From: Barclay, Tom <tomb@b...>
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 22:30:12 -0500
Subject: [SG2] close assault: more of the same
These comments don't specifically adress the rules, but maybe some thoughts on how things perhaps should be.... On one level, I agree that SG2 and DS2 should be harmonized. I think that spending the activation of an assaulted unit makes sense. It makes both rulesets equivalent, and on the other hand, it actually makes sense that your action is gone - you actually did something - you fought a fierce close range combat! As for this being a penalty to unactivated units, I have two thoughts: 1) What were you doing with an unactivated unit in CA range? and 2) He who hesitates is lost. This might actually require shrewd choice from the attacker because he might choose to assault a unit waiting to act... which also places a choice before the defender when activating if this is a risk! And I'm pretty confident that a unit that has taken a close range charge and engaged in a short range melee is likely to be incapable of action. This makes close assault desireable (as opposed to the walk up to 2" away and shoot as I've seen done many times) because if you manage it, you tie up that unit for the remainder of the turn (barring reactivation). I'm not sure that if you are heavily suppressed (which implies LOTS of nasty crap is dropping on you) that you should be able to pull out. I don't care if the attacker is a bunch of guys coming to attack my position with grenades... if the bullets are hailing so thick I stand and die, I'll take my chances in the position! To me, if you have 2 or 3 suppressions, you should not be able to withdraw at all. Why (lets think) would the withdrawal from CA be your base move? If anything, this SURELY is a combat move... I'm not sure I'd be as severe as Adrian suggests but it seems to me that 1) being assaulted or being the assaulter is quite likely to leave you disorganized (this is, as someone pointed out, a classic problem). I'd think a re-org would be in order somewhere in this picture. 2) stopping or chopping a retreat in mid flight is not an easy feat! Once people start to beat feet, they generally keep going until they tire or are out of range of the enemy. That doesn't mean stopping 20m away and shooting them up with precision fire! It *could* happen, but this strikes me as something that should be difficult and hence the exception rather than the rule. So, I will probably try this: make check to initiate CA roll movement if reaction fire opportunity, allow defender to attempt it depending on suppressions roll more movement if required if close assault does not reach you, your activation is not consumed if you fight a close assault, one side will withdraw 1 combat move. The other side may pursue with a test (1 combat move) Perhaps another CA is fought. In any case, eventually the units will be separated. Since both are now disorganized, and have their activations consumed, neither will be blindsiding the other at close range. In order for either to act, command cohesion must be restored with a re-org. Then, if required, suppressions must be removed. Only then may other actions be attempted. More generally, I am likely to use the following suppression rule: 1) If suppressed with 1 suppression in cover, you can't move. If suppressed with 1 suppression in the open, make a leadership test or your next action must be a move towards cover. Once you've reached cover (if it takes less than the next entire activation), you can remove suppression. Failing that, you can take another leadership test once you've moved towards cover for a full turn. If it passes, you may then attempt to remove suppression where you are. Repeat this process till you reach cover or stop and remove suppression. 2) If double suppressed, you aren't moving. Period. 3) Removing suppression in the open is TL +2/+1/+0. 4) I am considering another suggestion from FMA - removing multiple suppressions. I would say for every 3 points you beat your required roll by, you clear an extra suppression. If you need a 2, and roll a 5, you clear 2 suppressions. This represents the fact that a great leader can sometimes rally his troops not only more effectively, but faster! I'll let you know how these ideas pan out.