DIRTSIDE II - House rules

To: Full Thrust GZG Mailing List 
Subject: DIRTSIDE II - House rules
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 95 11:52:44 -0500
From: Iceburg 

-- [ From: Iceburg * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --

DIRTSIDE II  -  HOUSE RULES
By Greg Burger
burg@eznet.net
Nov. 15, 1995

>> INFANTRY MORTAR TEAMS: <<

A MORTAR TEAM consists of two or three men carrying a RAM 
(Rocket-Assisted Munition) MORTAR.  These Mortar Teams are 
treated as vehicles in that they may only fire their mortar before they 
move, and they have a 180o arc of fire.  They are able to spot for 
themselves, but not for other artillery.  Any spotters can call on them for 
fire just as any artillery element would be called.  They carry only 
close-defense weapons in addition to their mortar.  Their slow 
movement rate makes them easy targets for counter-battery fire 
however.

They are only able to carry enough ammunition for one effective 
bombardment.  They can be resupplied in the same way as other 
artillery.  (But they'd still be able to lay down the harrassing fire.)

A Mortar team costs the same as for a rifle team plus 30 points for the 
RAM Mortar.  Ammunition must be bought separately.

>> INFANTRY COMMANDOS: <<

A COMMANDO TEAM is a highly trained unit of individuals.  Their 
special training and equipment gives them a definite edge over normal 
infantry.  They are usually used for special stealth missions such as 
hostage rescue and sabotage.

Commandos are as normal rifle teams except for the following:  They 
do not have to roll for fire effectiveness in firefights - they
automatically 
fire at full effectiveness, they draw 1 extra damage chit when they are 
engaged in a close assault (as APSW teams), they require 2 more valid 
damage point than other infantry to kill when engaged in close assault 
combat in urban or wooded areas, they have the DEMOLITIONS 
special ability of engineers (see p.45), and they can act as specialized 
observers for calling down artillery fire (see p.38-39).

They are never purposely used for head to head battlefield combat, but 
they can add an interesting element to the game by giving them special 
missions that would help or hinder friendly or enemy troops.  (In other
words, put them in scenarios as opposed to just letting players buy them
for normal "kill everything that moves" games.)  

They are usually used either as drop troops (dropped behind enemy lines)
or delivered with VTOL vehicles.  They almost always operate in small 
units of 2 elements.

Commando elements can be MILITIA, LINE or POWERED.

Units can not mix commandos with other infantry types.

Commando elements cost 70 points plus the cost for its type.

>> CLOSE ASSAULTS: <<

If a unit consisting of all vehicles intends to perform a close assault 
against a unit that has no vehicles (i.e.: all infantry) than it may add 2
to 
their threat test die roll.

If the target unit contains vehicles, but all of them have lower armor 
values AND a smaller largest guns than all of the vehicles in the 
attacking unit, then the attackers can add 1 to their threat test die roll.

Only defenders can claim to be dug-in during the first round of a 
close assault combat.

Defenders can claim soft cover during the first round by just being in 
it (as normal).  If the attackers are advancing though soft cover, than 
they may claim soft cover for the first round also.

>> COUNTER-BATTERY FIRE: <<

OFF TABLE batteries may be equipped with Counter-Battery Radar 
just as ON TABLE batteries can.  Off table batteries may ONLY fire 
against enemy batteries which are on table.  Off table batteries can not 
attempt counter-battery fire against enemy off table batteries as it is 
assumed that they are too far away.

On table light artillery may not perform counter-battery fire against 
enemy off table medium or heavy artillery.  On table medium artillery 
can not perform counter-battery fire against enemy off table heavy 
artillery.

>> REQUESTING ARTILLERY FIRE: <<

Besides unit command elements and specialized observer teams, any 
element may request artillery fire in this manner:  Roll a d6.  A roll of 4 
or more is required to successfully call on table fire, a 6 is required to 
successfully call off table fire.  Only command elements and observer 
teams can call ortillery.

