BE: Hussar Troop vs Kerrn Combat Engineering Platoon

[Countercheck]

Time: 1600h

Location: Mapsheet Terrence, Grid 1684-1355

Situation: Troop of three Hussars receive intel that a hostile infantry unit with heavy weapons is traversing some hills penetrating deep into their army's rear. If they make it through, they will be able to blow fuel pipelines, disrupting a planned mechanized advance. The infantry unit, a reduced Combat Engineering Platoon is made up of Kerrn in ballistic armour, lead by a human Lieutenant in Anvil is heavily armed with anti-armour and infantry weapons, and are laden with satchel charges. The race is on... if the Hussars react quickly enough, they may be able to catch the engineers silhouetted against the horizon as they crest the last hill. If the engineers see them coming, however, they'll be able to quickly dig in and make their position all but invincible. Who will win, will the ruthless Hussars ride down their hapless foes, or will the gallant Kerrn shoot down the cavalry as they make a final desperate charge.

VASMO!

(is that ok Sydney?)

[Sydney Freedberg]

"Killer six, this is Hunter six, over."

"Go ahead, Hunter six."

"Estimate platoon of large humanoids moving towards our primary LOS at map grid Tango one-six-eight-four-dash-one-three-double-fiver. Probable Kerrn or Mukhadish. Over."

"Big guys, huh? And yet somehow Hammer recon missed 'em. Over."

"You know what they say, sir: 'Hammer flies....'"

"Roger that, Hunter six. Now wipe those worm-bred freaks off my line of supply. Over."

"Understood, Killer six. Hunter one, Hunter two, we are weapons clear. Stay low and stay with me. Engaging."

[Countercheck]

Ahlezahnder swore under his breath as he pulled himself up the rocky slope, body armour scraping against sharp stones and roots. The old man, not satisfied with regulation equipment, had every soldier in the platoon carting an additional load of explosives in addition to the standard field kit and weapons. The net effect was that they needed to use a heavy civilian transport to fly the unit into position and pray that the stolen transponder would keep the royalists fooled. They had jumped, a HALO jump, but their heavy load had meant they needed to use static repulsors. One kerrn had gotten his wires crossed as he dove out of the plane, and the repulsor discharged itself in an instant of brilliant blue-white light. That was the first casualty. It wouldn’t be the last.

The old man paused, scanning the horizon with his armour’s built in optics. “Alright lads, take five.” The kern greatfully dropped their loads and lay down on the rocks, streatching. “Ahlezahnder, give us a peak over that crest would you?” Ahlezander obediently opened his backpack and took out a small stretchy envelope with a sensor cluster pinned to the bottom. He put an opening in the envelope to a nozzle sticking out of his backpack, and the envelope was pumped full of hydrogen gas. He carefully pinched the opening closed, and released the tiny unpowered drone. It slowly drifted up into the sky. Ahlezahnder took out his extremely expensive and sensitive scanner rig out, and slaved the drone to it. Nothing… nothing… nothi…WAIT!

“Khontahct, betveen two ahnd vive boehgies, coming fast from the south!” Ahlezahnder’s mouth worked its way through the awkward words… he had practiced Russian for years, but he physically couldn’t speak it properly. Another thing to blame on the damn humans.

“Platoon, ground and freeze!” The kerrn reflexively rolled themselves under their stealth cloaks at the order. “Ahlezahnder, can you pin it down a little more?”

“Tree khontahcts, fast and low. I ahm picking up targeting emissions. They haff zeen us, Kaptain.”

“Second section, up the hill. Find a vantage point. Third section, obscuration. First section on me. Everyone blow yourselves foxholes. MOVE people!”

[Countercheck]

Kaptain Vassily Khorosov

Born to Rule
Novitiate
Circle of 10,000
Lieutenant
Anvil Engineer

35 yr old Engineering Kaptain (I'm playing a little fast and loose with the ranks, but can you really see a 35 year old psychologist only being a Lieutenant? I mean, really)

Will 5, Perception 6, Agility 6, Speed 3, Power 3, Forte 3, Circles 2+3,
Resources 8

Traits
Mark of Privilege, Bright Mark, Warrior's Code, Clean Cut, Smartest Guy in the Room, Anvil Trained

Required skills
Circle of 10,000-wise (per) 3
Psychology (wis)5
Command (wis) 3
Fortifications (per) 5

Other Skills
Close Combat, wil/agi 5
Etiquette, wil 2
Psychologist-wise, per 3
Sergeant-wise, per 3
Infiltration, spd 3
Matériel-wise per 3
Tactics per 6

General
Excavation per/agi 3
Explosives per/agi 3

Beliefs
The Kerrn are a proud and noble people who have undergone more hardship and suffering than humanity. I will protect them with my life and honour.

My rank and abilities, while exalted, do not make me superior to anyone else. I will not avoid menial work or responcibilites unless there is something more important that only I can do.

Forged Lord Khorosov, though my father, is a senile, xenophobic old fool who got us into this damned war, and I will not rest until his head is on a pike.

Instincts
When first taken under fire, take cover. We are engineers, not heavy infantry.

If I have nothing to do, I will help those who need it most.

Always bring more explosives than you think you need. There's always one more major structural support than you expect.

1D affiliation amongst nobles
+1ob to falsehood and infiltration when pretending to be lower class
1D reputation in Karsan League.
+1ob to inconspicuous tests
1D affiliation with Circle of 10000

Equipment
Anvil 1rp
CEBW 1rp
Dialable Plastique 2rp
Stacked Smoke Projectile Tube 1rp

[Sydney Freedberg]

This character is the first test-run of the Character Burning spreadsheet I created in Excel, so I'm eager for everyone to catch errors:


Name:
Flight-Lieutenant Marcus Sobieski, Lord-Pilot Hussar
Callsign: "Hunter Six"

Age:
28

Lifepaths:
Born to Rule
Coeptir
Armiger
Lord-Pilot Hussar
Lieutenant

Stats:

Will (Wil) 3
Perception (Per) 6
Agility (Agi) 6
Speed (Spd) 4
Power (Pwr) 3
Forte (For) 4

Attributes:
Steel 6
Hesitation 4
Resources 4
Tax
Circles 2
Mortal Wound 10

Affiliations and Reputations:
Mark of Privilege: +1D Affiliation with local nobility
Groundhog: +1D Affiliation with local Anvil
Groundhog: +1D infamous reputation with local Hammer

Relationships and Contacts:
Company Commander, Lord-Pilot Anvil Josef Mocny ("Killer 6")

Beliefs:
Everyone sees me as an overprivileged kid; I must prove to them I'm tougher and smarter than they are.
War isn't about chivalry, it's about killing the other side until they give up.
Everything worthwhile takes teamwork; I must take care of my team.

Instincts:
Always take the blame for myself and give the credit to my subordinates.
Kill enemies who try to surrender or flee.
When in doubt, attack.

