Forces and Scenarios

How do you choose a force for a RoE game and how does the scenario affect this?

When putting together a force for a Rules of Engagement battle, there is one overriding consideration: the mission. There are 9 different scenarios in the RoE rulebook and forces are selected following the determination of the scenario you are playing.  As many scenarios are determined when two players show up at a games club, most gamers will take enough soldiers to play any scenario.  Typically this only involves one vehicle and up to 50 soldiers, enabling players to draw from their pool of troops to achieve the objectives in the scenario.

Each scenario indicates the size of force (referred to as the Combat Effectiveness or CE) available to each player - sometimes, as in the case of attacker/defender games, these forces will be unequal. If desired, players are encouraged to adjust the CE advised to play smaller or larger battles.

Once you know the CE of your force, it’s time to assemble your troops.  Let’s take the example of a German Grenadier platoon being assembled as the defender for a Hold the Line scenario. In this game, the German player must defend part of the front against an enemy offensive.  The German player has a CE of 18, facing his opponent’s CE of 25.

Each Order of Battle (or army list) tells you the troops you are permitted and the troops you must take, plus their Combat Effectiveness (CE).  The German Grenadier platoon must take the following:

Platoon Command: 5 men led by a Leutnant, including an MG34/42.

2 Grenadier Squads: 9 men each, armed with an MG34/42, MP40’s and Kar 98k’s

This basic platoon has a CE of 11.  As the German player may field a force with CE 18, he has the choice of plenty of support from additional Grenadiers to Company Support (mortars, mg’s, tank hunters, snipers, etc.) and Divisional Support (armour and artillery support). He opts to spend his 7 Support Points on the following:

An under strength Grenadier squad: 6 men, armed with an MG34/42, MP40’s and Kar 98k’s and upgraded to a Recon squad (costs 4 SUPPORT POINTS).

A Panzerjäger Team: 4 men armed with two Panzerschrecks (costs 1 SUPPORT POINT).

A Heavy MG Team: 4 men crewing a HMG MG34/42 (costs 1 SUPPORT POINT).

A Sniper Team: consisting of a sniper and assistant (costs 1 SUPPORT POINT).

So far, so good, a total of 40 men including five machine guns and some anti-tank defence.  In addition each platoon in RoE is able to select additional equipment such as assault rifles, panzerfausts and smg’s, dependant on the size of the force and the type (e.g. SS platoons have more access to better weaponry such as the STG44).  His opponent will have a much larger force, perhaps including armoured support (hence the Panzerjäger team) and may be well served by support weapons.