If the call is successful,  the artillery battery will fire during its 
activation (which MUST be the next one for that player).  It will follow 
the deviation rules for ortillery however.  This is because normal troops, 
while able to call for artillery support, will not have the specialized 
equipment or training to always give accurate coordinates.

>> VEHICLES IN ASSAULT COMBAT: <<

Vehicles taking place in close assault combat can use any of their 
weapon systems except GMSs when firing at enemy vehicles just as if it 
were normal direct fire.  All shots hit on a d6 roll of 4, 5 or 6 instead of

using normal firing procedure (A defending vehicle that claims hull 
down during the first round of the assault requires a 6 to be hit and one 
claiming soft cover requires a 5 or 6).  But still draw the normal 
amount of chits for their type.

This rule takes the place of the one that says vehicles are treated as if 
firing with IAVRs when in assault combat against other vehicles.

GMSs are excluded because in such close fighting, there is no time for 
the missile to properly acquire its target.

Vehicles equipped with APFCs can fire them at any one infantry squad 
each combat round of an assault combat (in addition to its normal 
weapon) UNLESS there is also friendly infantry involved in the assault 
combat.  APFCs in close assaults draw 2 chits. (Same as small arms)

>> RAPID FIRE AUTO CANONS: <<

RAPID FIRE AUTO CANONS (RFACs) are typically gatling type 
guns with an extremely high rate of fire.  This makes them very deadly 
to infantry.

Instead of the rule of p.36, RFACs draw 1 chit per shot against infantry 
at long range, 3 chits per shot against infantry at medium range and 4 
chits per shot against infantry at close range.

For close range direct fire, the 4 chits drawn can be split up between 
two separate infantry elements if they touching each other (Such as a 
two element squad from a single APC).  In this case, draw two chits per
element as if each was shot at by a separate weapon.

RFACs in close assault combat can be counted as additional APSWs.

As inactive ADSs counts as RFAC/2s (see p.19), they follow the above 
rules as well.

Due to the increased anti-infantry power of RFACs given here, increase 
the point value to 7 x Class of Weapon (from 5x).

>> MULTIPLE FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS: <<

Instead of only allowing oversized vehicles multiple fire control 
systems, any vehicle may have as many fire control systems as its size 
level. (i.e.: A size 3 vehicle can have up to 3 fire con systems.)

ALL fire control systems in a vehicle MUST be of the same quality.  
The cost for the first one is as normal.  The cost for the second one is 2 
4 or 6 (depending on quality) x the class of the second largest weapon.  
The cost for the third one is 2, 4 or 6 x the class of the third largest 
weapon.  And so on...

Since GMSs have their own fire control, they can always be fired.

In close assault combat, fire control systems must be used to fire 
APSWs and/or RFACs firing as APSWs.

Don't necessarily think of multiple fire control systems as more 
computers, but as more gunners in the vehicle.

NOTE: Multiple guns of the same type mounted next to each other can
still fire at the same target and use only one of the fire control systems.

>> ARTILLERY AND AMMO SUPPLY: <<

Instead of artillery weapon mounts taking up 3x the size class of the 
artillery and automatically coming with 3 bombardment chits and extra 
ammo using 4 cargo spaces, use these rules.

Artillery takes up 2x the size of the artillery piece (just like any direct 
fire weapon).  They still can not be mounted on turrets though.

All artillery vehicles can carry 1 bombardment chit already loaded 
(instead of 3).   The amount of cargo space that an extra chit occupies 
in the artillery vehicle or a separate ammo supply vehicle is:
        Light Artillery         1 cargo space per chit
        Medium Artillery        3 cargo spaces per chit
        Heavy Artillery         6 cargo spaces per chit

All ammo chits must be bought at normal cost.

Back to Andy's DS2 page.

Feel free to send me comments or suggestions about these pages.
Andy Cowell <cowell@cs.utk.edu>, 21 Oct 1995