A Squad/skirmish game modification
Anyone (or DB) ever thought about making some skirmish or squad-based rules (one-figure one-man) based on Panzer Grenadier? And would DB mind if someone did? I was thinking - all the fire, armour and movement factors can be transferred together with most of the rule details like spotting to bogged down: you just need some simplification to rolls and one or two extra effects and you could make a pretty effective squad-rules suppliment. Any thoughts? :wink:

Hi, I'd like to see this too. It would be interesting. Cheers, Dave

It really doesn't take a massive shift in the rules, I don't think - we recently did a semi-recreation of Operation Biting (perhaps a little big for a 'skirmish' scale - but also rather small compared to the full battalion battles we have done). Forces on the british side amounted to just shy of a company, though I don't know how well this reflects history (116 men is the figure I've found listed). I believe my friend adapted the scenario from FoW and simply tried to equate the units.

Yeah, I was wondering if anybody had played 1 base equals 1 fireteam (1/2 section) and what their thoughts or suggestions were? Cheers, Dave

D, 1 base equals 1 fireteam (1/2 section) Not a bad idea but I think this would need additional command and control rules to get to grips with the downsizing. DB

Well there's a challenge

If you're going to go to 1 15mm model=1 man/tank etc., I would just decentralise command for each platoon from one stand into 4-5 figures (platoon commanders, section commanders) and keep the rules the same. I'm sure you could find an appropriate breakdown with numbers for the typical rifle section, MMG section and so on. Just treat crewed weapons similarly to General de Brigade or BG!; the gun is crewed by a number of models and will still operate (reduced firing rate) if there are still crew present. Treat the gun shield (if there is one) as cover for the purposes of them being targeted. You could start adding in more damage and surpression effects for AFVs, since there will ideally be fewer of them on the battlefield. But you could increase their effectiveness by allowing the use of hull mounted machine guns etc. as separate weapons. Whether or not you'd need to adjust weapon ranges and movement I don't know. The appeal of BG:PG is that it plays quickly and easily and that you don't get bogged down in too many different stats, IMO - the system is pretty robust, just change the organisation of the units to reflect a tighter focus in scale.

I'd like to see the rules as little changed as possible for this mod. Personally I wouldn't want the AFV rules any more complicated than they are, or movement and ranges altered, in case of the increased workload of using more bases. The typical inf platoon would increase from 4 bases to say 7 bases.(1 command section base, 3 section bases, to 1 command base and 6 fire team/half section bases. Just perhaps the bare minimum of command rule changes to make it work. Regards, Dave

Sounds Good Cacadores! I always assume the AFV commanders are looking out anyway, unless they are suppressed. Again I always presume the inf will assume the best posture under the cicumstances be that prone or using available cover. Simple is best for me Regards, Dave

Thanks Ross (what have you done to the thread?!!) I agree with you - simple is best. I just reckoned that the decision to go prone or to stick you head out of the turret would be interesting to incorporate in the game. Sometimes its a fine line as to what's best: the tank commander who decides to risk 'head up' in order to lay down tracer to identify a target to the gunner...the prone squad that decides to stand as a strategy to win the supression fire battle and enable them to move.......etc. I just reckoned these would be perfect tactical decisions to incorporate in a squad-based game. What you reckon? :wink:

Hi, Sorry I don't know whats happened to it. Maybe I gremlined it!? Prone/heads up would be skirmish (up to platoon I guess). I would like to fight platoon to company a side. The player (me) representing the PC or CC who wouldn't make those decisions:) Regards, Dave