The following rules additions/amendments are things we have considered:

Transcription

1 The following rules additions/amendments are things we have considered: Training In the modem period the differing levels of professionalism and training throughout the world has a significant impact on combat ability. Whilst the existing rules reflect this in the order system and artillery response table - it is not reflected where it counts most - in combat! The morale ratings reflect it in close assaults only, but as it stands an Ethiopian with a 1950s bazooka shoots as well as an SAS man with a laser guided Hellfire. Thus for any scenario one force (of part of a force) should be designated as Better Trained which improves their direct fire response. Mark Bevis continues his series of articles commenting on and examining Modern Spearhead - this article originally appeared in the SOTCW's Journal No.44 (Mid-2002) Higher Level HQs (page 4) Allow Brigade & Regiment HQs to form battle groups in their own right, just as divisional and Corps HQs can. It does seem a bit odd that your RHQs and Bde HQs have to attach themselves to a front line battalion with all the risks that entails. I quite often form a brigade battle group with the Brigade HQ, brigade AT Coy and Engineer Coy as a small blocking or reinforcement unit. Whilst not having the same resilience as a battalion battle group, I feel it makes more sense of the Brigade HQ and gives it more of a role Combat Teams (Page 11) 1 / 9

2 Change the bit that says that the decision to dismount infantry from their MICVs is irreversible. Both are deployed as models when operating dismounted, can fire at full effect, but each infantry Stand and APC model counts half for morale purposes. An APC that has not unloaded its infantry and that is destroyed lose the infantry. An APC that has not unloaded infantry that is suppressed can still unload infantry behind their APCs. 6.1 Spotting (page 12) TI against troops in targets in cover add 3" if spotter halted Ground Surveillance Radars See Section 16. Treat as an Electronic Warfare mission (page 37). Thus regardless of how many GSRs their are in a brigade, there is only one attempt per brigade per turn, and this counts as one of your ECM missions. The suggestion is, as normal spotting ranges are 1800m maximum, and no rules for GSR are included, then allow It GSR detection in the Movement Phase (see Section 16, page 37, of the original rules). Roll as Radio Location, and if successful, one moving enemy BG is detected and identified and placed on table. Maximum range would be 12km at least. The target Battle Group then counts as Spotted to whichever BG has line of sight to it, even if it is over 1800m away. The moving BG detected should be the one nearest to the GSR, where there is a choice. No set up time if vehicle mounted. If tripod mounted, take one move halted to set up. 7.1 Order of Fire Attacks (page 14) Within each segment 3b and 3c and 3d, a force that is classed as Better Trained is allowed to fire first. Thus for example two opposing forces that have moved into contact and would usually fire simultaneously, this changes and the better trained force is allowed to fire first Chemical Smoke (Page 24) TI blocking smoke is only in service with Sweden. Deep Wading Soviet and some NATO tanks can use snorkels to deep wade, although in practice not thought very practical by most tank crews! Rules suggestions are once a Tank unit with snorkelling 2 / 9

