============ OGRE/GEV list, Dec 7th (Last: Dec 5th) ============= ===== A day that will live in Infantry From: hcobb@slip.net ------------------------------ From: hcobb@slip.net Subject: A day that will live in Infantry Here's an article I'm working on to post to my page. I've been working on this a LONG time, but now I've cooked the numbers to match the new schema, so let me know what you think. Infantry in the world of OGRE I feel that the Infantry suits in OGRE work together at the platoon level to "smear out" the electronic signatures of the individual suits. This creates a "Zone of Uncertainty" where enemy shells are tossed in to hope for the best. Most of the "defence strength" of an infantry unit comes from "collaborative jamming" and their thin suits mostly just keep out diffuse blast effects. (diffuse NUCLEAR blast effects that is...) At a more advanced level this would imply an electronic bounding overwatch, where one suit jumps forward quietly, under cover of the electronic racket of the rest and takes a scan along the way. Then the hopper drops back down into the crowd and transmits the info gained during the pop-up, while another suit takes a hop. This constant motion would help keep the suits from becoming localized targets. The game effect of all this is that a loaded GEV-PC would count as being stacked with 3 separate squads rather than one platoon. (Ogre Minis is unclear on this point.) When I first did the analysis on missile infantry, I'd assumed that it was a heavy weapon platoon that had the impact of a Missile Tank. So in going through the math for the point value of the Heavy weapon squad let me point out all the assumptions I'm making on places where the rules are unclear to me. So first, normal infantry cost: 3.0 (overrun bonus to atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [ 1" (overrun range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] + 3.0 (normal atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [2" (total range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] + 3.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 1.13 (step reduction) * 1.5 (terrain bonus) * [ 2" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 69.9 "henries" or 5.82 VPs per platoon. For heavy weapons platoons I've found that the missiles normally can't be used in overruns, and I'll use my standard adjustment that the first shot is one-third of the units total value: So first calculate the value of a hypothetical platoon that carries a limitless supply of missiles: 9.0 (missile atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [8" (total range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] - 3.0 (overrun deficit) * 1.1 (split fire) * [ 1" (overrun range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] + 3.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 1.13 (step reduction) * 1.5 (terrain bonus) * [ 8" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 196.9 "henries" or 16.4 VPs per platoon. "Normal" Heavy weapon platoons are one third of the full time missile infantry plus two thirds normal infantry and so come to: 112 henries or 9.4 VPs per platoon or a little over 3 VPs per squad. (Four VPs per squad is correct, due to riders benefits) I'd calculate the value of a mounted missile charge, but I only have a BS in math. As for the "Only takes a moment to fire a missile" theory. I'd like to point out that "units are assumed to be armed with rapid firing nuclear cannon" and under such conditions every units firepower will be mostly limited by targeting issues. (From the EMPs of their own shots, if nothing else...) Variant Infantry. Ranger Infantry, each counter represents one squad of elite infantry. Rangers use stealth suits rather than the PIERCE (Platoon Integrated Electronic Radius Countermeasures Equipment) system of normal infantry for defense. Rangers have attack 1 with range 2", defense 2 and move 6". Rangers treat water as Marines do and may not combine into multi-squad counters but are otherwise treated as normal infantry. Each Ranger squad costs: 1.0 (overrun bonus) * [1" (overrun range) + 6" (move) * 1.7(move mod)] + 1.0 (normal attack) * [2" (total range) + 6" (move) * 1.7(move mod)] + 2.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 0.75 (Ds are Xs) * 1.7 (terrain bonus) * [ 2" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 33.6 "henries" or 2.8 VPs per squad. Marines: Standard infantry with the ability to treat water as clear or hide in it like OGREs do. Cost is: 3.0 (overrun bonus to atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [ 1" (overrun range) + 4" (move) * 1.7 (move mod)] + 3.0 (normal atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [2" (total range) + 4" (move) * 1.7 (move mod)] + 3.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 1.13 (step reduction) * 1.7 (terrain bonus) * [ 2" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 77.8 "henries" or 6.5 VPs per platoon. (7 VPs per platoon is generous) So I would like to see the rather overpriced and wimpy marines replaced by ranger units that depend on stealth for defence (so that their defence does not "stack"), and have a little bit more speed but still only cost 50 percent more than normal infantry. If the defenselessness of OGREs is a problem then allow the beasts to fire all of their weapons at half strength (not doubled) underwater but only in overruns. (How can a non-watertight weapon fire from inside a nuclear blast?) So when an OGRE attempts to overrun submerged marines the grunts can either decide to hide or take their doubled shots against half-strength replies. Henry J. Cobb hcobb@io.com http://www.io.com/~hcobb All OGRE-related items Copyright (c) 1997, by Steve Jackson Games.