Redwolf Armor Limits for CMBB version 1.0

Combat Mission quickbattles where people choose their own forces have an "arms race" problem. While people would usually like to try new things and like fast gameflow from swift vehicles, they are often forced to purchase at least some of the heaviest available tanks and SP guns available. Failing to do so will often result in a game where one side got the heaviest AVFs available and the other player has to concentrate all efforts on dealing with them. This is not desired as a game like Combat Mission is about rich tactical choices and exploring combined arms tactics. More often than not, the "offender" did choose the heavy armor not to damage gameplay, but just to be safe from his dopponent doing the same.

For CMBO we had the Fionn rules, limiting heavy armor in several categories. People would agree to one of the categories and then restrict themself to purchasing only vehicles allowed on that list. In CMBB the situation is more difficult because the game spans a much wider timeframe. Any practical voluntary armor limit must be heavily timeline-oriented. As with any ruleset for any game, complexity must be kept at a minimum.

The ruleset presented here is only limiting vehicles with too thick armor. Unlike the old Fionn CMBO rules it does not exclude vehicles for having too big guns. If you want to buy a Nashorn to shoot up Stuarts, then by all means go for it and have fun (while it lasts, hehe).

As mentioned, the exclusion tables are time-oriented. For each month there is a definition of what the strongest common gun for each side is. Enemy vehicles which cannot be knocked out by this strongest common gun are excluded.

The precise definition is: there must be one towed gun and and one vehicle which gets a kill chance of "Low" or better at 550m head-to-head, shooting AP. The rarity of this gun and this vehicle must be 50% or less. Lots of exceptions to this rule apply.

Here are the events that change availability:

  • Phase 1, 1941: everything not killable by the 37mm Pak36 gun or the Soviet 45mm AT gun is excluded. The early war fanboy club is invited.

  • Phase 2, 194201 - 1942004: in January of 1942 the 50mm L/60 PaK38 becomes commonly available and hence the T-34 is allowed. And in turn, since the T-34 76mm L/42 gun is now in the game, all Axis vehicles vulnerable to this gun are now allowed.

  • Phase 3, 194205 - 194309: in May of 1942 the Axis 75mm L/43-48 becomes available. This allows the KV tanks for the Soviets. Note that German vehicles with complete 80mm front are still not allowed, since the 76mm L/42 on the T-34 is still the Soviet reference gun.

  • Phase 4, 194310 - 194401: from October 1943 on the Allied player is expected to deal with complete 80mm front Axis vehicles using SP guns and lent-lease tanks and stop whining about the T-34 gun.

  • Phase 5, 194402 - 194412: the T-34/85 becomes available in February 1944. This has few immediate effect, since the both ammo types given to it in CMBB 1.03 cannot touch Panther and Tiger at the reference distance. The only vehicles that become newly available are the Jagdpanzer IV (early) and the Panzer IV/70(A). Hetzer, Brummbaer and friends are still not in.

  • Phase 6, 1945: In Januar 1945 the SU-100 and hence the Panther, Tiger 1 and the medium tank hunters become available. The superheavies stay restricted: Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger, Sturmtiger, King Tiger and IS-3.

    • Here are the availability tables for each month.

  • 194106 194107 194108 194109 194110 194111 194112

  • 194201 194202 194203 194204 194205 194206 194207 194208 194209 194210 194211 194212

  • 194301 194302 194303 194304 194305 194306 194307 194308 194309 194310 194311 194312

  • 194401 194402 194403 194404 194405 194406 194407 194408 194409 194410 194411 194412

  • 194501 194502 194503 194504 194505

    • Here are the vehicles that were limited at one and become available because of reference gun changes:

  • 194201: T-34 Model 1940 Tank, T-34 Model 1941 Tank, T-34 Model 1941 Tank (cast turret), T-34 Model 1942 Tank, T-34/57 Model 1941 Tank, T-26E 'Ekranirovanniy' Tank, Valentine IV, Matilda II, Renault R-35, Somua S-35, Panzer IIc, Panzer 38(t)E, Panzer 38(t)G, Panzer IIIG, Panzer IIIH, Panzer IIIJ (short), Panzer IIIJ, Sturmgeschuetz IIIB, Sturmgeschuetz IIIE, Panzer IVE, Panzer IVF, Captured T-34 Model 1941 Tank,