3 tubes reaches a river it takes two full moves (1 hour) to prepare the tanks for deep wading. It would then take another full move to cross the river and remove the equipment on the other side. All this assumes that the unit is not under fire. However, the place where the crossing is to be attempted must have been visited by a divisional or corps engineer stand for at least a full move to represent divers going down to check the riverbed and banks for safe passage. Most 1980s Soviet Divisional Engineer Battalions have a diver section in BRDM-2 just for this task. To make a mini-diorama of this stand, use filler/tetrion to make a river bank and a lower watered thin layer to represent the water, on your 32mm square card base. Then glue a BRDM-2 onto the river bank, and take a Russian WW2 flamethrower figure from H&R, remove the flame nozzle and his legs and stick him the water, representing the diver wading out - the flame thrower tanks on his back make ideal oxygen tanks for a diver. Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Ever since the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, UAVs have been used to provide real-time recon information to observers. By 2002 they were being used in Afghanistan to fire ATGW at bunkers, and their future seems secured in front-line armies of the world. To ignore them for Modern Spearhead games seems strange, given the level of the rules. UAVs should be deployed in Batteries/Companies at divisional level, with pre-ordered missions, typically 2-4 UAV models per Battery. Assume all UAV have 3 hour endurance, i.e. 6 turns. They can be launched off-table, but would only be available if a DHQ is part of the game, or unless scenario specific. For our game purposes, the following missions would be relevant to the wargames table. Other missions such as electronic warfare and strategic recon are beyond the scope of the Spearhead game, and don't need rules here, or are already covered in the EW rules. It could be argued that UAVs on EW mission allow an extra ECM mission per turn, on top of the existing one per brigade. For movement purposes UAVs operate as helicopters, i.e. they use the same phase, and must have a waypoint ordered, based on a terrain feature or on a previously located battle group size unit or bigger. In the AA phase drones can be shot at by any available AA, but manned planes and helicopters must have priority before the UAV can be targeted. 3 / 9

4 Suggested although command again that easy phase day. DEF to is hit 6, 4 they against UAV are guns then usually returning and very DEF hard to 5 against base. to spot. A SAMs. UAV that missions This has to returned can represent be aborted cannot the fact be in the used that Real-time Recon For this mission the UAV is pre-assigned to a Brigade HQ and the UAV roves around its waypoint. It can locate one BG per turn, priority being the largest moving one nearest the waypoint, then units halted in the open, then recently moved units in cover. Recon UAV usually have TI/FLIR and mm-wave radar, so can spot units in woods unless they are cold/camouflaged, but cannot locate units in towns unless they are firing or moving. Once a BG is located all the units in that brigade are aware of it and can respond accordingly. The spotting is assumed to occur in phase 6, just before all order changes. Attack For this mission, limited to post-2001 American Predator UAVs at present, the UAV are equipped with Hellfire missiles and TI sights. On flying to the waypoint they circle round until a target is spotted, always counting higher up. Using Fire Priority A, the UAV attacks the nearest eligible target with ATGW-6-30" in phase 3b. Each UAV Stand can only fire once and then must return. Decoy For this mission, the UAV is fitted with radar reflectors and flies in with pre-planned airstrikes acting as decoy aircraft to draw enemy SAM fire. Usually a one-way mission, and not normally used. Treat them as priority over aircraft in phase 3b when adjudicating SAM fire. Any survivors return home once the airstrike is over. OP Recon. The most common mission, the UAV is assigned to a divisional or Corps artillery or rocket battalion, and acts as its FO, based around the waypoint, rolling as a normal artillery FO. 4 / 9

5 Special Forces A unique brand of infantry, quite capable of appearing in the divisional level games that Spearhead covers. Generally they will have DEF 6 to represent extra camouflage, evasion and training skills, 'smoke grenades and body armour. Their firing factors should be determined by their role, as these troops are usually multi-purpose and can choose equipment accordingly. Hence there mission should be designated before the game from the following options: Recon & Surveillance By far and away the most common use, Recon SF stands have DEF 6, AT 5-3", ATGW 2-3". They are classed as Recon in operating, and can be upgraded to FAC or FO to a specific unit or aircraft. If halted in cover are invisible, otherwise spotted at 3". In Surveillance missions the stand can have GSR, laser rangefinders, TI sights etc. A specific variation is Naval Recon, where the stand is equipped as divers or with small boats which allow crossing of rivers or checking for suitable fording, positions. Sniper DEF 6, Al 3-9" & 5-3" ATGW 2-3". Invisible if in cover, count as normal non-firing even when firing for spotting purposes, Fire Priority B, mission to suppress enemy ATGW, guns, HQs. Heavy Sniper DEF 6 AT 0-9", Al 3-15" & 5-3", ATGW 2-3". As above but equipped with.50" or 14.5mm sniper rifles. Assault DEF 6, Al 6-3", ATGW 5-3", fully kitted out for close assault of specific target, such as buildings or HQs. Target of assault must have been already located by a higher HQ. Advisor Role DEF 6, Al 5-3", ATGW 2-3". In this often overlooked role an SF Stand is attached to a BG HQ. This uprates the level of training of the BG HQ by one when attempting artillery requests, aircraft requests and order changes. Fire Support 5 / 9

