Designer's Notes and Ideas on Using the Rules for WW2 and Later
I wrote these rules to be used for 25mm "hard" science fiction wargaming. There is no magic, telekinetic powers, or other extra-weird stuff. If you just drop the laser as a weapon choice, and eliminate jump-pack movement, they can be used for WW2 to modern combat. You can substitute the words "squad" or "section" for fireteam.
The vehicle rules are rather sketchy. The variety of models for SF vehicles is amazing, and so the scenario designer/GM must do some work! There is a missile launcher (bazooka, LAW, etc.) for anti-armor situations, and it can of course be used on infantry.
These rules work best for combat in built-up areas or moderately heavy woods or rocks There should be lots of cover with some wide-open areas. These skirmish actions are quick, intense, and bloody, without time or need for reloads, evacuations, etc.
I use the "large" 25mm figures, also known as 28mm. Most of mine are Mark Copplestone's old Grenadier figures or his new Future Wars line, as well as the old Alternative Armies levee troopers for jump troops. The Alternative Armies figures have some of the nicest animation and "body English" of any figures (historical or otherwise) I have seen. Mark Copplestone's never figures are well-designed, of course, and include something that has been woefully lacking on most science fiction troopers--canteens! I guess some sculptors don't think about water as a necessity for future combat.
I have used the "scavenger" figures, an assortment of mangy-looking types with a variety of weapons and clothing, as Al-Qaeda fighters against the military style troopers for "Modern" skirmishes, A lot of the trooper figures look very similar to modern combatants, they just ha\ve a high-tech weapon, and maybe a helmet camera and a microphone. Real soldiers might look something like that within 10 years.
For WW2 games, you could assume all figures to be in the same type of armor. Having no armor will make for more HITs and a bloodier game. Having heavy armor will make less HIT.s and a longer game. I have used light armor for troops without helmets and medium For troops with helmets, it just makes a distinction between the figure types and slightly demonstrates that a helmet is indeed a good piece of equipment. For modern games, medium armor might represent a flak jacket.
The HIT system is an idea to eliminate paper-work or on-table markers. I have read a lot of Medal of Honor battle reports and other infantry action reports, and I do not see stuff like, "after being wounded, SGT Smith got to his feet and continued his attack, moving at 2/3 normal rate and shooting with only 50% accuracy." Soldiers generally either keep fighting or they don't It does not matter if a figure is dead, eating lunch, or ran away - if he stops fighting, he's out of the game.
Fireteam Tomorrow WWII Rules
Back to MWAN #117 Table of Contents
Back to MWAN List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Magazine List
© Copyright 2002 Hal Thinglum
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com