Traits:
Mark of Privilege,
Anvil Trained,
Corvus and Crucis,
Clean Cut
Hussar Trained
Groundhog

Technology:
Glass Anvil armor
SCrEW
Hussar Grav Armor Recon Sled


Skills:
Close Combat (Wil/Agi), 2
Assault Weapons (Agi), 3
Pilot (Per/Agi), 4
Command (Wil), 5
Etiquette (Wil/Per), 2
Observation (Per), 4
Intimidation (Wil), 2
Vehicular Weapons (Per), 4
Recon (Per), 4
Signals (Per), 3
Tactics (Per), 6
Sensors (Per), 4
Concealment-wise (Per) 3

Tolerances:
Superficial 3
Injured 5
Maimed 8
Mortal 10

[Sydney Freedberg]

Having cleaned up my spreadsheet a lot:


WHO YOU ARE: Biographical basics

Jan Dabrowski
Hunter One
Human
Low-born bad boy turned high-flying hotshot.

Lifepaths:
Born to Freeman Kid Soldier Anvil Pilot


WHAT DRIVES YOU: Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits

BELIEFS Artha Earned
I may not know much, but I can outfly anybody.
Everyone is just waiting for me to screw up.
Family matters more than anything.


INSTINCTS Artha Earned
When in doubt, accelerate.
Always keep smiling; never let 'em see you sweat.
Check my sled personally before every flight.


PERSONAL TRAITS SPECIES, CASTE, CULTURE TRAITS
Working Class, Indifferent
Good for Nothing,
FUGAZI
Daredevil
Corvus and Crucis,
Anvil Trained
Bad Egg
Hussar Trained
Affinity for Flying (+1D to pilot for atmospheric only)
WHO YOU KNOW:

Affiliations & Reputations: Value
Reputation: Bad Egg 1
Reputation: Hotshot pilot 1

Relationships & Contacts:
My little sister



WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 1: Stats & Abilities

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
STATS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Will 4
Perception 4 routine tests
Agility 6 never count
Speed 4 for advancing
Power 3 stats
Forte 3

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
ATTRIBUTES: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Resources
Circles 2
Steel 6
Hesitation 4

WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 2: Skills & Tolerances

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
SKILLS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Trouble-wise (Per) 2
Ugly truth (Wil), 2
Soldiering (Wil/Per), 2
Pilot (Per/Agi), 6
Conspicuous (Wil), 3
Inconspicuous (Wil) 2
Driving (Per/Agi) 2
Sensors (Per) 2
Grav Sled-wise (Per) 2
Observation (Per) 2
Vehicular Weapons (Per) 5
Recon (Per) 2
Thrill-Seeking-Young Lady-wise (Per) 2
Repair (Per/Agi) 2
Assault weapons (Agi) 3
Close Combat (Wil/Agi) 2
Tactics (Per) 2



TOLERANCES: Threshold Damage taken
Superficial 2
Injury 3
Maimed 7
Mortal 9

WHAT YOU HAVE: Technology Taxed dice:

Glass Anvil armor
SCReW
Hussar Grav Armored Recon Sled

[Sydney Freedberg]

WHO YOU ARE: Biographical basics

Maria Szymborska
Hunter Two
Human
A 'quiet professional,' determined to keep her head down and get the job done.

Lifepaths:
Born to Rule Coeptir Armiger Lord-Pilot Hussar


WHAT DRIVES YOU: Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits

BELIEFS Artha Earned
The honor of my House means everything.
A good soldier shuts up and gets the job done.
No one really loves me.


INSTINCTS Artha Earned
When in doubt, look again.
Never mistreat a prisoner or a civilian.
Follow orders without question.


PERSONAL TRAITS SPECIES, CASTE, CULTURE TRAITS
Mark of Privilege, Indifferent
Hussar Trained
Anvil Trained,
Corvus and Crucis,
Cold
Determined
Your Lordship


WHO YOU KNOW:

Affiliations & Reputations: Value
Mark of Privilege: Affiliation with local nobility 2
Reputation: Quiet Professional, among local Hussars 1


Relationships & Contacts:
Her distant and demanding grandfather.


WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 1: Stats & Abilities

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
STATS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Will 3
Perception 6 routine tests
Agility 6 never count
Speed 4 for advancing
Power 3 stats
Forte 4

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
ATTRIBUTES: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Resources 3
Circles 1
Steel 7
Hesitation 3

WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 2: Skills & Tolerances

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
SKILLS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Tactics (Per), 3
Close Combat (Wil/Agi), 2
Assault Weapons (Agi), 3
Pilot (Per/Agi), 4
Recon (Per), 5
Observation (Per), 5
Vehicular Weapons (Per), 4
Signals (Per), 5
Sensors (Per), 5
Concealment-wise (Per) 3
Infiltration (Spd), 2
Survival (Wil/For) 3
Etiquette (Wil/Per), 2
Stentor-wise (Per) 3
Armiger-wise (Per), 3


TOLERANCES: Threshold Damage taken
Superficial 3
Injury 5
Maimed 8
Mortal 10

WHAT YOU HAVE: Technology Taxed dice:

Glass Anvil armor Bonuses & Limitations:
SCreW Bonuses & Limitations:
Hussar Grav Armor Recon Sled Bonuses & Limitations:

[Sydney Freedberg]

And those vehicles -- standard Hussar sleds without any fancy upgrades, since I'm trying to test the baseline vehicle here:

Frau Moeller Mk. 3 GARS (Grav Armored Reconaissance Sled)


Hussar Grav Armored Recon Sled (GARS) (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Hussar_elite_recon)

Capacity: pilot only

Type: Atmospheric Vehicle (Pilot)

Tech Index: Low index and higher

Tech Resources: Ob 14

Profile: 1

Integrity: 5

Control: 1D

Signals: Automation 5

Sensors: Automation 5

Ordnance: Vehicular (2)

Vehicular Speed: Atmospheric 7

Security: none

Structural Tolerances: Surface, H8. Breach, V1. Damaged, V7. Destroyed, V14.




Eye of Ahmilahk: +2D to Observation

Complex

Bucephalus Effect


Enhanced Performance

The Strike Hussar is lighter, faster, and more agile than the standard Assault Sled, with a higher thrust:weight ratio and multiple control surfaces -- flaps, tails, and small wings (canards) -- that automatically reconfigure for maximum maneuverability at different speeds and altitudes.

Technological Traits: +1D Skill Advantage: Control, +3 pts; +1 Vehicular Speed, +2 pts; -1 to Profile, equivalent to reducing enemy Skill Advantage: Sensors from 2D to 1D, +2 points; -1 to Integrity, equivalent to reducing Technological Stat: Forte by 1, -2 pts (+5 points)

These improvements are already factored into the stats above.


Enhanced Signals and Sensors

All Hussar Sleds have an enhanced signals and sensors suite. Most Armored Recon models can be distinguished by prominent whip antennas projecting up and back from the cockpit.

Technological Traits: +2D to Technological Skill: Signals, +2 points; +2D to Sensors, +2 pts (+4 points)

These improvements are already factored into the stats above.


Pilot only

The Hussar armored recon sled has a nearly form-fitting cockpit with room for one pilot – wearing ballistic armor or Anvil, but not Iron – and no one else. Unlike the Assault Sled (or any of the other standard vehicles except the Attack Sled), it can carry one person and one person only.

Technological Traits: Categorical Limitation (-1 point)


No cargo

The Hussar armored recon sled has no room for cargo. The pilot may wear ballistic armor or Anvil, carry a sidearm (i.e. a Close Combat category weapon), and stow a survival kit or similar briefcase-sized object. There is no room for anything else.

