General Approach and Innovative Concepts
Rules are needed for near-future mobile
infantry units. The rules offered here are modeled after those written by Neil
Thomas of One Hour Wargames. Inspiration also came from Charles Grant’s Battle! Most of what I learned about near-future
warfare was written by Kidd (2005) but other useful information came from
articles in the Military section of National Interest magazine. As
always, I relied heavily on Wikipedia for definitions and specifications.
One difference between these rules and conventional
game mechanics as described by Thomas and Grant is that cards are used instead
of dice with face cards left in the deck. Any number 5 or above is one
hit. A face card is a miss. Turn a joker
and your unit is blown up by a mine.
The first innovation built into these rules is
that infantry teams are assumed to ride with light vehicles until offloaded. Grant
used this procedure in the first battle reported in his book. Different
vehicles can transport different numbers of soldiers. For example, the Humvee and
Jeep each carries one team (three soldiers). Each half-track carries four
three-man teams. Tanks and M8 armored cars normally carry no passengers.
However, since WWII obsolete and captured tanks have been converted into
personnel carriers, so players are permitted to do the same. Scout cars could,
like jeeps, offload crew during combat; we can call the crew an infantry team. We
make up our own rules in this hobby. In any case, players should look up the personnel
carrying capacity of each vehicle they field.
The total number of units is the number of vehicles plus the number of
infantry teams. I suggest you field forces of at least three vehicles on each
side, avoid shooting, and maneuver cautiously until you can bring at least two vehicles
against one. A large APC is desirable
since it brings more soldiers to the battlefield.
A second innovation is the overall breakpoint
concept. An infantry unit is assumed to
have reached its breakpoint when the commander decides to not use it as an
attack force or to pull it back for reorganization. Breakpoints are influenced by several
variables, including cumulative number of casualties, duration of the battle,
replacements, resupply, and leadership.
No exact predictor of the breakpoint is possible, but officers generally
assume that a 25-30 percent cumulative casualty rate is a threshold that should
not be exceeded. To allow for longer
game play, in these rules the game should be over when one side loses 50
percent of its units. Rushing headlong
into battle without regard to casualties is the behavior of a bad commander. A
good commander takes the objective with as few casualties as possible.
A third innovation is the offensive and
defensive equality of the units. The
infantry team is assumed to be equipped with antitank weapons, thus reducing
the advantage of armor on the vehicles. Individual
infantry soldiers are assumed to be partially armored with Kevlar vests. The
main difference between vehicles is in the number of infantry soldiers they can
transport.
Finally, these rules are different because the emphasis
on dispersion and maneuver and effective infantry weapons reduces the relevance
of artillery, air strikes and armor. The latter can still be used but with
limited effectiveness. The combat force should be balanced and that requires recognizing
the importance of the mobile and mechanized infantry. This is explained in the
section on Other Combat Resources.
Game Play
This is a turn-based system. The first player moves all units he or she
wants to move. Then he selects a shooting
unit and identifies a target. Turning a
card determines if it is a hit. Hit units
are removed from the board. The player shoots
with each unit in turn until finished.
Units are not required to move or shoot in any given turn.
Do not get into a rush; enjoy the game. Do not cheat; if your favorite unit was blown
up by a mine, then swallow hard and take it off the board. Proceeding in this fashion will result in a
game of about 30 minutes in duration if you are fighting a small battle. If you
have a large table and a lot of units, then the game naturally will last
longer.
Details are given in the Rules section.
Order of Battle
In a solo game where the enemy is defending
from cover, set up the armies so the player (the attacker) has a slight
numerical advantage. A 1.5:1 ratio of
attackers to defenders might be reasonable.
The purpose of the order of battle is to
loosely reflect a modern combined arms tactical mobile infantry unit. Each model vehicle represents one
vehicle. Each vehicle transports at
least one infantry team of three soldiers.
The team leaves the vehicle when it stops to scout or engage the enemy. If the vehicle is destroyed before the team
is offloaded, the infantry team also is destroyed. The commander should offload
the infantry before incurring fire, if possible. When in doubt, offload
immediately. Offloading counts as
movement and uses one turn.
