Hello, There have been previous discussions of how to build different kinds of
Area Air Defense systems, those that use RFACs, GMSs, and even DFFGs. However,
my thoughts are more along the lines of deploying a Theater Air
Defense system, an eveolution of the current THAAD and SM-2 Block IV
missile systems. This system would attack all aerospace vehicles that enter
the planetary sector from orbit, all aerospace and VTOL aircraft that are at
high altitude, and all objects larger than size one that are being orbitally
inserted. It would use the same mechanics as the current Area Air Defense
systems, quality die ect. But its roll is to effect the entire table top. The
total system would take up a lot of space. It could be in one giant fixed
facility or be built from multiple modules, the loss of a module decreases the
quality die, etc. I was thinking of using something like this to represent the
planetary defense batteries of the Imperium cross over discussion for Full
Thrust. Now we might be able to play a DirtSide II battle for control of the
planetary surface... Phil P.
Gort, Klaatu barada nikto!
Phillip spake thusly upon matters weighty:
I don't think it could be just one installation. That wouldn't give you full
planetary coverage. Minimum I'd say would be 3 big installations each covering
120 of arc.
Attacking this in SG and DS2 should be fun!
Note that the fact it doesn't attack size 1 suggests the use of either drop
troops (size zero) or drop pods with 2 pa or 5 normal grunts each) (unless
I've misremembered I think its one SG2 cap point for a trooper). Justifies
doing conventional PA. (To neutralize THAAD and PD batteries before the real
landings).
Tom.
> Hello,
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> At 04:00 PM 10/21/98 -0500, Thomas Barclay wrote:
Actually my thought was this was not represented in the Full Thrust Level
but only as an abstraction in the DirtSide/StarGrunt (covering that
entire planetary zone, i.e. large table) level with a representative facility.
If you wanted complete coverage off your entire planet, then you would have to
buy around a hundred of these things.
Yes, the goal is to force PA/Drop troop actions against a
facility like this, either that or you land in an adjacent planetary zone and
walk into your enemy's holdings. This means that a deteremined defender can
extend the lenght of the campeign by having a few of these things.
Gort, Klaatu barada nikto!
Phillip spake thusly upon matters weighty:
> Actually my thought was this was not represented in the Full
Makes sense. Sorry the words "Planetary Zone" said "entire world" to me.
Pardon my ignorance of DS2.
> Yes, the goal is to force PA/Drop troop actions against a
Depth in defence forcing your enemy to drop outside your main areas and
advance by land. These could even be up once PDCs are neutralized. Or maybe
you have to take out both before landers can
come in. Probably. That would make for intense drop troop/small
lander actions since I'm sure both are heavily emplaced. I'd also figure that
these would be tuned to killing mid size (say SG2 size
2+) landers whereas PDCs take out FT ships.
Neat concept. Makes planetary assaults more thorny and explains why your
infantry goes in first as drop troops and why you don't drop big landers in
wave 1. That means no armour (unless you've got a lot of ECM and stuff).
Probably just grunts, SF and PA in wave 1. When you
take out THAAD, then you drop your size 5-7 landers with the tanks
and major troop formations. Or maybe ships that are just "out of scale" for
SG2 like a company or platoon lander. But to land those, I think you need to
have killed the PDCs too. PDCs probably can't engage anything smaller than an
FT mass 1 ship. That would be 25 CP in SG2 or size 5. So anything size 6 or
bigger can be targetted by PDCs unless FT says somewhere that you need to
target a specific
minimum mass - if so then multiply that by 5 to get an idea of what
SG2 or DS2 size class equivalent. I suspect PDCs would only engage FT
ships. Your THAAD would be the anti-drop used against landers. Drop
troops just don't get stopped (too small). Either that or you are
forced to use some sort of specialized PDS-AA system that can target
such small targets...
Tom.
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i really like this THAAD idea, and roughly similar ideas, because it provides
a really good reason why the first wave has to be marines in small landers or
drop capsules.
> On Thu, 22 Oct 1998, Thomas Barclay wrote:
i submit in support the testimony of one Gunner/Driver David M Kassel
(iirc), to be found in the front of the ds2 rulebook; he reckons that usually,
the force lands away from major centres and rolls in overland. i assume that
any air defence in the drop zone would be given a thorough munching by
ortillery, since there won't be much collateral damage.
however, in this case (assault on M'hung Du), the force went in directly on
top of the target, and got shot to pieces. this is why, if you want to drop
right on top of a defended area, you need to send in the marines first to
knuck out air defence.
> These could even be up once PDCs are
this is the thing; your THAAD units are crucial to your defence plan, so
you'll dig them in and provide defenders. marines in pa with no armour,
probably very little air support and no ortillery (this is a high-value
target) will have a bloody hard time doing it. still, they are (a) powered (b)
more concentrated, and so numerically superior (c) better trained and
equipped. should be a fun scenario!
> Neat concept.
you can say that again.
Tom