Fighting in a Built Up Area

I have often found that built up areas provide the most difficulty in wargames. Trying to find a happy medium which makes it worth while holding buildings, but at the same time makes it possible to attack them with a reasonable chance of success.

A recent game resulted in an excellent result, or at least as far as I am concerned.

In our rules each section of a built up area can hold a garrison of one brigade, the lowest formation in our order of battle. It takes about three full moves to completely occupy the BUA. If attacked before that time then both sides count a fighting inside a BUA, but neither side have any advantage.

When a garrison is attacked both sides calculate their fighting score. This takes into account their class, casualties and current morale. In addition the garrison gets plus 2. However if the attacker can attack two sides of the BUA at the same time the garrison lose their plus 2.

The side with the higher score rolls 2D6 and adds the difference in their combat value. The interesting bit is that if they roll a total of less than 6 they lose the combat and an outright win requires more than 8. If there are two attackers, then two rounds of combat are fought.

You will see that it is a good idea to attack with two brigades against one!

In our recent game two Bavarian brigades attacked a town held by one Austrian brigade. Each side won one round of combat, and each side routed. This should have left the Bavarians in possession of the town, but then came Morale Test.

Any supporting brigade within 4” of a rout must test morale.

There was only one Austrian brigade, and they passed their test.

There was one Bavarian brigade, they failed and also routed. There was another brigade within 4” of the second rout, they had to test and they also routed.

So within one move three Bavarian infantry brigades were in rout despite winning the BUA combat!

Personally I like this sort of unexpected result, even though I commanded the Bavarians. It adds an element of chance to any attack, even one where the odds start in your favour.