The infantry team can be equipped with a
variety of hand-held weapons, possibly including the Javelin missile, mortars,
mines and small drones that can take out a vehicle. My figures are 1/72 scale and my vehicles are
about 1/60.
Wargamers make use of the models available to
them along with a healthy dose of imagination.
Near-future vehicles are not likely to be on the shelf, so we assume
older models can be used.
1. Jeep/ATV. No armor, one heavy machine gun. Could be modeled by an all-terrain vehicle or
a jeep or something similar. Carries one team.
2. Light-armored vehicles equipped with heavy
machine guns and Javelins. Could be
represented by M113 armored personnel carrier, HUMVEE, M2 Bradley Fighting
Vehicle, M8 armored truck, JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle), M3 half-track
or similar.
3. Tanks are included as an option for those who
feel a nostalgic affection for them despite their limitations. However, all
tanks have been converted to carry one infantry team. The main advantage of a tank is that it is
not knocked out by a mine.
Insurgents may use cars as jeep-equivalents and
light trucks as Humvee-equivalents.
Assume both are equipped with Javelins and heavy machine guns. The cars and trucks lack armor.
Note: Mines and Improvised explosive devices
(IEDs) can be triggered by turning a joker. The side that turns the card takes
the hit. Mines will knock out any unit except a tank. Over 60% of casualties in Iraq and
Afghanistan were caused by IEDs.
Accuracy of Shooting
The potential accuracy of the Javelin missile against
vehicles is 92 percent. Contrast this with the accuracy of rifle shooting by
infantry men in the latter half of the twentieth century; accurate firing is
defined as hitting the target 50 percent of the time but that is only if the
weapon is aimed and the shooter is well-trained. Average accuracy today is no better with an
automatic rifle than it was four hundred years ago with a musket. If the target is behind cover, the chances of
a hit are very slim. The effectiveness of infantry is reduced and the
logistical problem of supplying rounds is magnified geometrically when they do
not shoot accurately. The Marines and Army have recognized and responded to
this problem by making marksmanship and aimed shooting a training priority. The percentage of infantry soldiers who will
take the time to place their sights on a target before pulling the trigger is
increasing. We can expect that precision
will rise and requirements for ammunition will decline. Eventually, infantry
may be supplied with smart rifles that will adjust aiming automatically. When this happens, most shots will be hits
and fewer rounds will be needed.
Other Combat Resources
No signals unit. All units are in constant communication with
each other under a 4G umbrella. No separate comms unit is included in the
rules.
Limited artillery and bombing support. This is tactical game in which combatants are
close to each other and vehicles are moving quickly. Calling in artillery strikes normally would be
practical only when the target is stationary and more than 12 inches from
friendly forces. The enemy knows an air strike is likely if they remain in
position so they will quickly quickly. Fixed wing craft must stay at high
altitudes to avoid Stinger missiles. Jets and artillery units can be located
off the board where they are not visible.
Players can call in an artillery or air strike if the enemy seems to be
pinned. Modern air strikes are precise
so the strike is assumed to hit the target.
The hit will be on an area three inches in diameter. Any unit in or touching the three inches is
destroyed.
Note: Combat units are increasingly dispersed
in modern in warfare so as to reduce the damage from precision artillery
strikes. The military learned from
trench warfare in WWI that bunching soldiers in fortified positions is not
effective doctrine. Battle space has been
expanded and this trend is likely to continue.
As battle space expands, maneuvering becomes more important. Effectiveness in infantry combat requires a balance
between firepower and maneuvering, meaning less emphasis on artillery and
greater emphasis on maneuver. Missiles
and bombs launched from air, land and sea-based platforms offer powerful
weapons against large targets. Sooner or
later, however, the fighting will involve infantry units.
Limited helicopter support. These
rules are intended for small-group actions in hot zones. Helicopter support is
not an essential factor. Helicopters
avoid landing in hot zones for the same reason. Attack helicopters must stay
under cover until they can pop up, fire on the enemy, then drop under cover
again. While in the air, they are
vulnerable to stinger missiles. Include choppers if you like, but ground
transport is the basis of this game. Wounded
are assumed to be evacuated by ground transport and logistical support is not
needed in a short encounter.