Technological Traits: Categorical Limitation (-1 point)


Availability in Character Burning: A character with the Hussar Trained trait may purchase a Hussar Grav Armored Reconnaissance Sled in Character Burning for 1 rp. Characters with the Anvil Lord, Hammer Lord, or Forged Lord traits may also purchase Hussar GARS vehicles for 1 rp each. (This is an addition to the rules on p. 112).


Based on the Anvil Assault Sled (pg. 556).




Weapon 1:

Fusion Gun
IMS:
1-2, V6
3-4, V10
5-6, V15
Ammo/Power: Engine
Mounted, Blast, Heater, Devastator
Low Index



Weapon 2:

SCreM Launcher
IMS:
1-2, V4
3-4, V8
5-6, V12
Ammo/Power: Cylinder
Mounted, Blast, Indirect, Intelligent
Low Index

[Countercheck]

WHO YOU ARE: Biographical basics

Kaptain Vassily Khorosov
Da Ahld Mahn
Human
Disinherited noble fighting for the common people, particularly the Kerrn

Lifepaths:
Born to Rule Novitiate Circle of 10,000 Lieutenant Anvil Engineer


WHAT DRIVES YOU: Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits

BELIEFS Artha Earned
The Kerrn are a proud and noble people who have undergone more hardship and suffering than humanity. I will protect them with my life and honour.
My rank and abilities, while exalted, do not make me superior to anyone else. I will not avoid menial work or responcibilites unless there is something more important that only I can do.
Forged Lord Khorosov, though my father, is a senile, xenophobic old fool who got us into this damned war, and I will not rest until his head is on a pike.


INSTINCTS Artha Earned
When first taken under fire, take cover. We are engineers, not heavy infantry.
If I have nothing to do, I will help those who need it most.
Always bring more explosives than you think you need. There's always one more major structural support than you expect.


PERSONAL TRAITS SPECIES, CASTE, CULTURE TRAITS
Mark of Privilege, Planetary Attitude
Bright Mark,
Warrior’s Code,
Clean Cut
Smartest Guy in the Room
Anvil Trained
Cool-Headed,


WHO YOU KNOW:

Affiliations & Reputations: Value
1D affiliation amongst nobles 1
1D reputation in Karsan League as Circle of 10000 member 1
1D affiliation with Circle of 10000 1

Relationships & Contacts:
Estranged, Forged Lord Father


WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 1: Stats & Abilities

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
STATS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Will 5
Perception 6 routine tests
Agility 6 never count
Speed 3 for advancing
Power 3 stats
Forte 3

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
ATTRIBUTES: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Resources 2
Circles 3
Steel 9
Hesitation 1


WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 2: Skills & Tolerances

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
SKILLS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging

Circle of 10,000-wise (Per), 3
Psychology (Per), 5
Command (Wil), 5
Fortifications (Per), 4
Tactics (Per), 6
Close Combat (Wil/Agi), 2
Matériel-wise (Per) 3
Infiltration (Spd), 4
Oratory (Wil), 2
Etiquette (Wil/Per), 2
Explosives (Per/Agi), 4
Excavation (Per/Agi) 4
Strategy Games (Per) 3

TOLERANCES: Threshold Damage taken
Superficial 2
Injury 3
Maimed 7
Mortal 9


WHAT YOU HAVE: Technology Taxed dice:

Anvil Bonuses & Limitations:
SCrEW Bonuses & Limitations:
Memory Plastique Bonuses & Limitations:
Obscuration Tube Bonuses & Limitations:

[Countercheck]

WHO YOU ARE: Biographical basics

Lush
Alias
Kerrn
Kerrn Sergeant, following da Ahld Mahn wherever he goes

Lifepaths:
Born Kahlakesh Solzjah Ahnveel Veps Surge


WHAT DRIVES YOU: Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits

BELIEFS Artha Earned
I will follow Da Ahld Mahn to the end of space
I do not have a problem and I can stop any time I want to. I know this. So gimme another.
I am not leadership material, and want command as much as I want a worm in my head.


INSTINCTS Artha Earned
Volume of fire counts more than punch. I will always choose a rapid fire weapon over a heavy one.
If someone's buying, I'm drinking.
If handed command, I will try to pass it off as soon as is safe.


PERSONAL TRAITS SPECIES, CASTE, CULTURE TRAITS
Cryptic, Bioengineered Organism
I, Solzjah Kerrn Accent
Anvil Trained Massive Stature
Fetishist Not Easy Being Green
Gruff, Super-Mutated IgE
Drunk



WHO YOU KNOW:

Affiliations & Reputations: Value


Relationships & Contacts:


WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 1: Stats & Abilities

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
STATS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Will 4
Perception 3 routine tests
Agility 6 never count
Speed 4 for advancing
Power 6 stats
Forte 6

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
ATTRIBUTES: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Resources
Circles 2
Steel 3
Hesitation 7

WHAT YOU CAN DO, part 2: Skills & Tolerances

Ability Tests earned for Advancement
SKILLS: Exponent Routine Difficult Challenging
Zero G (Spd), 2
Soldiering (Wil/Per), 1
Squad Support Weapons (Agi), 3
Armorer (Per/Agi), 3
Tactics (Per), 2

Assault Weapons (Agi) 4

Repair (Per/Agi), 3
Intimidation (Wil), 3
Human-wise (Per) 1
Explosives (Per/Agi), 3
Eltee-wise (Per) 1
Solzjah-wise (Per), 1
Excavation (Per/Agi) 2
Fortification (Per) 2


TOLERANCES: Threshold Damage taken
Superficial 4
Injury 7
Maimed 10
Mortal 12

WHAT YOU HAVE: Technology Taxed dice:

Anvil Bonuses & Limitations:
Jack Laser Bonuses & Limitations:
Memory Plastique Bonuses & Limitations:
Field Engineer Kit Bonuses & Limitations:

[Countercheck]

You know, I only really need those two characters to be burned up. I've been procrastinating FAR too long. Lets fight!

Lets say most of the platoon is armed with jacklasers, with two kerrn carrying fusors. All of them (except the two with fusors) carry memory plastique and Kerrn Swords as well. They are all wearing ballistic armour, except for the LT who's wearing Anvil. Memory Plastique is effectively a SCArE, with the added advantage that it gives +1D to Take Cover and Engineering rolls. One guy with a fusor has previously been circlesed up, as has a sensors/signals fellow. both have skills at four.

Fair?

[Sydney Freedberg]

If you're happy with that, cool!

I'll retroactively drop the Hussars' Integrity by one and drop Profile by one as well, to bring them in line with the design tweak I did after this thread started.

Assuming that's okay, then we need to do Map, Objectives, and Contact. As I recall, we're using the map on page 27 of the rulebook, the valley road (which is itself an excerpt from Faith Conquers). Logical places to put Positions and Cover would be the two cleared hilltops on either side of the road (the little triangles marked 126 and 309 respectively) and the town of Austa at the road junction, plus the two treelines, the one on the south ridge and the one on the north ride (note that "North" is the RIGHT side of the map). But we don't need to specify all that yet.

Each side's Objective is presumably control of the Line of Communication through the valley -- the Hussars to allow their sides' soft-skinned supply columns to move up, the Kerrn to block any resupply.

