New Units: Paratroop Unit & Marines

[Edwin P.]

Suggestions for New Units

Paratroopers

A few posts have lamented the lack of a paratrooper unit, a unit type that served with distinction in Operation Market Garden and the invasion of Crete.

If such a unit was introduced into SC I would;

1. Fix the cost at 200MPP. This reflects the cost of a corps plus the extra resources and training needed to field such a unit.

2. Limit the unit to a range of 3 (150 miles) to 5 (250 miles) when parachuting behind enemy lines.

3. The unit would be of corps strength with a readiness of 70%-100% on the first turn of deployment after a drop if dropped into a city or a clear hex, 50%-100% readiness if dropped onto a marsh, mountain or river hex. This reflects the random nature of a paratroop landing.

4. A paratroop unit could move (parchute) over enemy units into unoccupied hexes within range only if it began the turn supplied by a HQ unit. Effectively, this means that a unit can't make a series of continuous parachute moves.

5. Enemy air units in range could interecept the paratroop unit making a drop behind enemy lines.

When would it be used? To seize an ungarrisoned city or resource hex behind enemy lines. To cut off an enemy line of retreat or block supply lines. A special unit for special situations.

Marines

An infantry unit trained for invasions from the sea.

1. A marine unit in a transport can land on the same turn that it moves adjacent to a shore hex if it has at least 3 action points remaining.

2. Marine unit can attack from offshore if it has at least 3 action points remaining. If the defending unit is destroyed the marine unit can advance into its hex.

3. Cost: 300 MPP - More than a normal army unit reflecting the intensive training and equipment that marines receive.

When would it be used? To make surprise landings before the enemy has time to operate in reinforcements. Forces players to occupy coastal cities, even Brest, France.

Engineers

A land unit that can increase the entrenchment value of a hex by 2 or eliminate the action point penalty for crossing a river hex.

1. An engineer unit that begins a turn on a hex that is in supply can increase the entrenchment value of that hex by 1 each turn, subject to a maximum of 2. Thus a clear hex could be fortified to allow for a maximum entrenchment of 4.

2. Fortified hexes would display a fort icon.

3. Fortified hexes would be destroyed if an enemy unit moves onto the hex.

4. Engineer units on a river hex eliminate the action point penealty for units that cross the hex by passing over the engineer unit.

5. An engineer unit costs 125MPP and has a strength of 4. This reflects their role as a support unit.

When would it be used? To fortify the rear areas; ie Stalingrad or the hills around Manchester. To allow for armor breakthroughs over river obstacles. Of limited usefulness late in the war.

[ April 26, 2003, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[Shaka of Carthage]

Edwin P

Marine unit that you propose, should not be able to move and unload as well as attack from offshore. One or the other should be sufficient.

I think your Para cost is too low. Transport aircraft and gliders are not cheap. And you are talking about four (4) divisions and non-divisional assets.

What about limits on the number of Para, Marine and Engineer units that could be built by a nation? Or are you suggesting that they have no limits?

[Edwin P.]

Shaka of Carthage

Excellent Points

1. As for the cost for paratroopers I agree that it could be too low, considering the special abilities of the unit. Perhaps not 200 but 250 or more for a corps strength paratrooper unit. Increasing the cost also places natural limits on the production of such units.

2. As for the marines ability to attack and land in the same turn, I am undecided and it is likely that such a function would have to be playtested, and then limited to one or the other as you suggest.

I was trying to think of a way around the flood the coast with corps strategy that is occassionaly used to stop a seaborne invasion.

Perhaps you might say that when a Marine Unit attacks a Crops Strenth defender from the sea and the defenders strength is reduced to 3 or less the defender will retreat (100% at strength 1, 66% at strength 2, and 33% at strength 3) 1 hex in a random direction and the attacking Marine unit will advance into that hex.

Of course, to achieve this the attackers will have to make a combined attack with air and sea support.

Another tactic is that marine unit can pass through friendly naval units to land on an undefended land hex. This would allow naval units to bombard the coast and for marine units to take advantage of any naval attack that destroys a land unit.

3. As for limits on the production of each unit. I was thinking about that. In fact before I edited my post I had suggested that each side be limit to deploying 1 paratroop unit at a time. Then I decided against it for several reasons;

1. There are no limits for other units. Players can decide where to focus their production efforts and thus change history.

2. Realistically I think that players would deploy few, if any of these units for several reasons (unlike air fleets);

a. Paratroop Units - They are weak corps strength units that can only paratroop if supplied by an HQ. A country that deployed more than one of these, especially if they cost as much as a regular army unit would be foolish.

b. Marines - cost 20% more than a normal infantry unit. This also increases the cost for replacements. Why build Marines if you can build army units of equal firepower for less, except to power an invasion.

c. Engineers, sure you can build 3 to 5 engineers but their strength is low (only 4) and they can't hold the front lines like a full strength corps unit. Building 4 Engineers is 4 full strength corps or two army units that can't be deployed to the front lines. In my estimation a player would build 1 or 2 of these units, any more would be a high risk strategy but would reflect a decision to fight the hold back the enemy with fortificaitons, like the French tried with the Maginot line. In fact many players might not build any engineers at all.

Adding specialty units give more options to players while also giving the game more chrome that can help sell more games.

Ie: In SC you can wage war with infantry, armor, naval and air units or

Ie: In SC you can wage war with infantry, armor, naval, air, engineer, paratroop, and marine units.

In fact, for reality you might even want to add a cavalry unit which would be added to the Polish army's starting lineup.

[ April 26, 2003, 07:03 PM: Message edited by: Edwin P. ]

[JerseyJohn]

Edwin

Fine and noble ideas, but before you go further, are you aware of the very legnthy threads we've already had on these subjects? The only reason I ask is because I think you may be covering the same ground.

I'll try to find them and link them here but the rest of the day is pretty much tied up for me, it being a weekend and all.

[Edwin P.]

JerseyJohn,

Thanks, I will try to do a search later tonight and beat you to the links.

Its just that these conversations pass through to the dust bin of history rather quickly.

[JerseyJohn]

Edwin

"Its just that these conversations pass through to the dust bin of history rather quickly."

Exactly! Good luck with the search.

[ April 27, 2003, 12:57 AM: Message edited by: JerseyJohn ]

[disorder]

"Its just that these conversations pass through to the dust bin of history rather quickly."

i visited the DUSTBIN OF HISTORY when i was a kid back in 1971. i think it was a 3- story brick building just north of new madrid, missouri, and right next to the 1803 earthquake museum. all i remember about it was a very big display regarding woodrow wilson and the league of nations.