SMLE Cover and Concealment

 I am having another go at updating my SMLE WW2 Skirmish game. I had opportunity to play Bolt Action a few weeks ago. The game was set up as Ardenes, USA regular platoon plus 1 field gun defending an ammo depot at a river crossing. vs German veteran platoon plus Stug(H), Field gun, and Pak 40 on table. Additional tanks for both sides came on during the game.

I was playing the Americans. Units were on the table when I started. Most of my units were placed in woods. Others dashed to cover. All units were visible on the table. This buggered my Ambush orders as the Stug sniped my one Bazooka team before moving into range. They also took out my artillery spotter when the ref helpfully pointed out his hiding place. Twenty dice vs one chap! After that it was pretty much fire everything you've got, and buckets of dice.

Casualty rates are horrendous, gratuitous overkill, ineffective cover, short ranges for the figure scale. The Jerries won. 

I can see why it's popular. It plays very quickly, the game mechanisms appear simple, the toys are pretty, and it is very well supported, but it didn't suit me. However, it did get me thinking about SMLE again. I have revised my rules for Cover and Concealment and added a Task roll for spotting Concealed elements. Further modifications are in process...

Cover and Concealment

Concealment or Soft Cover makes the target harder to see (and shoot at) but provides little protection from incoming fire. Elements in Soft cover gain a -2 modifier to hit.

For example: woodland, fence or hedge lines, foliage, bushes, long grass, curtains or internal partitions. 

Hard Cover provides physical protection to the target and may stop incoming fire. Elements in Hard cover gain a -3 modifier to hit. They may also get some protection from hard cover for effects of hits, but I have not looked into that yet.

For example: Foxholes, entrenchments, prepared positions, concrete, brick or stone walls and buildings, ditches, hedge or river banks, raised roads, sandbags, barricades or vehicle armour.

Cover and Concealment can be linear such as a hedge, wall or ditch, or a defined area such as woodland, buildings, broken ground, etc. The extant and area of effect should be clearly defined on the table. Figures get benefit of cover or concealment if they are within an area of cover, or behind and within two inches of linear cover.

If a target element is moving into or out of cover, they are more difficult to hit. If a target figure could claim advantage for two or more different cover modifiers. e.g. Moving out of soft cover, into and out of sight into hard cover. Then just apply the modifier for the best cover. i.e. Hard Cover -3.

An element in cover or concealment can observe (and shoot) out of an area of cover or through linear cover if they are within 2 inches of the edge or line. If they are deeper within an area of cover, they cannot see out or be seen by an element outside the cover. This may be adjusted by scenario or terrain types and lighting conditions.

A team or figure that starts the game in Cover or Concealment should remain hidden until:

• They open fire;
• They move out of concealment in sight of an enemy unit;
• An enemy moves within Close Range (4 inches);
• They are located by a successful spotting attempt.
• They reveal themselves, either on purpose or by mischance.

You can use a discrete marker e.g. a dice or counter to indicate the general location of a concealed team. Once revealed, the team or figure should be placed on the table. Depending on scenario it may be appropriate to include some dummy markers.

Fire may be directed at a suspected enemy in concealment. Activation modifiers for being under fire are applied to the concealed unit. But no hits are counted against them until revealed.

Spotting Concealed Figures

An element within line of sight may attempt to spot a concealed enemy by making a Task roll against the suspected enemy position. One attempt per team is allowed each round. Appropriate modifiers should be applied to the roll. Special equipment such as binoculars or telescopic sights give a +2 modifier..

• If the roll is successful, and there are enemy at that location then one enemy figure is placed on table. If there are no enemy at that location this should be confirmed too.
• If the roll is successful and scores a double i.e. two sixes or two fives then all the figures in the enemy element are revealed and placed on table.
• If the roll is unsuccessful, then no enemy are revealed. The spotting team can attempt to spot again in the following round.
• If the roll is unsuccessful and scores a double i.e. two ones or two threes then no figures are revealed and no further attempts to spot may be made by that team against that position.

A Concealed element may reveal their location by mischance if they fail a task roll when moving along  linear cover, moving within an area of cover, or observing from cover. This only applies if there is an enemy element within line of sight that could spot the concealed element.

