Modern Micro Armor: The Game - Question re: Command Value

[AllenRockwell]

Hey guys, I just received my copy of "Modern Micro Armor: The Game" today so I'll probably have a lot of stupid questions, please be patient with me I am a Micro Armor gamer going all the way back to the early 1980's and I bought QHQ/GDW's Tacforce the day it it arrived at my local hobby shop in 1980 ... and frankly I love the rules and I have kept the vehicle data updated over the last 30 years. However I know that finding other Tacforce players these days would be nearly impossible .. so I'm going to give "Modern Micro Armor: The Game" a chance.

So, here's a few basic questions I have after reading the rule book:

In rule [08.02.01] it says "A "Command Value" is assigned to each "GHQ" in a scenario."
Yet I can find nowhere else in the rules where it says where these values come from or how to generate them. Where do these values come from?


In rule [03.02] it says "Each stand will represent a platoon of from three to six armored vehicles."
Personally I prefer the 1 to 1 system ... one tank = one tank. I do not see where this should be a problem. Is there any problem with individual vehicles representing individual vehicles? Since I do modern US, I'd mark the vehicles with GHQ's chevron decals to note companies (I personally do not like putting my vehicles on bases, I think it looks silly)


In the introduction [01.00] it says that 1" = 100yards/meters. I have always built my terrain boards to a dimension of 20" x 20" because in TACFORCE that represented one square KM (1"=50meters) ... I think for these rules I'll just make my own measuring sticks with tick marks every 2" and treat all dimensions in the rules as "units" rather than inches. So an M1A2 Abrams tank will have a range of 40 "units" rather than inches, which on my scale will really be 80" (or 4KM on my boards). I guess that was not really a question ... I'm just babbling and thinking out loud now

[TAMMY]

I try tio give you some reply.ì according to my reading of the rules

8.02.1 The "Command value" is the numbers of orders that can be issued caluclated accortding to the "generation modifiers" and the 2D6 die rolle on the Command efficiency table.

03.02 The data of the game are calculated on the rate 1 stand to 1 platoon. To move 1:1 is not straightforward. You should change scale and, generally, scale down obe level the game. This will inbtroduce some specific ewuipment/vehicle that now are included in the platoon stand,

01.00 The scale of ground and of time are not a detail. The game scale is one turn=3 minutes and 1"=100yards (or meter) that is between 1:3600 and 1:4000. If you want to use the haslf of this scale (that is 1"=50yards) you should not only double the distances but also modify all "square effects" from 1"x1" to 2"x2". to keep the same proportion. If you want to pass to 1:1 it would be better to pass to a scale 1"=25y and 1 turn=1 minute like has been done for the WWII rules passing from MATG to Microsquad.

Obviously you should review also the areas of artillery impact, etc.

[AllenRockwell]

So, let me make sure I'm understanding this, a GHQ's Command Value is not "Assigned" for the duration of the scenario as the rule 08.20.01 states but is rolled on every turn for every GHQ and then modified by the Generation Modifiers to determine the number of orders per turn?

So a GHQ could have a command value of 2 on one turn (zero orders) and a 12 (4 orders) on another turn? Then how is possible to achieve a 15+ on the Combat Efficiency Table with only two D6 and max modifier of +2?

I'm more confused now than ever

[RedLeif]

Hi Allen,
The scenario design rules, on page 106 show you how to 'pay for' GHQs of various Efficiency levels. By the way efficiency level value = command bonus, for chart purposes. The GHQ(s) should be assigned a specific value during the scenario creation process and should be written in the scenario OB [e.g. GHQ +0, or GHQ +1].

During the Movement Phase of each turn you roll 2d6 and add the GHQ's efficiency value/command bonus to the die roll. you then look that score up the Command Efficiency Table (at the back of the book) to see how many movement orders you get for the turn.

TAMMY is spot on, to convert Modern game data to 'squad/1:1' scale, you'd likely have to change the time scale to 1 min/turn and 1" = 25m. Then you'd have to multiply all ranges by 4 and convert the movement rates accordingly (I cna't recall the formula off the top of my head, but its not hard to figure out). But your compromise to 1"= 50m coudl work too. You'll also likely wind up adding units to your weapons list for as TAMMY said, some stuff just isn't modeled at platoon scale. Get out your favorite spreadsheet and have fun.

Enjoy!
RedLeif

[RedLeif]

PS
sorry I forgot to mention,
You also have to modify that die roll by tech level, so a +2 ghq at gen IV = +4 to the die roll.

Enjoy
RedLeif

[Gort]

I'm more confused now than ever

I feel your pain Allen.

But seriously, as much as I like these rules for their elegant and resonably bullet proof system (and they are my go-to set for platoon level gaming) they have some major drawbacks. For those of us no longer in short pants who have experienced the boilerplate that AH and SPI put in their rules, MATG (WW2 and Modern) is poorly written, edited by an ESL reject, and the layout is oriented to save paper rather than organize the subject matter. There are significant segments of both procedures and concepts that seem to be written for the play test group (where these items are understood) rather than for folks like you and I. In other words par for the course compared to what's on the market today. In order to understand and play these rules I have found it necessary to read, read, and re-read them. Not just the rules section but the sample scenario, the designer's notes, and most importantly, the Designing Scenarios section. Lot's of little gems hidden away in that one.

In regard to the questions you posed:

The command value of a GHQ is assigned as per the scenario, or purchased in a DIY scenario. Relevant sections are Rule 08.02.01 (pg. 16) and page 106 (in the designing scenarios section). You will see that GHQs run from -2 thru +3. When combined with the TL modifiers (up to +2 for Gen 4) it is possible to have a +5 modifier on the Command Efficiency Table.

