5 Men In Normandy???

[Dubar]

Nice!!!  I'd like to shoot mine more, but ammo is $1.20 and higher per round these days.  Not as bad as what the Arisaka ammo is going for, when I can find it.

[Dubar]

I'm thinking about inserting some 1/35 armor into my gaming.  Nothing extravagant, just a couple of pieces to give the foot soldiers something to worry about. 

The largeness of the scale probably doesn't lend itself well to wargaming, unless you have a football field sized table, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.  A well laid out small town or a number of wooded areas can negate longer distances quickly.

Only issue is coming up with some rules for it.

I've almost finalized my homemade rules for 1/35 infantry.  They're simple but if anyone wants to see them and give them a try I could post them here, it's only 3 pages long.  No fluff, just basic movements and shooting with what to do with the wounded and how to toss a grenade.

[Kikuchiyo]

I'm always interested in new rule sets particularly small scale action

[Dubar]

Then here ya go!!!  I'm using a variety of markers (picked up 2 sets off Amazon, 9 colors in each set).  I'll send each page in a different post so the post isn't too long.  Hopefully the indentations and such come out right when I hit the Post button!

PAGE 1

1/35 (54mm) SCALE WW2 RULES

1) Select forces for each side prior to start of game.

2) Each side roll 1D6, lowest roll activates first, then each side takes turn

   OR
     
Roll each turn to see which side activates first.

3) Side activating:
   All figures may move.
   May activate up to all your available figures or you may activate the same or different figures each turn.  You can carry out all the
        actions of 1 figure before picking the next figure.
   When activated, a figure may move a normal 6” move and fire at any visible target, or may fire then move, but can’t run and fire.

MOVEMENT AND TERRAIN

NORMAL MOVE – A normal move (not running) is up to 6 inches in any direction.
         Figures carrying a heavy load can only move 4” (no running).
         Unless in Hand-to-Hand Combat, figures should not come within 1” of enemy figures.

RUNNING –  Use BLUE marker to indicate figure ran
         A figure may RUN at the end of their normal move, rather than firing a weapon.  Pick destination/direction and roll
                        1D6 and move up to that amount in inches.
         Must be in the open to RUN, but may end the move in cover.
         Figure may cross an easy obstacle during a RUN but cannot enter or be in rough ground at the beginning of the RUN.
         Exiting rough ground during the NORMAL MOVE does not affect the ability to RUN.
         Medics roll 2D6 to RUN if running to treat a wounded figure, otherwise roll 1D6.

ROUGH GROUND
         Figures may enter, move inside, or exit rough ground without difficulty but cannot both enter and exit in a single
                        move.
         Figures having enough movement to reach the other side of rough ground must halt at the edge before leaving rough
                        ground.
         A figure beginning its movement inside rough ground may move out without any limitation.

OBSTACLES   (Easy and Difficult)

         EASY – Obstacles are waist high or lower.  Designate what each obstacle is prior to the start of the game. 
                                             Crossing an EASY obstacle will end the current move.

         DIFFICULT – Obstacles (woods, streams, plowed fields, hedgerows, walls) requires a 3 moves to cross.  The
                                                     figure stops at contact on the 1st move. A 2nd move is required to cross and must halt at the
                                                     edge.  On the 3rd move the figure is able to move away.  Cannot run while in a DIFFICULT
                                                     obstacle.

[Dubar]

PAGE 2

WEAPONS FIRE

NOTE: Generally, if a target can be seen it can be fired at.  Cannot fire into or thru wooded area, except for the 1” perimeter of the half of the wooded area the shooter is facing, unless shooter and target are within the same wooded area.

WEAPONS:
Pistols –    Revolvers   12” range   Rate of Fire – 1
      Semi-Auto   12” range   Rate of Fire – 2
Rifles -    Bolt Action   LOS      Rate of Fire – 1
      Semi-Auto   LOS      Rate of Fire – 2
SMG -          36”      Rate of Fire – 3 all targets within a 2” circle are subject to fire
LMG -          LOS      Rate of Fire – 3 all targets within a 3” circle are subject to fire
HMG -          LOS      Rate of Fire – 4 all targets within a 3” circle are subject to fire

Measure distance to target and roll percentage dice, apply necessary modifiers.  If roll is equal to or greater than distance = HIT.  USE GREEN marker to indicate figure fired his weapon

NOTE: Number of rolls = Rate of Fire for that weapon (example-tripod mounted MG42 rolls 4 times)

MODIFIERS TO ROLL:
Target is in soft cover      = -10
(Soft cover would be bushes, edge of wooded area, picket fences, etc)

Target ran            = -15

Shooter Wounded      = -20

Target is in hard cover    = -30
(Hard cover would be stone walls, buildings, sandbags, etc)

Aimed (did not move)      = +10

I’M HIT!!!

