Fw: [sg2 ds2] Re: OrBat SG2

-----Original Message-----
From: John Atkinson <johnmatkinson@yahoo.com>
To: Laserlight <laserlight@quixnet.net>
Date: Thursday, December 02, 1999 10:01 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: [sg2 ds2] Re: OrBat SG2

>> >i think the islamic fed forces do this (for their
>> elites), but i> can't> >provide a url, i'm afraid.
>
>http://www.angelfire.com/va/basileus/if.html has the
>DSII TOEs for IFed, the SGII stuff is elsewhere.
>
>Actually, their orgs include an "assault platoon" with
>one squad of PA (2 teams, or 8 SG figs, IIRC) and two
>of assault teams.  In the Revolutionary Guards, this
>is part of each rifle company.  In the IFLF units,
>this is part of the weapons company at batallion
>level, and in the militia it is non-existent.	Also
>note that the Free Ukrainians (/allies.html) have
>their command units in PA while their line platoons
>are unarmored.
>
>> >in addition, consider this: if you have 3 rifle
>> sections and 1 PA > section > >and a company, then
>1/4 of your force is PA. given > that most powers
>> can > >field relatively little PA, this seriously
>limits > the size of this > >composite force. to put
>it another way, if you used > this oob for an
>> entire > >army, you'd need to spend a *lot* more on
>PA than > most forces. now, > one PA > >section in the
>battalion HQ (more like 1/16 then) > would be much
>> easier. of > >course, if you just use this OOB for
>the elites > (like the IF), you'd > be > >fine.
>
>IMHO there are several items which have 'hidden'
>costs.  Costs in maintinence, sophistication of
>manufacture, training costs, and so forth which limit
>their availability beyond what might be imagined by
>the rules themselves.	FTL engines might be one such
>in some universes (note that the IF has difficulty
>manufacturing these, leading to their distinctive
>naval style).	PA is certaintly one.  Grav is probably
>another.
>
><snip stuff about not tying down PA by scattering it
>out>  This is exactally one of the IFed's military
>weaknesses.  While each individual batallion commander
>has his little personal empire improved by adding a
>dribble of PA to his force, it makes it impossible to
>concentrate this shock power at one point.  Take a
>look at the NRE Orbat.  Not a suit of power armor or
>grav engine outside of those 4 divisions and three
>seperate turma (brigades) that make up the Tagmatic
>Exerciti.  The Themata have very little shock power in
>an offensive in 2183 terms (well, that's relative. 
>For second-line troops they are hell on wheels, with
>damn good electronics and stealthing).  But when the
>Tagmata take the field, nothing can stand in their
>way.[1]  The IF are set up this way to prevent coups
>and BN/REG cdrs taking too much initiative--any
>Division can be checkmated by any other.  NRE needs
>the mobile offensive field force too badly to play
>games--there aren't enough of them to try to use mass
>of numbers on the IFed.  Again, a plan that looks good
>to the company/batallion commanders at the sharp end
>looks like a fairly bad deal from the strategic
>perspective.[2]
>
>John M. Atkinson
>
>[1]Yes, that's a challenge.  When I get back to the
>States. . . 
>[2]Well, that's how it looks to me.  Rebuttals?