After having played the pre-release version of TANKS a couple of weeks, I'm wondering if the allowance for re-rolling the attack dice is sufficient compensation for remaining stationary when firing?

Here's some thoughts - tanks and SPs could fire more effectively when not moving, as remaining in place allowed gun-laying corrections to be based solely on the target's movement and/or cover situation, and not also on changes in the firing vehicle's position (this I think is reflected by the game's re-roll allowance of the Attack dice for stationary shooters).

Tactical WWII drill for effective firing while advancing or when changing position required a tank to conduct short moves, then brief halts for stable adjustments onto target before firing, and then the tank could resume moving (or not).

However, since WWII-era tanks were not effective at targeting without halting to fire (even American Sherman crews disconnected their tank gyro-stabilizers in the field since they believed it slowed down their firing adjustments), a tank moving has less time to generate maximum rates of fire (compared to when stationary, and when able to fire more rapidly throughout the same duration of time).

At issue then is that higher potential rates of fire can be generated by a tank that is stationary compared to if it is moving. Successive shots can also be more accurately adjusted when compared against a moving tank that is changing to a new position before each time it fires. Additionally, and since a stationary tank can fire more often, it has the opportunity to do so while an opponent tank is moving at some point during the same segment of time.

I would suggest considering an easy modification to the game to compensate for a lack of increased rates of fire and opportunity for stationary tanks and SPs to fire over the complete span of a turn, by allowing all stationary tanks and SPs to do so with "first" initiative (regardless of their card's initiative rating), and that moving tanks that are destroyed by stationary tank fire cannot be granted the "Final Fury" allowance (since they are considered to have been KO'ed when they were moving during the turn, and before they had an opportunity to halt and fire).

Hoping this might add another layer of tactics to TANKS w/o much rules adjustment.

Wouldn't want to narrow the imaginations to how TANKS players should play their games, and especially since defensive tactics are as much a part of armored warfare as offensive action is (this being especially true for the late-war German Army AFVs featured here in TANKS).

Additionally, "fast-play" doesn't mean one-dimensional gaming either.


I think tactical play is much more nuanced than this, and where players decide the risks of advancing or remaining in position each turn, and with a game system that requires forethought too, because one must often commit in deciding early in each turn to a plan of action due to the low initiative ratings of some of their units.

Certainly just my thinking too, but Sean here also understands there's time for attacking, and times for defending:

Staying stationary is very dangerous compared to a simple dice reroll. I noticed this issue from game 1. A stationary Jagdpanther should be, in my opinion, much more fearsome to poor shermans...

But I'll patiently wait for the starter box to arrive, so I can test it with full rules and critical deck. I'm concentrating on making the board, for now. Made houses and hills... I prepared the woods but I'm lazy for the trees :(

Almost ready :)

I'm uploading the pictures... search for the "Karelia" new post in painting section :)