• If the roll is successful, then the element remains concealed.
• If the roll is unsuccessful, then one figure is placed on the table.
• If the roll is unsuccessful and scores a double i.e. two ones or two threes then all the figures in that element are placed on table.

These rules benefit from having a referee or umpire supervise the game. In the absence of a referee, then common sense should always be engaged.

28mm figure painting

Last week I entered the painting competition at Dads War Room in Sutton on Hull. They provided the figures ready assembled and primed white. We got to pick one figure each, from a set of Warlord WW2 US infantry. We were given space, reference materials and encouragement to paint the figure over the evening. Paints were available if needed, but I had brought my own, a mix of Valejo and artists acrylic tube paints.

Three of us old skool painters sat together, sharing paints, palettes and reminiscing whilst the young un's did their thing at another table. One couple had travelled up from Portland for the night as they are setting up their own War Room in Havant.

This was the first 28mm figure I have painted in nearly thirty years! At the end of the night club members voted on their favourite figure and the winners got prizes. Mine didn't place, but I am pleased with him and want to do some more.

I painted his hands and face first with a jar of tanned flesh lightened to suit. After giving it time to dry, he got a spot of eyeliner and lippy to lift his features. I didn't have an authentic USA uniform colour so mixed up Valejo Russian Green and British khaki for his tunic and trousers. Then used a lighter khaki for his pack, webbing and gaiters. Burnt umber picked out his boots and dagger, Paynes grey did his pistol in a nice gun blue. A couple of thin washes of Valejo smoke picked up the sculpted lines, seams and details. Then a very quick application of grass green on the base. 

With a bit more time he might have got a light dry brush to flatten the shine on his uniform and give it some highlights. But my yellow ochre had dried up and the dark earth appeared too green. 

Only issue is, I now have a starter for a new army in a new scale. I will need at least a squad, more probably a platoon, then maybe some vehicles...

I tried Bolt Action rules last visit to the War Room. For various reasons I'm not struck on them so I will need to find something else. I have been looking at Nordic Weasel Games five core rules, and I really ought to have another go with updating my own WW2 rules S.M.L.E.

Slammer - Activation Table explained

As part of the Star Force project I proposed creating an edition of Slammer using the Solar Federation / Ramorian Empire setting. This would include unit and equipment stats for troops and vehicles tied to proposed figure range. To help get my head around it all I printed off a copy of Slammer. Somehow a paper
copy seems much more tangible than the digital copies I have been playing with for years. Skimming through the paper rules I noticed something missing. I have been following the rules design discussion on Delta Vector and I wanted to check how Slammer treats troops reaction and opportunity fire.

I have always played the Activation Table so a higher Activation unit can make an early interrupt and take their turn before a lower Activation unit if necessary. I have always assumed this was written into the rules, but I could not find it.

I had to go back through the Yahoo Group message archive to 1999 before I found it written down in response to a player's query about the turn sequence.

I have attached the relevant passage below and emphasised the key bits.

When we first tried Slammer the turn sequence was reversed so higher activation troops moved first. This really didn't work. The best units became instant opportunity targets for every unit on the board and got cut to pieces before they could achieve anything. Lower activation troops have much more limited options, moving them first gets the 'compulsories' out of the way. If they are going to run or fall back, it's worthwhile giving them a head start then keep them running rather than catching them and having to fight. If your high activation unit is afraid they might get away you have the option to opportunity fire and shoot them as they run. If a low unit is firing they may be limited to return fire or panic fire and this is largely ineffective anyway. It's not a race to see who gets off the first shot!

Also a higher activation unit can choose to move at a lower activation level. Units can choose any of the options at their activation level or less, even an option that is nominally unfavourable, e.g. fall back.

I don't think this is stated clearly enough in the rules but it does happen in games I've run that a high activation unit chooses to make its move as an early interrupt, rather like opportunity fire.

 I think this needs repeating and adding to the rules because it's not clear at all. This can make quite a difference to the way troops react to opponents and gives players a bit more to think about rather than just waiting their turn.

Slammer SMLE - Troop Quality

Troop Quality

Each element requires a troop quality rating that represents the general level of training and experience of the figures in the unit. In a section level game you may want to give each figure its own rating, to represent the figures individual fighting ability. The entire team should still have a troop quality rating for Activation purposes. This should represent the majority or average level of the figures in the team. (Elite round up; Others round down.)

