Kevin Kenneally
Elder Member
All,
When creating scenarios, do you incorporate a Crew Counter for MMGs/HMGs?
Or even Light Mortars?
When creating scenarios, do you incorporate a Crew Counter for MMGs/HMGs?
Or even Light Mortars?
FWIW, I design so far only for US/German scenarios, so not for those nationalities.All,
When creating scenarios, do you incorporate a Crew Counter for MMGs/HMGs?
Or even Light Mortars?
Neither Avalon Hill nor HOB BR:T has such a rule. In fact the Japanese MGs can be manned by elite/first-line without penalty in AH, and in HOB any Japanese unit can use a MG without penalty, meaning that the Japanese have no crews for MGs. Neither product changes the rules for SW MTRs.BR:T is but one example of many- of products that require MMGs/ HMGs and Mtrs to be manned by a pre-designated HS. In BR:Ts case, the HS 's may also never recombine, per SSRs, and are of a different quality than the HSs that the full squad 6-6-8s / 7-6-8s will generate in the course of the game.
Huh? I have never seen such a rule in any of those products. Do you have a cite? You get infantry to man the HMGs in HW platoons, but those units have no special ability, and the weapons can be used by any infantry normally. MTRs are just part of the infantry coy/plt SW allotment.KGP/ RB/RO/ FB/ VotG - all come with a designated infantry unit of some type to man many of the HMGs and Lt Mtrs in the game.
Sounds like we need more status counters.Using designated halfsquads is perhaps a worse solution than using crews (which I think is bad enough). In order to play that right, every time you fire I have to ask, "is there a MMG or HMG in that firegroup?" and if there is, "is the unit that is using it qualified?" Every time. What happens when these special halfsquads recombine? Does that special ability disappear? Or do you have to record the squad as having one (or two) MG-qualified halfsquads? Can a full squad that has only one MG-qualified halfsquad use two M/HMGs that it possesses? When a casualty reduction happens, which half is eliminated? What happens on an ELR? Can we change the name of the game from Advanced Squad Leader to Advanced Book Keeper?
JR
Status counters would make tracking somewhat easier. You still have many of the problems when halfsquads combine. It would sure make for some scary stacks. Perhaps better if you decided to this route would be to print "MG qualified" counters. Depending on the rules you create, you might need 0x, 1x & 2x qualified squad counters. There are so many possible rules (e.g. qualified halfsquads may not combine into squads) that exactly what you need depends on your choices.Sounds like we need more status counters.
Or maybe two-tone counters for the qualified units. Note: severe sarcasm warning ...Status counters would make tracking somewhat easier. You still have many of the problems when halfsquads combine. It would sure make for some scary stacks. Perhaps better if you decided to this route would be to print "MG qualified" counters. Depending on the rules you create, you might need 0x, 1x & 2x qualified squad counters. There are so many possible rules (e.g. qualified halfsquads may not combine into squads) that exactly what you need depends on your choices.
JR
None of these has any special ability to use the weapons, and any other unit can use those weapons just as well. There is no recording of units that have MG ability or MTR ability. If you give me 2-2-8s, they get DCs and/or FTs. 1-2-7s? Not sure, but the MGs go with squads unless firing at very long range. Probably as bump-scouts with self-rally. Might give them DCs. 2-4-8s? Probably as bump scouts, although in Tarawa they are the weakest units so they might get the 60mm MTRs for long range fire. For closer ops the MTRs go to squads. That they have to set up with/enter with those special units, that's a minor annoyance, and easily fixed.I could continue but why bother- you can deny that HS and 1-2-7 crews are bing provided specifically for setup with the SWs if you wish - but the rules are quite clear otherwise.
You will also find in these CG's a rule that is similar to V12.6223:
"... Each Weapon received by a HW/MOL-P Pltn must set-up/enter possessed by a unit of its respective RG ..."
As for the Marine 2-4-8s in BR:T - T15.611:
"...All retained same-class HS with the same Strength Factors within the same Setup_Area must now Recombine (A1.32) so that no more than one of each HS type is Retained in that area [EXC: Marine 2-4-8s; ..."
Marine 2-4-8s may not recombine, nor are they created by any means in play from either the 6-6-8 or the 7-6-8 squad types.
the item you are failing to understand is that that designated 2-4-8, that designated 1-2-7, and that designated 2-2-8 are the ONLY units allowed to either set up or enter the map area in play with their designated SW's in possession. no other entering or setting up unit can possess them at game start. you can buy or set up any other RGs or at start units you prefer, but those SWs can ONLY enter or be set up at game start, in possession of the RG they belong to, not any other RG or any other unit. Now, once they are on map, you can do anything you please with either the unit or the SW, IAW the rules for possession, transfer and abandonment and recovery. That 2-4-8 is the only unit hiking the .50 cal HMG onto the map from off map as part of an assault wave in BR:T. If you want to pause him out in the surf and then have him transfer it in a subsequent RPh/APh to a 6-6-8 that also stopped there in the surf, well, that's your choice. The 6-6-8 did not and never will, enter the map carrying a SW assigned to the HW RG, unless you do choose to not play that game of ASL by the rules as written. The language seems pretty unambiguous to me:None of these has any special ability to use the weapons, and any other unit can use those weapons just as well. There is no recording of units that have MG ability or MTR ability. If you give me 2-2-8s, they get DCs and/or FTs. 1-2-7s? Not sure, but the MGs go with squads unless firing at very long range. Probably as bump-scouts with self-rally. Might give them DCs. 2-4-8s? Probably as bump scouts, although in Tarawa they are the weakest units so they might get the 60mm MTRs for long range fire. For closer ops the MTRs go to squads. That they have to set up with/enter with those special units, that's a minor annoyance, and easily fixed.
That is what happens when you provide special units like crews for MGs/MTRs. Unless other units are penalized for the use, special units get used for other purposes. If you choose relatively weak special units (like 2-4-8s in Tarawa) they might get used as you intend, but then they might get used as fodder. In a night scenario, for example, my 2-4-8s are probably out front, and probably not with a MTR.
JR
Only by people who are min/max'ers instead of respectful of the bits of historical TOE & doctrine & "reality" that the designer worked very hard to create.That is what happens when you provide special units like crews for MGs/MTRs. Unless other units are penalized for the use, special units get used for other purposes. If you choose relatively weak special units (like 2-4-8s in Tarawa) they might get used as you intend, but then they might get used as fodder. In a night scenario, for example, my 2-4-8s are probably out front, and probably not with a MTR.
JR