Prev: Re: [SG2] Question: Put Variant Rules in Web Pages? Next: Re: [SGII] Follow Me! Varient Rules for Platoon Leaders

Re: Leading from the Front, Atkinson-style!

From: John Atkinson <johnmatkinson@y...>
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 15:40:12 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Leading from the Front, Atkinson-style!


--- Thomas Barclay <kaladorn@magma.ca> wrote:

> 1)Use the varient PSG rules, 
> 
> [Tomb] You might mean some rules from
> http://www.stargrunt.ca/rules/rules_index.
> htm

Well, yeah.

> 2)Simulataneous Movement/Commo 
> permits LTs and PSGs to move while 
> passing an activation.  Reduced move
> (4"/6"/8", instead of 6/8/12), and cannot do
> simultaneous movement if he has been 
> fired on since his activation in the previous 
> turn.  Once he is stuck in, his attention is a 
> bit more distracted.	:)
> 
> [Tomb]: Little clunky given you'd have to 
> track when he was fired on last turn. How 
> about instead relating this to suppresion?

Seconded.  Change it to "movement if he has been
suppressed and is still in line of sight of enemy
units."

> 5)A unit being led by an LT or PSG of 
> quality 2 or better in declared "Follow Me" 
> automatically adds 1 to all Confidence 
> Checks.  
> 
> [Tomb] I said use the better of their 
> leadership or that of the original squad 
> leader. Don't think that's enough? 

Nope.  Personal leadership is a major factor in
combat.  The presence of junior officers frequently
prompts troops to action.

It's what they pay 'em for.

> Are you 
> more confident having two competent 
> senior NCOs or a Lt. looking over your 
> shoulder (as a Pvt) or with one? (Or are 
> you just more nervous....)

No one's looking over anyone's shoulder.  That's 3
rating management, not 1 or 2 rating leadership.  The
LT picks up his rifle, yell's "Let's Go!" and leads by
personal example, generally by moving out towards the
enemy.

This is why they are more likely to get killed, and do
get killed in rather high numbers.  Their job is to
act as heros.

Even the worst troop is going to respond--unless he's
got really low mission motivation.  

> [Tomb] You also don't cover the lowering 
> of confidence that happens when the new 
> green Lt. comes over and starts issuing bad 
> orders to the reasonably competent 
> NCO..... (This could be a MINUS). 

Having to use the 3 leadership is already bad.

> [Tomb] Perhaps the answer is to always 
> use the leadership of the senior leader 
> when multiple leaders are temporarily in a 
> squad. 

I'd run off the squad leader's leadership if the
officer is just tagging along.	If he's actively
leading, then use his.	I like the bonus for the sort
of situation I have in mind.
 
> [Tomb] I know why you suggest this, but I 
> suggest that this might not be as obvious 
> in the GZG period and additionally, from a 

It is alway obvious when some guy starts to charge and
the rest of the squad follows.	Whether he has the
rank or not, he _is_ the leader and is inherently more
vulnerable.

> mechanical perspective, things in a turn are 
> supposed to be (loosely) simultaneous, so 
> this thing of "after" is kind of a problem to 
> my mind. 

If you attempt to close assault and rolled the dice
resulting in your stopping in the open 2" from my
squad, then my next activation is light it up, then
this argument would not save you from rolling a d4 as
range band dice.  While there is a fig leaf to
simultaneous actions, in Reality as represented in the
rules, things happen sequentially.

John

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax


Prev: Re: [SG2] Question: Put Variant Rules in Web Pages? Next: Re: [SGII] Follow Me! Varient Rules for Platoon Leaders