If HIT, place a temporary BLOOD RED marker to indicate figure has been hit.

At end of turn roll 1D6:
1 = Flesh wound (nothing to worry about), remove BLOOD RED marker
2, 4, = Figure cannot move, but may fire (Change to WHITE marker to indicate figure can’t move).
3, 5 = Figure cannot fire but may move (not run) (Change to BLACK marker to indicate figure can’t shoot)
6 = KIA (remove from battlefield)

If medic is NOT present at end of each turn, figure rolls 1D6 (roll for each wound)
If roll is 1       = figure patches himself up
If roll is 6       = figure dies

If medic IS present (within 3”) at end of each turn, medic rolls 1D6 (roll for each wound)
If roll is 2, 3, 4, or 5    = heals that figure.
If roll is 1 or 6    =fails to heal, may try next turn.

[Dubar]

PAGE 3

GRENADES

Grenades can be thrown 9”

Indicate Point of Impact and Roll percentage dice, if roll is 33 or less – DOES NOT explode on Point of Impact.  If roll is 34 or greater than grenade explodes on Point of Impact

NOTE: To throw thru an OPENING (window, door) roll percentage dice, if roll is 90 or higher then the throw is a success. Subtract 1 from roll for each 1” thrower is away from opening.
If not a success, roll 1D3 (D6/2) to see how far grenade bounced in inches, then roll 1D6 for direction (use only the 90 to 270 degree half of a circle back towards thrower) it bounced back (not forward) in inches.

NOTE:    Roll 50 = bobbled - explodes at figure throwing the grenade plus any figure within a 3” circle
              Roll 00 = dud - does not explode


*****IF POINT of IMPACT IS HIT

Roll 1D3 (D6/2 rounded up, 3 wounds per figure max) for number of hits each figure takes that’s within a 3” circle.  If grenade explodes outside soft or hard cover that the target may be in (throw did not succeed going thru the opening), subtract 2 from dice roll for number of wounds.


*****IF POINT of IMPACT IS MISSED

Roll 1D6 for impact point from target (in inches) it missed.

Roll 1D6 for direction it missed.
1 = 0 deg, 2 =60 deg, 3=120 deg, 4=180 deg, 5=240 deg, 6=300 deg



HAND TO HAND COMBAT

Any figure that moves into base to base contact with an enemy figure is results in H-t-H Combat.

A figure cannot fire then enter H-t-H Combat in the same turn.

Each figure rolls 1D6, figure that started the encounter adds +1 to their roll.  Low score loses and is removed from play.

Winner moves off 2” in any direction or may shoot a pistol if another enemy figure is within 12 inches and in line of sight.

If results of the roll are equal, the attacker will back off 2” and turn ends.  If the defender has a pistol, he may fire (12”) at the retreating attacker.

If the result is that both are winners, both are removed from play.


That's all, feel free to use/modify/trash them as you like.  Feel free to comment or make suggestions, I'm still learning as I go and may have overlooked a number of things.

I've played about half dozen battles so far and the rules seem to be doing what I want so.....

[Dubar]

Here's the markers I purchased off Amazon:

Shapenty 3/4Inch / 19mm Small Plastic Learning Counters Disks Chip Counting Discs Markers for Math Practice and Poker Chips Game Tokens with Storage Box, 9 Colors, 135PCS

They remind me of Tiddly Winks!!!  2 boxes gives you 30 of each color.

[Kikuchiyo]

thanks I'll take a look at that this weekend

[Dubar]

Maybe I should have started this in a new thread or at least changed the name of this one, cause it ain't 5 Men In Normandy anymore 

[Dubar]

I have re-tweaked my homemade rules a bit and cleaned them up to make them easier to read, and with a few things added they're now 6 pages long.  Anyone wanting a copy my email is in my profile.

