CLOSE COMBAT
Kaizer Nhel has declared war against the Ultimate Enemy on behalf of the nation of Londia. Upon word of this decision, the citizenry rejoiced and much merrymaking was to be had. Amidst jubilant celebration the Holy Emperor subsequently decreed his generals to begin the offensive. It was then, on the eve of the year Holistic Century 0090, that the Lord Marshal Johannes Sink ordered his troops to begin the advance into southern Hauzland.
The 1st Mobile Infantry Division begin their journey across the bocage country, the first step in the march for the Hauzer heartland and the capital of Gibalt, the ultimate goal being the seizure of the state heads and the surrender of the Hauzer leadership. In the fight for the south country, the 4th Airborne lead the way for the Londian army, their first task in paving the Road to Gibalt is the seizure of Arnho.
The Hauzer countryside is a maze of hedgerows with cores of stone, built up over centuries of plowing to protect farmer's crops from the coastal wind. Journeying directly across the countryside has proved an offensive nightmare against the entrenched Hauzer militias and the army desperately needs highways to use as secure supply lines in order to move men and equipment to the frontline. A special detachment belonging to the 1st Mobile Infantry Division, the 4th Special Brigade Airborne Fusiliers, 1st Cavalry Company Knights, Hokuten Chapter are deployed to the Arnho region to secure the town ahead of time. This marks the first major engagement of the war.
World
The game proper takes place in an alternate universe somewhat resembling 1940s Europe during the time of the Second World War. There is some soft science tech, for example the armored assault-lander airships that the Londian Fusiliers sometimes make use of.
Rules
The scope of the game is limited to scenarios: realistic, company-level conflicts amongst 2 or more battlegroups.
There is no rolling in this game. Game decisions are arbitrated based upon the player's decisions within the context of the conflict, taking into account the position and condition of his troops. The distances at which units move will not be precise (this will become more clear once you actually see the map) since we're not playing on a tabletop and there's no convenient way to use measurement to move units on a non-grid map in a play-by-post game. I don't want to deal with trying to make up complicated rules with lots of fancy maths, so we make the ultimate sacrifice by trading !!SCIENCE!! for playability. Stuff will play out how it plays out, do not test my patience by arguing with me over a loss, that said I'll try to make my conclusions as logically as possible!
The following factors (based directly on mechanics from the series this game is inspired by) are vital and should be considered when giving your men orders:
Mental Condition: The combatants' morale is affected by factors such as being near officers, being supported by other units, being under fire, taking casualties, and being left without orders. Troops are
Stable when they are in no danger;
Cowering when pinned down by heavy enemy fire; or
Panicked when surrounded by dead comrades, wounded or near enemy shock weapons such as flamethrowers or armor. Units will not follow suicidal orders. Attempting to zerg the enemy will result in units seeking cover, refusing to obey orders or even deserting.
Experience: Reserve units or newly replaced troops will fire and move more slowly and be more likely to panic. They are unlikely to prevail against veteran troops.
Ammunition: The game will model the amount of ammunition each unit possesses. Troops in a heavy firefight will quickly run out of ammunition. Once out of ammunition they will resort to bayonet fighting, or surrender to any enemies that approach them, although they could also scavenge weapons or ammunition from fallen friendly and enemy soldiers.
Physical State: Troops can be
Healthy;
Injured by enemy fire (in which case they will move and fire more slowly);
Incapacitated if enemy fire caused the soldier to be unable to fight; and finally
Dead. Being wounded is a condition that is only relevant during combat, you need not manage incapacitated units. Anyone who isn't Dead will be restored to Healthy status when the battle is over.
Stamina: Troops can be
Rested;
Winded after exerting themselves, in which case they will move slowly until they are rested again; and
Fatigued, after prolonged exertion, which will slow them down for the rest of the battle.
---
A couple things shall need to be voted on before we continue:
-Troop Conservation-
Casual (There will always be enough troops to win, your unit is constantly at full strength and they always have at least a small pool of veterans. Troop conservation is not a concern and though players can still lose battles the campaign will never become unwinnable because they have taken too many casualties.)