In terms of the Contact roll:

Hussar 2 (Szymborska) will make the roll for the Hussars, using Observation 5. She's got +2D to Observation from the Eye of Ahmilahk system, plus the Hussar's Signals Automation 5 can provide two helping dice. As I read pg. 469, she can't FoRK her own Signals skill into this, but Hussar Six (Sobieski) can give her a helping die from his Concealment-wise 3, and Hussar One (Dabrowski) can give her another helping die from his whopping Observation 2. If I've got that right, that's an 11D contact roll, which is terrifying, but then these are dedicated scout vehicles.

[EDIT: I don't think your Stealth Cloaks help at this stage: They're "+1D to Infiltration vs. Observation or Security only" -- which means it'll help you win the Superior Infiltration bonus to Disposition a bit later].

Your anonymous Kerrn signals/sensors guy is presumably using Sensors 4. The redesigned Hussar has only Profile 1, so that's another 1D for you. Since we're all friends here, and since you described it pretty vividly in your write-up, I'd say you also have Miniaturized Surveillance Drones (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Combat_Support#Miniaturized_Survei llance_Drones) giving you +2D more. So that's a 7D contact roll, not bad at all for a bunch of combat engineers.

Do you just want to roll dice on the honor system? I can do it in front of my wife, for example, so she can prevent me from saying, "oh, that 'one' went off the table, I'd better reroll it... and reroll it... until it's a six." Or would you rather someone want to step in as referee per the standard Arena rules, which is more foolproof but also adds an extra step every time we do something?

[Countercheck]

Oh, yes. I did buy miniaturized sensor drones with one of the characters I never got around to finish burning.

Everything sounds cool. Except my sensor-geek is going to fork in 1D from signals, too. Giving me 8D total.

How are we handling Artha here? How much are we starting with?

Also, I'm perfectly willing to trust your honour, wife or no wife, if you'll trust mine (I have no wife)

[Sydney Freedberg]

Except my sensor-geek is going to fork in 1D from signals, too. Giving me 8D total

Oh, right, you can FORK your own skills into a Contact roll -- it's right there in the example on p. 469! What was I thinking? So Szymborska will FORK in Signals and Concealment-wise, for 2D total.

Total for my contact roll: 13 dice! (eep). Anyone want to confirm or correct my calculations here?


How are we handling Artha here? How much are we starting with?

If we give these characters the full starting amount of Artha for their lifepaths, for just one conflict, the whole thing will be about rerolls, and it'll make no sense in the context of an actual campaign where artha is a precious commodity. So, let's just give each unit's leader one Fate point (to force ammo checks and to open-end d6s) and one Persona point (to get back up if disabled or get a +1D on a critical roll).

There's also the issue of call-on traits, which normally only get used once per session. Given that this is a fairly big conflict scene, let's assume that everyone has been saving their call-ons for just such an occasion and can use them (once, of course) in the Firefight.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Lets say most of the platoon is armed with jacklasers, with two kerrn carrying fusors. All of them (except the two with fusors) carry memory plastique and Kerrn Swords as well....

Dude, are you sure you don't want a tripod-mounted Heavy Laser in there too? Otherwise, if I win the Contact roll (and winning the contact roll is what Hussars were built for), I'm gonna claim Range Superiority on you.

[Countercheck]

Naa, this is an engineering platoon traversing hills quietly, not a rifle platoon. No weapons that require a tripod or crew. Claim range superiority, definitely. It makes sense that light hover-tanks would outrange sappers. Looking at the tables, I think you're going to win. =)

Rolling my eight dice...

three sixes, two fours, and three threes. Total of 5 sucesses.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Rolling my thirteen dice, in an empty box of business cards so I won't bother the people in the adjoining cubicles (yes, I am obsessed, but my military casualties story this week got prime play on our website (http://nationaljournal.com/), so they ain't firing me):

6 Successes: 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4
7 Worms: 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1.

(Note that neither of us can get rerolls because no one has appropriate call-ons, and only the leader on each side has Artha, and in each case it's a subordinate making the Contact roll.)

So I win the Contact roll barely.

Naturally, I'm claiming the Disposition bonus, not the right to occupy a Position. I'm happy with everyone starting out in No Man's Land: Let's see who holds up better without cover, armored vehicles or Kermit the Barbarian.

Flight-Lieutenant Sobieski (Hunter Six) is my leader and rolls Disposition off his Tactics 6....Ugh:

2 Successes: 6, 4
4 Worms: 3, 3, 3, 2.

Teach me to smack-talk. That's not even worth spending Artha on for Luck, 'cause I'd only get to reroll the lone six with a 50-50 chance of another success.

But the Firefight checklist (p. 471-3) offers some comfort:

Starting with my base roll of two successes:

Won Contact roll: +2s
Superior Communications (we have Signals Automation 5): +1s
Superior Training (Hussar Trained counts as Iron Trained): +1s
Vehicles: Heavier chassis (you have no vehicles): +1s
Vehicles: Greater Mobility (again, no contest): +2s
HUSSAR'S TOTAL DISPOSITION: 9

Neither of us qualifies for Superior Position (the Hussars can climb and gain the high ground at will, but only at the price of exposing themselves), Superior Weaponry (the Hussars' big guns would get that in open terrain, the Kerrn's jack lasers & explosives in a close-quarters fight, but this is mixed terrain), or Right Tools for the Job (no special stuff going on) or Iron Superiority (no Iron on either side).

The Kerrn get

Outnumber by a vast margin (15+ Kerrn vs. 3 vehicles): +2s
Psychological Advantage (we don't have a Psychologist, they do): +1s
Superior Infilitration (we don't even have this skill!): +1s

That's a +4 to whatever you roll off Khorosov's Tactics 6, Mike.

But before you roll, let me jump ahead to Positions & Cover (again, p. 27 of the PDF). I'd suggest, taking on both the roll of "neutral GM" and of the Contact roll winner who gets to upgrade two positions to P2 (specifically the hilltops, because they command the road):

Hill 126 (southern hilltop, left side of the page): P2, C1
Hill 309 (northern hilltop, right side of the page): P2, C1
Southern Treeline (left side of page): P1, C2.
Northern Treeline (right side of page): P1, C2.
Austa (village at road junction): P1, C3.

Mike, as loser of the Contact roll, you get to add one more 1P position OR upgrade any of the existing five positions by one (either from P1 to P2 or from P2 to P3). Since your write-up specified the Hussars were coming from the south, presumably your guys are in no man's land on the north ridge: Losing the Contact roll means you were caught in the open, presumably between the Northern Treeline and Hill 309.

[Countercheck]

Rolling Tactics 6, forking in Command for another die.

Roll(7d6)+0:
1,3,4,3,6,1,2,+0
Total:20

which brings me up to disposition 6. So screwed =)

I'll upgrade the village to P2 C3.

I have my script ready. You wanna post first, or shall I?

[Sydney Freedberg]

Two successes on seven dice. Owwwwch. And no, with one six, it's not worth the Artha reroll.

I just wrote my script down on a piece of scrap paper. You say you have yours? Go ahead and post, then I'll post mine.

[Countercheck]

Advance, Supressive Fire, Observe. You?

[Sydney Freedberg]

Great minds think alike, almost:

Flank, Suppressive Fire (using the missiles for Indirect fire in case you were Observing on the same volley, which you aren't), Observe.

