France 14, Race to the sea and forts

[stigmata]

Long time player who has gotten back into the series after being away for 4-5 years. I am playing an email game using the Race to the Sea scenario and loving the heck out of it. I find the WWI games to be my favorite. But I have no clue how forts are working as far as supply and isolation goes. I am besieging Antwerp and have a number of forts surrounded. They are tough to crack as they do not seem to get isolated or run low on supply. However, after some days I just noticed that all of the troops in one fort are now isolated. Question is how does it work to gain isolation? Is is just a matter of surrounding them and waiting a few days, or something like distance to HQ? Or is it a random event? I just don't know. Got one isolated and ready to assault but am not sure how I did it. Looked through the manual but can't find anything.

[Ricky B]

A unit is isolated as soon as there is no route to a supply hex. A hex is blocked for this purpose by an enemy unit, or by being adjacent to battalions. HQs and MGs (I believe) don't block adjacent hexes. Some of the forts may have supply sources so they can't be isolated if so. But read the game notes, it has some hints.

[ComradeP]

The larger forts tend to have a supply value of a handful of points which would normally keep them from becoming isolated. However, with such a low value the garrison will go Low Ammo after a while if they keep firing, which should make them easier to disrupt. Using the normal supply rules, for a value of 2 the defenders would need to roll a 1 on a d100 to avoid becoming Low Ammo without a second check. As they would normally fail that roll, they move on to the HQ range check to determine if they become Low Ammo or not.

What you're seeing in the Race to the Sea campaign is unrelated to that, but due to there being a global -10 to supply on the 3rd of October 1914 for both sides. As Antwerp forts give 2 supply, they become (-8 turned into) 0 for game purposes. The same occurs in East Prussia, where the Russian forts lose their supply over time through the global supply level drops.

[Volcano Man]

Yes, both are correct.

As ComradeP says, smoe of the larger forts have supply sources, mainly to prevent isolation, but if supply deteriorates during the campaign, then this may be reduced to 0 (which is intentional to represent an overall degradation/depletion of supplies). So, where-as a fort might have provided supply at the start of a campaign, it may not always provide it later.

Please refer to the Supply Variations while playing the scenario.

[Al]

Yes, both are correct.

As ComradeP says, smoe of the larger forts have supply sources, mainly to prevent isolation, but if supply deteriorates during the campaign, then this may be reduced to 0 (which is intentional to represent an overall degradation/depletion of supplies). So, where-as a fort might have provided supply at the start of a campaign, it may not always provide it later.

Please refer to the Supply Variations while playing the scenario.

I'm just getting to the point in my Race to the Sea game where I have my heavy artillery in range to start cracking the forts, so this is good info to have.

While I'm here, any word on the next FWWC game?  

[Mr Grumpy]

 

[jim pfleck]

Race to the Sea=one of my favorite scenarios in any game (played it as both sides).

Next WWI game? Come on guys, I need an excuse to stay up all night! Give us something here!

[Volcano Man]

Race to the Sea=one of my favorite scenarios in any game (played it as both sides).

Next WWI game?  Come on guys, I need an excuse to stay up all night!  Give us something here!

Still working on it. As usual, it is taking MUCH longer than I thought. It is falling into place nicely though. Maybe we can drop some hints near the end, we'll see...

[jim pfleck]

Thanks! I am sure it is taking much longer..we can wait for hints and the game....