Draft Unguided Rocket Playtest rules

Unguided Rockets can be fitted to many of the CAS aircraft and helicopters used by both NATO and WARPAC forces.
 
Unguided rockets are fired from pods installed on CAS aircraft or helicopter, typically on wing hardpoints.  If 2 pods are carried, one will be on each wing.
 
When triggered, each pod fires 2 rockets.  All pods on the CAS aircraft or helicopter must fire an equal number of rockets at once.  So, a CAS aircraft or helicopter with 4 pods would fire a minimum of 8 rockets a turn.  Note, multiple salvoes can be fire at once.  The total number of rockets per pod is shown in the Sample Unguided Rocket table below.
 
Unguided rockets always attack the Top armour of targets.
 
Unguided rockets use a unique variation of the Indirect Artillery Fire rules.  They work as follows for CAS Aircraft:
1.       Place the CAS Aircraft on the table approximately 20” from the target.
2.       Give the CAS Aircraft the Roll-In & Attack order and determine the number of unguided rockets that will be fired.
3.       Roll an Observation Check to observe the target.  If successful, place a point-of-impact marker on the target.
4.       Draw an imaginary line from the CAS Aircraft to and through the point-of-impact marker.
5.       Roll 1D6 on the Unguided Rocket Accuracy Table
  

Unguided Rocket Accuracy Table – D6

D6           Result

1-2          Drop Short.  The pilot fires the unguided rockets from too far away and they drop short of the target.  Roll 2D6 and move the point-of-impact marker the indicated distance down the imaginary line towards the aircraft.  This is where the unguided rockets will hit.

3-4          Hit!  The unguided rockets are accurate and impact centred on the point-of-impact marker.

4-6          Overshoot!  The pilot has been flying too fast and the unguided rockets overshoot the target.  Roll 2D6 and move the point-of-impact marker the indicated distance down the imaginary line away from the target.  This is where the unguided rockets will hit.

6.       Use the Artillery Barrage Accuracy Table to determine misses, potential pins and hits.
 
Helicopters
The only difference with helicopters is that Helicopter must be given the Manoeuvre and Fire order and end its movement in the 20”-30” range band away from its target.
 
Forward Air Controllers and Unguided Rockets
If using a FAC, he can place the point-of-impact marker using the Request Close Air Support order for a CAS Aircraft or Helicopter strike.  This means the pilot does not have to roll to observe the target
 

 

 

Could you please have a read or even better a playtest! Do the rules as written make sense? Do you think they reflect the reality of 1980s unguided rockets? Are they confusing? Do they break Battlegroup?

I am worried that these rules make rockets too powerful, so feedback on that is also welcome.

Let me know what you think.

I've also uploaded a PDF of these rules here and in the Rules tab at the top of the page.

Thanks

Richard

Unguided Rockets

 There has been some recent discussion on the AirLand Battlegroup Facebook page on the rules for Unguided Rockets - meaning these:

Originally the Cold War rules for these very much reflected the rules for nnguided rockets in WW2 - as in these:

Obviously things have changed in the 40+ years since WW2 and some people think the current rules make unguided rockets into poor precision weapons rather than what they were in reality - more of an area effect weapon.

On Facebook I provided some updated rules for unguided rockets along these lines:

"The Unguided Rockets rules are exactly the same as Battlegroup WW2 Rockets rules with the following exceptions: 

Unguided rockets are fired from pods installed on aircraft or helicopter hardpoints.  When triggered, each pod fires 2 rockets.  All pods on the aircraft or helicopter must fire an equal number of rockets at once.  So, an aircraft or helicopter with 4 pods would fire a minimum of 8 rockets a turn.  Note, multiple salvoes can be fire at once.  The total number of rockets per pod is shown on the table below. 

Unguided rockets and targeting systems have become more accurate over time.  They always hit on a 5 or 6.

Unguided rockets attack the Top armour of targets."

These rules basically conform to the Battl;egroup WW2 rulebook, but give the unguided rockets a better chance of hitting the target.

Then on Facebook I put up a poll - which is there now if you go for a look - which gives a couple of options.  Option 1 is to leave things as they currently are with the new update.  Option 2 is to change the rules to allow use of the Artillery Barrage Table to better reflect the area effect of the rockets impacting on the target area.

I decided to test out both options - which I have now done,

I’ve decided to use a Sepecat Jaguar GR.1 as the attacking aircraft.  It is equipped with 2 SNEB rocket pods (one on each wing with 6 rockets in each pod).  

For the sake of the experiment we’ll make 3 attacks against a Soviet tank column with the centre T-72A being the target point in each attack.  In the first attack the Jaguar will be firing 4 rockets, the second attack will be with 8 rockets and the final attack with 12 rockets.

Option 1 – the current updated rules.

