Intervention Rebels

[BenchTest]

We are currently writing and playtesting rules for playing Rebel or Insurgent forces in Intervention. Regardless of whether you call them rebels, revolutionaries, freedom fighters, terrorists, paramilitaries, militias, guerrillas, insurrectionists or renegades, they are undoubtedly important players on the battlefield, and we'd like to hear from you if you have any ideas or suggestions for the types of things you'd like to see included. (As ever, also happy to take general Intervention questions).

Disclaimer: Rebellions and insurgencies are often conducted among the people where passions and history run deep. While accepting that this, like any other wargame, is just a game, it would be wrong to engage with the topic in a sterile manner. We have endeavored to do it justice by neither glossing over certain aspects nor reveling in them.  

Themes

In Intervention, as in real life, Rebel units are often comparatively weaker than their conventional counterparts, however, what they may lack in training and equipment, they often make up for in local knowledge, motivation and agility.

Information Asymmetry. Whether it is due to their ability to move quickly, blend among the local populace or their familiarity with the terrain, Rebel armies usually enjoy an information advantage over their opponents and can better exploit uncertainties on the battlefield.

Adapted. Rebel forces very often become hyper-adapted to the conflict environment in which they operate. A rebel force will tend to perform better on ‘home turf’ that it does in unfamiliar terrain.

No Air Power. Rebel armies lack the air units of their conventional foes. This weakness is compounded by a restricted selection of anti-aircraft units and assets. Air units provide a force with highly mobile firepower, which goes some way towards offsetting the Rebels’ information advantage, allowing the enemy force to offset rebel advantages and rapidly respond to unexpected events on the battlefield.

Limited Armour. Although Rebel forces can be equipped with armoured vehicles, they are relatively expensive and do not benefit from many Rebel advantages, such as their ability to blend in with the local populace.

Rebel Heroes. A rebellion succeeds or fails largely based on its narrative, and all stories need heroes. Some rebel units may be upgraded to Rebel Heroes to indicate that they or their unit has exhibited particular skill or courage in the face of the enemy. This is usually represented in game terms by a modest stats boost, coupled with the elite special rule.


With the above themes in mind, below you'll find a list of the units and doctrines we are thinking of running with.

Doctrines:

As with the rest of the Intervention series, the aim is to provide players with a tool-box with which to create their force. In the real world Rebel forces are shaped as much by their by their ideology and environment as they are by their adversary; there there is an almost infinite variety of possible rebel forces that a player may wish to model their force on.

To account for this we have used Intervention's Doctrines mechanic to enable players to shape their force. Each doctrine either opens up unit availability, enables tactical options or adjusts how the rebel force plays in some other way. The current list is as follows, however these are working titles, we may add and/or rationalise.

Freedom Fighters (morale bonus)
Comsec Aware (disrupts enemy targeting)
Tunnel Fighters (May use tunnels if prepared defences are allowed)
Defectors (Prevalence of Conventional Military Training)
Nomadic Raiders (Increased access to Technicals or animal mounts)
Local Knowledge (better adapted to local environment)
True Believers (Morale bonus)
Our Land (reduces likelihood of falling back off the table)
Narcotics Supply (Units can take narcotics)
Ideology of Martyrdom (Can take PBIED and VBIEDs)
Urban guerrillas (Bonuses in urban terrain)
Rural Partisans (Bonuses in rural terrain)
Propaganda of the deed (Victory point bonus for surviving units)
Cell Phone Reporting (additional penalties if the enemy hits civilian units or infrastructure)
Humanitarian Struggle (Cheaper doctors and medical upgrades)
Covert Action (ability to disrupt the enemy before the battle)
Among the People (Enemy must PID units)
Terror on the Battlefield (Some units cause psychological effects in the enemy)
Indiscriminate (reduced penalties for non-targeted fire)
Popular uprising (Angry mobs more effective)
Major Power ally (Ability to take 25% of the force from an allied army list)
Environmental Adaption (
Sensor Aware (advanced sensors less effective)
Boat People (cheap upgrades for moving on water)
Foreign Fighters (may take foreign fighter units)


Units

Given the tension between the almost 'infinite variety of rebels' outlined above and the need to have a usable list of units we have worked to design a unit list that strikes a balance between giving players both structure and flexibility. All forces in intervention are divided into Combat Infantry, Specialist Infantry, Specialist Personnel, Vehicles and Support Assets.