This game is platoon based. So every game piece represents a platoon (battery for artillery) of infantry or vehicles. How many individual personnel or vehicles is not important within the concept of the game. For 1:1 gaming there is Micro Squad. So far only a WW2 version exists. The game is 95% the same as the platoon game with only minor changes to reflect the increased granularity. Ranges are quadrupled as ground scale is now 1" = 25m instead of 1"=100m. Vehicle stats now have front/side/rear/top armor factors instead of the simpler system of the platoon level game. If you're ambitious (and have talkative friends in the service) you could probably work out those numbers for modern equipment quite easily.

As far as basing vehicles goes - I don't (unless they are really tiny like motorcycles). Just my personal taste. For situations requiring base contact I substitute a 1' radius measured from the outside edges of the vehicles. Someone (a Rulz Liar) suggested I make a template for this, but I just eyeball it. I'm not a tournament gamer.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

PS looks like I need to learn to type faster.

[AllenRockwell]

RedLeif,

I've got it now. I was missing the bit on page 106 about "buying" modifiers. Now it all makes sense.

Thanks a lot.

[General Retreat]

Well, I"m going to muddy the waters again because I misunderstood how many Movement Orders one can give in a turn. I thought the GHQ command value was a number of commands supplemented by the value obtained on the Combat Efficiency Table (p. 129 in WWII:MATG) from a dice roll. And I thought the command value varied with the number of companies one started wtih. Example: you have four companies so a good command value would be 3, trusting to the dice to get 2-3 more. Poor rolls mean 5-6 orders do not result in even that many moving in a turn.

Then I realized one's entire total of group movement orders came from the table: never more than 5! The Black Monday scenario on page 121 gives the Germans around TEN groups to command. As the scenario grows in size, the number of units moving drops. Doesn't sound right to me because the game will slow to a crawl

So I'll probably continue in my misunderstanding.

[Gort]

The solution is to form movement groups. Also, the number of movement orders available is per GHQ. You can have more than one GHQ per side if you wish. You can also attempt to move units without a movement order (+3 to the die roll).

cheers

[General Retreat]

Wow! Finished up that turkey already? Oops. I see you did that last month.

"Movement groups." Well, yes, I group about five stands (platoons) into groups (companies). More than one GHQ? Guess that would help.

I/we will probably continue our modified way. But I appreciate input ... as always.

[TAMMY]

Note that a movement group may be composed by as many units as you want. In theory you may form one single movement group with all the stands of the scenario,. In this case you will have a -6 (-2 for HQ or GHQ) on the first turn.

Moreover you may move groups/stand without order (see 8.2.6). albeit with a +3 modifier.

I would suggest to use arge movement groups for the main force to which give the movement orders and divide the other stands in as many movement groups as possible,. In this way you may average the results of the dies on many rolls.

[WHM]

I to have a question regarding the game and hope it's ok to piggyback a question here.

Regarding cohesion, in the rules (Beer & Pretzela and assuming also in the rule book, if a unit is supptessed a +4 is added to the cohesion role for thr unit. I don't understand. In the book the scenario Crossing the Jordan If I'm correct a base cohesion for the Isrealis is something like 15. If a +4 is added to their cohesion role for a suppressed unit and a D20 is roled how does this equate as some sort of penalty? I mean if you need to role equal to or less for a suppessedde unit to move or fire wouldn't thid equate to a higher benefit? I mean normaly I need to role 1-15, but a suppressed unit needs 1-19?

Thanks

[TAMMY]

It's the other way round. You add +4 to the die roll not to the cohesion. This means that you fail your cohesion with rolls from 12 up. The 12 becpme a 16 which is higher than the required cohesion level.of 15.

[WHM]

I've set up a small solo game to familiarize myself w/the mechanics of the game. Five M-48A5s on a ridge overseeing a bridge vs five T-74s coming down a road to cross over and exit same road through a small village. Simple enough but are there spotting rules? I know the rules talk about 40 inches max for clear weather, but nothing about chance of being seen? The M-48s have a clear field of vision but the T-74s drove into a kill zone and I don't recall reading about any chance of percentage of spotting.

Plus when the 48s fired four of the T-74s were hit, one w/a double D so it was counted as destroyed. But again do they get an automatic return fire replicating both sides firing at the same time?

Dosen't seem right. Being taken by surprise seems possible, but it is also possible the 48s could have been the ones seen first.

Am I missing something or are there holes in the rules?

[dougeagle]

I've set up a small solo game to familiarize myself w/the mechanics of the game. Five M-48A5s on a ridge overseeing a bridge vs five T-74s coming down a road to cross over and exit same road through a small village. Simple enough but are there spotting rules? I know the rules talk about 40 inches max for clear weather, but nothing about chance of being seen? The M-48s have a clear field of vision but the T-74s drove into a kill zone and I don't recall reading about any chance of percentage of spotting.

Plus when the 48s fired four of the T-74s were hit, one w/a double D so it was counted as destroyed. But again do they get an automatic return fire replicating both sides firing at the same time?

Dosen't seem right. Being taken by surprise seems possible, but it is also possible the 48s could have been the ones seen first.

Am I missing something or are there holes in the rules?

From what I know of and looking at the rulebook, there are no restrictions to spotting until terrain comes into play. Otherwise, spotting is spotting as per the rulebook. If you can trace LOS from one stand to another, it's been spotted.

For return fire, I don't think there is.
pg 9, 7.02.04 - The side with the initiative controls who executes the first attack in each phase. The sides then alternate attacks until they both "pass". At this point, the 'Fire Phase' ends.