[GZG] "Realistic" Mercenary TO&E

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lSome recent
comments made in a reply to the new 15mm Vehicle announcement
have got me to thinking, "What is a -realistic- way to do sci-fi mercs"
The usual tendency seems to be to try to recreate one of the great merc units
from books and other games - Hammer's Slammers, Wolf's Dragoons, etc.
But are these units representative of what we think merc units would be? Is
there a way to build less amazing, but still effective mercenary units? Is so,
what are people's thoughts on them?

Some ideas I have had are -

1) An all infantry force with no armor but a good number of man-portable
anti-tank weapons.

2) Conventional mobile infantry force with mid-tech resources.

3) Small, but elite and hi-tech unit of combat walkers.

These are just off the top of my head.

Thanks,

Eli

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lYou could base a
unit on Shelley's DMC series. While they have armour it rarely makes it into
the story.

Roger

> On 10/18/06, Eli Arndt <emu2020@comcast.net> wrote:
Is
> there a way to build less amazing, but still effective mercenary

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lI think that
Company size Merc units are too fragile. To be sustainable
they need to be at least a Battalion (+), especially for more mechanized
units. Using a rule of 40% loss makes a unit combat ineffective; a company can
only have @ 30 casualties or 4 vehicle losses before they are out of the
fight. A Battalion can at least rotate a company in and out of the line.

Michael Brown

mwsaber6@msn.com

  _____

From: gzg-l-bounces@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
[mailto:gzg-l-bounces@lists.csua.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Eli Arndt
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 12:48 PM
To: gzg-l@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
Subject: [GZG] "Realistic" Mercenary TO&E

Some recent comments made in a reply to the new 15mm Vehicle announcement
have got me to thinking, “What is a –realistic- way to do sci-fi
mercs” The usual tendency seems to be to try to recreate one of the great
merc units from books and other games – Hammer’s Slammers, Wolf’s Dragoons,
etc.
 But
are these units representative of what we think merc units would be? Is there
a way to build less amazing, but still effective mercenary units? Is so, what
are people’s thoughts on them?

Some ideas I have had are –

1) An all infantry force with no armor but a good number of man-portable
anti-tank weapons.

2) Conventional mobile infantry force with mid-tech resources.

3) Small, but elite and hi-tech unit of combat walkers.

These are just off the top of my head.

Thanks,

Eli

“What is a –realistic- way to do sci-fi mercs”

Special ops
Cadre training/commanding locals
Technical weapons--eg air defense battery
Garde du corp -- royalty has been using foreign mercs as bodyguards
since at least the time of King David

Yes, but in some settings, you might have a battalion or a division, but

only field a company to a contract. If you're doing work on a world with a
small mining colony, and you job is to be a show of force, you might only be
sending in a company (not that I would take such an assignment!).

So replacements may be available, but they may not be *readily* available.

In the Slammers books, they often recruited locally to replace losses. Doesn't
help in during the contract period, necessarily, but it did allow
them to sustain their force long-term.

Just some thoughts.

J

John K. Lerchey Assistant Director for Incident Response Information Security
Office Carnegie Mellon University

> On Wed, 18 Oct 2006, Michael Brown wrote:

> I think that Company size Merc units are too fragile. To be
But
> are these units representative of what we think merc units would be?
Is
> there a way to build less amazing, but still effective mercenary

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@lists.csua.berkeley.edu
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-lIn the DMC books
they often field a company on a training mission. When the problem occurs that
company is often called upon to be the backbone of the force they have just
trained.

Of course this is always a contract amendment.

Roger

> On 10/18/06, John K Lerchey <lerchey@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
 Is
> > there a way to build less amazing, but still effective mercenary

But the Slammers were a Regiment. IIRC there was usually at least a Battalion
in the AO.

Michael Brown mwsaber6@msn.com

[quoted original message omitted]

Actually a Sci Fi merc unit of basic, mid line force
would be mechanized infantry with good anti-armor gear
covered by 2nd rate light armored units and 2nd rated air assets. Most would
be better than basic troops due to the fact merc units don't hire newbies
much. They want skills proven and battle capible troops.

> --- Eli Arndt <emu2020@comcast.net> wrote:

> Some recent comments made in a reply to the new 15mm
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-l

Which then gets back to Mercs don't do stand up fights. It is not cost
effective to take serious losses, better to push around the farmers and
militia then the "Big Boys".

(in SG DS terms) Mercs are Blue or Orange and only are willing to contract
against yellow and green.

Michael Brown mwsaber6@msn.com

[quoted original message omitted]

Actually a Sci Fi merc unit of basic, mid line force
would be mechanized infantry with good anti-armor gear
covered by 2nd rate light armored units and 2nd rated air assets. Most would
be better than basic troops due to the fact merc units don't hire newbies
much. They want skills proven and battle capible troops.

I agree with you. That's the best and most cost effective force, and one that
both back water planetary governments and corporations could afford. It also
gives you a bunch of deployment and operational options.

Wow, this must be a popular subject. I didn't expect to have so many good
replies so quickly.  I like the mid-tech approach to thing myself,
perhaps
with a few, cherished hi-tech elements or fighting alongside hi-tech
"federal" assets.

Has anyone ever played games with assets from multiple merc units fighting
alongside each other? I ask this because in my quest to build forces, I have
ended up creating vehicles and troops of varying style.

Eli