No standard role for tanks at the tactical
infantry level. Military experts might take me to task for
failing to grasp the value of tanks in combined arms units down to the lowest
level. However, consider their weaknesses
as well as their strengths. Tanks are heavily armored but can be knocked out by
antitank weapons carried by all other unit types. The firepower of the tank against
other vehicles does not give it great effectiveness against infantry soldiers,
who are more agile. Tanks cannot
traverse steep hills, thick forest, or narrow streets. Tanks require a long
logistical tail, both in terms of fuel and also mechanics to repair them when
they break down. The mechanical problem
applies to all the heavier vehicles, which is why some might prefer light
trucks. This, in essence, is the
difference between mobile infantry and mechanized infantry: mech infantry has
more armor and bigger guns but it requires more mechanics.
Tanks will be useful at the close of a battle
when the enemy is driven to a dug-in position. At that stage, why not call in
an air strike? In small group actions, tanks are vulnerable to precision fire
from man-carried antitank missiles. That
is the reason tanks are only used in these rules if they have been converted to
carry infantry teams.
No headquarters unit. Combat
teams are led by sergeants who carry weapons and direct their teams via close
communications.
Drones. Standard
equipment for an infantry team in the near future will include more than one
type of drone. Human-size attack drones can cross open space without loss of
life. However, they may not be standard equipment for another twenty years. Small copter drones already can replace the
forward observer (FO). They may also
drop warheads and IEDs. In these rules, I am assuming that the drone is only
used as an FO. Eventually robotic minitanks and airplanes will fight each
other. However, before the reader gets
in a panic about Artificial Intelligence turning our own weapons against us,
please remember that all equipment breaks down eventually. If robots starting
shooting at friendly units, we can hope they will eventually short-out. The
combat infantry team needs and will rely most on technology that is reliable,
expendable, and lightweight.
Limited use of lasers. Lasers
will be effective in shooting down drones.
However, they cannot replace rifles and missiles for two reasons. First, they require a lot of energy. Second, weather conditions can reduce their
effectiveness (e.g., fog, rain, dust). Players can assume some minor laser
capability in a combat infantry unit but the rifle remains the main weapon
against other infantry soldiers and the missile against vehicles.
Rules
Field of fire is 360 degrees.
Shooting is line of sight.
Each unit is destroyed by one hit. Remove
destroyed figures from the board. Turn destroyed vehicles on their sides.
No unit may move and shoot in the same turn.
A hit is turning a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10.
Cover divides hits by 2. Note: Cover is decisive. Shooting at a unit that is under cover is
pointless because only a 10 will hit them.
When both sides are under cover, the battle will stall completely. If the target is under cover, move your units
until you can get a clear shot.
Turning the mine card (a joker) destroys the
unit. If the unit is a vehicle, all
units onboard are destroyed. Other random events, such as running out of
ammunition or panic, are not included because the mines cause enough
chaos.
Units may not move and shoot during the same
turn.
Movement is about 6” for infantry unless
onboard a vehicle. Vehicles move 12”. Shooting is 12”.
The battle does not end after 15 rounds. The rules require a lot of cautious movement and
each move consumes a turn. I suggest
letting the battle continue until one side has lost 50 percent of its force.
All combat is by shooting. There is no hand-to-hand combat.
Field Test of the Rules (Solo Play)
Scenario:
Search and Destroy.
Enemy forces (the Brown army) are hidden under
cover in several locations. Green force (the player) tries to locate and
destroy while fending off reinforcing enemy units.
Objective: take territory by locating and
destroying enemy units.
Tactics: The Green commander sends a group of
vehicles to a suspected enemy location.
The vehicles stop out of range and offload their infantry teams. The infantry cautiously approaches the
location from the flanks. The vehicles drive into range of the suspected
target. If an enemy unit begins firing,
all of the Green units can return fire.
This cautious approach allows all Green forces to shoot at the same
time. When shooting begins, the enemy
reinforces or withdraws. Green forces
will withdraw and take cover unless they have numerical superiority. Green units will seek to advance from the
flanks and rear. Deciding when to
withdraw and when to advance is a judgment call that makes the difference
between winning and losing.
