How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

[The_Patriot]

I was curious on how to handle infiltrating units for Mass Combat. I have a branch of the military that does covert operations like human intelligence gathering, assassinations, and other black ops. I would like to have them have the choice of starting on the battlefield where ever the owning player wishes to place them. How would you handle infiltration in this manner?

[Escafarc]

Re: How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

 

A skill vs skill roll of some sort (stealth/concealment vs PER) bfore the battle starts, but this would only work if there was a referee and the roll could be made without both parties seeing it.

[Utech]

Re: How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

 

Figure out how many infiltrating units you've got. Figure out how many infiltrator-finding units the defender has. The infiltrating side writes down a location for each of his infiltrating units. The defending side writes down as many locations as he wishes each infiltrating-finding unit to check.

 

Do a straight up Skill vs. Skill to determine if the infiltrators manage to avoid the infiltrator-finders. Lower the defending side's skill roll (by whatever you feel is fair) for every location beyond one they try to check.

[The_Patriot]

Re: How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

 

Thank y'all for the replies and I forgot completely about using stealth.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

 

If you're using the mass combat rules from Fantasy Hero, I'd also use the infiltrating unit's size modifier as a penalty to the Stealth roll. A squad or platoon of rangers is going to have an easier time hiding out than a division's worth of them.

[The_Patriot]

Re: How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

 

If you're using the mass combat rules from Fantasy Hero' date=' I'd also use the infiltrating unit's size modifier as a penalty to the Stealth roll. A squad or platoon of rangers is going to have an easier time hiding out than a division's worth of them.[/quote']

 

It's a great idea, but if you use the Unit Modifier on units that have Stealth 12-, like my standard infantry do, they'll have to roll 12-6 at the squad level since my squads are 10 men. It wouldn't really work that well even with units that are specifically designed to be infiltrators since they have a base skill of 13- and get a +2 bonus for wearing advanced camouflage holographic fields.

[dmjalund]

Re: How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

 

don't forget positives for increased time increment

[Captain Obvious]

Re: How to handle infiltration? (Mass Combat Rules Question)

 

It's a great idea' date=' but if you use the Unit Modifier on units that have Stealth 12-, like my standard infantry do, they'll have to roll 12-6 at the squad level since my squads are 10 men. It wouldn't really work that well even with units that are specifically designed to be infiltrators since they have a base skill of 13- and get a +2 bonus for wearing advanced camouflage holographic fields.[/quote']

 

Opposing units would have a penalty to their Perception rolls. Remember, the hexes are bigger than standard hexes. It should mostly even out. Plus, IIRC, terrain has an effect on PER rolls...it should be harder to hide in an open field than in heavily wooded areas.

 

The only way to overcome the range penalty and take fullest advantage of the enemy's difficulty of hiding a large group is for each unit to move only one hex at a time and make a PER roll each round. And if the enemy's hamstringing themselves by moving so damn slow, the infiltrators have done their job.