Some thoughts about medics in SG2. (by the way, has this been discussed
before?)
We've been using medics as part of the command squad in SG2 platoons, but
after considering how medics are used, I thought this wasn't a good idea.
Medics are usually assigned at the platoon or company level, but don't stay
with the platoon or company commander during combat - they move around
when the fighting starts to attend to the wounded. I suggested a modification
to our TOEs to my group, and an attendant "house rule":
Platoon TOE (this is generic, to demonstrate what I mean)
Command Squad: Officer, Signaller(maybe EW specialist), SAW gunner, trooper
Medic Team: Medic, medic assistant (both with standard weapon) 3 Rifle Squads
The command squad of four could have an additional 2 troopers, or sometimes
what I do is attach a marksman team to the platoon (a model with sniper
rifle, another with laser target designator or regular rifle - the
second model is the spotter). The marksman team is treated as a seperate
element within the platoon, but does not use the sniper rules. The medic team
is also treated as a separate element and acts independantly from the command
team (can be reactivated, etc.). The medic team can move to aid rifle
squads when reorganizing and checking/treating their casualties. The
platoon size does not increase - this just distributes the manpower a
little differently.
"Medic Team Rule" - a medic normally adds +1 to the roll to see what
happens to unknown casualties when the medic's squad reorganizes. A medic team
can provide this benefit to a squad by moving within unit coherency prior to
the squad taking its reorganize action. The medic team can then on subsequent
turns move to provide the same benefit to other squads.
This way, you have the benefit of a medic available to each of the squads in
the platoon, and the command squad is not tied up providing medical
services... What used to happen was that the command squad would be busy
commanding (transferring actions, calling artillery, using EW, etc.) and the
medic would never be used unless the command squad itself took casualties. The
overall combat ability of the platoon is not changed
dramatically - platoon command squads usually don't do much fighting in
our games anyway, but at the same time you aren't stacking the platoon with
more "shooty" elements that unbalance the game. The medic team (and the
marksman team if used) add to the ability of the platoon, but this is balanced
by the fact that they don't have any ability to absorb punishment
(one casualty in a two-person team and you take confidence tests with a
big
penalty - the team is much more likely to suffer from morale problems)
Thoughts???
Adrian spake thusly upon matters weighty:
> Some thoughts about medics in SG2. (by the way, has this been
AFAIK, No.
> We've been using medics as part of the command squad in SG2 platoons,
In general, this issue sort of exists with Platoon Sergeants too, which is why
I think they should be treated as individuals who can
attach/detach themselves from squads at their convenience. Our Pltn
Warrant used to make his presence felt in many places throughout the Pltn
during an ex.
> Platoon TOE (this is generic, to demonstrate what I mean)
Someone earlier proposed some sniper rules for "Squad Attached Snipers". A
brief recap went something like
(Pardon any misquote)
Sniper fires either separately (as a normal sniper for
hit/casualty determination - this is similar to HW or GMS firing
separately) or as part of the squad (in which case the snipers FP dice is
added to the squad fire and he fires with the range bands of the squad). If
the sniper's FP die and the unit quality die exceed the range die of the
defender, sniper picks his casualty. If only one of these two dice (exclusive
of the other squad FP or HW FP die present) beats the range die, then a random
casualty is determined. Then squad fire casualties are resolved, and the
sniper FP die is NOT included in this calculation. These snipers cannot go
into hiding (as they are attached to a squad).
The medic team is
> also treated as a separate element and acts independantly from the
A separate unit? It'll have weak morale (kill the cas-aid or the
medic and the remaining one will probably evac....).
> "Medic Team Rule" - a medic normally adds +1 to the roll to see what
I'd say the presence of the medic is not just required, but it costs the medic
formation an action. So you have:
Medic: Action 1. Move to within integrity distance of unit you want to help.
Action 2: Aide Unit.
Other Unit: Action 1. Re-org (including treat wounded).
> This way, you have the benefit of a medic available to each of the
and
> the medic would never be used unless the command squad itself took
Now, I've seen the command squad tied into a number of HW like SAWs, so your
command squad is a 'covering fire' element for the manouvre squads (a weap
det). In this configuration, command squads do see action fairly frequently.
The medic team (and the
> marksman team if used) add to the ability of the platoon, but this is
I like it.
> Thoughts???
Write it out nice, apply any mods from comments, and publish it to some of the
SG2 sites like the unofficial SG2 WWW site. I'll use them when I get the
chance.
Here's a question: 2185 - Do medics travel armed? Or should we have
some unarmed figures from each of the nationalities for medics?
Tom.
/************************************************
John spake thusly upon matters weighty:
> Thomas Barclay wrote:
Try this sometime. The command section isn't. Your officer is an individual
figure, as is your PSGT. You may have a small weap det or a sniper team or
whatever. But treat your PSGT and officer as individual who can roam around
and attach themselves to squads at their initiative. It might more closely
resemble the kind of platoon operations I have seen.
> > Here's a question: 2185 - Do medics travel armed? Or should we have
I note the UNSC medic seems to have an IPW.