(Darn it, I almost went Suppressive Fire first. Probably would've hurt you more. Oh well. I figured you'd go Advance first, but then Take Cover, rather than shoot back immediately).

Flank and Advance are versus each other, the two Suppressive Fire scripts are independent, the two Observes are versus again.

Sobieski's testing his Tactics 6, of course. He doesn't get any FoRKs (there's no other skill listed to FoRK with, and none of his wises make any sense). But he can get Help from subordinates with Pilot -- it's not quite clear on p. 486 what happens if each subordinate is in a different vehicle, but let's say he can only take Pilot help from one, rather than from each of them. So that's Dabrowski's Pilot 6 adding two helping dice, for a total of 8D:

1 Success: 5
Worms: 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1.

UGH. And I don't have any sixes to reroll. (Whose bright idea was it not to have any Deeds artha? Oh, right, mine).

Now you get to roll for your Advance and, given your inevitable victory, decide how to spend your extra successes.

But first....


SIX (Sobieski): "Hussar One, Hussar Two, on me. We're not going straight up that ridge -- we'll swing around and do a strafing run from east to west."
ONE (Dabrowski): "Roger, Six. We gotta get lower or they'll see..."
TWO (Szymborska): "Six, they're rabbiting."
ONE: "Shit!"
SIX: "Don't let them reach cover! Missiles, indirect mode - Two, suppress the far treeline inwards...."
TWO: "Roger."
SIX: "One, you hit them dead-on, get the best lock you can. I'll plaster the crest. Firing... now!"
ONE: "Redtops away!"
TWO: "Redtops away."

[Countercheck]

I'd let you fork in whatever you thought was reasonable, really. I mean, forks aren't skills that you could use to do the job, nessisarily. You could probably bring in Command ("Lets do this by the numbers, boys and girls. Don't panic, keep your eye on the ball"), or Pilot ("He twisted down through the trees, taking a shortcut that would have been impassible to any lesser pilot"), or Observation ("They're bolting, but we can pin em against that sunken riverbed they can't see from their position"), or even Recon ("Computer, give us that overlay from our earlier scan). Consealment-wise is totally appropriate too.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Oh, no, no, no. Page 482 is brutally and explicitly restrictive:

Fields of Related Knowledge for Unit Actions
Players may use FoRKs from the skill list for the action. Directly related wises are also fair game, but anything that smells of reaching should be discarded.

So roll them bones and Advance away.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Wait: You do convince me on FoRKing "Concealment-wise," since both sides are trying to avoid being spotted as they maneuver. Whee, another die.... a 5!

So I now have a whopping two successes.

[Countercheck]

Roll(5d6)+0:
1,2,4,4,1,+0
Total:12

Two successes. Tie. No one succeeds.

"They're trying to outflank us. Scared of us in their little tin cans, are they? Well, that'll change once they can bring their guns to bear. We need to talke that damned town, take shelter. Third section, left flank. Second, take the right. First, with me. Ahndrey, you're on point. Advance by squad. Those not advancing, give a base of fire. Now MOVE before those pansies find some courage."

As the platoon moved, they began spitting fire back at the grav sleds tormenting them.

[Countercheck]

Supressive fire is independant, against OB 1

Roll(6d6)+0:
2,4,3,4,2,4,+0
Total:19

That's two successes above the minimum. Spending both on steel tests. One against Sobieski, one against Szymborska.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Tiebreaker roll!

For Flank:
Individual Action: Infiltration, Zero G, Physical Training, Helm, Pilot or Drive
If the unit action is a tie, an individual character may make a tiebreaker test for his unit. Test an appropriate skill from the list above versus the root stat for the skill used in the opposing unit’s action or the individual action skills for opposing maneuvers. Use root stats for the tie-breaker if unskilled. Victory in individual action counts as if the player had won the unit action test by the margin of success.

Hussar One (Dabrowski) is our best Pilot: exponent 6, +1D Affinity for Flying, +1D for the Hussar's Agility bonus, +1D FoRKing his Tactics, +1D FoRKing his Grav Sled-wise, for a total of 10 dice:

5 Successes: 6, 6, 6, 4, 4
5 Worms: 3, 3, 3, 1, 1

For Advance:
Individual Action: Infiltration, Zero G, Physical Training, Helm, Pilot or Drive
If the unit action is a tie, an individual character may make a tiebreaker test for his unit. Test an appropriate skill from the list above versus the root stat for the skill used in the opposing unit’s action or the individual action skills for opposing maneuvers. Use root stats for the tie-breaker if unskilled. Victory in individual action counts as if the player had won the unit action test by the margin of success.

Khorosov looks like he has Infiltration 4 (if I'm reading the right version), with +1D FoRK'd from Tactics (gotta be applicable!) but nothing else, 'cause his only -wise is "Materiel-wise" and I can't really think of a way for his knowledge of his unit's equipment to play into this roll.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Whoops! Crossposted. But roll your tiebreaker on the Advance vs. Flank first; that'll make a difference because a successful Flank can roll successes over into Suppressive Fire.

[Countercheck]

And I totally forgot about tiebreakers. Bad mike!

Right. Infiltration 4 +1 for tactics. So screwed.

Roll(5d6)+0:
3,1,4,1,4,+0
Total:13

yep. Two successes, and no sixes. What are you going to do with your three successes?

[Sydney Freedberg]

Right, 5 vs. 2 on the tiebreaker roll counts as if I won the unit action roll by the same 3 successes.

First of all, you didn't make it to cover, obviously.

I could use the Flank successes to boost the Suppressive Fire, but at one Flanking success per one die bonus to Suppressive Fire, which averages at .50 successes, that's a lousy trade. (When would that be smart? Probably if you have some amazing superweapon you want to buy shot opportunities with).

So all three successes go to reducing your unit's Disposition. You're down to .... three.


The big Kerrn sappers charged across the open ground, long legs scissoring madly, running so hard even they were panting. Khorosov felt his heart trying to burst his eardrums as he fought to keep up.

"Kaptain!" Ahlezahnder yelled. "Two hahstuls, tryank to flank uzh from zhe east!"

"Two?" Khorosov gasped. He could see two dots zipping in and out of view far off down the ridgeline. "Where's the third...."

A flash of sunlight off metal at the far end of the ridge. The telltale ripple effect of a grav-pressor drive at maximum. The wasp-like lines of a Hussar sled, snapping up from dandelion-clipping altitude into attack position.

The third one. "He's right on top of...."

Missile contrails filled the sky.

"RED TOPS!"


Now my Suppressive Fire roll:

Sobieski's Tactics 6, +1D help from the SCREM launchers' own targeting computers (the "Intelligent" trait"), no applicable FoRKs or wises, but I get Range Superiority: +2D, because my Vehicular Range weapons are two steps above your Assault Weapons (remember, Fusor's got errata'd with a Short Range trait). 9 dice against Ob 1.

5 Successes: 6, 5, 5, 4, 4
4 Worms: 3, 2, 1, 1.

That's more like it. 4 Successes over the Obstacle to spend:

2 go to giving you a +1 Obstacle to your next roll.
2 go to force Steel checks on Khorosov and Ahlezahnder.



Meanwhile Sobieski's making his Steel test with 6D against Hesitation 4:

2 Successes: 5, 4.
4 Worms: 3, 2, 2.

He fails by two -- half his Hesitation -- and is totally useless on the next volley. Artha can't do anything for him. Ouch!


