Hi all
Those who've travelled the web in search of SG2 resources may have encountered
my first cut at overwatch rules. They worked but were actually more complex
than the variant I use now and I added some stuff cribbed from draft
FMASkirmish.
So, here we go, Overwatch II, by Me.
A unit (or detachment or single figure for that matter) may enter overwatch at
the cost of 1 action. It must be the last action of the elements activation.
It is considered a firing action and therefore one cannot have fired
beforehand.
A unit in overwatch that wishes to react to an action in front of it
(generally moves or fire combat, other actions not being obvious enough to
spark a fire attack) may attempt to do so. Roll a TL0 reaction test to
engage the target. You could penalize this test to TL+1 if the target
element moved less than 2" in view of the overwatching unit.
If the unit succeeds, conduct an immediate fire combat on behalf of the
overwatching unit. The overwatch counter is then removed from the unit, as it
has fired. If the unit fails, it didn't react and is still on overwatch.
Optional add ons:
1) SAWs, APSWs, etc - sustained fire weapons may stay on overwatch where
the rifles in the squad, having fired, are considered to be taken off of
overwatch. This gives some of the advantage such weapons were designed to
have. 2) If using 1), you may also drop the firepower die by one shift each
fire action until further overwatch fire is impossible even for sustained fire
weaponry - even it gets overwhelmed at some times - bug hordes come to
mind....
3) If you are particular, you may want to get a small counter with an L shaped
90 degree indication on it and place it so as to indicate the 90 degree area
your unit wishes to overwatch. I don't bother, I just let a unit react to
anything it could reasonably be considered to see and make it make a spot roll
if I have any doubts. 4) Involuntary triggering: Green or Untrained units,
fatigued units, or units on ambush for a protracted period that see something
happen (move or fire) MUST roll a TL1 test NOT to fire if they don't wish to
react. People get jumpy if they are poorly trained or are tired.
Reaction Fire
Reaction or Snap Fire occurs when a unit sees something in front of it and
wants to react, even though it is not their turn to move. In order to do so,
the unit must not have acted yet this turn and must indicate it wishes to
initiate snap fire. Then a TL2 reaction test is made to attempt the snap
fire (which can be modified by TL+1 if the target exposure is less than
2"
of movement in view). Whether this test is passed or failed, that unit is
considered to have used its entire activation. If the test is passed, the unit
conducts a fire action against the target unit, and then is considered to have
completed its activation.
Combine these two rules and you have a very interesting game where cover,
manouvre, massing of forces at key locales, suppression, and smoke become very
important.
Nice!
Is your reaction fire rules intended to replace, be combined with, or augment
the reaction fire rules on page 53?
If replace, they are a little more flexible that the rule as written (target
does not need to be using both of its action for movement and does not have to
have the end if its first movement in range), but
the flexibility is off-set by the reaction test.
If combined with, it seems overly restrictive to force a reaction test in
addition to the special case that the target is using both its actions for
movement.
If to augment, then the reaction test is performed only if the target is not
using both of its actions for movement, or the target comes into range other
than between its actions.
-----
Brian Bell bkb@beol.net
http://www.ftsr.org/sg2/
-----
> -----Original Message-----
People
> get jumpy if they are poorly trained or are tired.
You could use a rule-of-thumb to set the protracted period:
A unit that is on UNINTERRUPTED Overwatch for a number of turns greater than
thier quality die type: Untrained: 4 Green: 6 Regular: 8 Veteran: 10 Elite: 12
turns must test to NOT to fire. If fatigued, shift the quality die type down
for the number of turns of uninterrupted overwatch before testing (i.e. a
fatigued Veteran unit would begin testing after 8 turns). This will also make
it unlikely that an entire unit will be on overwatch for a protracted time,
as they will switch-off the duty to "keep cool".
-----
Brian Bell bkb@beol.net
http://www.ftsr.org
-----
> -----Original Message-----
[snip]
> Optional add ons:
[snip]
> 4) Involuntary triggering: Green or Untrained units, fatigued units,
People
> get jumpy if they are poorly trained or are tired.