6 DEF 5, Al 5-6", ATGW 3-3", may have 60mm, 81mm or 82mm mortars with appropriate Indirect Factors as per country of origin. Effectively acts as normal battery to be assigned to a BG. Alternatively they can be equipped with auto-grenade launchers such as AGS-17 or 40mm Mk 19, giving them AT 2-12", AI 6-12", or ATGW such as Milan or Spigot (as per standard ATGW stand). One in three Stands may also be assigned a hand-held SAM as appropriate if air attacks likely or similar (suggest providing say AA factor of only 1, or rarely 2, with range as appropriate depending on weapon. Note: Fire Priority should be as per primary weapon, so as integral indirect stand, infantry support weapon, or ATGW stand, therefore any AA function might be secondary available if no other valid targets - Ed ). Demolition DEF 6, Al-5-6", ATGW 3-3". The Stand operates as engineers, being able to clear and lay mines, blow things up such as bridges (4 turns preparation time), clear and lay obstacles as per normal rules. Generally SF Stands operate alone, assigned to the highest HQ on table, if not already assigned, and not subject to any command radius restrictions. Very occasionally whole companies of SF troops will operate as one unit in which case they become a mini-battle group, having a movement arrow as normal. SF stands can be mounted in any transport appropriate to that nation, even horses or camels. An individual SF Stand that becomes suppressed must break-off as per rule (page 7). However all SF Stands do not lose the -2 when attempting to change orders, and any attempt to change their orders does not count as one of the "one battalion per brigade" limit that applies. NATO SF Stands have TI sights; everyone else has IINF at least. In certain scenarios the SF Stands could already be on table hidden behind enemy lines, having been inserted the previous night. Strategic Bombers 6 / 9

7 In a divisional level game it is quite possible that strategic airstrikes can occur over the table, especially after the 1990s. Before that they would have to be pre-planned or scenario-specific. High altitude bombing occurs in the normal aircraft phase, but with certain differences. They are only vulnerable to high-altitude SAMs and AA guns of 95mm+. All have DEF 4, bomb 2, and some may have SB 2 or ARNO- Each Stand has a beaten zone 12" long by 21/2" wide, but the number of targets attacked is doubled, i.e. HE bombs lit the first two targets and the following four soft targets Smart bombs attack first four targets, ARM attacks two AA targets. If more than one bomber Stand is attacking then the beaten zones are either placed side-by-side creating one large box, or all are separate attacks on the same target point. However the beaten zone doesn't always land where it is desired. Place the beaten zone at the targets location, and then roll 1D6: 4-6 = hit, do not move beaten zone 1-3 = miss Add one to the D6 if a FAC (or AGC as the rules call it) is guiding the strike (usually a SF Stand acting as FAC). If a miss roll an arrow die and 1D6, the dice indicating how many inches the beaten zone is moved and the direction. An arrow die is a D6 with an arrow painted on each face (blank D6 are available from Table Top Games amongst others). The rectangular pattern stays parallel to the original desired pattern, but the start point alters as per the dice. Bomb Live Unit 82 Daisy Cutter This is a 15,000lb (6.8 tonne) blast bomb, very similar to a FAE bomb, but of enormous dimensions. Recently used in Afghanistan_ it is in fact an old weapon, first used in Vietnam, and then in the Gulf War. It can only be dropped by a C-130 special forces Hercules (DEF 2, inbuilt ECM mission, TI). Dropped as if strategic bombing as above. It is laser guided to some went_ so counts 3-6 to hit. It has the same effect as a nuclear bomb (see rules 17.3 page 38) but without the radiation_ The area of effect is 1'h" x 1½" beaten zone, 6" blast radius_ Attack Number 3 against soft and bunkers. Attack Number 5 against AFVs. No modifiers apply. The beaten zone will clear trees and kill all targets. Data Cards I have come across a lot of minor anomalies, and am not sure of the rationale behind them. Milan-III doesn't exist except perhaps on paper. Conqueror and M103 have less range than the 7 / 9

