but otherwise, just ignore them until you can get a fair amount of units who can support the assaulting troops. Units in buildings can't be supported, but the troops attacking them can and the supporting units will add vital points to combat resolution, which can't be countered, forcing the defenders into taking a break test. That's all you need and once they are forced to withdraw, your attacking unit can enter the building and take advantage of the benefits.

[Andrew Chesney]

For shame...... had the new posts page open and they were all bolt-action bar this one, especially when following the comment on the flame-thrower(buck suitably passed).

Must get more caffeine in me.


Carry on.

[Hedwerx]