Note to Self: Thoughts on "Fire and Movement" after the first play test

Game Post Mortem: 

• The game was brutal and unforgiving
• It had a different mind set from previous miniature rule sets I have played (Spearhead, Battle Group Commander, Command Decision I/II/III, Squad Leader)
• Logistics played a prime function in the attack in stark contrast to the defence

Assumptions to follow up on: 

• All platoons have a 360 degree arc of fire (including dug-in troops, as in their entrenchments protection and arc of fire)

Did I get these bits correct?

• I played "dug in troops" were -1 to hit and the first casualty was discounte
• Note: I "think" (confirmed) the -1 modifier was wrong

Interesting Game Mechanics to "mull" Over:

• The attacker losing strength points (stands) proportional to the amount of ammunition used (per six fire combats)
• Firing hits an area (all units stacked in a hex)
• Firing can hit two adjacent hexes (meaning for the attacker it pays to spread out leaving a hex perimeter between platoons to minimise casualties from incoming fire)
• Platoon removal due to fire combat (not ammunition depletion) was of the owners choice with the restriction that the stand had to have taken a casualty that round
• A "fresh"  platoon have one action, it can fire OR move (not both)
• "Spent" platoons (as in those having received incoming fire (as in been successfully hit irrespective of terrain modifiers) from are suppressed and cannot do anything bat automatic suppression removal at the end of the turn
• Benefits of "company orientated" attacks (implied by good local co-ordination)
• HMG platoon is used to supporting attacking forces, can stack with (but still suffers from -1  fire modifier when friendly adjacent troops to hex it is firing at)
• MTR (indirect fire) will only fire within a safe zone when supporting plattons, has to stop when enemy get danger close

Things Missing::

• The normally modelled "Morale Tests" were completely absent, troops were assumed to follow orders unquestioningly (perhaps why the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) liked the game so much) .. Note: See Phil Sabin's response.

[Phil Sabin said ..] "I do not agree that morale is ignored - rather, it is factored into the ease with which troops are suppressed by incoming fire, losing the ability to move or fire"

• The ability of troops effectively to retire was absent. In the latter stages of the trial game the last two British infantry platoons were cut to pieces, yet retiring troops are often are ignored as threats
• "Indirect Smoke" planned to obscure assault movement from the "defenders"
• "Direct Smoke" to cover reactive withdrawals and involuntary break-offs

Future Actions: 

• Make four more "Farm complex" terrain squares (visual effect of sterner terrain on tactics?)
• Repeat scenario using 20mm figures (visual effect on game using bigger figures - skirmish feel?)
• Repeat scenario with Squad Leader game counters (visual affect effect of 'more' counters - better visualisation of troop numbers?)