The automatic decision rules for the enemy are
as follows: fire from cover; reinforce if possible; pull back if outnumbered;
pursue when you have the advantage. The Green
army does the same.
Victory conditions: take territory without
losing more than 50 percent of the force.
The Green army had three vehicles with 18 infantry
soldiers (21 units). The enemy had four vehicles
and 12 infantry soldiers (16 units). The
Green units advanced until they sighted a stand of trees, then offloaded the
infantry for reconnoitering. When the
infantry advanced, the vehicles moved forward. Fire erupted from the trees,
destroying the half-track. The infantry
fell back to cover. Seeing several Green
vehicles, the Brown vehicle retreated to another stand of trees, leaving its
infantry team behind to cause trouble for the Green army.
Picture: A Brown army vehicle has offloaded its
infantry team into a stand of trees.
As the battle unfolded, the vehicles would move
when outnumbered or when they did not have line of sight. The Brown infantry stayed under cover. The Green infantry would have had to move
into open territory to approach the Brown flanks so they called in an air
strike. The Brown vehicle had departed
and its infantry team had fallen back also.
The air strike hit the target but there were no enemy casualties.
Picture: Waiting for the air strike
The Green army vehicles struggled to flank the
enemy while avoiding contact unless they had numerical superiority. When a Brown vehicle was flushed out, it
retreated to cover and the process had to be repeated. However, the Green army
typically incurred some casualties before the Brown units retreated. Fortunately
for the Green army, two Brown vehicles were destroyed by mines.
Joker cards (mines) proved to be an important
factor in the battle. The odds suddenly
changed each time a mine took out a unit.
If the deck must be shuffled repeatedly during the battle, the jokers will
turn up several times.
Green army was able to flank a Brown army Humvee
so it raced toward its last refuge along with its infantry units. Some of the Brown infantry were picked off as
they ran. Before the retreating Humvee
could reach cover, that stand of trees was hit by a second airstrike,
destroying the vehicle hidden there and three soldiers. Air support proved to be important in the
end, but only after the mobile infantry had herded the enemy into a poor
position. The Brown force in that location could have attempted an escape but
would have taken casualties from a well-placed Green infantry team. They chose to shoot instead of run, knocking
out two Green infantry soldiers, and that was their undoing.
Picture: The last position of the Brown army.
Two vehicles and five infantry soldiers were
left to the Green army (seven out of 21 units).
The enemy had one vehicle and five soldiers remaining (six out of 16). Overall, the casualty rate for the Green army
was too high even though it started the battle with a much larger force. The Brown army, though smaller, would have
won easily if the Green army had not approached with caution.
Assessment
Overall, I found the rules to be workable. The terrain set up should provide plenty of
cover while also giving vehicles room to maneuver. I played on a surface that had about 30’x30”
usable space. The area could be expanded
so as to allow a wider range of movement for the vehicles. However, this would
cause delays as the infantry moved from one position to another.
The jokers introduced a random element that can
be annoying but mines are an important factor so I will continue to use
them.
The Brown army suffered a 62.5 percent cumulative
casualty rate so they broke and ran. However, I did not realize until the end that
in the excitement of the game I overrode the breakpoint rule. Green army casualties were 67 percent. If the
Green army had withdrawn prior to the last airstrike, the outcome would have
been a clear win for the Brown army. Now wearing my referee hat, I am declaring
this a victory for Brown and sending Green out to dig latrines.
The hit scoring system prevents the battle from
devolving into a shoot-out from cover.
Instead, it forces both sides to maneuver. The offensive and defensive
equality of the units greatly simplified game play. Looking up hits on a table was not necessary
because all units hit with a number higher than four. Shooting at a unit under cover was a waste of
bullets.
An agile defender under cover with good
infantry weapons has an advantage with these rules in this kind of scenario. However,
this advantage can be countered if the attacker masses his forces and maneuvers
to the flanks.
References
Kidd, Christopher J. ARMY DIRECT FIRE ACCURACY:
PRECISION AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General
Staff College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF
MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE General Studies (2005) Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Grant, Charles.
Battle! Mecanno Magazine (May 1968-December 1970).
