RE: [SG] Hills (was: Unit Cohesion)

I don't get to play a lot of SG2, but do play a fair amount 
of DS2. Most of my hills are sloped (geohex), but do have 
some "rough" hills that just drop off (cliffs).

Since vertical measurement is distorted in relation to BOTH
figure scale and ground scale, I usually use a house rule:
If a figure is on top of the hill within 1" of the edge of 
the hill it is visible to figures on the ground (assuming 
open terrain). However it gains soft cover as it moves in 
and out of site along the ridge. In a similar way, figures
on the down slope within 1" of the crest are visible to
figures on top of the hill but both gain soft cover. Any 
figure within 6" of each other would have normal cover.
Figures on the hill cannot see figures down hill within 6"
of the base of the hill (away from the hill) or on the 
slope (below 1" of the crest).

As an alternate, in SG2, I measure from the figures WAIST
(to account for the difference in vertical scale to ground
scale) to the WAIST of the target using a laser pointer.

Of course figures that go "in possition" gain that cover
option in the direction they face. But for a figure on a 
hill it can go in possition either for the hill top or for
the low ground, but usually not both (if you are laying
upslope behind bushes, your entire prone form may appear
the same as someone standing from the floor of the valley).

-----
Brian Bell
-----

-----Original Message-----
From: Allan Goodall [mailto:awg@sympatico.ca]
Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2001 13:16
To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [SG] Unit Cohesion

[snip] 

Hills in SG2 are kind of vague. You get hard cover if you are beyond the
crest
or ridgeline. Now, this is fine if you use rounded hills. What if you
use
flat
topped hills? I just assume that a figure on the top of the hill is
under
hard
cover.

There's also the question of the military crest versus the actual crest.
The
military crest is further forward. You are more vulnerable to fire from
another hill or from greater distance if you are on the military crest,
but
there is a major advantage if you are attacked by someone coming up the
slope:
you can fire on them! If you are behind the ridge crest or hill crest
you
actually can't fire on an enemy at the base of the ridge or hill.

My hills are usually flat on top. I adjudicate that a figure on the
forward
edge of the hill is on the military crest. It's hard cover for figures
at a
lower elevation but only soft for figures on the same elevation. If the
figure
is in the middle of the hill or further back than that, it's behind the
hill
crest. It's hard cover for all attacks from the same elevation, but
figures
at
the base of the hill can't be fired at or fire at them.

[snip]

Allan Goodall		       awg@sympatico.ca