In this option the player chooses to use Aimed Fire with HE shells. He successfully observes the Soviet tank column and chooses to target the centre T-72A.

First attack – Rolling 4D6 I score: 2,3,6,6 = two hits on 1 tank

Second attack – Rolling 8Dg I score: 1,1,2,2,3,3,5,6 – two hits on 1 tank

Third attack – Rolling 12D6 I score: 1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5,6,6,6 – six hits on 1 tank

AP 6 vs Top Armour 2 = need a 5 on 2D6 to penetrate. 

1^st – 8, 3 = 1 penetrating hit = dead tank

2^nd – 2, 4 = 1 immobilising hit. 1 glancing hit = 2 morale tests and the tank isn't going anywhere

3^rd – 5, 4, 9, 5, 4, 7 = 2 penetrating hits = doubly dead tank.

Option 2.  Place the target point on the target - which will be the centre tank.  Any enemy unit within 10” of the target point has a chance of being hit.  Roll for each rocket fired on the “Artillery Barrage Accuracy Table”. On a 1, the rocket simply misses. 2-5 are potential pins. 6 is a hit. Allocate pins and hits using the Indirect Artillery Fire rules. If a successfully hit target is armoured, use its Top armour. Follow the standard HE rules.

Same rolls as previous example

First attack – 2,3,6,6 – two hits, two potential pins – 2 tanks are hit, same 2 tanks are potentially pinned as well.

Second attack – 1,1,2,2,3,3,5,6 – two hits, four potential pins, two misses – 2 tanks are hit, all 3 tanks are potentially pinned, with the centre tank is potentially pinned twice.

Third attack – 1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5,6,6,6 – six hits, four potential pins, two misses – all 3 tanks are hit, all 3 tanks are potentially pinned, with the centre tank is potentially pinned twice.

Roll for hits first AP 6 vs Top Armour 2 = need a 5 on 2D6 to penetrate.  For the sake of this example I need a HE size for the rockets and I decide to classify all rockets as Medium, except for S-13 which I'll classify as Heavy.

1^st – For the hits I roll - 8, 3 = 1 penetrating hit = 1 tank KO'ed.  2^nd tank must make a morale test. I roll a 2 on the suppressing fire effect table so the tank is not pinned (unless it is already pinned from the morale test).  

2^nd – For the hits I roll - 2, 4 = 1 immobilising hit and 2 morale tests.  For my pinning tests I roll badly and none of the tanks are pinned (unless they are already pinned from the morale tests - which may have led to the crew abandoning the immobilised tank).

3^rd – For the hits I roll - 5, 4, 9, 5, 4, 7 = 2 penetrating hits = 2 KOed tanks.  The surviving tank must make 2 morale tests.  Once that's done it tests to see if it's pinned (let's assume it only has 1 potential pin).  I roll a 5 and it is pinned.  Depending on the results of the 2 morale test this may lead to the abandonment of the tank.

So using the Artillery Barrage Table and rules option makes unguided rockets significantly more powerful.  More powerful than bombs even!

That's something to think about...

More on this shortly.

Thanks if you made it this far!

Richard

S&S Models TPz Fuchs

 A while back a mate sent me a couple of S and S Models Fuchs to paint up for him.  A good while back...  So, rather than be embarrassed any longer with how with how bad a friend I am, I recently pushed these to the top of the ridiculously long paint queue and now they're done.

Here they are:

It's a good solid model which comes with a wide selction of stowage options - I've only used a few of those options here - and I think it comes up really nicely.

I also decided to try something different when painting them.  I airbrushed on the base NATO Green colour and then used make-up sponges to add in the NATO Black and Brown.  I think it came out quite well and was pleased with my first attempt at sponging a NATO cam pattern.  I think because they are fairly hefty/solid models, the sponge works well.  I'm not sure I'd use it on a plastic Revell Fuchs though.  I don't think it could stand the punishment of the way I sponged these.

Anyway - that's it for now.  Thanks for looking

Richard

Final UK Para Figures

Because I recently published a list for using UK Paratroopers in AirLand Battlegroup - my unofficial Cold War Battlegroup variant - I decided to finish off my remaining old Liberation Miniatures Paratroopers.  There wasn't many and they had been sitting half finished for probably a year or more, so if there was any time to do it - it was now.

Here they are:

Pretty sure the guy with the Blowpipe is not a Liberation Miniatures figure - maybe Platoon 20? - but he got a bit of an update as well.  Poor bloke probably has 3 different beret colours going on there!

Here's all my LibMin Paras together now:

If I add in a few standard BAOR infantry to the mix, a basic Para Platoon looks something like this:

And when you add some platoon support options it might look a bit like this:

So that's it for today.  A double dose of posts.  Next time I might go through the various Para Section and Platoon TO&Es for AirLand Battlegroup.

