[SG2] Patton's Rules of Order

Never let your maps show more than two levels down, never write 
orders more than one level down. - paraphrase of Patton. 

Here is a way to simulate this command structure in SG2, and to prevent
people at Battalion command from interfering with the operations in a
Company (generally not desireable) and to prevent artillery officers
from running off with infantry picketing a round because they need
someone to help them move their guns. 

Normally, an officer may give orders to the TOE elements under his
command (a Co. commander can give orders to platoon commanders and a
Platoon Cmdr can give orders to a squad in the platoon). This is
represented by the normal loaning of activation rules. 

To Order a unit not directly under command:
Opposed Roll between current orders from normal command and new orders
from other source. 

Current Orders die is dependent on the level of leader that gave the
order: 
Ldr 1: d10
Ldr 2: d8
Ldr 1: d6

New Orders die is dependent on level of leader that gave the new order:
Ldr 1: d8
Ldr 2: d6
Ldr 3: d4

Modifiers to this roll include:
Command Unit giving new orders not in direct chain of command to unit
being ordered: +1 ds
Command Unit giving new orders not in same service branch: + 1 ds
Command Unit giving new orders not in same service: + 2 ds
(The above modifiers accumulate)
Also, a modifier for rank difference. 
Rank Levels
Private, Corporal	1
Sergeant, Warrant	2
Lt.			3
Senior Warrant		4
Capt. or Major		5
Lt. Col or Col. 	6
Flag Rank		7
The difference between the issuer of old orders and new is a die shift.
If the old orders were given by a higher ranking officer, it is an open
shift on the Old Orders die. If the new orders were given by a ranking
officer, it is an open shift on the New Orders die. 

Examples:
Ex 1.
Infantry Warrant Officer has his platoon dug in on a hill his platoon
was ordered to hold at the start of the operation. His Lt. is dead. A
Lt. Col from Batallion HQ arrives and orders the Warrant's Troops to
abandon the hill and retreat. This is not coming from the Warrant's
Company Commander, so a test to see if he will stick to his old orders
or carry out the new one is required (this assumes that the Lt. Col
won't just comm Company HQ and get the Co. Cmdr to confirm this order).

The Warrant is a Ldr 2. So he normally rolls d8 for the Old Orders die.
The Lt. Col. is a Ldr 2. He normally rolls a d6 for the new orders die.
Both are Infantry officers in the same chain of command, so no modifiers
for command chain or service apply. The Warrant is rank 2 and the Lt.
Col. is Rank 6. So the difference is a 4 shift open shift on the New
Orders die. That moves it from d6 to d12 and one extra shift applied
against the old orders die. So the Warrant rolls d6 and the Lt. Col.
rolls d12 - thus the Warrant is likely to carry out his orders. 

Ex 2. 
Infantry Captain has his platoon preparing to hold against an assault by
enemy infantry to cover the retreat of a Battlegroup. An Artillery Major
sails up in his GEV and orders the Captain to get his troops up, march
them 500m to the artillery dugouts and help his crews ship their weapons
for transport. Here again, we assume that for whatever reason they
cannot or will not contact HQ to verify these orders. 

The Captain is a Ldr 2. He normally rolls d8 for his Old Orders die.
The Major is a Ldr 3 (probably explains why he needs someone else to
ship his guns). He normally rolls d4 for New Orders die. 
However, the Major is not normally in chain of command (-1 ds), the
Major isn't the same branch of service (-1 ds). So now we have the major
rolling d4 and since this is an open shift, the Captain rolling d12. 
Then we apply the rank modifiers. There isn't one - Captain and Major
are close enough in rank. So the Captain is quite likely to tell the
Artillery major what to do with his guns. 

These are just some examples. History is full of accounts of soldiers
who refused an order from someone not their direct superior (sometimes a
good idea, other times not) or of soldiers who followed an order from
someone outside the normal chain of command (sometimes a good idea,
often not). Rather than just forbidding command input, or letting anyone
at any command level freely alter their subordinates battle plans
withou	confirming it with them, these rules offer some alternatives.

YMMV. 

Tom.

/************************************************
Thomas Barclay		     
Voice: (613) 831-2018 x 4009
Fax: (613) 831-8255

 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
 it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg."
 -Bjarne Stroustrup
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