Hefty, persuasive, and tactically absorbing Combat Mission Battle for Normandy deserves a ACD After Action Report. The trouble is, after many days of hedgerow holocaust, fraught forest probes and costly cottage clearing, I'm now in no fit state to shepherd Shermans or put plucky pixeltruppen in harm's way. Worn to a frazzle by delicate tactical decision-making and teeth-rattling mortar stonks, I've totally exhausted my capacity for command. There is a battle yarn waiting below the break, but to unspool it I'm going to need your help.
The Idea
For a change, you dispense the orders. Here, in outline, is how I envisage ACD's first ever co-op turn-based wargaming session working.
I'll select a bijou Combat Mission 'quick battle' map and populate that map with two small opposing forces. Battlefront's AI will be left to choreograph one side, while you, good Dragoons will, I hope, attempt to guide the other side to a famous victory. Every turn I'll describe the current tactical situation (utilizing pictures and a gridded map where necessary) and, via a comment, invite orders from anyone – prior CM experience unnecessary - willing to get involved.
As orders will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis and individual commenters are only allowed to 'move' one unit per turn, every turn will involve tactical input from multiple CCs (Comment Commanders). One turn Bob might send a Tiger trundling northward towards grid square C41, while Martok manoeuvres the halftrack and Brant does something sly with the Hetzer. During the next order round, Banzaicat could end-up in charge of the Tiger while SirSlash and Staggerwing do the honours with the tank destroyer and Sd.Kfz. 250.
Once the orders are in for all units, I'll execute them then return with a brief image-accompanied account of how the sixty seconds of in-game action played out. Did you manage to nail that Sherman loitering in the churchyard? Were you able to reverse your Panzer IV into the safety of that alley before those Hellcats pounced? It will all be revealed.
Sound good?
*apologies to Tim Stone for stealing his idea and most of his text for his first PBC game