OR
Hardcore (You have a limited pool of units that are periodically reinforced by replacements. If you often take full casualties the enemy can begin to outveteran and outnumber you in later battles.)
-Difficulty-
Easy (If you lose a critical battle, you can try again with more troops.)
OR
Normal (You have to live with your defeats, battles cannot be redone.)
OR
!!FUN!! (The GM won't pull any punches! He'll do his damnedest to fairly deceive and torture the players!)
Rifle Infantry are armed with rifles and grenades. Because they are less encumbered, light infantry can travel good distances without becoming tired. This makes them well suited for rapid advances or probing for the enemy. Their rifles cannot generate a great deal of firepower, however.
Medium Infantry have rifles, grenades, and light automatic weapons. Medium infantry are well rounded, in terms of both mobility and fire power.
Heavy Infantry have even more firepower, such as flamethrowers and demolition charges. Well suited to close combat, heavy infantry can also be quite effective against tanks if they can get close enough. Because of the heavy weight of their gear, heavy infantry are slow and can quickly become winded.
Snipers are deadly long range shooters who work alone. They are more accurate at long range and are more likely to kill, but they have a low rate of fire. Snipers are easily suppressed and cannot be expected to survive a shoot-out with the enemy.
Scouts are used for locating the enemy, either as offensive patrols or defensive outposts. With fewer men and lighter armament, they are quicker and harder to spot than regular infantry, but lack firepower and cannot take many casualties.
Infantry Anti-Tank Teams are armed with infantry anti-tank weapons. Infantry AT weapons generally have a low rate of fire, short range, and limited ammunition. For best results they should hide until they can fire at the enemy tanks from close range, and preferably at their side or rear armor.
Secondary Weapons
In addition to their primary weapons, many soldiers carry secondary weapons like hand grenades, smoke grenades, or demolition charges. When the opportunity arises to use these weapons your soldiers might do so automatically.
Mortar Crews engage the enemy with indirect fire, lobbing powerful explosive shells great distances. A mortar team will be more accurate while firing at targets they can see.
The heavier a mortar is, the slower the rate of fire, but the more powerful the shell. Heavy and medium mortars are powerful enough to be used against buildings. Mortars can also lend vital support to friendly units by dropping smoke at great distance.
Machine Guns are highly effective against infantry and light vehicles and are very effective at suppression. Machine gun crews can only move their weapons slowly and require time to set up the weapon when they reach a new position.
Flamethrowers
These are very effective against both infantry and armor, but have a very short range and limited number of shots. They are heavy and slow moving, but don’t require a setup period. As might be imagined, a flame-thrower tends to start fires. Troops with flame-throwers are extremely vulnerable and can actually explode if hit.
AT Guns
Anti-tank guns are field pieces, modern cannons designed to destroy enemy tanks with armor piercing shells. Anti-tank guns are not very mobile, they must be dragged about by their crews. With only a thin gun shield for protection, anti-tank guns require a mix of surprise and proper placement to be effective. Anti-tank guns with High-Explosive (HE) rounds can be effective against infantry.
Field Guns, Howitzers and AAA
These types of guns are often used to support the front line infantry with direct fire. Infantry guns and howitzers usually have poor anti-tank capabilities, being primarily designed to blast enemy infantry with HE shells. Small anti-aircraft guns have a high rate of fire, and can chew up infantry and light vehicles with ease. High caliber anti-aircraft guns can be effective in the anti-tank role, but their large size and immobility must be taken into account.
Light Vehicles
Half-tracks and armored cars are fast, and may be heavily armed, but they are lightly armored. Just about any anti-tank weapon can punch through their light armor with ease, and may even be vulnerable to machine gun or small arms fire at close range. Unarmored vehicles such as trucks are vulnerable even to rifle fire.
Some vehicles can transport men into battle.
Tanks
A tank has enough armor to be invulnerable to small arms and machine gun fire. Tanks carry machine guns, as well as High-Explosive charges (HE) shells for use against enemy infantry, and armor piercing shells (AP) that are effective against the thick armor of enemy tanks. It is very difficult for the crew inside the tank to spot enemy infantry, and a tank is vulnerable to properly armed infantry who can get close enough. Tanks that move alone into close range with enemy infantry may be damaged, immobilized, or even knocked out by unseen infantry using handheld anti-tank weapons or a close assault with grenades.
