FASA's MechWarrior provides rules for combat with ranged personal weapons. Each different weapon has a range limitation, in 5-meter hexes, for short, medium, and long range. At short range, there is no To-Hit modifier for range. At medium range there is a modifier of +2, and at long range the modifier becomes +4.
With this system, the maximum possible range for a slug-thrower pistol is 40 meters (8 hexes), whilethe maximum long rangefora rifle is 150 meters (30 hexes). The longest range listed on the Personal Weapons Table is the gyrojet rifle: 320 meters (72 hexes).
It has been noted that these ranges are somewhat shorter than the generally accepted effective ranges for the various weapon types listed in MechWarrior.
The following table lists a few historical weapons, and their generally-accepted effective and maximum ranges. "Effective range"is usuallydefined asthe range within which atrained shooter has an average chance of hitting a man-sized target. "Maximum range" is the range at which the shooter has any chance at all of hitting his target. Two well-known 18th Century smoothbore muskets are included for comparison.
| Weapon | Period | Effective Range | Maximum Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-16 (assault rifle) | Late 20th Century | 400 m. | 600 m. |
| M700 (sniper's rifle) | Late 20th Century | 1000 m. | 1800 m. |
| Gyrojet (early rocket rifle) | Mid-20th Century | 300 m. | 700 m. |
| M1911A1 (pistol) | 20th Century | 50 m. | 110 m. |
| Brown Bess (smoothbore musket) | Late 18th Century | 80 m. | 160 m. |
| Kentucky "Long Rifle" (smoothbore musket) | Late 18th Century | 100 m. | 200 m. |
It should be noted that "Maximum Range" does not represent the maximum possible distance the bullet travels when fired. Unless it hits something along the way, the bulletfrom an M-16 will travel well over 2500 meters when fired, while the large, slow round from a U.S. Colt M1911 A1 will travel over 1400 meters. The ranges listed above are approximations based on the likelihood of the shooter hitting what he is aiming at.
Although the overall level of technology among the Successor States has fallen since the days of the Star League, it is generally accepted that weapons technology during the 31st Century is still at or above the levels common in the late-20th/ early-21st Centuries on Earth. Indeed, many of the weapons still in use during the 31st Century are relics of the Star League of three centuries and more ago, and represent the peak of human weapons technology.
Obviously, then, the ranges listed on the MechWarrior Personal Weapons Table do not give the maximum ranges possible for the various weapons. (If they did, a 31st Century combat rifle could be replaced by an 18th Century smoothbore musket!) What the MechWarrior tables do list are ranges typical for most combat. Even with the hightech, long-ranged laser weaponry of the Star League era, infantry rarely attempted to engage man-sized targets at ranges greater than a few hundred meters.
There are situations, however, when it becomes important to engage targets at greater-than-usual combat ranges. Snipers, for example, using telescopic or laser sights, routinely attempt to pick off their targets at ranges of 500 meters or more, and they have been known to use highpowered, long-ranged weapons (such as the mid-201h Century .50 caliber machine gun) to hit targets as much as 2 kilometers away.
With this in mind, the following optional rules may be used to allow long-range combat.
MECHWARRIOR: Optional Rules Variant 01 02-A
Extreme Range
Extreme Range is a fourth range classification beyond Long Range. Extreme range is based on a given weapon's Long Range, and depends on the weapon's type, as given below.
Weapon Type and Extreme Range Multiplier
- Bows
- Long Bow/Heavy Crossbow x4
Short Bow/Light Crossbow x2
Pistols
- Pistol/Auto Pistol x2
Laser Pistols x2
Tranq Gun x2
Sonic Stunner x1
Rifles
- Rifle x5
Laser Rifle x4
Submachine Gun x3
Shotgun/Pump Shotgun x2
Gyrojet Rifle x2
Flamer x1
Extreme Range for SRM Launchers and other heavy weapons will be discussed in a separate rules variant article in the next issue of BattleTechnology.
Thus, extreme range for a typical pistol is 2 x 8 = 16 hexes, or 80 meters, while extreme range for a typical rifle is 5 x 30 150 hexes, or 750 meters.
The weapons presented in BattleTechnology's Sidearms column (beginning with this issue) list Short, Medium, Long, and Extreme ranges in meters for each weapon. The range in hexes for MechWarrior combat can be determined by dividing the range figure by 5.