Combat Infantry
Rebel Fighters
Rebel Weapons Team (MANPAD/HMG/ATGM/ZSU23-2/Mortars/RPGs etc)
Angry Mob   

Specialist Infantry
Rebel Sniper
Attack Cell
Commander’s Bodyguard
Dicker (Spotter/Sentry)
Special Forces Advisory Team
Digger Team

Other
Sympathetic Civilians

Specialist Personnel
Doctor
Foreign Military Observer
Runner
Ideologue
Rebel Leader
Rebel Captain
Commander, Rebel Forces
Warlord
Hero of the Revolution/Rebel Legend
Ammo Carrier
Local Guide

Vehicles
Approx T54 Tank
Approx T72 Tank
BTR
BMP
Technical
Truck (Transport or Armed)
VBIED (armoured and unarmoured)

Support Assets
Light Artillery
Heavy Mortars
Pre-positioned IEDs
RoadBlocks/Barricades
Propaganda
Rocket barrage
Rebel Arsenal
Improvised Munitions Factory
Black Market Access
 

[CptJake]

You might want to add bomb/IED/vest maker as a specialist.

Might also consider mortar team and spotters.   

[BenchTest]

Thanks CptJake, IED vest maker is a good shout. Probably a best represented as a support asset although could be specialist personnel.

Mortars are pretty crucial and have been widely used/abused during playtesting. They have been included under Rebel Weapons Team. (Edited to clarify).
Spotters are described as 'Dickers' although that may be UK parlance(?). (Also edited to clarify). Currently the Dickers/spotters extend line of sight of nominated units and have resulted in some fun situations where the opponent was desperately trying to work out where the spotters were to neutralise the incoming artillery and mortar fire.

 

[commissarmoody]

I would add the opportunity to have at least one professional unit. Be they government forces who changed sides, volunteers/contractors/mercs from another country. Or maybe the rebels have a secure rear area where they can train organized units.
Are FARC, Kurdish peshmergers...etc.

[BenchTest]

Rebels took a back seat for a couple of weeks while we worked on updating the unit builder but it has now come on leaps and bounds in the last week. Its currently at about 10,000 words and all the units and doctrines are in working draft. On Commissarmoody's suggestion we have strengthened the Rebel's ability to incorporate some conventional/more professional forces. Currently this is achieved through doctrines - Although it is called the 'Defectors' doctrine, it could equally be described as professionalisation. There are three levels: the first makes some Rebel fighters more professional; the second makes armoured vehicles slightly cheaper; and the third enables units to be drawn from the Republic army list at normal cost.

We are currently working on the rules for support and strike assets, and once this is done there will be an iterative process of playtesting and review.

[commissarmoody]

Sounds like a good solution. I think you idea will cut down on folks abusing the idea.

[BenchTest]

We recenty did a playtest of the Rebel forces that are under development for Intervention. This time we photographed it with a view to writing up an ARR -

The full report is now posted on the bechtest blog:  www.benchtest.net/benchtest-blog

US defence of Ilyakamin against a rebel attack.

US Forces:

1 x Command Squad (motorised)
3 x Us Marine Squads
1 x Recon Team (motorised)
2 x LAV
2 x HMMWV
1 x Cobra Gunship

Rebel Forces:

1 x Commander’s Bodyguard
2 x Rebel Fighter Units
4 x Rebel Weapon Teams (Mortar, MANPAD, HMG, RPG)
1 x Lookout
1 x Sniper
1 x Attack Cell
1 x Gaz Yellow Guntruck (ZSU23-2)
4 x Technicals (ZPU14)
1 x VBIED (Truck)
1 x Djeda Tank

[Elbows]

When I was working on some rules similar to this a while ago I made mortars heavily dependent on the time frame in which they fired.

A mortar firing first turn against a unit would be pretty ineffective (assuming you don't have professional soldiers/spotters handling it) with accuracy and damage increasing each turn if the target unit did not move.  This made it good against fixed positions or a pinned down enemy, but wasn't the random sweeping god-fire that sometimes happens when these weapons are given too much power in a wargame.

[BenchTest]

The mortars seem about right when they hit, the main issue currently is that they deviate quite a lot. Especially when used by poor quality troops - which is technically realistic although not particularly satisfying for the player.

Deviation is something we are revisiting - usually its: [1xD10 - Proficiency] - which gives you an average of 4.5 inch deviation for poor troops (proficency 1) and 3.6 inch deviation for reasonable troops (proficiency 2) and 2.8 for elite (proficiency 3), which is a nice simple mechanic, but not entirely satisfying. As you suggest, context is key here.

One of thie things we are looking at is placing a strike impact marker where the mortar/artillery hit last and allowing a bonus if you are 'walking' the strike from this location. This would also allow for preregistering positions.

[madman]

Anything new to report?

[BenchTest]

We've been pretty busy with our day jobs over the past few months so not as much progress has been made as we would have liked. We also have one lead writer and unfortunately they have mainly been focusing on a couple of structured analysis projects - our Analyst Q Cards and a guide to red teaming techniques, which we aim to publish this year. 

The Rebel supplement is currently in a solid draft - it needs an edit and then putting into the design template. The main issue we are currently working on is structuring the content so that is is easy to use.