Thanks for looking

Richard

ZSU-57-2

 A few days ago I was contacted and asked about the ZSU-57-2 and if I planned on featuring it in the game. I don't think it's shown up in any of my previously published lists, although the AZP S-60 AA gun does show in at least the East German Paramilitary list.

I have looked at it ages ago and decided that it would not have been present in any Soviet Category A divisions and it looked like it was out of service in the WARPAC nations I've done so far. The plan was to include it when I got to the Category B lists of some odd bod nation that might still use them.

But... someone asked for it so I thought why not and so here is the data card for the ZSU-57-2.

Obviously this includes the stats of the 57mm Very Heavy Autocannon as well.

If you have an AFV that you think should be available in the game and the stats are missing - just let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks

Richard

Dispatch Riders!

 

Just the other day I was reading an old Armed Forces magazine from December 1989 which had a report of Exercise “Roaring Lion” which was a 5^th Airborne Brigade exercise on Salisbury Plain.  Towards the end of the article the CO states the following:

“Command and control generally came together reasonably well, including the use of an aircraft as a command post.  Imposition of radio silence worked especially beneficially and that, and the inevitable communication glitches illustrated the continuing need for dispatch riders and liaison officers to get round such problems”

It got me thinking about Dispatch riders in Battlegroup and that maybe they needed a few more options in AirLand Battlegroup

Here’s the WW2 Dispatches Special Rule:

If radios and telephones won’t work, send a messenger.  A unit with the Dispatch special rule automatically passes a Communications check, because they have gone in person.  Remove the unit from play once they have been used.  It costs one order to send a Dispatch unit.

Currently in AirLand Battlegroup a unit with the Dispatches special rule looks like this:

I’m thinking of increasing the cost of a Dispatch Rider by about +5 points and making them Unique. I’m also thinking of replacing the Dispatches special rule in AirLand Battlegroup with this:

If radios and telephones won’t work, send a messenger.  A unit with the Dispatches special rule is Unique.  A unit with the Dispatches special rule can be used once per game.  Remove the unit from play once they have been used.  It costs one order to use a unit with the Dispatches special rule.  The employing player must select one of the following options:

- Automatically pass a Communications check as per the standard Battlegroup Rules

- Re-roll an Orders Dice after a roll of +3 on a D6

- Re-roll a D6 to determine the number of units arriving from reserve after a roll of +3 on a D6

This gives the Dispatch rider more of a role in Command and Control, rather than just dealing with Indirect Fire.  It will cost a bit more, but gives you some more options – with dice rolls so it doesn’t guarantee outcomes.

What do you think?

Thanks for looking

Richard

West German Fallschirmjaeger Battlegroup Army List

 You wait years for a new paratrooper army list to come along and then suddenly two come at once!  This is another one of those lists I had "started" years ago and never quite got around to finishing.  By started I mean perhaps the first 5% was sort of done...

So here your first opportunity to officially run a West German Fallschirmjaeger force on the tabletop in my completely unofficial Battlegroup Cold War variant!

As I've said previously, please bear in mind that this is a first draft.  As much as I've read it 100 times there will be errors.  Various sources display unit sizes etc differently and I have had to make decisions which may be based in incorrect info, but I done as best I could right now.

Anyway - here is the list:

West German Fallschirmjaeger Battlegroup Army List

For future use you'll also find this list in the NATO Army Lists Tab above.

I only need to add a couple of versions of the Mercedes-Benz 250GD Wolf softskins to the West German AFV Data Cards.  That's a job for the future!

Thanks for looking

Richard

UK 5th Airborne Brigade Battlegroup Army List

I thought it was time to add a new British list - one I first started working on this list 6 years ago!  Oh - that's a bit embarrassing!

So, who doesn't want to be able to field a force of British Paratroopers!  This 5th Airborne Brigade Battlegroup list gives you that opportunity to do just that.  I've also included some assets to allow you to field them in winter in Norway as part of ACE Mobile Force.

Please bear in mind that this is the first draft, so I'd really appreciate some feedback.  Anything you can say that makes it a better, more accurate list would mean a lot to me, from my spelling errors to my outright factual errors!

Anyway here is the list:

UK 5th Airborne Brigade Battlgroup Army List

Based on this list I need to add a few more soft skin vehicles to the British AFV Data Cards.  I'll get onto that next.

You'll also find the list in the NATO Lists TAB above.

Thanks for looking

Richard

56 Wheels later.....

 Time for another model update.  Today I finished 7 OT-64 SKOT Armoured Personnel Carriers.  This was a Czech/Polish jointly developed APC that these countries would use in-place of the BTR-60, 70 and 80 series and were considered to be better in many ways to the Soviet designs.

The models themselves come as STL files from Matt Hingley (of Elhiem Figures) and can be found at MyMiniFactory for the very reasonable price of $8USD.  I can't speak highly enough of them.  They are extremely well designed, robust, hollow and simple to print.  They are also very versatile as I hope the photo's below will attest. 

