Re: [SG2] GMS/P against infantry?

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 11:54:35 -0400, Thomas Pope
<tpope@exchange.cs.cmu.edu>
wrote:

>Another interesting event in last weekend's game was a fluke shot
against my
>PA squad.  One of the defending FSE infantry suqads fired a GMS/P
against my
>PA squad.
>
>It was unclear if this was allowed or not, but we assumed it was
appropriate
>and rolled against the range, modified by cover. 

The rules as written are clear that you can't fire GMS at dispersed
targets
(infantry and PA), just point targets.

I have playtested house rules where GMS could fire at PA as if they were
size
1 point targets, and that worked out rather well. Also, given some
things that
happened in Gulf War II, it looks like -- realistically -- you can use
GMS
against infantry. 

The problem is that the GMS mechanics assume that a GMS is firing at a
target
with sensors. The GMS mechanics really need to be overhauled to be
realistic.
If you're not up to overhauling them, I suggest one of the following:

1) Give infantry D4 ECM but shifting it up due to cover and IP (in other
words
they don't have any ECM against missiles but they are hard for the
firing unit
to lock on due to their size and the ability to easily hide);

or 2) give infantry their sensor die as ECM, probably what you did for
PA.

The impact against infantry should be D8, the same as heavy weapons
firing at
infantry.

What you really need to do is to treat GMS as an area effect weapon.
Let's
face it, you're not going to fire a missile into a single figure's guts
but
into the squad's area. So, try this for option 3): nominate a point
where you
want the GMS to hit, roll Quality Die + Guidance Die versus D4 to hit
that
piece of terrain. If you hit, treat the weapon as Impact D8 for all
targets
within a 3" burst diameter, just as though it were a small artillery
piece. If
the missile misses, deviate the shot as per the on-table artillery rules
(D12
deviation direction, D8 deviation distance). 

I suggest using this option 3 for infantry and PA, with my GMS house
rule to
target individual PA as well.

>Was this correct?  Should we have used the ruling for heavy weapons
against
>infantry (d8 impact for shrapnel as opposed to the d12 of the missile)
>instead?  

I would have, but then again the rules state GMS can't hit infantry. ;-)

Allan Goodall		       agoodall@hyperbear.com
http://www.hyperbear.com

"The only normal people are the ones you don't know 
well!" - Joe Ancis