Hitting at Extreme Range
The To-Hit Modifier for any fire at Extreme Range is +8. All other Ranged Attack Modifiers are applied as usual. Thus, a character (DEX 7, Rifle 3) firing a rifle at 600 meters, ta ng 2 com at rounds to aim, would have a To-Hit Target of 5 + 8 - 2 = 11. He would hit his target with a roll of 11 or more.
The same character firing a submachine gun at a range of 120 meters, taking careful aim for one rou nd and firing a 1 0-shot burst would have a To-Hit target of 5 + 8 -1 -2 = 10, He would hit his target on a roll of 10 or more.
Certain sighting aids such as telescopic or laser sights may allow additional modifications of from -3 to -5 to the To-Hit Target. These are discussed below, under Notes to the Ranged Attack Modifiers Table.
Maximum Range
Bullets and laser beams always travel farther even than the Extreme Range listed for any given weapon. It is possible (if unlikely!) to hit a target at a distance greater than Extreme Range. At the referee's discretion, characters may be allowed to fire at targets which are at ranges greater than the weapon's Extreme Range.
This new range category, called Maximum Range, is determined for any weapon by multiplying that weapon's Extreme Range by 1.5. Thus, maximum range for a pistol (Extreme Range = 16 hexes, or 80 meters) is 16 x 1.5 = 24 hexes, or 120 meters. Maximum range for a typical rifle (Extreme Range = 150 hexes, or 750 meters) is 150 x 1.5 = 225 hexes, or 1125 meters.
The Ranged Combat Modifier for weapons fired at Maximum Range is +12. Note that, unless the firing character is verygood, his final To-Hit Target will nearly always be higher than 12, making most combat at Maximum Range impossible. However, characters with good marksmanship skill and the proper equipment can achieve hits even at Maximum range. Such characters could serve as snipers, trying to hit enemy officers, MechWarriors, or assassination targets from a kilometer or more away.
For example, a character (DEX 7, Level 3 Rifle) is using a rifle with a sniperscope (-4 To-Hit Modifier) against a stationary target (-1) at a range of 1000 meters. He has a clear line of sight, and is taking 3 rounds to aim (-3). The sniper's To-Hit Target would be 5 + 12 -4 -1 -3 = 9. He will hit his target on a roll of 9 or higher.
Referees are invited to adapt or ignore the use of Maximum Range in their own campaigns, as they see fit. One simple application is to disallow all attempts to hit targets at greater than Extreme Range except those specifically designated as sniping attempts. This saves the referee from having to calculate a To-Hit number for every wild attempt to hit distant targets by chance but allows the realism of using a sniper in certain, special cases.
Notes to the Ranged Attack Modifiers Table
The Ranged Combat Attack Modifiers Table on page 77 of the MechWarrior rulebook lists the various factors which modify a character's base To-Hit Target. The following notes to that table should be applied when the referee allows fire at targets at greater than Long Range. Most of these notes will apply at any range.
Attacker Fire Modifier for firing through woods is applied for each wooded 5meter hex. Thus, firing through 5 meters (1 hex) of Light Woods gives an Attack Modifier of +1, while firing through 20 meters (4 hexes) of Light Woods would give an Attack Modifier of +4.
This becomes particularly important when the referee determines the distance to a target within Extreme or Maximum Range. The referee must estimate the number of meters of Light Woods/ Rubble or Heavy Woods terrain between the firing character and the target, then divide by 5 to give the number of partlyblocking hexes in the character's line of fire.
A firing character receives benefit for taking careful aim for only a single combat round (-1)when aiming asubmachine gun or other weapon firing full-auto (one ormore 1 0-round bursts aimed atatarget area). Characters firing a short (2-, 3- or 4- rounds) burst from a submachine gun or other weapon capable of automatic fire may aim for up to 3 rounds before firing, with the usual Careful Aim modifier of up to -3.
An additional Attack Modifier may be applied for any of a number of long range sighting aids, including telescopic sights, laser sights, IR detectors, and similar vision enhancement viewers or scopes. Such sights have various effects in determining ranged combat modifiers. IR and starlight-type scopes will partially, or completely negate the modifiers caused by darkness. Telescopic or laser sights will allow a modifier of -3 to -5, depending on the device used. Rules Variant 0102B in this issue of BattleTechnology lists a number of scopes and vision enhancement devices, together with their Modifiers for use in determining To-Hit Targets.
