From: Thomas Barclay <Thomas.Barclay@s...>
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 21:57:41 -0500
Subject: Some GMS Thoughts [SG2]
Now, perhaps I'm walking in others footsteps here... I dimly recall seeing something about other GMS types, but can't for the life of me find it in either my own mail or the archives.... Most conventional GMS in the books are 'standard' GMS by which I assume a state of the art shaped charge or HEAT style of warhead. I assume the warhead is compact, fast, and guided by a whole range of sensors in the missile (hence why GMS systems can fire both normal and multi-role GMS from the same launcher). But that leaves a number of interesting options. Overhead-Attack (OA) GMS This type of guided missile (either a Multi-role or Standard) GMS takes advantage of the fact that armour designers tend to armour the front and sides of most armoured vehicles more heavily than the top or rear (and in the case of most vehicles that don't fly, the bottom). This is usually sound design strategy as this helps to counter direct fire ordinance. But, it doesn't do much good against an OA GMS attack. The effect of an OA GMS is to strike the (usually) weaker top armour of a vehicle instead of the front or sides. If you track the armour values of different sides separately, just use the value for top armour. If not, use half (round down) of the armour value for the front armour. OA GMS is available in GMS/H, GMS/L, and GMS/P but should be (in a costed scenario) very expensive. Follow-On (FO) GMS The Follow-On GMS is an especially dangeorus type of GMS system. When a Follow-On GMS is fired, two missiles are launched. The primary, and the "Follow-On". The primary missile rolls to strike the target as normal. The Follow-On also simultaneously (in game terms) attacks the target. It homes in using IR and other sensors on the exact MPI of the previous missile. If the original missile misses, so does the FO missile. If the primary hits, the FO must roll to hit (Guidance+Operator Quality vs. D4). The ECM of the defender having been overcome by the guided primary, the secondary has a relatively simple task to impact the same spot. If a partial success is scored, the second missile strike is resolved as a normal missile strike against full armour. If a major success is scored (fairly likely), the second missile attacks half (round down) the armour of the struck facing. Note that this type of weapon has special paired ammunition and must be fired from a special launcher although such launchers are available as GMS/L-FO, GMS/H-FO, and GMS/P-FO. They (like the OA missiles) are very expensive, much moreso because they require a special type of launcher. Laser Homing (LH) GMS One important way of getting a GMS to its target is Laser target designation. A laser homing GMS differs from a conventional GMS in that its success is largely dependent on the success of the designator. Firing a laser designator is an action that an SG2 designator team (1-2 men, specialists or trained members of regular formations) can undertake. The object, of course, it to hold the designator on-target until such time as the GMS can home in on it. Generally, the designating unit will conduct this fire as its second action, and on the next friendly activation, the GMS firing unit will activate and fire as its first action. Note that there exists one enemy activation between times. This reflects the chance that (if the designators have not picked their opportunity well) the target vehicle or one of its flankers or another unit entirely could engage and suppress or destroy the designating unit. To Hit with a Laser Designator: 24" Range bands. Unit Quality die of Designator Team + Designator Quality vs. Range die. (If untrained in designator, apply two negative die shifts to unit quality). The figure using the designator must be identified. To Hit with a LH-GMS: If Laser Designation unit has scored major success and the LOS between designator unit and target is not obscured, the designating figure has not been suppressed, rendered a casualty, or forced to route or the like: Quality Die of GMS Team + Guidance of GMS vs. D4. If Laser Designation unit has scored minor success and the LOS between designator unit and target is not obscured, the designating figure has not been suppressed, rendered a casualty, or forced to route or the like: Quality Die of GMS Team + Guidance of GMS vs. D8. If Laser Designation unit has failed or has been suppressed, or the designator has blocked LOS, the designating figure is rendered a casualty, or forced to route or the like: Quality Die of GMS Team + Guidance of GMS vs. (D8x2). Laser Homing GMS are available in GMS/L, GMS/H, and GMS/P. LH GMS missiles may be fired from a standard GMS launcher as the beam riding is a missile function. They are expensive however. The Laser designator is a man portable unit (although each team probably has two just in case one breaks, hence a two man team). Smaller designators with 12" range bands may be available. A vehiclular designator system could be considered to take up 2 spaces, have a 24" range band (but multiple by target class). Such a designator may be fired as the first action of a vehicle crew (by, for example the commander) and the GMS could be fired as the second action (by the gunner). This kind of designation is fast enough that it allows very little reaction on behalf of the target. Note for the daring, infantry laser beacons are available. If one of these is successfully