For a platoon level game, all the figures in a team should have the same rating.

Leaders, Heroes or other significant individuals should always be given an individual quality rating. These may be different from the other figures in their team.

Suggested Troop quality ratings and typical examples are as follows:

Non-combatants

Very few wars take place in a vacuum, anywhere worth fighting over has people living there already. Mostly they will try to avoid the fighting, but sometimes the war comes to them. They may try to avoid your troops or come to you for help or need protecting. Unarmed civilians can be dangerous in numbers if they are provoked to outright hostility. 

e.g. Ordinary folks, refugees, angry citizens, civilian contractors, rioters, innocent-bystanders, camp-followers, prisoners/hostages/victims, charitable aid, disaster relief, medics or nursing staff, etc.

Non combatants may also include journalists or political observers embedded with active troops.

Untrained

Figures with no formal military training and little or no combat experience. Armed civilians are usually rated as untrained. Untrained may also include Insurgents, irregulars and or tribal units. These may have some familiarity with their weapons but have little experience of being shot at by capable opponents.

Guerrillas, Partisans, Insurgents, tribal irregulars, volunteers, resistance fighters, criminals/ terrorists, etc.

Green

Figures that have completed a programme of basic military training but have little or no front-line combat experience; May include troops from second-line or supporting services, or new reinforcements in a frontline unit.

Reservists, Militia; Garrison troops, New recruits; Irregulars; Corporate Security; Civilian Police*;

Gangsters; Terrorists.

[* while Police might be treated as Green in a military situation, they may be Elite motivation.]

Trained

Fully-trained competent troops and regular soldiers;

Trained is assumed to be the default level for teams in SMLE , they gain no additional modifiers or incur any penalty. Most regular Military types would be rated as trained.

Veteran

Combat experienced well trained professional soldiers, Long service soldiers who have served a tour of duty in a combat zone. In most armies the Veterans will tend to be section or platoon leaders whilst the majority of the unit are trained or green.

Generally poorer troops should be organised into larger teams; e.g. Green = 4 - 6 figures.

Better quality troops i.e. Veteran and Elite may form smaller teams of 2 - 4 figures.

This is intended to simulate the higher level of initiative and self confidence in better quality troops.

Note, if a team has a support weapon e.g. LMG, Mortar, etc. that counts as one figure.

For Example:

A typical trained infantry team would be 3 to 5 figures.

A special forces section of 4-6 figures might have 2-3  veteran teams of 2-3 figures each.

A partisan group of 10-12 figures would have 2 green teams of 4-6 figures.

An non-combatant group of rioters or refugees could be treated as a single mob of up to 12 figures.

Our example British Infantry Section could be played as two Trained teams, The section corporal with 4-6 riflemen and the lance corporal with two men running the Bren gun.

In a set scenario the Troop Quality should be determined before the game starts, or may be randomly determined at the start of a game.

For example;

The British Infantry section mentioned previously rolls 1D6 for each element as follows:

1,2	Green	New recruits & casualty replacements
2,3,4,5	Trained	Troops who have been in the unit long enough to know their way around
6	Veteran	Experienced troopers who have been through a few hard fights

In addition one roll should be made for the section leader with a +1 dice modifier.

Slammer vs Bolt Action ?

At my local Games club last week, I was watching a game of Bolt Action,  28mm WW2 skirmish(?). Russians and Germans fighting through a village on a crossroad. 

Lots of pretty toys and very nice terrain. It seemed to play quickly with a minimal reference sheet and a bucket load of funny dice. The apparently random initiative and lack of overwatch or reaction to enemy movement seemed very strange to me. Also the shooting ranges seemed very short for the figure scale. I got the impression that a MG couldn't shoot from one end of a cottage to the other!


It's got me hankering to re-try Slammer S.M.L.E. I don't know if I can persuade my club comrades to try my rules but I suspect it would give them a very different game. 
With that in mind I have started reappraising SMLE and may have an updated version or work in progress up here soon.

http://chrisnicolegames.blogspot.co.uk/p/smle-skirmish-rules-for-ww2-and-c20.html

I took Grandson Logan (12 yo) to the club last Tuesday evening.
We played Dragon Fight,
He won.
:o)



Now he wants to try WH40K...

Where did I go wrong ?!!

:o(