RE: 25mm Grav Bikes and Rules (Longish)

Wayne spake thusly upon matters weighty: 

> Mounted infantry shooting.
> --------------------------
> Due to the need to concentrate on manoeuvring their bikes across the
battle
> field the mounted infantry do not have a lot of time to aim at distant
> targets.  In fact a lot of their fire is just pointing their weapons
in the
> general direction of the enemy and letting rip with a burst of fire,
making
> it inaccurate at anything over close range.  Hence mounted infantry
weapons
> can only be fired at close range (within one range band).  Due to the
need
> to use one hand to steer and the fact that heavy and support weapons
are to
> cumbersome to carry on a bike, mounted infantry can only be armed with
> infantry weapons. (No heavy weapons or support weapons)  The one
exception
> to this is that mounted infantry may carry IAVRs strapped to their
bikes.
> IAVRs can only be fired when dismounted.

You have ignored the possibility of SAWs, APSWs, HMGs, or class 1 
weapons mounted on these bikes. (A la Star Wars speeder bike). These 
should be fired by a bike operator as if they were a standard HW, but 
probably (unless someone fits the bike with some fancy electronics) 
treated as having Basic firecontrol.  But these weapons are not fired 
one handed and should be effective out to their full HW range 
bands.This should be resolved as normal vehicle mounted weapons  fire 
- that is if you have say if you have four bikes firing RFAC/1 using 
Basic Firecon, then you use 12" range bands (HW), roll unit quality + 
4D6 (one firecon die for each gun) and for impact you treat them as 
firing at point targets (D8 impact) or as HW hits versus vehicles. 

> Until the suppression counter is removed the mounted infantry can't
> dismount or shoot.  Neither can they carry out a reorganise action
unless
> they were in cover when they received the suppression counter and
haven't
> left it yet.	Moving to cover after being suppressed doesn't allow you
to
> then carry out a reorganise action.

I disagree. Why would this not be the case with other vehicles? If I 
detect rounds hitting my Grizzly APC, I'd sure as heck move. But SG2 
rules say that if a vehicle does not unsuppress it DOES NOT MOVE and 
DOES NOT ACT. This represents hunkering down. If I was on a grav bike 
getting fired at, I may move, or I may do an emergency grounding and 
get behind my bike....

They should be treated as other vehicles. Roll to unsuppress as their 
first step. If they unsuppress, they can act normally. Otherwise they 
eat dirt and don't move (seek cover). Either that or all vehicles 
should follow your thought - anyone getting shot at may choose that 
option which is represented by removing suppression then executing a 
move to get out of the field of fire. 

Perhaps (in general) an alternate vehicle suppression rule could be 
used. There is an implication in the existing rules that suppression 
will never affect vehicle fire... but the truth is that the vehicle 
may well have its outgoing fire affected. Also, the vehicle crew may 
involuntarily (as far as the unit commander is concerned) withdraw. 
or they may hunker down and seek cover. This range of response is not 
really covered under current vehicle suppression rules. 

Tom.	
/************************************************
Thomas Barclay		     
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 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
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