8 tanks they were intended to support' Change AT range to 21" British infantry don't carry Milan, change ATGW factors to 3-6" if Carl Gustav S.550, 4-3" if LAW80. Bear in mind that in many armies the ATGW teams are held at battalion level, rather than actually carried by the infantry themselves. This is why in some data charts as written the same weapon has different factors, the dedicated teams having one higher factor than integral ATGW. This represents the fact that within the infantry platoons there may not be a full 4 weapons, only one or three usually, whereas the dedicated teams are based on four weapons and dedicated crew. I think this is a good idea and allows for differences between doctrines. T-90 CED 6? I doubt it, considering it is 20 tons lighter than the Abrams/Challenger, even allowing for the anti-missile systems built onto the tank and various prototype T-80s. Soviet infantry have ATGW of 3-3" with RPG-7, 4-3" if RPG " if RPG-26/29. Israelis: Magach C (or 7) has DEF 11/4, CED 4. M113/HVMS is prototype only. The T-55 APC refers to an early field modification, and not the Achzarit, which is DEF 11/4 CED 4. Why Chieftain IX, XI have more armour than Mk. V I don't know, especially CED upped to 4 from 2. Suggest Stillbrew is 11/5 with CED 4 and what they call Chieftain Stillbrew is an over-estimate of Stillbrew ability, actually being Chieftain 900 prototype. Mil-8 and Mil-17 can carry two infantry platoons per Stand, not one, whereas Puma should be one platoon per Stand. CH-47D Chinook in real life carry 44 men officially and unofficially up to double that in an emergency. As each Stand represents four helicopters, it should be able to carry 4 platoons, not 8 / 9

9 three. Similarly for the CH-53E, this can carry 55 troops or well over 200 men in four of them. Some SAM ranges are suspect, e.g. SA-7 to 90" (9km) which outranges many other better quality missiles. Although in theory it can fly that far, combat range is much less, and I have the following SAM ranges: SA-7: 56", Stinger: 48", Redeye: 30", SA-14 48", SA-16: 70". Chaparral: 60", Rapier: 65" Looking at the defence value of the Leopard 1 series in Spearhead, they seem over armoured, even allowing for factored in doctrine, smoke dischargers, acceleration and speed. Given that the Leopard I has not much more protection than a WW2 Panther tank at 13cm equivalent of vertical steel, a DEF of 7/3 CED 2 for Leopard 1A1 and 1A2 (and AMX-30 for that matter) seems more reasonable. Bare in mind that the M48 has about 22cm equivalent frontal protection and has been given DEF 9. Leopard 1AlAl should be DEF 8/3 but CED 3 (extra spaced armour around turret - track links on hull front). Leopard 1A3 and 1A4 should be DEF 9/3 but again CED 3 for built in spaced armour. Some artillery ranges are a bit out, reading the various text books, e.g. M125 81mm mortar carrier should be 45", M106 56", with ERHE (RAP) 68", 155mm M114 howitzer 146", but I am being picky I think. John Moher, one of the authors, commented on some parts of this article in the SOTCW's Journal 48 (Christmas 2003) and you can read his reply reproduced here in Thoughts & Responses. Mark Bevis continues his discussion above in his subsequent article in the SOTCW's Journal 46 (Christmas 2002/January 2003) and you can read that reproduced here in More Suggestions. Contributor: 2002 Mark Bevis. 9 / 9