Inherent Unit Portage (Gas tanks, haversacks, etc.)

[Michael Miller]

Summarizing, we agreed on the below. Currently, no differentiation is made amongst the various types of HQs, e.g., Tank HQs though we discussed raising their fuel rates to 2 or even 3 for Commonwealth to reflect greater usage by tanks and various other heavy gear.

As written:

[49.12] Every vehicle in the game consumes fuel when it moves, except where specifically noted, (e.g. desert raiders and patrols among others, have slightly different rules.) Fuel users include HQs with non-parenthesized TOE Strength Points and all gun class units. They do not include motorcycles or the towing of tanks and trucks back to repair facilities.

So non-parenthesized strength HQs are definitely included, but the parenthesized variety (which show up in the spreadsheets as RED) don't seem to be mentioned at all. Awkward again, but since they are not part of the "do not include" clause, I infer that they should be included. Recommend updating the case to include cross references, such as below:

[49.12] Every vehicle in the game consumes fuel when it moves, except where specifically noted, (e.g. patrols and desert raiders among others, have slightly different rules, see 16.0 and 27.0). Fuel users include HQs having both non-parenthesized TOE Strength Points and a CPA of greater than 10, and all gun class units. Motorcycle-based units (see 3.3), and towing of tanks and trucks back to repair facilities (see 21.65), do not require fuel in game terms. Fuel consumption rates are shown in charts 4.47, 4.48 and 4.49 (tanks and guns), and chart 54.2 (trucks).

Recommend adding rule to consolidate scattered and vague references to unit carrying capacity as below.

[54.2] SUPPLIES CARRIED BY COMBAT UNITS
Combat units have very limited organic carrying capacity, consisting only of ammunition points sufficient for the highest usage activity to be performed once (e.g., Barrage > Anti-Tank, Anti-Aircraft > Close Assault; see 50.17). No Fuel (see 49.2), Water (see 52.45) or Stores (see 51.15) are considered carried except by placement in attached trucks.

[tim]

I like the summary Mike. 54.2 looks great - concise and clear.

[Michael Miller]

One further tiny issue: Rule number [54.2] is used by the Truck Characteristics Chart. Therefore I changed the below new rule number to the unused [54.6].

[54.6] SUPPLIES CARRIED BY COMBAT UNITS
Combat units have very limited organic carrying capacity, consisting only of ammunition points sufficient for the highest usage activity to be performed once (e.g., Barrage > Anti-Tank, Anti-Aircraft > Close Assault; see 50.17). No Fuel (see 49.2), Water (see 52.45) or Stores (see 51.15) are considered carried except by placement in attached trucks.

[Deleted]

G'day again. I introduced myself somewhere else, basically have been chatting with Tony. As I noted elsewhere, just trying to add some value. I do not want to cause any issues with long debated items. However I thought I might drop a comment in an area like this where you can ignore as desired. I apologise for lack of brevity. I wanted to get a concept across to overcome the idea "of course the HQ would use fuel" - I agree! Just a game mechanic.

Re Headquarters and Fuel. With CPA it is often useful to think of it in terms of "directed activity". I will try and explain - consider the larger the unit, the harder it is to get that unit to perform coordinated action. As the CinC its easy for me to hijack a plane to pop from Cairo to Gazala to Tobruk and back home in less than a phase. Cant do that with a battalion. I can increase a battalion movement by adding trucks and fuel, but it still wont reach CinC speed. Rommel did it all the time - out of touch whipping around the battlefield using any mode of transport, appearing to be in 10 places at once (and often out of radio contact). However he did make a difference wherever he went changing orders and attacking etc. The CW Western desert force generals plus General OÇonnor (visiting at Wavells direction and maybe to take over again)were captured by 3 germans as they took a night jeep ride on a Derna bypass. yes - the HQ Group with all its planning staff needed petrol in real life but there is a CORE function a HQ performs at individual level that demands very high CPA. After the highly mobile generals were captured by the germans their far more immobile HQ staff did not matter anymore. I would suggest that is why HQs have high CPA and the petrol involved was didly all. CPA and continuous movement is what makes CNA enjoyable beyond many other games.

In play you will find HQ's use their high CPA occasionally to run around across the map separate from units. An obvious example is Rommel with his 60 who you will find will often use this to get to a decisive point issue orders to some units then pop over to another. In general our play and apparently the game testers found it important to unencumber these guys. So except for a couple of special types (eg e/f types), unless they made a DECISION to take on TOE with limitations, they were not hung up on fuel. Fuel means you need a truck (cannot carry otherwise). Trucks are bad for command doing a quick jog limiting terrain (u will not use a Light truck of course, that would cause terrain issues) and means the HQ will be prevented from using their full CPA. Italian Libyan HQ's with E capability are another case in point - drop the troops in garrison and run around providing direction for building.

Another aspect of play - it will happen that a larger unit will have to hoof it occasionally with no supply as Infantry (war is chaotic ). You can walk between water stops without a problem after dropping all vehicles and guns, but if the HQ needs fuel it cannot move, its lower units all walk away and the HQ gets squashed. If it was only an attached gun TOE you could abandon it - not so with intrinsic fuel need. Its also why you do not use fuel for some infantry.

This particular practicality led us in the mid 80's to question why HQ's with non parenthesised factors needed fuel. The only units were a couple regular Italian divisions (e ID)(a small AA capability) and some aussie HQ's CW e and f ID. Myself I thought it just reflects Aussie generals were capable of picking up a Bren gun and having a go whereas not the done thing for any other generals . The answer in discussions then was the rule should have said HQ's with ADDED TOE that had non parenthasised values, not the HQ itself which had non-p factors. You add a gun, you add a fuel need. In short the HQ made a DECISION to limit its own CPA and could change that decision where necessary. Loading a HQ was not common.

Another thing you will find is the impact on Recce units. They appeared to be designed to carry out their function with built in capabilities. In general they have trucks, but when it comes to the pointy end they are often used for a short while without trucks in the game. Thats why the CPA - add a truck without choice and they come back to normal units. I always thought thats why their trucks are noted as autoblinda '40's and did not appear in characteristic charts with fuel rate.

Anyway just some thoughts why game testers made it as per the Rules as Written. The Axis will hate HQ fuel.