Re: SG2 Platoon leader casualties

On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 19:27:10 -0700, Yves Lefebvre <ivanohe@abacom.com>
wrote:

>In my version the command squad has 3 actions but a limit of 2
>transfer, so it has to do something with the remaining action (move,
fire,
>etc) (and one of the 3 Must be a transfer).

I really can't see how giving the command squad _more_ actions, one of
which
_must_ be a transfer is going to solve the "commander in the corner"
problem.
The reason for the command squad being in the corner is that it's more
effective to have the commander transfer actions than it is for it to do
anything else. Risking the command squad, even if it has an extra
action, is
just not worth it. Unless you also give serious penalties to command
units
that are too far away from the target of their transfers, there's still
no
good reason to risk the commander. In fact, you now encourage him to sit
back
near the base line in order to rally the odd unit that might go to
Broken or
Routed.

I don't think playing around with the number of actions is going to
work. This
is a fundamental flaw in SG2. I think you need to make the penalties
worse
when transferring actions. _Beer and Pretzels Skirmish_ has something
similar
to a Transfer Action. Each figure gets orders from a leader, costing a
point
per soldier. Leaders only have so many points. When the leader is more
than
12" away from the soldier, and for every multiple of 12" after that, it
costs
an extra point to give a soldier an order. This encourages leaders to
stay up
front when transferring actions. A similar idea in SG2 would be to allow
the
transfer action to occur for free up to 6" away (as in the current
rules),
require a communication roll from 6" to 12" (as in the current rules,
sort
of), and add a +1 to the communication attempt for every 6" (or if you
are
feeling generous, 12") beyond that. 

Variation 1: first 6" is free, 6" to quality die range requires a
communication roll, every range band beyond 1 requires a +1 on the
communication roll. So, a Regular leader would not make a roll from 0"
to 6",
would make a roll from 6" to 8", would make a roll at +1 from 8" to 16",
at +2
from 16" to 24", etc. A Green, though, would have the first 6" for free,
but
6" to 12" would be at a +1 to the communication roll.

Variation 2: the free distance is half the quality die range. So, a
Green
wouldn't need a communication roll from 0" to 3", would need a
communication
roll from 3" to 6", would need a communication roll at +1 from 6" to
12", etc.
The only issue with this is that the unit leader would be making a
communication roll for transfer actions to guys who are technically
within the
command unit's integrity range.

Variation 3: no communication rolls are needed for transferring actions
to
units within the first range band; a communication roll is needed for
the
second range band; a +1 is needed for the third range band, etc. You
could
even consider changing the integrity range from a fixed 6" to the squad
leader's quality die type, though this might have major effects on the
game
and I haven't even considered playtesting it.

Variation 4: any of the above, but include an additional +1 to the die
roll if
the unit receiving the Transfer is out of Line-of-Sight of the command
unit.

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

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