Feel free to design your own set of rules here....
Totally agree with your remarks JRV, but I thought I'd take advantage of your last remark to post a first draft of a heretical rule I've authored. By the way, in writing this out... jeez... you are so correct it is so much harder to actually produce air-tight, quibble-proof rules, than one at first imagines... I'm not at all certain I've managed it! To anyone who complains about the RB (and it isn't perfect, not saying it is) try to write a few air-tight rules. I think you'll become more forgiving of the RB as it is.
Speed as Cover
Some vehicles are capable of speeds which make them more difficult to hit. A vehicle which is capable of expending MP greater than or equal to 16 in its Mph (inclusive of MP gained in
its current Mph thru ESB) may declare Rapid Movement (RM) and receive a +1 DRM to any TH or IFT DR made against it so long as it maintains Rapid Movement. Rapid Movement does NOT negate FFMO. A vehicle which declares Rapid Movement must make a Rapid Movement Breakdown Check (RMBC) in the
last hex it potentially received a RM DRM, subject to DRM given in chart below. OVR is NA for a vehicle while using Rapid Movement. Rapid Movement is NA for aerial units and units in water.
DRM for RMBC
Vehicle is on unpaved Road +1
Vehicle is using tracked/half-tracked movement on non-road terrain +3
Vehicle using wheeled movement on non-road terrain. +5
Non-SMOKE hindrance value of non-road hexes moved into (including LV hindrance, per hex, cumulative).
SMOKE Hindrance moved into. (*cumulative)
Buttoned Up. +1
VRM +1
A RMBC DR greater than 12 results in Bog
An RMBC DR greater than 14 results in Immobilization. Rapid Movement is NA in terrain which requires greater than 1MP (EXC. Grain, Plowed field, Elevation change).
A dr is made for a vehicle which fails an RMBC. Subtract MP equal to the dr from the vehicle's MP expenditure beginning from the last RM hex expenditure and work backwards. Place the immobilzed/bogged vehicle in the hex it would have reached using the diminished MP expenditure. If the diminished MP expenditure would exceed the MP actually expended in Rapid Movement, the RMBC does not fail. Any Defensive First Fire result obtained against the vehicle or it's PRC which came in a location subsequent to the one in which it is placed due to a failed RMBC is disregarded (eg. KIA, K, break, HOB, SA, etc.) as are any consequences to the firing defender (eg. Defensive fire status, weapon Malf etc.)
Defenders, including defenders which had results voided due to a failed RMBC, may fire at the bogged/immobilized unit, subject to all limitations of range, los, etc., with a new attack DR/dr. The MP expenditure in the location of a failed RMBC is equal to MP required to enter the bog/immobilization hex normally.
Rapid Movement status is lost when a vehicle: Voluntarily declares RM is ended; Expends for any purpose including VCA, (EXC elevation change) excess of 1 MP in any one hex; ends its Mph either voluntarily or due to bog/immobilization; or moves from a superior to inferior surface (eg. from paved road to unpaved road or non-road; or from unpaved road to non-road)
A vehicle may declare Rapid Movement as often as it likes in a single Mph so long as it passes its RMBC's.
Some vehicles are capable of Very Rapid Movement. A vehicle with 30 mp or more available to it (inclusive of MP gained in
its current Mph thru ESB) may declare Very Rapid Movement and receive +2 to any TH or IFT DR made against it so long as it maintains Very Rapid Movement. VRM functions exactly like RM except VRM may not be declared or maintained on a non-road/bridge surface. A unit using VRM also incurs +1 on all RMBC DR.
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Come on, it's a good rule