[snip]
> Tomb
> On Tue, 02 January 2001, "Barclay, Tom" wrote:
> So, here we go, Overwatch II, by Me.
First off, it looks not bad! And it's not unlike my Overwatch rules on my web
site.
> A unit (or detachment or single figure for that matter) may enter
Personally, I think 1 action isn't enough. I see what you're doing, but with
what you have later you run the risk of having a lot of fire pouring down for
what's essentially a single action.
My own Overwatch rules allow the overwatching squads allow over watch at the
cost of 2 actions, though mine don't require a Reaction Test (that's what
Reaction Fire is for).
> A unit in overwatch that wishes to react to an action in front of it
I wouldn't use the penalty if movement is over 2", just because it adds
difficulty to the rules. I can see some players getting into arguments as to
how far they moved, and when a player must declare Overwatch fire. And is this
2" of physical movement on the board, of 2" of movement capability?"
Worse, you're essentially making it HARDER to hit a target that moves slowly.
That is, if I move a unit 12" across your front, it's easier to hit than if I
move 1". A fast moving unit is easier to hit one sauntering along.
I think I know what you're getting at. I suggest a simpler method. Make
it a TL+1 test if the unit conducts a Combat Move! That is what Combat
Movement is supposed to be in SG2, a unit moving while hugging the ground. It
could be a quick unexpected dash for cover, or a ponderous
move from rock-to-rock.
Make the TL+1 test for Combat Moving troops and you have a reason for
units making Combat Moves across open terrain even when the distance is 6" or
less.
Hmmm. I like that. I think I'll add that to my OWN Reaction Fire rules! *grin*
> Optional add ons:
I don't like this. You're essentially allowing split fire, albeit with a
Reaction Test, for the cost of one action, not two. In fact, you are also
breaking the "can only fire once per activation" rule, even with the drop in
TL per new target.
You also need counters to indicate the number of Overwatch firings they have
done, so you can tell what the TL modifier is for the test.
What about squads with multiple SAWs? Are all SAWs required to fire at the
same target? Or can they be put on Overwatch as a "split fire" unit and fire
independently? For that matter, can a SAW or other support weapon be put on
overwatch separate from the rest of the squad? I mean, they can fire separate
from the rest of the squad, why not go on Overwatch separately?
I personally think this shouldn't happen. I suspect you'll see a LOT more
suppressions with this, especially in squads with two or more support weapons.
I think you'll see scenarios bog down and be less mobile than SG2 is right
now. That may be what you're after, though.
I think this should be more for an FMA game, where the scale is a bit
different. With turns representing 1 to several minutes in SG2, I think
allowing multiple fire from support weapons is too unbalancing.
> 3) If you are particular, you may want to get a small counter with an
I would scrap this idea, too. I came up with an enfilade rule, but one thing
that was pointed out is that squads in SG2 don't have a facing. The figures do
not face in any particular direction. This was, in fact, one of the things
people liked about it. You didn't have to be that particular. For the reason I
had people show me that an enfilade rule isn't very practical in SG2, I don't
think this is either. It would be practical in FMA, though.
> 4) Involuntary triggering: Green or Untrained units, fatigued units,
People
> get jumpy if they are poorly trained or are tired.
How many times do they test, and when? I'm assuming they test once per
movement of a potentially triggering unit, but when is it tested? The moment
they first move, or some other point?
I would require the units test in the order of "target priority" given in the
rulebooks, if I used this at all. It has neat potential, but I'd make it a
part of ambush rules or scenario specific rules.
> Reaction Fire
Obviously I differ with your opinion here, as this is essentially my own
Reaction Fire rule, but I do it at a TL0 and don't require a TL test for
Overwatch.
Once again, I suggest an increase in TL if the target is using a combat move.
> Whether this test is passed or failed, that unit is
I don't agree with this. I think that if they fail the test, they should not
be activated.