MicroMark Army Lists for BKC-IV!

[Leon]

We're pleased to announce the release of BKC-IV specific army lists for historical units!  Produced by Mark Bevis, author of the MicroMark organisation charts collection, Mark is willing to offer his experience and considerable database as a professional army list writer to write BKC-IV specific lists for named and numbered units at set dates.

These lists are fully endorsed by Pendraken and will be a great asset for the BKC players.  They will be available as pdf downloads through Wargames Vault here: https://www.wargamevault.com/browse/pub/3426/MicroMark-Army-Lists/subcategory/5776_33007/BLITZKRIEG-COMMANDER-IV-ARMY-LISTS

The main advantage of using the Wargames Vault is that customers can access their downloads anywhere on their electronic devices, and receive free updates if a list is amended or corrected.  That is free updates for ever.  So if any points values are refined, or stats altered, customers will get the updates as they are written.

We've added an extracted sample list to give you an idea of what Mark will be producing, which can be found here: https://pendraken.co.uk/ProductImages/BKCMicroMarkSample.pdf  This sample has no corps and army support units and is missing some divisional flak units, so the numbered notes have been changed accordingly.  Where possible full lists will contain known or typical corps support units that might be available to support that division, such as heavy artillery, heavy anti-tank and AA, flamethrower units, independent heavy tank battalions, and so on.

We'd like the focus of these lists to be customer driven so if there's a particular division, regiment or brigade you wish to see a BKC-IV list for, at a particular time frame or battle, then please us know in the new requests thread here: http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,18788.0.html or contact Mark direct on sultanbev@googlemail.com

And as will happen, if you see an error in a list, or have additional information, then citing references, feel free to contact Mark directly.  We all have to accept that there will be errors, as we are dealing with events 75 years ago with only written records and photos to go off, and no one person can read every single regimental war diary, memoirs, foreign language text book, view every photo, buy every TOE book out there. But we are pretty sure that with each list written you are better informed than before you bought it!  The beauty of the pdf format at the Wargames Vault is that any errors corrected or new data added will reach customers very soon, and much sooner than any hard copy book format could manage.

As always, if there's any queries let us know!

[paulr]

What a great idea

[kustenjaeger]

Greetings

Definitely welcome and looks good.

By the way, for future reference the StuG skirts are Schurzen (there's an umlaut but I can't do it on this device) not Schutzen.

Regards

Edward

[sultanbev]

Thanks Edward, have updated the files (no idea how long it will take to appear on the forum though)

Mark

[Big Insect]

Thanks Edward - I'll add that to the errata list for the rules and the army lists - we might even be able to find  an umlaut somewhere 
Cheers
Mark

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Special charaters in word !

[petercooman]

schürzen

here you go, copy/paste it in

[Leon]

By the way, for future reference the StuG skirts are Schurzen (there's an umlaut but I can't do it on this device) not Schutzen.

Thanks Edward, have updated the files (no idea how long it will take to appear on the forum though)

Done!

[lowlylowlycook]

Interesting.

[Norm]

Just a quick note to thank Mark for his amazing support for this ruleset, especially while he is also trying to work on CWC - impressive. Thank You.

[Big Insect]

Thanks Norm (assuming you meant Mark F) but also good to have Mark B's support in all this as well  

The Spanish Civil War Supplement is also slowly coming together and we are starting the Korean War Supplement as well.

And ... as the Post Launch Errata Phase seems to be dying down ( ) we can now start to get the Errata List into a tidy state.

Thank you all for your support. It is great to see such involvement and also to see new players enjoying the game as well.

Mark (F)

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Mark - Work Faster !!!! 

[Big Insect]

Unlike you Ian ... I don't sleep 

[Superscribe]

A brilliant idea and having bought a number of Mark's army lists in the past, these new lists will be just what many BKC players could use.  For me, lists for 11th/13th Pz Div and Soviet 8th/19th Mech Corps as at late June 1941 (Battle of Dubno) would be good,; alternatively one generic list for the Pz Divs at Battle of Dubno and another one for the Soviet Mech Corps at Dubno, but each with notes to identify the main differences in the orbats of all the Pz Divs/Mech Corps involved at Dubno.  Thoughts?