  • 194205: T-34 Model 1943 Tank (early), KV-1 Model 1939 Heavy Tank, KV-1 Model 1940 Heavy Tank, KV-1 Model 1941 Heavy Tank, KV-1E Heavy Tank, KV-2 Heavy Assault Tank, KV-8 Heavy Flamethrower Tank,

  • 194310: Panzer IIJ, Panzer IIIJ (short, late), Panzer IIIJ (late), Panzer IIIM (late), Flammpanzer III, Sturmgeschuetz IIIF (late), Sturmgeschuetz IIIF/8, Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (early), Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (early mid), Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (middle), Stuh42 Assault Howitzer (early), Stuh42 Assault Howitzer (middle), Sturminfanteriegeschuetz 33B, Captured T-34 Model 1942 Tank, Captured T-34 Model 1943 Tank (late),

  • 194402: Jagdpanzer IV (early),

  • 194501: Hetzer (JgPz 38t), Jagdpanzer IV, Panzer IV/70(V), Brummbaer (Sturmpanzer IV, early), Brummbaer (Sturmpanzer IV, middle), Brummbaer (Sturmpanzer IV, late), Panther (Pz VD), Panther (Pz VD late), Panther (Pz VA early), Panther (Pz VA), Panther (Pz VG), Panther (Pz VG late), Tiger (Pz VIE early), Tiger (Pz VIE), Tiger (Pz VIE late),
    •

    Here are all vehicles and when they become available:

  • 194106: T-26 Model 1931 Tank, T-26 Model 1933 Tank, T-26 Model 1935 Tank, T-26S Model 1937 Tank, T-26S Model 1939 Tank, T-26A Artillery Tank, OT-130 Flamethrower Tank, OT-133 Flamethrower Tank, OT-134 Flamethrower Tank, BT-2 Fast Tank, BT-5 Model 1933 Fast Tank, BT-5 Model 1934 Fast Tank, BT-5A Artillery Tank, BT-7 Model 1935 Fast Tank, BT-7 Model 1937 Fast Tank, BT-7A Artillery Tank, BT-7M Model 1939 Fast Tank, Panzer IB, 15cm sIG33 auf Pzkw IB, Panzerjaeger I, Panzer IIF, Flammpanzer II, Panzer 35(t), Panzer 38(t)A, Panzer IIIF, Panzer IVC, Panzer IVD,

  • 194107:

  • 194108:

  • 194109: T-60 Model 1941 Light Tank,

  • 194110:

  • 194111:

  • 194112:

  • 194201: T-34 Model 1940 Tank, T-34 Model 1941 Tank, T-34 Model 1941 Tank (cast turret), T-34 Model 1942 Tank, T-34/57 Model 1941 Tank, T-26E 'Ekranirovanniy' Tank, Valentine IV, Matilda II, Renault R-35, Somua S-35, Panzer IIc, Panzer 38(t)E, Panzer 38(t)G, Panzer IIIG, Panzer IIIH, Panzer IIIJ (short), Panzer IIIJ, Sturmgeschuetz IIIB, Sturmgeschuetz IIIE, Panzer IVE, Panzer IVF, Captured T-34 Model 1941 Tank,

  • 194202:

  • 194203: T-70 Model 1942 Light Tank, Sturmgeschuetz IIIF, Panzer IVF2,

  • 194204: Marder II (early), Marder III (early),

  • 194205: T-34 Model 1943 Tank (early), KV-1 Model 1939 Heavy Tank, KV-1 Model 1940 Heavy Tank, KV-1 Model 1941 Heavy Tank, KV-1E Heavy Tank, KV-2 Heavy Assault Tank, KV-8 Heavy Flamethrower Tank, Captured Sturmgeschuetz IIIF, Panzer IVG (early),

