[[DSII] Ambushes (not Traveller), Light Infantry, and I thought the list was moving?

> Let me cover a couple of items in one, to save electrons here.  Feel
> free to split it up if you only wish to speak to one point.
> 
> First, I'm doing an ambush tomorrow. . . no, it's past midnight.
> Tonite.  I'll try to explain how I'm doing it without giving away too
> many details (Hi, Dave!  I don't know which side you're on yet, see?)
> It's a supply convoy ambushed by bandits, while guarded by Corporate
> mercenaries (see home page, yaddayadda/basileus/bucelari.html , under
> corporate buccellari. It looks like a mixed armored car company and a
> short company of infantry).  I was considering how to do this
properly.
> I figured instead of activating one unit at a time, the convoy would
> move as a whole, simultaneously.  IOW, the player would set up the
> convoy formation, and move it all in one activation until either the
> lead elements hit an obstacle, or the ambushing player initiates the
> ambush.  Then the lead vehicles are stopped, the rest of the convoy is
> set up in the correct formation, and the bloodshed begins.  To
simulate
> the surprise, the ambushing player will activate most of his units
first
> before any convoy escorts can activate, at least on the first turn.
> This will be determined by dice roll.  Since the escorts will be
mostly
> regular, the ambushers get 1d8 activations.  If the escorts were
> veteran, it would be 1d6, and so forth.  This doesn't happen if the
> escorts spot the ambush, but since they will be travelling at road
> rates, their chance of spotting will be halved (Unit quality vs.
target
> signature dice.  Since the targets will all be infantry, their chance
of
> spotting is piss-poor anyway, d12 to spot).  Then, to make things
truly
> interesting, the road has only two lanes.  Two wrecks will block it.
> 
> Bandits will recieve 2 points per captured truck, .5 points per
> destroyed truck, and -1 point per attacking element destroyed.  To
> capture a truck, close assaulting it will suffice.  If the truck is
only
> convoy unit in the close assault, it is captured.  It can't move
unless
> the ambushing player breaks up stands to provide truck drivers--2
trucks
> can be crewed per infantry stand broken up (does not loose points to
> break up stands unless trucks are destroyed).  If all escorts are dead
> and retreat is blocked, then bandits are assumed to have captured all
> remaining trucks and will likely win the game.  Comments?
> 
> Light Infantry--this is the one real spot missing in my NRE OBs. 
There
> isn't room to add any in the Tagmatic forces (Other than the
Varangians
> I've already got), but the Thematic units offer some potential for
> various types of light infantry.  Now, these carry all sorts of
> additional designations in the Real World, principally Airborne, Air
> Assault, Mountain, and a host of traditional ones (Jaeger, Rifles,
> Fusiliers, whatever) which have no real meaning.  However, going over
> various OBs, I'm a bit unsure on the difference between Mountain, Abn,
> AA, and just plain vanilla light infantry. *Dodges brickbats from the
> airborne types*  Yes, I know they have slightly different training in
> how they get to work, and the Air Assault TOs have to include enough
> helicoptors to flit from here to there.  This doesn't, however, seem
to
> have much effect on the way they are organized, nor does it have any
> effect at all on a Dirtside or Stargrunt table (unless you airdrop
them
> in, in which case it can be interesting).  So what I've been
considering
> was to put together a generic Light Infantry TO&E with the caveat that
> they might have additional designations if one of the three listed
> above.  Side note--I've worked out a tenative TO&E for a brigade based
> on US practice (plus support assets at brigade level which don't exist
> in US, but which get attached if a brigade goes off on an independant
> mission), and noticed that it calls for over 200 hummer-analogs.  Not
> that light, is it?
> 
> Thirdly, I thought the list was moving.  Did I miss a memo?
> 
> John M. Atkinson