attached to a target vehicle, it is considered designated by a major success. To Attach Infantry Laser Beacon: Troops must move into contact with enemy vehicle. Placement is a single action, which risks one member of the squad (owner must designate). Chance of successful placement: Infantry Troop Quality vs. Vehicle Crew Troop Quality. This represents the fact that vehicle crew will try to make it hard for swarming infantry to place such a beacon. (And they'll probably, on their action, hose the infantry with SAWS). If the vehicle moved during the turn the infantry are trying to attach the beacon, apply a one die negative shift on the attacking infantry's quality. If the vehicle moved twice, two die shifts negative on the attacking infantry's quality. If any hit is scored, consider the beacon attacked. IF THE INFANTRY TROOP QUALITY ROLL IS A 2, the infantry-man placing the mine is injured by the vehicle. IF THE INFANTRY TROOP QUALITY ROLL IS A 1, the infantry-man placing the mine is killed. Note, it is possible to place the beacon and still have a trooper injured. Removing a beacon would involve an action by either friendly infantry in contact with the vehicle or an already dismounted vehicle crew. Note that the above rolls could also be used for Limpet Mine (D12* Impact attack) placement. If major success is acheived, D12x2 is the Impact. (as per standard rules for weapons with an asterisk). Vehicular Point Defense System (VPDS) The VPDS system involves several components, any combination of which can be installed. They are available in all standard quality levels. APFC Belts - Charges designed to kill infantry that get too close to the vehicle. When any infantry unit enters 6" of the vehicle with active APFC Belts, the APFCs fire. This includes if the vehicle drives past such units. The APFC attacks the target as a standard CDM. If the vehicle with APFC is hit by a kinetic energy weapon (HKP, RFAC, SLAM, etc), the APFC may be set off involuntarily (bad for friendlies too). Roll a quality die for the VPDS system. If the roll is a one, the APFC detonates, attacking EVERYTHING within 6" of the vehicle as a CDM. The APFC belt is then considered destroyed. If ANY heavy weapon hits an APFC equipped vehicle, roll the VPDS system quality die (actually this can be combined with the explosion roll) and on a 1-2, the APFC belt is destroyed with no explosion (if combining the rolls, 2 destroys the system, 1 sets it off -thus also destroying it). Laser Obscuring Aerosol Dispensers (LOADs) The vehicle with LOADs has a laser sensing net as part of its design and an array of LOAD cannisters to dispense laser blocking smoke (also blocks normal LOS) when the target is designated with a laser (but not with an infantry beacon!). When the LOAD equipped vehicle is designated, roll VPDS quality die vs. D8. If the LOAD die is higher, the LOAD system activates and (in a direct line between the designator and target) a 2" wide, 3" long smoke cloud will be placed. This effectively blocks LOS betweem the center of the vehicle and the designator. Any laser guided missiles using this designator are considered designated by a blocked designator. This aerosol will also block normal fire resolution or hamper it severely (+1 range band for every 0.5" of aerosol). (check me here... this may not be consistent with smoke penalties....) Multiple LOAD deployments in a turn are possible. Anti-Missile Kinetic Defence System (AMKDS) An AMKDS is a high precision, short range, high accuracy radar suite coupled to a direct fire, high rate weapon. The vehicle designer can hook the system to a designated missile defence only weapon, or to another more general purppose weapon. The advantage of designating a weapon system for this is that its use WON'T stop you firing during a round and that your normal engagement WON'T stop your missile defence from working. The weapon must be a modified HEL (capable of short, rapid pulses) or an RFAC. (I don't think any other types are appropriate). WIth a designated AMKDS weapon: When a GMS is launch targetted on the vehicle occurs, before it is resolved, the AMKDS system attempts to intercept. Roll VPDS quality die versus missile guidance (represents the quality of missile electronics and its ability to dodge as it comes in). If VPDS wins, missile is destroyed. If missile wins, missile then gets to attack normally. With a general use weapon fitted for dual role AMKDS: When a GMS is launch targetted on the vehicle occurs, before it is resolved, the AMKDS system attempts to intercept. If the weapon system has already fired this turn, the system may not attempt an intercept (the gun is engaging other targets). If the weapon has not fired this turn, AMKDS engages and THE GUN MAY NOT FIRE THIS TURN except for further AMKDS engagements. Roll VPDS quality die with a one die negative shift (non designated weapon) versus missile guidance (represents the quality of missile electronics and its ability to dodge as it comes in). If VPDS wins, missile is destroyed. If missile wins, missile then gets to attack normally. LOAD systems and APFC belts are reasonably inexpensive. AMKDS systems are fairly expensive for the radar system, but are more expensive (and effective) if a seperate turreted weapon is designed into the vehicle specifically for AMKDS use. Now, how's that for some GMS ideas? Comments welcome. When these are cleaned up, I'll post them to Jed's Unofficial Stargunt WWW Page. Tom. /************************************************