  • 194206: T-60 Model 1942 Light Tank, Captured Panzer IVF, Marder II, Panzer IIIL, Panzer IIIN,

  • 194207: M3A1 Stuart, Panzer IVG,

  • 194208: OT-34 Model 1942 Flamethrower Tank, KV-1S Heavy Tank,

  • 194209: M4A2 Sherman, Valentine III,

  • 194210:

  • 194211: T-34 Model 1943 Tank, Marder III,

  • 194212:

  • 194301: T-34 Model 1943 Tank (late), SU-122 Assault Gun, Valentine IX, Captured Panzer IIIJ (late),

  • 194302: SU-76 Self-Propelled Gun, SU-152 Assault Gun, Wespe, Grille (sIG 33 auf Pz38t),

  • 194303: Panzer IVG (late),

  • 194304: KV-8S Heavy Flamethrower Tank, Grille (sIG 33/1 auf Pz38t), Panzer IVH,

  • 194305: Churchill III, Marder III (late),

  • 194306: SU-76M Self-Propelled Gun, Nashorn,

  • 194307: SU-76i Self-Propelled Gun, Panzer IIIN (late), Hummel,

  • 194308: OT-34 Model 1943 Flamethrower Tank, T-34/57 Model 1943 Tank,

  • 194309: KV-85 Heavy Tank, SU-85 Tank Destroyer, T-70 Model 1943 Light Tank, Lynx (Pz IIL), Puma (PSW 234/2 Armored Car),

  • 194310: Panzer IIJ, Panzer IIIJ (short, late), Panzer IIIJ (late), Panzer IIIM (late), Flammpanzer III, Sturmgeschuetz IIIF (late), Sturmgeschuetz IIIF/8, Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (early), Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (early mid), Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (middle), Stuh42 Assault Howitzer (early), Stuh42 Assault Howitzer (middle), Sturminfanteriegeschuetz 33B, Captured T-34 Model 1942 Tank, Captured T-34 Model 1943 Tank (late),

  • 194311: Captured Panther (Pz VA early), Captured SU-85 Tank Destroyer,

  • 194312: ISU-152 Assault Gun, Sturmgeschuetz IV,

  • 194401: Valentine XI,

  • 194402: T-34/85 Model 1943 Tank, IS-1 Heavy Tank, Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (late mid), Jagdpanzer IV (early),

  • 194403: OT-34/85 Flamethrower Tank,

  • 194404: IS-2 Model 1943 Heavy Tank, IS-2 Model 1944 Heavy Tank (early), ISU-122 Assault Gun, Pz M15/42 738(i),

  • 194405: T-34/85 Model 1944 Tank, M4A2(76)w Sherman, Captured T-34/85 Model 1944 Tank,

  • 194406: IS-2 Model 1944 Heavy Tank, Sturmgeschuetz IIIG (late), Sturmgeschuetz IV (late), Stuh42 Assault Howitzer (late), Panzer IVJ, PSW 234/3 Heavy Armored Car,

  • 194407: T-34/85 Model 1944 Tank (late), Wirbelwind,

  • 194408: ISU-122S Assault Gun, Panzer IV/70(A),

  • 194409:

  • 194410: SU-85M Tank Destroyer,

  • 194411:

  • 194412: Ostwind, PSW 234/4 Heavy Armored Car,

  • 194501: T-44 Tank, SU-100 Tank Destroyer, Hetzer (JgPz 38t), Jagdpanzer IV, Panzer IV/70(V), Brummbaer (Sturmpanzer IV, early), Brummbaer (Sturmpanzer IV, middle), Brummbaer (Sturmpanzer IV, late), Panther (Pz VD), Panther (Pz VD late), Panther (Pz VA early), Panther (Pz VA), Panther (Pz VG), Panther (Pz VG late), Tiger (Pz VIE early), Tiger (Pz VIE), Tiger (Pz VIE late),

  • 194502:

  • 194503:

  • 194504:

  • 194505: