The Commander Series Forum

I've been chatting to a pal about the importance of hills in battles. Clearly they can afford cover, and they allow for a hilltop observer to reduce his deviation. In another set of rules (black powder) we were pondering a +1 command bonus if the general is on higher ground and it occurred to me that we could do this is bkc, particularly where radios are not all that prevelant - early and low cv armies might benefit from this: +1 if on higher ground and within los of those being ordered.

Thoughts?

Given the limitations of WW2 era radios & command, that's not a bad plan...

Interesting idea!

We thought so. As you say, particularly with early war armies, with few radios or poor radio comms. Like I said, we use the fact that it helps the spotters but don't extend it to HQs or the CO. The only issue is that it might create a hill hopping game. Perhaps only a key hill should provide any benefit?

I agree with Dr Dave on this as our model hill can be just a mole hill in one battle and then a towering monster in the next, so it should be specified before the game if a hill is to get the +1 for observers or not.

Well, if you restrict it to units in LoS that should restrict it nicely... I'd be tempted to knock it to all HQs, not just FAOs tbh.

Agreed.

"Hill XXX is a significant feature and so all HQs and the CO will gain +1 to their cv when on it and issuing orders to troops in los."

Is that what we're talking about?

Bang on!

And tall buildings.

How about just +1 to their first order of the turn? Creates a worthwhile bonus, but means there's less of an 'anchor' to keep command units where they are.

That's a better approach. That and limiting it to low CV armies plus units in LOS might work.

Sounds handy but wouldn't tie down the command units; should work...

The trade off between being tied down with an advantage (plus being an obvious artilery target) and mobile is the whole point - and why hills are more advantageous to the defender. By extension it also leads to a smile mechanism for modern forces that have better battlefield intelligence - like drones.