When not in immediate danger, tank crews generally keep portholes and the top hatch open, this allows maximum visibility, although it does allow the possibility of surprise attacks while partly vulnerable, particularly from snipers. Once danger is recognized, such ports are closed, affording protection but limiting visibility.
As a general rule, tanks have much heavier armor on the front of the tank than they do on the sides or rear.
Tank Destroyers and Self-Propelled Guns
These weapons have large guns that can usually fire AP rounds like tanks, but they are not as heavily armored. Mobile guns generally have no turret, firing only forward over a limited arc. While not nearly as flexible as tanks, these vehicles are usually quite good at the specialized role they were designed for—either destroying enemy tanks or blasting infantry out of cover.
Mental Condition [MC]
Panicked Overwhelmed by stress, the soldier is likely to make very poor decisions. He may recover given time and/or better leadership.
Broken The soldier’s morale has broken and he is focused only on self-preservation. He may recover given time and/or better leadership.
Routed This soldier is fleeing the battle field; he cannot be recovered until the battle is over.
Suppressed Enemy fire is affecting the soldier’s accuracy and rate of fire.
Pinned Enemy fire is forcing the soldier to keep his head down. He spends more time hiding than firing.
Cowering Enemy fire has forced the soldier to hide. He will fire only in desperation.
Stunned An explosion has temporarily knocked the soldier out.
Heroic The soldier is confident, is less affected by enemy fire, and has an increased level of performance.
Fanatic The soldier all but ignores enemy fire and will fight on regardless of the situation.
Berserk Rage has overcome the soldier, and he acts without fear. Berserk soldiers often charge the enemy. Such displays of fearlessness can inspire those around him.
Experience [EXP]
Green Slow, are easily winded and expend ammunition quickly.
Experienced Average move speed, are more accurate and efficient with ammo.
Veteran Move very quickly, are very accurate and don't fatigue easily. Other troops are less likely to disobey or route with these experienced troops in their unit.
Physical State [PS]
Healthy In good health and morale.
Wounded Wounded, but is still alive.
Unconscious Out of action due to wounds or being stunned.
Dead Killed in action.
Stamina [STA]
Rested Ready to fight. This unit is at maximum possible efficiency.
Winded Tiring but able to recover with a short break.
Fatigued Very tired and needs to rest. Can't recover for the rest of the battle.
[Light Cover] [Grenades: 5 Smoke: 4 Demo: 1]
Habens | Leader | MC:Suppressed EXP:Experienced PS:Wounded STA:Winded | Lupet .45 [12]
Lory | Assistant | MC:Panicked EXP:Green PS:Healthy STA:Winded | Rifle No.4 Mk I [31]
Uller | Soldier | MC:Unconscious EXP:Experienced PS:Incapacitated STA:Winded | Rifle No.4 Mk I [45]
Adkins | Soldier | MC:Surpressed EXP:Experienced PS:Wounded STA:Winded | Rifle No.4 Mk I [46]
Horker | Soldier | MC:--- EXP:Experienced PS:Dead STA:--- | Rifle No.4 Mk I [50]
XL Corps
1st Mobile Infantry Division
- 90th Light Advance Brigade
- 9th Battalion Pathfinders
- 29th Battalion Scouts
- 73rd Battalion Engineers
- 64th Mechanized Infantry Brigade
- 12th Battalion Rifles
- 23rd Battalion Grenadiers
- 13th Battalion Mortar Guards
- 4th Airborne Fusiliers Brigade
- 1st Battalion Cavalry Knights (Hokuten Chapter)
- 23rd Battalion Artillery Knights (Margriff Chapter)
- 86th Battalion Denoarmur Knights (Ziekden Chapter)
102nd Combined Artillery Division
903rd Heavy Armor Division
Nast
Spreckel
Schulst
Kaufmann
Author
Topic: [SG] Close Combat: Road to Gibalt - Assault at Daybreak (Read 13010 times)