War game with logistics

[StarshipTitanic]

I'm interested in playing a boardgame war game where logistics are a part of gameplay. What should I look for?

[weemadando]

I don't know. But if you find one, let me know. I'd love to play it.

I've played a few Flames of War campaigns with logistics and lines of supply rules, but that's all pure homebrew.

[Coalition]

The old Imperial Starfire had it where you tracked missile shipments (each missile), maintenance supplies (one guy dumped a fleet into a black hole because it was easier than keeping track of the maintenance), each individual order (and information received), freighters delivering cash, etc. if you really want a 'fun' game.

Seriously, you might want to develop your own, based on old hex wargames. Figure X amount of resource points paid will create a supply base in a hex. Units have their offense rating determined by their proximity to a supply base (or turns since they visited the base, or a convoy visited them). This allows for the fun of scouting out the terrain, spotting enemy supply bases, and calling in air strikes. Or sneaking in a convoy of trucks, stealing everything you can, and burning the rest.

[Phillip Hone]

Hearts of Iron II has logistics, though the system they use is sort of simple and doesn't make sense a lot of the time.

[Duckie]

World in Flames, and IIRC Advanced Third Reich and all other sorts of crazy-detailed grand strategy wargames track logistics.

[TC Pilot]

Hearts of Iron II has logistics, though the system they use is sort of simple and doesn't make sense a lot of the time.

The original Hearts of Iron had a more demanding logistical aspect. Overseas invasions required supply convoys to be set up manually, as did reinforcing depleted armies.

[Lord Revan]

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't logisticts about as hard as morale to depict in any degree of realism while still making a fun and playble game?

[Coalition]

correct me if I'm wrong but isn't logisticts about as hard as morale to depict in any degree of realism while still making a fun and playble game?

I'd treat morale as a form of 'expendable' ammo. You expend a box of morale, and you get bonus damage/defense. When all the boxes are gone, that unit can no longer attack. Better units have more boxes. Leaders, and time away from combat, allows you to regenerate boxes. An optional rule would be that if a leader is killed, all units under him take a box of morale damage (so the Lt in charge of the platoon will affect the squads assigned, but taking out the Colonel will affect the entire regiment).

So good tactics can keep your units safe, while morale means that a trapped unit can do a lot of damage compared to its size. A unit given time to rest & recuperate (or a good speech) can be back up to full effectiveness. You can get more green units than elite, but they will be easier to break. Careful positioning (and allowing certain units to break so you can spring an ambush) can reduce this effect though.

Of course, if the enemy succeeds in headhunter missions, your troops will have a tougher time recovering morale, and could even run away.

[Ma Deuce]

I'd treat morale as a form of 'expendable' ammo. You expend a box of morale, and you get bonus damage/defense. When all the boxes are gone, that unit can no longer attack.

In HoI 2, units do have a "morale" attribute, but it works in conjunction with another attribute called "organization", which itself is pretty similar to your idea for Morale: Units have a maximum level of Organization which they deplete in combat (faster the stronger or more numerous their opponents are), and while not in combat, they slowly regain their organization, provided they are adequately supplied: This is where Morale comes in: The higher your unit's morale, the faster they regain organization. Both Morale and Organization can be increased as units gain combat experience, or by researching new Doctrines.

Of course, let's not forget that this thread specified boardgames, and while most modern computer war games allow you to largely automate the logistics, morale, and organization components, I cannot imagine any way to do it in a boardgame that wouldn't require an intense level of micromanagement (not that I can think of any board games that simulate logistics anyway)