Re: DSII Question- Obstacles

> Well, the way I see it, barbed wire would be ignored by vehicles, and
> dragon teeth would be ignored by foot soldiers (although, if densely
sown,
> they could count as cover, ne?) One could certainly sow both
together...
> with mines, if you're feeling like annoying the sappers.

A full defence would include obstacles and wire to channelize 
infantry and vehicles, covered by arcs of fire from units including 
support weapons, interspersed with mines to prevent obstacle 
clearance and to destroy aggressive vehicles or personel. CDMs to 
provide a last ditch close in shock to any assaulting troops, with 
mortars and other short range company level support assets to destroy 
the attacker while they move through the obstacles, mines, and 
infantry fire. Once you start considering the multipliers in force 
that a well laid defence gives, you realize that attackers often need 
their 3:1 odds and good arty prep and air support in order to have 
any chance of success. 
  
> These defenses would be totally ignored by grav vehicles (fly over)
and PA
> troopers (unless it's monofilament wire). And a DFFG or two would
certainly
> vaporize wire and melt mines, if you could just get that armor officer
to
> lend his firepower to your footsloggers for a round or two....

DFFG wouldn't vaporize buried mines, and I'm assuming DFFG has ammo 
considerations preventing its use as a broom. Hence it could clear 
paths, but its still subject to side attacking mines. Also, I could 
see implanting a form of rocket/mine that reacted to such sweeping 
attempts and homed in on the source of the DFFG with an anti-armour 
missile. Sticky wire would be bad for PA, and if properly anchored 
for vehicles that move through it. And is a field of nuclearly melted 
muck something you plan on advancing even PA through? I wonder. What 
about obstacles with a cheap ablative coating that makes them 
resistant to this kind of attack? 

(What I'm saying is if we research things, I think we'll find 
obstacles are progressing as fast as other tech so they'll still be 
around, we just need to figure out what form). 

> Something else that bears consideration: tank traps. Big pits would
slow
> down about anything but (again)grav vehicles and PA troopers.

I think PA might be slowed down too. Or a big enough pit could drop 
in a grav vehicle. What about a pit filled with monomolecular tipped 
spikes that could punch through PA (bengal tiger trap made modern)? 
What about a buried device that goes off and kills the electronics in 
PA or in vehicles? (they have these now for use by police to kill 
engines and end  high speed chases).  

Another interesting point I haven't see anyone take is the Grav Tanks 
vs. Tracklayers or ACV. You say "But grav are better! They can fly!" 
Anyone who ever did Striker or Striker II vehicle design for 
Traveller will remember this classic dilemna. Do I armour four sides 
(or five if you count the top) heavily, or do I add that sixth side 
(the bottom) where I won't have any weapons bearing, but I'll still 
have to carry an extra weight of armour if I'm going to fly around 
and fight. I think a Grav vehicle (by virtue of having to armour six 
sides roughly equally - only good sense, maybe more on the front and 
turret) will have a lower average level of armour than a similar tech 
tracklayer or ACV. Also I think any of these would be susceptible to 
a buried straight-up firing armour piercing missile-mine.  Also can 
you say Grav Mines? If I can pack grav electronics into a tank, why 
not into a mine? A grav pulse could slam grav vehicles into the 
ground by increasing gravity or cancelling their anti-grav fields. 
Ouch. Or Anti-Grav field seeking missiles? Oooh, too bad for the grav 
vehicles.....

Opinions? 
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