Two Nations, One War
An Ogre scenario
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Setup | Reinforcements | Special Rules | Victory | Strategy | Variant Scenario
A theoretical war-game, used by Combine Commanders to sharpen the wits of officer candidates, the scenario was completed with the help of sophisticated combat simulators, and the results were dissected and studied. The victorious commander had to be a master of both tactics and strategy - planning the shape and layout of the battle was as important as the conduct of combat.
Setup
Use the G1 and S1 maps, both maps with north facing up. Place the S1 map to the west of the G1 map. All towns are intact and all bridges are up. Both rivers have a fordable hex - 1720 and 1304. Treat these hexes as forest, not river. Place a forest hex overlay to mark the ford.
The White Nation, the island in the northwest corner, uses Paneuropean units and tactics. Use white counters to depict the White Nation on the map. Strong militarily, the White Nation is deficient in materials and resources and has begun a war of conquest to subjugate the peoples of the free world.
The Black Nation, the island in the southeast corner, uses Combine units and tactics. Use black counters to depict the Black Nation on the map. The Black Nation must defend itself against the aggressive plans of the White Nation. The Black Nation starts the game with more resources at it's disposal.
The White Nation starts the game with one Fencer Cybertank, eighteen armor units, eighteen squads of infantry, and CP Alpha (D1, M0). These forces setup anywhere on the northwest island.
The Black Nation starts the game with one Ogre Mark III-B, fourteen armor units, eighteen squads of infantry, and CP Beta (D1, M0). The Black forces setup anywhere on the southeast island.
Both sides should setup behind a screen. Stacking limits must be observed. No cruise missiles are allowed.
White moves first.
Reinforcements
At the beginning of each turn, each player will earn 1 armor unit for every 5 town hexes under his control. Thus the Black Nation, provided he sets up with at least 1 infantry squad per town hex, earns 2 armor units of reinforcements at the beginning of his first turn (there are 10 town hexes on the island).
Reinforcements can be redeemed before the start of the movement phase, or saved until later in the game. It's permissible to save up 10 armor units, for example, and then redeem and place them all at the beginning of a turn.
Reinforcements can be placed in any town hex that the player controls. Stacking limits must be observed. They can move and fire normally as soon as they are placed. The available units and armor unit costs are outlined in 3.01.
A player also has an option to "save up" his reinforcements, and to purchase another cybertank. Once 12 reinforcements are saved, the player may purchase another Fencer (White Nation) or Ogre Mark III-B (Black Nation). The reinforcements do not have to be all saved at once - a player could save 1 armor unit for 12 turns, for example, and then acquire an Ogre on the 13th turn.
Special Rules
Towns play a key role in this scenario. They are representative of wealth and materials, and both sides will want to control as many town hexes as possible, as soon as possible.
Towns cannot be destroyed in this simulation. They provide defensive bonuses as usual. Roads in towns can be targeted and destroyed as per 13.01.
Towns are considered under a player's control when at least one squad of infantry occupies the hex. Therefore every town hex in rear areas will tend to have 1 squad of infantry in each hex.
Victory
The winner will either:
Eliminate all enemy units, or gain such a superiority that his opponent surrenders. Or;
Destroy their opponent's CP. The Command posts in this scenario are like kings in chess. If they are destroyed the game is instantly over for that player.
Strategy
Early on, speed is of the essence, as both players try to capture as many towns as possible. The White Nation is assured of the capture of the 12 town hexes immediately south of their island, as well as the 4-hex town just east of the ford. White should be able to ramp up to 3 reinforcements quite easily.
The Black nation starts the game with 10 town hexes, and they are assured of the 5-hex town in the northeast corner. Thereafter they will have to fight for more towns.
Getting a foothold on the string of towns along the north-south road is key, since you can dump reinforcements into a town and then make your move on the towns further along the road. The towns along the road are in easy howitzer range of each other, which is a good way to lower your enemy's reinforcements.
Good use of your reinforcements is vital. With patience, you can redeem and place a sizeable force at just the right time and place to deliver a knockout blow against your opponent. The most noticeable example of this is redeeming an Ogre, and placing it right into the thick of the battle.
Over time, the player who can obtain the greatest number of reinforcements should win. The Ogres are a bargain at 12 armor units, and saving for a second or third Ogre is a sound strategy.
Variant scenario
Substituting a Doppelsoldner for the Fencer and an Ogre Mark VI for the III-B is an obvious and sound choice, since these two cybertanks are balanced against each other.
The Ogre Scenario Book 2 PDF, combining all of these scenarios, may be purchased on Warehouse 23