And Szymborska -- Steel 7 vs. Hesitation 3:

2 Successes: 5, 4
5 Worms: 3, 3, 3, 2, 1

Again, she's useless in the next volley. It's all up to Dabrowski with his Tactics of 2!


HUSSAR SIX: They're returning fire! Dive! Behind the ridgeline!
HUSSAR ONE: I got 'em! Hey! Where're you two going....

[Sydney Freedberg]

Let's see if your guys do less horribly on their Steel tests....

[cmoeller]

From deep within his Tartar class destroyer, Hammer Captain Moeller hunches over his orbital recon display, observing the skirmish far below.

"I think your countrymen are in trouble."

Moeller's massive kerrn bodyguard sniffs with feigned disinterest.

"Vait until dey get into cover. Den you see vhat dey made of."

Moeller doesn't raise his eyes, studying the symbols moving on the display.

"Want to make a friendly wager, G'ragh?"

"Jou on. My Raga powered sword for jour century old scotch."

Moeller reaches back a hand and they shake on it. G'ragh, now openly interested, leans over the display as well, making the entire mount shake. Moeller frowns, waiting for the image to settle...

[Countercheck]

Korosov Steel Test

Roll(9d6)+0:
4,4,1,2,4,6,1,3,6,+0
Total:31

PASS

Ahlezander

Roll(3d6)+0:
4,3,5,+0
Total:12

FAIL

"Vahmpire, Vahmpire! Two incohming!"

"EVERYONE DOWN!" Korosov matched actions to words, diving into a small depression and pulling a tube off his hip. He slammed the tube into the ground, and it gave three loud "BAMPF"s, shooting small grenade like projectiles up above the formation. They flared white hot and trailed silver strings that drifted down towards the earth. The Redcaps went for the decoys, but even so, the concussion bounced Korosov off the ground, and he felt schrapnel tinkling over his Anvil.

Cautiously, he looked up. "Everyone up! Move. Get a fix on those bastards." The kerrn picked themselves up, all but Alhezander, who was sitting behind a bush, rocking, with blood running out of his ears. "Garret, Pahl, pick him up and get him under cover.

[Sydney Freedberg]

I thought the battle-hardened psychologist would pass that Steel test, but it was worth a try.

Now it's Observe vs. Observe:

Mike was smart about selecting whom to suppress, because my people with good skills for this volley are out of play. Dabrowski (Hunter One) is the only one not Hesitating on my side, so I'm stuck with his Observation 2, +2D for the Eye of Ahmilahk (best 5 tech trait points I ever spent), +1D FoRK from his Grav Sled-wise, and +2D help from the Hussar sled's Signals Automation 5. That's seven dice, not bad:

[brief break to search for dice box, finally located where toddler left it when finished playing with it, in bathroom next to toilet (of course)]

3 Successes: 5, 5, 4
4 Worms: 3, 2, 1, 1

My luck's turning, at least.

The allowed skills for this action are "Observation, Psychology, Signals, Sensors, Hunting" (see pg. 487). So either Khorosov can try with his 5D Psychology plus 1D help from his Signals 4 guy, or the Signals 4 guy can try with +2D from his mini-drones and +2D helping dice from Khorosov's psychology. (I don't think I'm missing any allowable FoRKs here). The latter is better and gets you eight dice total.

But remember that you have an additional +1 Ob to overcome from my Suppressive Fire successes, so you lose your first success.

[Countercheck]

Right, making a signals test at 4 +2 for drones, +2 for psych. That's 8 dice vs ob 3

Roll(8d6)+0:
2,1,1,6,5,3,5,4,+0
Total:27

Pass

The dust and chaff fragments thrown up by the missiles and decoys obscured the platoon for a moment. "Eltee, Ah've lahst dem!" shouted the signals officer. Khorosov closed his eyes for a moment, and the left eyehole of his helmet glowed a bright gold for a moment.

"They're south by southwest, corporal, do a sweep."

"Got dem."

"Come on you frogs, up and at-em. You wanna live forever?"


My script is complete, though I have a question before I post it. I have two scripts worked out, just in case the answer is 'no'

[Sydney Freedberg]

Aah, that's right, I'd forgotten: If both sides Observe, that's two independent actions, not versus actions.

So both sides have now successfully observed each other. Nasty. And your squad-support Fusors aren't actually that much less potent than my turret-mounted Fusion Guns, although of course I've got much more armor.

I have a script ready, too, but let's resolve that question of yours first. What was it?

[Countercheck]

Given neither of us are occupying a position, and the range is pretty short, can I just say CLOSE COMBAT and charge? Or do I need to script an advance towards you first? Or do I need to script ANYTHING but colorize our advance?

[Sydney Freedberg]

Looking back at this thread (http://burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3259), I'd say, no, you can't just script Close Combat: Both sides are in No Man's Land, but there are intervening Positions -- you're inside a triangle formed by the town, the hilltop, and the woodline, the Hussars are moving around outside that triangle.

If you script a successful Advance and then Close Combat, I'd probably say "yes," assuming I didn't Flank or Advance or Withdraw myself in some radically different direction. It's a little fuzzy.

[Countercheck]

What if I scripted a Flank, and described it as my Kerrn separating into squads and rushing forward to catch you in close range enfilading fire? Or if I scripted Direct Fire and described it as the two fusors laying down fire while the rest of the platoon advanced under their protection? The distance separating us is effectively colour, and therefore could be countered by other colour in a previous maneuver, no? The rules are explicit about needing an advance to move from one position to another, but they are explicitly not explicit (heee) about dealing with close combat in no-man's land. Or am I totally off the mark here?

[Sydney Freedberg]

I'd really think Advance is the thing: "Advance is used to close ground with the enemy or to take up a new position on the battlefield" (pg. 482). Whereas "A Flank or Withdraw wipes out all incremental Advances toward a position" (p. 477). And "In order to traverse the battle space, a fireteam must move from position to position. A unit cannot simply hop from one end of the field to the other. If there is an intervening position between their current one and their goal, it must be occupied before the other, more distant one, can be gained." (p. 478).

The position of your unit (at least implicitly) was between the northern treeline on the one side and the northern hilltop and the town on the other, whereas my unit's defined as being relatively far to the south, so there's at least one position (the town or the hilltop) between us that neither side can simply hop over.

And finally, here's my exchange with Luke from that other thread (http://burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3259):

Of the three avenues into Close Combat listed in the book, two are fairly clear -- either you Advance successfully into the target unit's position, or they try to Advance into yours (and even if they fail, they're presumably strung out in front of you).

But the third one seems to boil down to "if both of you are in no man's land," and that's confusing to me: Does that mean any unit that's not in a Position can Close Combat with any other unit not in a Position, even if they're at opposite ends of the sketch map? Or is there some way to define location other than "in a specific position or not"? The book seems to imply this, when it says a unit can't leap from one end of the battlefield to another, but must advance from position to position.

I've got a particular interest in this subject because Mike and I are slowly working up an Arena firefight, and I really, really don't want his Kerrn combat engineers with satchel charges in Close Combat with my Hussars...

The third option is completely dependent on the color of the situation. If it makes sense, it can happen. I didn't want situations where two units were out of position in, say, a hallway, and they couldn't close assault each other.

