1) Some GMS models have ARs. Seems reasonable to me. YMMV.
2) Many weapons systems have an antipersonel capacity - this includes
RFACs, CPR guns, etc. I imagine by 2183, most weapons systems will be
multi-mode or have multiple warhead types or settings. Several viable
ideas for AP GMS have been suggested.
3) The only good argument against GMS vs. Infantry I can see is cost -
is it worth $X for a GMS round to smack an infantry squad. If you think X is
small or if you think the budget is big, then by all means.
Here is how I'd resolve it. Infantry: Normally ECM d4 since they have no ECM.
But GMS are not normally meant to target infantry, so I'd generously give them
1 die
shift to D6. No die shift for powered armour - they emit enough to be
targetable at D4 (unless some fiend thinks they have ECM).
Attack Dice: Quality + Guidance.
Result: Treat resulting attack as D8 impact. Count pips as you do with small
arms... and then divide by the defensive die to get # of impacts. Then assume
D8 like as if a point fire attack had occured.
But that's just my 0.02. If an IAVR can hurt you, so can a GMS.
Tom.
I can't fault Thomas's interpretation of the rules, but I must say that when
GMS fires at infantry (particularly those with low to medium armour)
casualties rack up.
For example, if you need to move across an open field in SG2, you're usually
safe if you are outside 50 inches. Only elites can target you, and you get a
good defensive die. But if a regular with a GMS fires at you, it's not unusual
for him to roll 8, 9, 10, or even 11 for his attack dice and you to roll D6 in
defence (generously provided by Thomas), and so take 1 or 2 impacts (D8 vs D6,
perhaps) and suppression.
I know it's uncommon and most people will hold their GMS rather than fire at
infantry, but given the effectiveness I'd rather play that infantry in regular
armour (and inert terrain pieces) have too low a signature to be picked up by
GMS.
It might come down to what the G in GMS is. If it's laser designated, the
laser designator might be limited by the quality of the trooper using it. If
it's electromagnetic, infantry and terrain probably is very low signature. If
it's another kind, I'm too dull to think of it now.
> "Tom.McCarthy" wrote:
> I can't fault Thomas's interpretation of the rules, but I must say
Point taken. I had only thought of using GMS in desperate circumstances, where
you really have to use everything you've got, but their unlitmited (in SGII
use) range gives them potential other uses. Still I want to at least be able
to use GMS against infanry. Trying to think while writing: Perhaps one could
use Barclay's suggestion, but, when calculating casualties only count the
quality die divided by the "ECM die". It would still give suppression, but
fewer hits....a rather wasteful use of a GMS missile. (An odd game mechanic
though, which always makes me uncomfartable.) Or perhaps one could argue that
human targets are small and that the GMS has to
fire on some sort of manual override (reverting to camera-and-joystick
guidance,
video games, anyone :-) giving it an effective range band of 12". But,
no, that would make it far to deadly in the short to middle ranges, forget
it...
As I said before we have discussed this here in Gothenburg, Sweden, without
reaching any conclusion. So far the situation hasn't cropped up during a game,
and possibly it will not ever do so. Which means that for practical purposes I
consider that GMS cannot be used against infantry.
I'd probably prefer that GMS/P vs. infantry reverts to Unguided Missile
System ie. IAVR and larger GMS can't target infantry.
> "Tom.McCarthy" wrote:
> I can't fault Thomas's interpretation of the rules, but I must say
If you are going to fire a GMS at infantry at range then they should be
allowed
to roll the range die/terrain. And the range bands should be per quality
die to represent the difficulty of hitting man sized targets with a point
weapon.
Maybe instead of doing any casualties, They could just do suppression, As i
would be scared if some maniack was firing are great big missle at me!!. I
have no idea how this could work as i don't play SG2 yet.