OBT Forum

Very interesting write up Klink. After I posted my comment, I thought about VTOLs using smoke rounds if they fly low. Is that even viable or would it be better to just stick with the APCs? 

Wonder how well Smoke Rounds and VTOLs would work on a city map? The building already provide a great deal of cover, (along with inherent dangers for the VTOLs) but being able to completely block alleys with smoke as you dart from one street to the next and then dropping infantry on roof tops might be a neat trick.

I can, and fluff-wise, I think APC Quads would be awesome.  Very much like AT-ATs from Star Wars, which are infact APCs.  My concern, and excuse me because I'm unfamiliar with the time frame, but 'Mechs are very, very rare and powerful.  Would they really want to take out 'Mech sized weaponry in order to drop off infantry?  Maybe, but only in instances were VTOLs and conventional APCs aren't effective.  Maybe quad jumpers for urban infantry delivery could be very effective.  My only concern is that when faced with very limited resources in terms of 'Mechs, are you going to expend them on moving PBIs or killing them and other 'Mechs.  Might not be a wide spread PBI delivery model, but maybe one of the factions has a particular love for PBIs and has some niche units for it.

Bipeds are certainly feasible without a doubt.  I just have an imagine of quads being APC transport like designs.  As far as a good 'Mech to base it off of, maybe the Vulcan or similar 'Mech designed to eliminate enemy conventional forces.  It would make seense to have your infantry be good at hunting 'Mechs in the city and your 'Mech good at hunting infantry.  That way when you pair them up, your infantry can reign free.

As I've said before, I don't think smoke is the greatest way to protect disembarking infantry.  A tracked APC can disembark it's troops directly into cover, so in general, when we're discussing infantry being caught in the open while leaving the transport, we're discussing hover APCs (unless you like garbage wheeled vehicles ).  For a Hover APC, there is very little need to add additional to hit modifiers to the vehicle itself.  Most are more than swift enough to generate a significant movement modifier.  It is the infantry platoon delivered which is in need of protection, but with most anti-infantry weapons being either area-effect or point-blank ranged in nature, the added benefit of a +2 modifier is extremely limited compared to the massive x2 damage penalty incurred.  Further, by firing smoke, you have just telegraphed your planned disembarkment hex to the enemy a turn in advance. 

If you simply waited until the highest point in your initiative to position your APC behind blocking terrain, it would be unlikely that an enemy unit would remain unmoved to react to your disembarkment.  By indicating a turn ahead where you plan to move, you've given your opponent plenty of time to position deadly anti-infantry assets at your delivery point, assets against which a mere +2 to hit modifier will be negligible. 

I'd say the best plan for disembarking a hover APC safely would be simply to do so behind LOS breaking terrain, after your opponent has moved all or most of their faster light 'Mechs. 

Perhaps combining this with a tact from one of your earlier articles, deploying thunder mines around the area you wish to deploy to would discourage Light 'Mechs from moving in, but would still allow your Hover APCs to sail over them unlikely to recieve damage and deliver their troops unmolested.

Well remember, I'm not advocating dropping them off right in front of an enemy gun line. 

Remember, not ever map has tons of LOS blocking terrain.  Smoke is used to help bridge the gap when you're running the gauntlet between two peices of LOS blocking terrain.

Remember the following:

1. that smoke itself is cover, which eliminates the 2x damage multipler.

2. that smoke stacks with woods cover.

3. that smoke, combined with more smoke or woods can create LOS blocking terrain.

On open battlefields (non-urban) infantry's goal is to negate terrain.  Either negate it so the opponent's fire support cannot use it against you.  Or so that it deters them from taking it, and your fire support can use it against them and then provides some additional support should said opponent attack your fire support. 

What if you used more smoke than was necessary?

Pick out three good locations to drop off the infantry and fill them with smoke.
The next turn, delay your infantry until later in the initiative. Move to the one that has the least enemy units threatening it. This way the enemy isn't converging on on location and your infantry still has cover to get into cover proper.