[Countercheck]

Fair enough =)

Oh, we need to make an ammo check. I've got a powerpack, you've got an engine. You roll at +1D. Both of us did a Suppressive Fire, so Ob3.

My boy has Close Combat 2. Oy vey.

No successes on that one. We burned through a fusor barrel and need to replace the damn thing =)

[Sydney Freedberg]

Ammo check - I quite forgot that! Good catch.

But the rule says "each player" must make an ammo check; it doesn't specify the character who's the unit leader. I'd imagine this would logically be a thing you could delegate to whoever is actually firing the weapon -- or, if there are multiple people firing, the "optimal average" individual.

So I think you should be rolling off your Kerrn sapper with the Fusor, meaning an Exponent 4 skill. Plus, you get 4D for being the better ammo capacity, because I was firing SCREMs, which have Cylinder ammo capacity!

[Countercheck]

I was going by Page 508

"In situations where a single player is leading a company of soldiers or
commanding a ship, he is the focal point of the action. He makes the
unit action tests, the Steel tests and ammo checks for his unit. If he
stumbles or fails, his unit stumbles and fails with him.

He does not need to make the individual action tests or the specialist
action tests. These may be made using the stats and skills for soldiers
under his command."

And on the ammo check page, it says implicitly that you should use the highest capacity weapon that you have for the ammo check. Page 523

"Before I make my ammo check, I compare my weapon to the weapons in
the opposing unit. In this case, they don’t have anything larger than a
magazine. I’ve got a power pack. That’s two steps bigger. I get +2D to my
skill test for the ammo check. I roll my 4 Assault Weapons skill plus +2D."

Even though colour-wise you used the missiles, we still compare against your highest capacity weapon, no?

[Sydney Freedberg]

No, it's pretty explicitly framed in terms of the specific weapon used: "A failed ammo check indicates the character may not use that weapon for a Direct Fire, Close Combat Weapons Fire or Suppressive Fire action on the next volley to be played." (p. 524) I just think the example on p. 523 is just implying that if multiple types of weapons were fired, you go with each side's best one.

And likewise, I think this falls under the category of "individual action tests or the specialist action tests [which] may be made using the stats and skills for soldiers under his command," not things the leader has to do:

Who Makes the Ammo Test?
The ammo check is designed to let individuals in the fireteam manage their ammunition. If individual characters fail, they may not participate in Direct Fire or Suppressive Fire actions in the next volley—not even to help. In small teams of individuals, ammo checks are made by each character. Otherwise, the officer makes the test.

So I'd let your archetypical Fusor gunner make the roll.

Meanwhile, I guess Dabrowski, Sobieski, and Szymborska should all roll separately, since I've got a very small unit:

Dabrowski - Vehicular Weapons 5:
3 Successes: 6, 6, 5
2 Worms: 3, 2
PASS

Szymborska - Vehicular Weapons 4:
4 Successes: 5, 5, 5, 4!
No worms!
PASS

Sobieski - Vehicular Weapons 4:
2 Successes: 6, 6
2 Worms: 3, 2
FAIL

[Sydney Freedberg]

P.S. All of which is fairly academic for me, since you're probably going to make it under Cover at some point, and then I'd switch to the Fusion Guns in any case, since they have the "Wave" trait which negates all but 1 point of Cover.

So I'd say, go ahead and make your Ammo Check roll with eight dice, and then reveal your script.

[Countercheck]

Page 508

"In situations where a single player is leading a company of soldiers or
commanding a ship, he is the focal point of the action. He makes the
unit action tests, the Steel tests and ammo checks for his unit. If he
stumbles or fails, his unit stumbles and fails with him.

He does not need to make the individual action tests or the specialist
action tests. These may be made using the stats and skills for soldiers
under his command."

But, I'm not going to argue since it gives me a better chance =)

My LT failed, and needs to rebore his pistol (he was marking the position of the tanks with his pistol)

Veps Kerrn 1:
Roll(4d6)+0:
5,5,1,2,+0
Total:13
Fail, he needs to rebore

Veps Kerrn 2:
Roll(4d6)+0:
2,1,6,3,+0
Total:12
Fail, so does he.

Infantry in general
Roll(4d6)+0:
5,5,3,5,+0
Total:18
Pass. The jack-laser armed kerrn can fire. Whoo-hoo! Keep up that rifle fire, boys, you might make the Abrams flinch yet!

[Countercheck]

My script:

Suppressive fire, Direct fire, advance

[Sydney Freedberg]

Wow, that was a lousy set of Ammo Check rolls.

As for scripting -- dang, we think alike:

Suppressive Fire, Direct Fire, Withdraw.

(I very nearly put withdraw first, but I was afraid you'd Direct Fire immediately and give me a 4 Obstacle to overcome).

Oh, and we forgot a rule last time, though it balanced out: "if the suppressing side has squad support, vehicular or artillery weapons in their unit, they get a +1D advantage to their Suppressive Fire Tactics test." Since we both had such weapons (your Fusors, my Fusion Guns), we both neglected to give ourselves a die. No biggie.

The two Suppressive Fires are independent of each other (and the Direct Fires will be, too). So, rolling Sobieski's 6D Tactics, +2D for two levels of range superiority, +1D for Help from the SCREM's Intelligent trait (since two of the three Hussars passed their ammo checks), +1D for having heavy weapons (the rule we forgot), that's ten dice:

5 Successes: 6, 6, 5, 5, 4
5 Worms: 3, 3, 2, 2, 1

But I'm going to spend Sobieski's point of Fate Artha to open-end those two sixes - so, rolling two more dice:

2 additional Successes: 6, 4.

So that's seven successes total, which is six successes over the base obstacle of one for Suppressive Fire as an independent action.

"More metal downrange: Two successes may be spent to degrade the enemy disposition by one point." (Page 489)

Six succeses buys me three points off your Disposition. You're at zero.

As I recall the rules, you get to roll for your Suppressive Fire and then the Firefight ends.

[Countercheck]

Rolling 7 dice for the Suppressive Fire

Roll(7d6)+0:
5,2,2,2,4,6,2,+0
Total:23

Rerolling 6

Roll(1d6)+0:
2,+0
Total:2

Sometimes the dice love you, sometimes... =)

So I succeed by two, and spend the successes on reducing your disposition by 1, gaining a very, very minor compromise by reducing your disposition by 1/9th =P

Nearly flawless victory!

[Sydney Freedberg]

I had some serious dice luck at crucial moments -- that last Suppressive Fire roll, obviously, but also the tiebreaker on the first volley's Flank vs. Advance. This could've gone a lot worse for me.

That said, I think it would've been hard for me to lose, just because I was going in with 9 Disposition to your 6. If you'd had that darn tripod-mounted Heavy Laser, it would have made things considerably harder for me, because I wouldn't have had +2D for Range Superiority on each of those two Suppressive Fire rolls. As it was, you literally brought a Kerrn Sword to a Redtop fight, and it hurt ya, as you knew full well it would. That's not to say an all-infantry force can't beat Hussars: My automatic +3 disposition from having the only vehicles (heavier chassis and faster, by default) was neatly balanced by your +3 for having vastly larger numbers and (by default) the edge on Infiltration. A heavy weapons platoon with Lords-Pilot in Iron hauling Heavy Lasers on grav pods (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Weapons_Upgrades#Grav_Pod) and smart mortars (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Weapons_Upgrades#Smart_Mortar), plus some Sensors-boosting mini-drones (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Personal_Gear#Miniaturized_Surveil lance_Drones) to allow the "Lock On" specialist action, might have been a much harder fight. So might the Kerrn combat engineers as written if they'd been in cluttered terrain where they could get into Close Combat.

