On 3/14/06, Grant A. Ladue <ladue@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> A unit of light tanks (scouts, if you will) moves around a hill and is
> spotted by and enemy force. Being that a) the enemy force is not on
> overwatch and b) that the light tanks are Active, they get the first
> FireFight round and (wisely) elect to pop smoke. Now, they haven't been
> fired upon, and they have effectively stopped the FireFight before it
> really began by making it impossible for the enemy to do any real reaction
> (the enemy unit could make a Combat Move, but won't be able to get to, let
> alone through the smoke, so there really isn't much point), and the
> FireFight ends. Since the smoke-poppin' unit is in good morale, they may
> continue with their major move (say that they were moving across the gap
> beteween two hills), so they move around the second hill (around the back
> in relationship to the force that wanted to attack them) and find another
> platoon in the edge of woods watching for them. This time the enemy is on
> overwatch, so they fire at the light tanks before the smoke can be popped.
> They manage to kill one, and being that the light tanks are overmatched,
> the light tanks take (and pass) their Stress Test, and pop smoke again.
> Still in good morale, if they have any Major movement left, they can
> continue, and whether they do or not, they can do their SECOND major
> action, which could to dig in, make another move (maybe back and onto one
> of the hills?), etc. In both cases a firefight ended with the light tanks
> in good morale, and resulting in a recon unit having spotted two enemy
> platoons.
>
> :)
>
Hmm, I like the way you describe it, *but* (there's always a but :-) ) what
about forces like ours that had no smoke? How about backgrounds where smoke
is immaterial (like OGRE or I would think Hammer's Slammers)? I imagine that
I don't have the best grasp of modern combat, but is smoke really the only
way that recon units break contact? If they are, I will henceforth keep
quiet on the subject. :-)
Consider "smoke" to be a generic term. It can be "real" smoke, or it
can be something else that for all intents and purposes PSBs as smoke
in that situation. Your homework is to supply your own PSB for
smokeless smoke. :-)
Mk