Note that, while scopes can be mounted on weapons capable of full automatic fire, they are effective only when the character uses them with single shots or short (3- or 4-round) bursts.
The strength of laser fire falls off with range due to attenuation of the beam. At Extreme Range, a laser pistol will cause 2136 damage points, while a laser rifle will cause 3136 damage points. At Maximum Range, a laser pistol will cause 1 D6 damage points, while a laser rifle will cause 21D6 damage points.
The damage caused by shotgun blasts also falls off with distance. Shotguns fired at Extreme Range cause 2D + 2 points of damage. Shotguns fired at Maximum Range cause 1 D + 2 points of damage.
Sonic stunners and flamers are special weapons with extremely limited ranges. Both stunners and flamers have Extreme Range multipliers of x1. In other words, they have no extreme range effects. Both sonic stunners and flamers do have Maximum Ranges equal to 1.5 x their respective Long Range values.
A character at a sonic stunner's Maximum Range will avoid the effects of that weapon on a Saving Roll of 21D6 + 2. At maximum range a flamer will do 1 D6 - 1 points of damage. A successful flamer attack will also ignite the target area at Maximum Range, causing a fire which will cause 1 D6 damage to any character passing through that hex for the next three combat rounds.
Applying Extreme/Maximum Range
Rules Variant 01 02-A is completely optional. It is recommended that referees use it sparingly, if only to reduce the number of combat calculations they must make during a typical MechWarrior gaming or simulator session! In the vast majority of cases, infantry combat will take place at distances equivalent to Long Range or less. This variant will increase the realism of infantry combat situations, however, by allowing characters to use their weapons at realistic ranges.
The use of Extreme and Maximum Ranges is especially useful in situations where the characters are attempting to use sniper fire against a particular target. From a kilometer or more away, bounty hunters may attempt to assassinate theirtarget with a rifle outfitted with a telescopic sight, or an infantry sniper team could attempt to take out an enemy base commander at the start of an attack.
These rules allow MechWarrior situations to be easily folded into either BattIeTech or BattleForce situations. One hex in BattleTech combat equals 30 meters, while one hex in BattleForce is 180 meters. Range calculations in either BattleTech or BattleForce should be rounded down to the nearest number of hexes. Thus, a typical rifle (Extreme Range of 750 meters and a Maximum Range of 1125 meters) would have an Extreme Range of 25 hexes and a Maximum Range of 37 hexes in BattleTech. In BattleForce, the same rifle would have an Extreme range of 4 hexes, and a Maximum Range of 6 hexes.
Obviously, the rules for MechWarrior would be incorporated into BattleTech or BattleForce only under very special circumstances.
It is not practical to keep track of the movements of all potential targets within the new, extended radius of fire created by this rules variant. Where necessary (the characters are attempting to ambush a particular enemy unit commander, for example, and must first sneak up on his encampment) the referee can designate a hex where the target is located on a BattleTech or BattleForce scale mapboard, and allow the characters (and the target) to maneuver using the normal rules for MechWarrior movement until the characters decide they want to try a shot. At that point, the referee can determine range by counting hexes. Five BattleForce hexes, for example, is 5 x 180 = 900 meters-beyond Extreme Range butwithin Maximum Range for atypical rifle.
Usually, the referee can simply determine a given range arbitrarily: "Okay, you see your target walking with his bodyguard across the spaceport field. The range is about 600 meters..."
Note: The referee should bear in mind that even with this variant rule, most combat will still take place within the ranges given in the basic game rules. Characters will have a chance of hitting targets at Extreme or maximum range only if they are very good, very lucky, or carry very special equipment.
Other Weapons
Other weapons will be introduced from time to time, both in various game modules and BattleTech products from FASA, and in BattleTechnology Magazine. Weapons to be discussed in future issues and/or products include mortars, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, cone rifles, needlers, and other infantry weapons, ranging from personal sidearms to semi-portable or mounted heavy infantry weapons. BattleTechnology will endeavor to provide full range information for all newweapons, linking it to the combat system extension provided by Rules Variant 0 1 02-A.
In addition, Issue 0103 of BattleTechnology will deal with weapons mounted by the kings of the battlefield--the BattleMechs themselves. These optional variant rules will also be linked to 0102-A.
Ranged Combat Rifle Update [BT3]
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