Matt's files allow you to print the following variants:

SKOT-2A

This version of the SKOT is fitted with a BRDM-2 turret with a 14.5mm HMG and co-axial 7.62mm MG.

SKOT-2AM

This version of the SKOT is fitted with the same BRDM-2 turret with a 14.5mm HMG and co-axial 7.62mm MG but is also fitted with 2 AT-3 Sagger ATGM on the side of the turret, protected by an armoured plate.

SKOT-2AP

This version of the SKOT is fitted with a new high-angle anti-aircraft/helicopter WAT turret with a 14.5mm HMG and co-axial 7.62mm MG.

All the turrets fit the same vehicles - so by printing additional turrets you can get a variety of forces with the same models.  I printed 7 SKOTs and here's some combinations I came up with:

This is the simplest and probably most commonly field option.  2 Platoons of 3 SKOT-2A and a Company HQ in a SKOT-2A.

Similar set up to the last set, but in this case the Platoon CO's vehicles and the Company HQ vehicle are SKOT-2AP.  I understand they were typically limited to one SKOT-2AP per platoon.

In this last set I've replaced the Company CO's vehicle with a SKOT-2AM.  Again I understand that these were fairly rare vehicles and the Polish ARmy Lists allow you to take them as a Platoon Support vehicle.

Perhaps I need to print off at least 1 more of these...  maybe next summer.

Painting wise I took a slightly different tack to my usual approach and tried something new.  I sprayed them with a black undercoat, then gave them a base coat of Vallejo US Olive Drab froma spray can.  I like the fact that they are a slightly different green tone to my standard Soviet stuff.

I then dry brushed them with a couple of coats of VMC USA Olive Drab lighted more with each successive coat.  Now the new bit.  I then used AK Brown and Green Camouflage Paneliner as a kind of pin wash.  I then took much of that off with White Spirits leaving what you see in the pics.  Next time I'll ventilate the room better as I was left with a massive headache! I then applied a mud/dust wash with some pastels and again took most of that off with Vallejo airbrush thinner. Finally I gave the whole vehicle a very light drybrush with Citadel Zandri Dust.

I'm quite happy with the result and I think it took less time than my normal approach.

So I love these Elhiem SKOTs - they went from zero to complete in pretty rapid time for me and give my Poles a really unique look they deserve.  Now if Matt could design an OT-62 TOPAS my Polish dreams would be complete!

Specialist Artillery Munitions

 Hi Everyone.

Time for a bit of bonus material - something to get your teeth into - to get everyone interested in this game talking, suggesting, offering praise or constructive criticism.

Please see attached the new Specialist Artillery Munitions section of the revised Unoffical Airland Battlegroup Rulebook. It covers:

• Illumination Munitions
• Thermobaric Munitions
• Chemical and Biological Munitions
• Nuclear Munitions
• Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions
• Area Denial Artillery Munitions
• Precision Guided Munitions
• Smoke Munitions

Thermobaric and NBC munitions are not discussed in detail in this section of the rulebook. Sorry.

But...

I imagine that there will be the greatness interest/controversy around the rules for smoke munitions - something standard Battlegroup has always steered well away from, argiung that this is covered well enough by the observation rules and some scenario specific rules.

I've never had an issue with this for the WW2 game, but for WW3 I could see some value in more detailed smoke rules. So that's what I've tried to do here.

As I said earlier this is an opportunity for you all to have a look at what I've done and let me know what you think. I know it's pretty wordy - that was just me trying to cover all the bases I could think of.

I'm also really interested to see if you think smoke rules are needed at all? Argue either way and if you think my ideas are wrong/too much/to restricting/too loose or whatever - again - let me know.

Anyway - enough from me - here are the Specialist Artillery Munitions rules in all their glory!

Specialist Artillery Munitions

Hope you enjoy

Richard

Hasegawa Norwegian F-5A(G)

 Well, well, well - once again it's been a while.  It's not like nothing has been going on - but still I've been slack with the blog.  So today I plan to rectify that with a completed model.  The first model of my planned Norwegian force which bizarrely is a Northrop F-5A(G) jet fighter. Just because...

So here it is:

This all started a month or two back when it was a nice day and I had a bit of black paint left in my airbrush so I decided to try something new (with aircraft anyway) which was well beyond my skill level.

So I black attacked a couple of planes I had sitting around with my shakey hands!

Obviously I decided the one that would get actually painted was the plane that required just one colour - the F-5.

So on the next nice day (few and far between here back in January/Feb) I got out my Vallejo Model Air colours and did this

And then added decals

Then I took all the stuff out of the cockpit

And now some fun shots:

Thanks for looking.  Hopefully the next post will be a bit closer than 3 months!

Richard