/************************************************
Glover, spake thusly upon matters weighty:
> Something along this line was discussed some time back: The Platoon
I had proposed some PSgt rules suggestions, but this one makes some sense.
Then again, you shouldn't have to limit this... if for some bizarre reason the
player wishes to endanger his second in command.... well...he's the one who'll
suffer.
And I think any squad seeing their platoon sergeant or leiutenant take a hit
ought to make a TL 0 morale check. (And if not for the officer, at least for
the platoon sergeant as he often IS the heart of the platoon).
Tom.
Tom.
/************************************************
[quoted original message omitted]
> Thomas Barclay wrote:
> Now, I've seen the command squad tied into a number of HW like SAWs,
I tend to (limited experience, so this is more theoretical than
battle-tested) want to split my "Command Squad" into several
detachments. My LT and PSG are each wandering about taking charge at vital
points, and the rest is formed up into either heavy weapons dets
or Anti-armor teams.
> Here's a question: 2185 - Do medics travel armed? Or should we have
Ah... I tend to figure mine are armed at least with a pistol to shoot the
wounded when the Muslims get to the hospitals, but those with a less genocidal
view of their force's typical opponents may do otherwise.
> Thomas Barclay wrote:
> Try this sometime. The command section isn't. Your officer is an
Right. That's what I was trying to describe. Chalk it up to being too
late at night. So my PLT looks like 3 squads, an anti-armor team, a
heavy weapons team, and 2 individuals. Plus maybe EW guys or whatever attached
down from higher.
> > Ah. . . I tend to figure mine are armed at least with a pistol to
Once things have deteriorated enough for the UN to get involved civilized
niceties like not using wounded and medics for bayonet practice have probably
gone out the window.
Howdy!
> On Fri, 30 Oct 1998, Thomas Barclay wrote:
> > > Here's a question: 2185 - Do medics travel armed? Or should we
Most medics do carry weapons... even though it may be "forbidden".
In Vietnam, a number of medics carried CAR-15s, shotguns,or M1911s.
When my uncle got stuck over there, he had to buy his weapon (a shotgun) from
the Australians north of Vung Tau. He could only carry it in the field.
Also, as there were bounties on medics offered by the North, few medics
carried their bags and cases (the ones with the nice big red cross
-- sniper bait). What a lot of medics did was carry all of their
supplies in a 40mm grenadier's vest. The only thing marking them as medics
were their collar pins.
A friend of ours who is a capting in the US special forces says that in some
sf teams, the medic is the guy who carries the SAW.
> I note the UNSC medic seems to have an IPW.
Most of the medic modles carry weapons. What I have only recently started
doing is finding models that I like as medics and just paiting a
little red cross/crescent on a pouch or somewhere innocuous.
Later!
Ken
> Kenneth Winland wrote:
> Most medics do carry weapons... even though it may be
When
The ones I've worked with tend to acquire a 9mm. It's legal as long as
it's only used for self-defense or defense of wounded.
> A friend of ours who is a capting in the US special forces
Special Forces medics are a different kettle of fish--those teams are
too small for anyone not to be putting rounds downrange in a fight. Of course,
the tradeoff is that they are no longer covered by the Geneva prohibitions
against popping medics deliberately.
> Kenneth Winland wrote:
> A friend of ours who is a capting in the US special
If a medic is carrying a SAW its because he wants to. Most of them are weapons
man wanna-bes anyway...
Howdy!
> On Fri, 30 Oct 1998, Los wrote:
> > A friend of ours who is a capting in the US special
The teams that Captain Paulsen worked with often had their medics toting SAWs.
I'll have to ask him why...
Ken
[quoted original message omitted]
Keep in mind that in SF a medic is just another shooter on the team who is
also the team Doc. He's just as likely to be a point man or a the first guy
through the door as anyone else. Though you tend to try and keep your Medics
and commo guys somewhat out of harms way if you can help it.The only remark
anbout teh SAW was that usually it's the 18B (weapons man) or the 18C who's
"signed" for the SAW. So he usually likes to carry it himself. Also there's an
on again off again restriction to sendiung medics to things like SOTIC
(Special Ops Tgt Interdiction Course or sniper). That's mostly because they're
usually the most 'expensive guys on the team, (the basic course is aover 18
months) and if he's got a couple months to go to sniper school the you should
probably be sending him to some advanced medical course instead. Of course if
you can weasel your paperwork in, then you probably will.
Los
> Kenneth Winland wrote:
> Howdy!
Howdy!
> On Sat, 31 Oct 1998, Glover, Owen wrote:
> Well, in LRRP or similiar SF style team/patrols the "Medic" is more
Exactly. I would *love* to see a TO&E of an Australian Recon platoon. Would
that be on the Army website (which apparently is rathr keen)?
> So perhaps best not to cover SF in the same discussion.
True.... :)
> Regular Army Infantry Battalions generally don't deploy Medical Corps
When Medical Corp personnel are assigned out, are they assigned in teams?
BTW, when I was referring to medics being "forbidden" to carry weapons in
Vietnam, I was referring to Navy medics.
Later!
\ Ken