tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post4121361391929753958..comments2024-03-27T20:12:05.513-04:00Comments on SOUND OFFICERS CALL!: COMBAT TEAM! Or how to break a wargame.Disgruntled Fusilierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-68866905463504266912014-01-28T19:22:17.640-05:002014-01-28T19:22:17.640-05:00Soldiers receiving fire take up nearest positions ...Soldiers receiving fire take up nearest positions that afford protection from enemy fire (cover) and<br />observation (concealment).<br />b. The fire team in contact immediately returns heavy volume of suppressive fire in the direction of the<br />enemy.<br /><br />STEP 4. Attack.<br />If the fire team in contact can suppress the enemy, the squad leader determines if the fire team not in<br />contact can maneuver. He makes the following assessment:<br />l Location of enemy position(s) and obstacles.<br />l Size of enemy force engaging the squad. (The number of enemy automatic weapons, the presence<br />of any vehicles, and the employment of indirect fires are indicators of enemy strength.)<br />l Vulnerable flank.<br />l Covered and concealed flanking route to the enemy position.<br />a. If the answer is YES, the squad leader maneuvers the fire team in the assault:<br />(1) The squad leader directs the fire team in contact to support the movement of the other fire team.<br />He then leads or directs the assaulting fire team leader to maneuver his fire team along a route that<br />places the fire team in a position to assault the enemy. (The assaulting fire team must pick up and<br />maintain fire superiority throughout the assault. Handover of responsibility for direct fires from the<br />supporting fire team to the assaulting fire team is critical.)Disgruntled Fusilierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-55978763954147261162014-01-28T19:20:34.246-05:002014-01-28T19:20:34.246-05:00Ken,
I stand corrected (it's been a long time ...Ken,<br />I stand corrected (it's been a long time since I was a cadet :)<br /><br />http://www.shu.edu/offices/upload/FM-7-8.pdf<br /><br />check out the chapter called "battle drills" look at Battle Drill 1A Squad Attack.Disgruntled Fusilierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-89900435427623360922014-01-28T19:17:03.728-05:002014-01-28T19:17:03.728-05:00Ken,
It's not something infantrymen specifical...Ken,<br />It's not something infantrymen specifically train to do. It's more of a field expedient action. The only force in the US Army that specifically trains to "suppress" is the Artillery. Suppress is one of the 3 outcomes of fires (Destroy, Neutralize, Suppress - all outcomes have a specific type of ammunition and amount of ammunition to be used in fire-missions). <br />Infantry use the "concept" of suppression in Battle Drill #1 but infantrymen don't select an option to suppress versus kill during combat. Your goal is to kill but you attempt to suppress with a high volume of fire while your maneuver element moves to flank an enemy position. At least that's how we train.<br /><br />The concept fits in the game in situations when infantry are faced with an armor threat and they have little to no AT capabilities. so they can pour on fire with the faint hopes of suppressing the vehicle.<br /><br />same goes for infantry prior to attacking an objective. Multiple infantry units can suppress while other infantry units move to close assault. This is also why the activation system and winning iniative is so important in the game. It also adds to the excitement. Disgruntled Fusilierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-19533934732463398652014-01-28T18:46:17.693-05:002014-01-28T18:46:17.693-05:00I like it as a game mechanic, but i was wondering ...I like it as a game mechanic, but i was wondering whether it reflects actual practice. Are/ were troops trained this way or do they just blaze away and hope for the best? What is the actual difference? I have trouble envisioning it.Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16662292432344589974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-36600089383904505352014-01-28T10:20:16.057-05:002014-01-28T10:20:16.057-05:00Ken,
That bodes well for me. Especially consideri...Ken,<br />That bodes well for me. Especially considering BG is so popular and I haven't seen it or played it yet! <br /><br />The idea that you can actively attempt to suppress the enemy as opposed to suppression being an automatic result is not present in many wargames.<br /><br />This was an answer to a significantly smaller unit composition than Epic, where a company has 14 stands! This game works at a similar scale to Battlefront: WWII where a stand is a "group" of a larger platoon. So 2 stands of infantry represent 1 infantry platoon in "real life" or 2 to 3 vehicles. It works out to an infantry Company having about 5 to 8 stands and that's a nice mix for my purposes.<br /><br />It also ensures the game doesn't take too long. Disgruntled Fusilierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-46222684955950892402014-01-27T21:03:32.654-05:002014-01-27T21:03:32.654-05:00The shoot to kill/shoot to suppress option feature...The shoot to kill/shoot to suppress option features in the Battlegroup rules too.Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16662292432344589974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-3321096776603620022014-01-27T10:53:19.942-05:002014-01-27T10:53:19.942-05:00AH,
So give infantry a save no matter what, and th...AH,<br />So give infantry a save no matter what, and the save gets better in cover? That's not a bad idea. I wonder how that will affect gameplay. What would you recommend for their intrinsic save to be? Maybe 5+ or 4+ for each hit?Disgruntled Fusilierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1194255716971534690.post-68429787877173089542014-01-27T10:51:01.863-05:002014-01-27T10:51:01.863-05:00Rather than two hits, maybe give infantry an intri...Rather than two hits, maybe give infantry an intrinsic save based on ability which is then improved by cover?<br /><br />That way you have slightly less powerful infantry, slightly less record-keeping, but have also modelled the fact that even if the table is flat, the world isn't, and good infantry can find a scrap of cover anywhere.A-Historianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10380376544300664923noreply@blogger.com