Re: 25mm Grav Bikes and Rules

Thomas Barclay wrote:

> 2. In a campaign perpective, grav bikes use micro sized grav
> generators that are just brutal for maintenance. Also they have
> delicate and expensive controls. Ergo their maintenance cost could be
> multiplied by 2 to 5 thus making them less desireable from a
> logistics point of view than foot infantry. Plus they could have a
> high monetary cost, and require veteran or regular troops minimum
> (because green or untrained are too risky on the bikes).

Let's also keep in mind the roles played by these troops.

I can't speak to OUDF usage of them, they seem to be in brigade-sized
formations attached to each division.  So between 1/3 to 1/5 of OUDF
maneuver elements are Light Horse?

But I'm planning to stick them into the Tagmatic order of battle in
recon formations.  Recon is not something that should be getting into
stand-up fights.  A cav scout who goes looking for fights is a
gloryhound who's forgotten his primary mission.  He's heavily armed
because scouts can get into some sticky situations, but he's a lot more
valuable alive than dead.  

Note that German OBs on paper called for more and more motorcycle units
in recon batallions, but actual usage showed fewer and fewer motorcycle
troops.  That's because they are very, very fragile.  And a
not-easily-renewable resource.	Good scouts take a lot of training--as
was mentioned during the discussion of infantry scouts, you don't stick
a green private fresh from training into your batallion recon platoon. 
Get them all blow away getting into pissing matches with infantrymen,
and you run out in short order.  Ooops.

I've got some Stargrunt Grav Bikes.  However, I've only got eight of
them.  This would be elements of a recon platoon--(tenative
organization, 6x4-man sections, to be used in maneuver batallion vis
6xGrav Jeeps w/ dismounts).  If I were to actually use them in a game,
it would be a case of cav scouts attempting to get past an enemy screen,
or screening against enemy recon, or simillar traditional cavalry
missions which require a lot of firepower packed into a small unit.  Not
flying around using their SAWs-O-Doom to shoot up line troops. 

John M. Atkinson