But the killer piece of technology was clearly the Eye of Ahmilahk. That +2D on Observation made a big difference on both my Observe roll and the initial Contact. I'm going to up its cost in the wiki version of the Hussar, (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Hussar_elite_recon&diff=3395&oldid=3197) adding a point to reflect its being useable in those two different circumstances. (Since most characters will presumably acquire a Hussar for 1 rp in Character Burning, this is even more trivial than it seems).

[Countercheck]

The heavy laser might have made a difference at that, but I still don't see a platoon of infantry humping a heavy laser on a mission like that. And yes, certainly, a mixed infantry force would give an armoured force like yours a nightmare... mine was designed for a specific mission and I possibly underestimated the Hussar. I was thinking Armoured Car or Light Tank, when it is less Light and more Tank, in actual fact.

I actually saw a firefight between a unit of Iron and a tank with supporting Anvil armoured troopers. It wasn't a contest really, the Iron wiped the floor with the tank.


In any case, would you care to run another one? I promise I'll be more on the ball with character burning =)

[Sydney Freedberg]

The Hussars are using the Assault Sled armored tolerances, so they're pretty tank-like; the only thing that makes them "light" is losing a point of Integrity, which is significant but not massive. But in any case neither side ever got a Shot Opportunity in, so the difference in armor between my flying tanks and your giant frogs in flak jackets didn't come into play (except in calculating initial disposition). I could've been using a Grav Bike version of the Hussar with negligible armor and a single built-in Heavy Laser for armament and gotten identical results. In fact, I think I'll burn up such a thing based on this experience -- though I wouldn't want to throw a "Light Hussar" up against anything well-armed force.

I also do think you made one significant tactical mistake, which was not making a second try to Advance: The cover wouldn't have made a huge difference, since my Fusion Guns had the Wave trait, but the extra points to your Disposition would have staved off defeat long enough for you to do me some damage.

I'd be happy to try another Firefight in this "honor system" version of the Arena. I enjoyed this one and it was a good system-learning experience. What I'd like to try next is not an all-Hussar force -- since that gives away three Disposition points in the form of "Vastly Outnumbered" and "Superior Infiltration" -- but something in the combined arms department: Say, a reinforced heavy infantry platoon with 15-16 Lords-Pilot in Iron, three Assault Sleds as infantry carriers, a single Hussar attached for recon, and a SPAG-M (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Self-Propelled_Artillery_%28Gravitic%29_-_SPAG&burninge_BEwiki_be__session=88aabffeb8a38598d64380 22aa2cfa6c) firing in support. That's a pretty brutally heavy force, but it'll allow me to test my theories about using small numbers of my custom vehicles in support of more conventional ones.

[Countercheck]

Eh. I was actually expecting you to go directly for Direct Fire given that your weapons were Blast and Vehicular scale. If you had two shot opportunities, I'd likely lose four points of disposition. And given that Direct Fire and Advance are independent, it wasn't very likely that you would fail to get those shot opportunities, and probably some more that you could use with your secondary weapons, which I assumed would be vehicular scale and blast as well. So, I scripted Suppressive Fire, one of the few actions that is vs against Direct Fire, in the hope that I could reduce the number of shot opportunities you got against me. By this point, I wasn't playing to win, I was playing to compromise. You had three times my disposition, and it wasn't likely I could get it back. So, I wanted to suppress you long enough to get my fusors back online in the hopes they would be able to seriously damage your Hussars. Imho, the mistake I made was not going for Direct Fire Direct Fire Direct Fire anyway, and ignoring the damage my gunners would likely take from the Heater trait.

So you'll be fielding a heavy mechanized company... perhaps I'll use a squadron of tanks supported by anvil infantry? What I'd really like is a combat drop, but that doesn't make so much sense. The drop would involve a squad of Jaegers and their drop shuttles. The only problem with that is as soon as you get a shot op, you can fry my entire unit.

[Countercheck]

I've decided... I'm going to be playing a section of Jaegers with a Hammer liaison officer, and a few assault shuttles or a cruiser. They're the forward observation team.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Oooh -- beautifully brutal. Let's start a new thread for that, shall we?

[Sydney Freedberg]

And we're off! (http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=21)

[Paul B]

These combat examples rock, guys. Just sayin'. I'm putting together my own test which I'm hoping to post up soonish: grav bike punks (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Grav_Bikes) jump a Merchant League official's Anvil bodyguard. Actually, since I've already got the punks burned up and a very rough map sketched out (it's a downtown ambush; rooftops, highrises and parking structures, whee!) I'd happily take on someone else's Anvil bodyguard.

Off to go check out the next one!

p.

[Sydney Freedberg]

Oooh, I'm tempted, but I'm already spending too much time on BE as it is... Mike, do you want the opportunity to shoot down some of your own creations?

[luke]

Hey guys,
Thanks for doing this. It was a blast to read. I particularly enjoyed the opening banner -- the negotiation to set the scene for the banter. That kind of "table chatter" is exactly what Burning Empires is supposed to be. We all agree on terms we're comfortable with. And then we fight like hell!

Congrats on your victory, Sydney. Good instincts with those Suppressive Fire successes!
-L

[Countercheck]

These combat examples rock, guys. Just sayin'. I'm putting together my own test which I'm hoping to post up soonish: grav bike punks (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Grav_Bikes) jump a Merchant League official's Anvil bodyguard. Actually, since I've already got the punks burned up and a very rough map sketched out (it's a downtown ambush; rooftops, highrises and parking structures, whee!) I'd happily take on someone else's Anvil bodyguard.

Off to go check out the next one!

p.

If you make the thread, I'll play the Anvil. But you need to tell me what strength I should make these guys...

[Sydney Freedberg]

Mike, Paul, allow me to point you towards a few fun lifepaths I homebrewed: Grav Biker (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Dirty_and_Dangerous_lifepaths#Bike r), Military Police (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Military_and_Security_lifepaths#Mi litary_Police), and Bodyguard (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Noble_House_lifepaths#Bodyguard).

And, Mike, for Jaegers, a logical second lifepath (after "Born Whatever") is Redneck (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Dirty_and_Dangerous_lifepaths#Redn eck), which has "Backwoods-wise" as its required skill.

[Paul B]

If you make the thread, I'll play the Anvil. But you need to tell me what strength I should make these guys...

Okie dokie (http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?p=34912#post34912)!

p.

[Sydney Freedberg]

I could've been using a Grav Bike version of the Hussar with negligible armor and a single built-in Heavy Laser for armament and gotten identical results. In fact, I think I'll burn up such a thing based on this experience -- though I wouldn't want to throw a "Light Hussar" up against anything well-armed force.

And the Light Hussar now exists on the wiki (http://www.burningempires.com/wiki/index.php?title=Hussar_elite_recon#Light_Hussar), rounding out the Hussar family.