RE: [DS] Heavy Weapon Teams [SG] Laser weapons

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chris Downes-Ward [SMTP:cdownes-ward@9a.co.uk]
> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2001 5:07 AM
> To:	GZG List
> Subject:	[DS] Heavy Weapon Teams [SG] Laser weapons
> 
> I was re-reading some notes of my own last night prior
> to recreating a simple system I had written to generate
> infantry squads using Steve Gibson's alternate infantry rules
> when the following thought occurred to me.
> 
> I had incorporated a house rule that classed size one weapons
> into energy using and non-energy using (based on whether they
> had any power plant limitations in the design rules) and said
> that infantry could carry any non-energy using size one weapon
> effectively DFFG/1 and RFAC/1 IIRC as well as APSW's, GMS/L and
> Light Artillery. So the questions are:
> 
> How realistic is the idea of a small team (say 3 troopers)
> humping around a 20mm Auto cannon and enough ammo to make it
> worthwhile?
> 
[Bri] You are designating them an Anti-Armor Team as listed on p. 13,
yes?
Here are my rules of Infantry Heavy Weapons Teams (IHWT): This is an
extention of the Anti-Armor Team listed on p.13 of DS2. They conform to
this
listing in all ways, but vary may carry any Class-1 weapon. These are
crew-served weapons. These teams carry only small arms for self defense
in
addition to the heavy weapon. To support these weapons,  the entire
squad (2
or more teams) is considered to be carring high efficency powercells and
ammo. 
 - Uses Basic FCS for HEL, RFAC, MDC and DFFG GSMs purchase 
     the appropriate Guidance System. 
 - Use normal Class-1 weapon ranges.  GMS/L uses normal /L range.
 - Does NOT use expendable ammo counters (may fire each round). 
 - Treated as Anti-Armor Team as listed on p. 13 of DS2 
 - Cost is for Infantry Rifle Team (or Power Armor Team) PLUS the cost 
     of a fixed mounted Class-1 weapon. 
Valid heavy weapons for IHWTs are:
HEL/1, RFAC/1, MDC/1, DFFG/1, and GSM/L 

> Is light artillery the way to model a mortar team? How many
> markers should they carry?
> 
[Bri] This is more tricky than it would first appear. The artillery
itslef
takes 6 capacity points, more than the men do (but this includes 1
counter
of ammo). Also, 1 round of artillery fire takes 4 capacity points, the
same
amount as an infantry team itself! So if you take the 4 cp for ammo from
the
6cp for the mortar, you get the mortar itself at 2 cp. Each team can
carry a
maximum of 2 cp (GMS/L is 2 cp and is the biggest thing infantry can
carry
under standard rules). So... 1 Team to carry the Mortar (no shells) and
2
Teams per Mortar Ammo Counter. The unit must have an unused ammo counter
to
perform Harrashment fire. Both the Mortar and Mortar Ammo Teams are
under
the restrictions of Anti-Armor Teams on p.13 (i.e. can only carry
close-defense weapons in addition to the mortar or ammo).


> One of my Star Grunt units is based on the Steiner laser infantry
> platoon (from Battle troops) these guys are all supposed to be
> armed with laser rifles and have lasers as their support weapons,
> I could model these as say FP2 but high impact say D10 with the
> support lasers as a HEL/1 but how about a HEL/0.5? what would it's
> stats be?
> 
[Bri] I would not go to HEL status. I too would call it a Laser SAW. I
would
base it on the Laser Sniper Rifle found in the back of the book. I would
take it to FP:12, I:d8. 
Looking at the ESU Gauss Sniper Rifle and the Gauss SAW, they have the
same
statistics (but arrive at them differently - the FP of the SAW comes
from
the number of shells and area covered; the FP of the Sniper Rifle comes
from
the very accurate shot [quality of weapon _and_ sniper]). I would also
give
the Laser SAW the same statistics as the Laser Sniper Rifle (again, same
effect through different means).

> [OT] The programme was eaten by a hard disk crash and did vehicle
> design as well my language was "colourful" to say the least.
>