[sultanbev]

First requested list up on the Wargames Vault:

https://www.wargamevault.com/product/281276/BKCG2-German-15th-Panzer-Division-North-Africa-NovemberDecember-1941

Mark

[Shutuphippie]

Just downloaded the 15th Pz list.  Cracking job Mark it's outstanding and a full 5 pages 😁

[cardophillipo]

OK firstly big thanks to Mark B for doing these, I think its a great idea and will prove to be very popular. I do have a couple of queries on the way the army lists have been constructed and would welcome input into how other players feel about certain aspects of the lists.

1. The huge amount of HQ's in the lists. Do players use an HQ at Company level in their games or do they play with an HQ at Battalion level. Wouldn't this slow the game up considerably with sometimes 3 or 4 times more activation rolls being needed.

2. Some of the units represented at Platoon level are, according to the original Micromark lists, included at that level even when they are listed as having 2 or 3 weapons/vehicles etc. Surely these should be added together and then become a Battalion level asset rather than add a Platoon at Company level.

E.g. In the German 29th Panzer Grenadier Division (BKCG1) the Divisional 129th Recce Battalions 3rd and 4th Heavy Armoured Companies are listed as having a Sdkfz 251/2 in each Company. According to the Micromark list each Company should have a Section of 2 x Sdkfz 251/2. Would this be better combining the 2 Sections into a platoon of 4 x Sdkfz 251/2 and have it at Battalion level.

I would be interested in other players thoughts on this as I personally have always considered the game to be at a scale of 4-6 vehicles = a Platoon in game terms.

Cheers

Richard P

[cardophillipo]

Another point regarding the Company HQ's, it's late and I'm probably going to waffle but I hope this makes some sort of sense.

I have a Battalion with three Companies (A, B and C) each with an HQ (CV8)

A Co. rolls a 6
B Co. rolls a 10
C Co. rolls a 9

Therefore at Company level only A Co. can activate. So can the Battalion HQ (CV9) then try and activate both B Co. and C Co. or just one? In theory a Battalion HQ should be able to order all Company HQ's.

So if the Battalion HQ then rolls and fails to activate can the Regimental HQ then activate the Battalion HQ or just one of the Company HQ's. If it activates the Battalion HQ can it then order both Companies?

I hope this makes sense and would welcome peoples thoughts.

Cheers

Richard P

[sultanbev]

Some valid questions Richard P, I just typed a massive reply, pressed the wrong key and it all disappeared 

Mark B

[sultanbev]

try again, in bits
"1. The huge amount of HQ's in the lists."
Umm, yes. In the first drafts I did, I merely listed the total number of stands within a battalion, the grenadier battalions in BKCG1 looked like:
Battalion HQ CV9   90   CMD   40   -   -   3   4   6   1   AA: 2/30
Company HQ CV8   60   CMD   40   -   -   3   4   6   4   
Infantry Platoon   80   INF   10   5/30   1/20   5   6   -           12   Integral PzB39, 2 MG per squad
Truck   15   VEH   20   -   -   -   3   -                   20   Kfz 70, SPA38, Transport(2), Wheeled
MMG Platoon   40   INF   10   3/60   -   2   5   -            4   
8.1cm Gr34 mortar   75   INF   10   3/120   3/120* 2   3   4   2-tube battery
Panzerfaust-30 upgrade   65   INF   -   -   8/5   -   -   12   2/44+

But when I forwarded both layouts to Mark F, he preferred the version with the CHQs, which I do too.
The notes do say CHQs are purely optional. I've included them for historical reference purposes, and because I know some people model combat HQs in their own version of the rules, hence the bracketed suggestion of what model to field for every HQ. And because it looks better showing the individual companies within a battalion.
In reality I do not expect gamers to field every CHQ. More, I expect they might choose 1 CHQ within a battalion, representing the 2ic of the Bttn HQ, or the cumulative effects of 2-3 CHQs. Especially if you have a large battalion with a lot of stands in it. It might add that extra pinch of flexibility to get a mission done.

Mark B