Indirect Fire - Plotting, Sheafs

[ologotai]

Guys

I am a bit confused - how is Indirect Fire plotted?

Do you guess a range from the FO stand towards a point?

Do you get your opponent to turn his back whilst you measure towards a certain point?

Or what?

For the sheaf - is the angle of the sheaf based on the direction from the FO to the target?

Many thanks

Andy

[Mk 1]

Can you give us a bit more on the context of your question?

Are you asking for how different gamers approach the question of gaming etiquette on this issue? Or are you asking about how it indirect fire is supposed to be plotted under a particular rule set?

[Mobius]

Guys

I am a bit confused - how is Indirect Fire plotted?

Do you guess a range from the FO stand towards a point?

Do you get your opponent to turn his back whilst you measure towards a certain point?

Or what?

For the sheaf - is the angle of the sheaf based on the direction from the FO to the target?

Many thanks

Andy

No.

[ologotai]

Guys

I'm asking how is it meant to work

I just thought that asking specific questions would help but sounds as if I'm so fundamentally off the mark in terms of how its meant to work that I need to start with the basics!

Many thanks

Andy

[Mk 1]

I'm asking how is it meant to work.

Andy:

How it is meant to work depends very much on the rules you are using. Some rulesets are quite explicit, others are not, and leave it up to the gamers to develop their own ettiquette on the issue.

I have perhaps a dozen different rulesets, and have played perhaps half a dozen more that I don't own. Their approaches to indirect fire vary quite considerably from one to the other.

So, can you give us a bit more context on your question? Do you have a particular set of rules in mind?

[ologotai]

Sorry - I made a terrible assumption that this forum was all about GHQ!

My questions refer to the GHQ WW2 Microarmour rules (section 7.6 through 7.9).

How does plotting work for Indirect Fire .

Many thanks

Andy

[Mobius]

The sheaf should align with the line of fire. A gun's fire will generally be longer than it is wide. But with several guns firing into the same area they may add width but not so much length. So at some point from one to many the width of a battery may be wider than it is long. The direction to the FO has no bearing on the alignment.

Mortars tend to have a more circular area.

[chrisswim]

I am refering to GHQ modern, using Combined Arms.

Typically, I use the base line from which the arty is 'fired' from. This is after enemy unit is spotted, then laser range finder and plotted into the targeting computer, then transmitted to fire control direction team, and priority que. Once selected for firing mission, ammo type selected, range, wind setting, temp, humidity, etc., then into the battery sequence for mission and delivery to target. Evaluation of fire mission, adjustments as needed....

Is this what you are looking for? I do use GHQ, not sure what that has to do with a rule set or a concept. Hope this info helps. Would you like me to get Col Bill Everett in on this?

[ologotai]

Chris - thanks for the partial answer - apologies but I have only just joined theforum so I have no idea who Col bill is?

So how is the fire plotted i.e. how do you identify the point you want to the fire to land?

Cheers

Andy

[Sven]

John (as far as I know) never specified a particular method, but I've seen use players close to him, as well as general players use several methods. Here are the 3 most common I've seen used

1) designate 1 corner of the board usually the players near left corner as the base corner, then plotting proceeds from that point: so many inches up & so many inches over (right) from that point. This works really well for off-board artillery.

2) determine a perpendicular line straight out from the center-front of the base of the artillery model. Then designate so many inches forward & so many inches left or right deviation.

3) This method I've used when I've played John: from a readily identifiable landmark on the board (a specific building, crossroads --- not a tree in a forest -- & it must be in the clear LOS of the artillery or the forward observer or designated at the start of the game) give a deviation from that landmark by cardinal direction & inches from the center of the landmark.
For example: from the crossroads 6" north by 2-1/2" east. This of course requires that the cardinal directions were determined prior to the beginning of the game. This is my favorite method & works well in play. It also tends to keep units from clustering by obvious landmarks,LOL

skal,
Sven

[ologotai]

Thanks Sven.

And do you guess the ranges - or measure them whilst your opponent looks away?

Regards

Andy

[Mk 1]

3) This method I've used ... : from a readily identifiable landmark on the board ... give a deviation from that landmark by cardinal direction & inches from the center of the landmark.
For example: from the crossroads 6" north by 2-1/2" east. ...

Although I have never played the current "GHQ Microarmor - The Game" ruleset, my approach to plotting artillery calls is very similar.

And do you guess the ranges - or measure them whilst your opponent looks away?

I much prefer that artillery plots should be done by estimating, rather than by measuring.

I like game mechanics that give a little feel for the real-life human factors, rather than relying exclusively on tables and dice. I doubt very seriously that artillery FOs get to go to their ordinal points and pace off (or even laser-off) the distance to their targets very often. There is a very real potential for human error on distances and directions when an FO puts his cross-hairs on any target that is not at one of his pre-registered aim points. If a little of that potential can be injected into the game without another die-roll, I say that's the better approach.

Of course, it helps if BOTH sides have the same appreciation for the value of injecting error. Not nearly as much fun when you accept the error, but your opponant wants to measure to the Nth millimeter before making any decisions...

[Sven]

Thanks Sven.

And do you guess the ranges - or measure them whilst your opponent looks away?

Regards

Andy

You're welcome. As to ranges - having played Fletcher Pratt Naval Wargames & having to do ad-hoc construction for many years I am pretty good at estimating ranges. No the way you handle it is that you make your estimate without measuring & write down your indirect fire orders. For example "Red Brick building north of crossroads - West 8 inches, South 3.25 inches - 3 impact in east-west line" or "3 impact in North-west/southeast line center on crossroads". Then when the time comes later for the impact markers to fall, you & your opponent plot them out together measuring together.

Works rather well & minimizes disagreements.

Skal,
Sven