Here's a game I just started today, in 1/35 scale.  A 13-man squad (1 medic) of G.I.s is attempting to eliminate an 9-man squad (1 medic) of Germans, with a MG42, hold up in a bunker and in the area north of the road.  G.I.s are aided by some smoke rounds from a mortar in their effort to close the gap so an assault can be made on the stronghold.  In this photo the MG42 has found a target thru the gap between the smoke and the edge of a wooded area, 1 soldier was hit but managed to stem the flow of blood and keep moving.

The mat is a Cigar Box battle mat, the trees came from Amazon and are usually located on my O-scale railroad.  Buildings are simple boxes made from cardboard and the pillbox and bridge were made from green insulation board found at a local Lowes hardware.  I designated the entire hex a tree is in, as all wooded areas, with the 1" perimeter being light cover and any figure within the 1" area can be targeted:

[Dubar]

Thru some bad rolls of the dice, both sides took a beating with the Germans having to retreat across the bridge after about 10 turns.  The medics came in handy, they saved a couple of soldiers who were able to continue the fight (only to die on a later turn).  I felt it necessary to add some Morale rules into the mix, but I need to play them a few more games to make sure they work like I want.

So far I've found it doesn't pay to bunch your figures up, stay in 1 place, and run out in the open.  I had 3 G.I.s mowed down in quick succession by a fellow with a MP40...rolled 3 sixes in a row on their wounds, ending up with 3 KIAs!

The smoke provided ample protection from the MG42, it was able to only get in a couple of shots before the smoke covered their line of sight and the G.I.s maneuvered out of their field of fire.

[DS615]

I was even thinking about simply using the distance to a target and roll percentage dice.  In order to "Score" the roll has to be equal to or greater than the distance.  So if you can see a target 45" away then you have to roll (I'm using 2 ten-sided dice) a 45 or higher in order to "Score".  If you're 9" away a 9 or higher.  I have a 48"x72" table so I could possibly have a target 72" away and would have to roll a 72 or higher to Score.

I've done that in rules before.  The distance is essentially the "chance you miss" in that case.
It works, but there's a few caveats.  One, anything close (like less than 30" away) is going to be hit most of the time. Almost always.
Two, you have to be okay with assuming that every figure is the exact same as far as skill and training. Modifiers get difficult to implement.  How does cover affect things? 
I found that while it certainly functioned, it didn't really work, if you know what I mean.

[Dubar]

I've done that in rules before.  The distance is essentially the "chance you miss" in that case.
It works, but there's a few caveats.  One, anything close (like less than 30" away) is going to be hit most of the time. Almost always.
Two, you have to be okay with assuming that every figure is the exact same as far as skill and training. Modifiers get difficult to implement.  How does cover affect things? 
I found that while it certainly functioned, it didn't really work, if you know what I mean.

True, but I do have Modifiers to the roll that, so far, seem to work:

MODIFIERS TO ROLL:

Shooter Aimed (did not move)   = +10
Target is in soft cover              = -15 (Bushes, edge of wooded area, fences, etc)
Shooter Wounded         = -20 (EACH WOUND)
Target ran                    = -20
Target is in soft-skinned vehicle   = -25 (jeep, kubelwagen, schwimmwagen, truck, etc)
Target is in hard cover       = -30 (Stone walls, buildings, sandbags, behind a berm, etc)
Target is in armored or fortified   = -50 (halftrack, tank, bunker, etc)

I haven't done much in the way of using armor so that 50% modifier may have to be changed for small arms fire depending on the target.

So a target 30" away that's running now has to have a 50 or better rolled on it to hit, if there's bushes, trees, etc (if line of fire crosses the 1" perimeter of a wooded area) then tack on another 15, for a roll of 65 or better to hit.  Even if the target is hit it may turn out to be a flesh wound (1) or could be KIA (6) depending on a 1D6 die roll.

I usually only have 2 six-sided dice and 2 ten-sided dice on the table, a tape measure, 6 colors of tokens to indicate a figures actions/results, and little else.  For some reason I detest using cards, guess they take up too much room on a table for my taste. 

[Freddy]

I am not sure what is the best way to handle running. From target shooting point of view, a running target is harder to hit, that is true. But on a battlefield it also means that it does not  care about cover as much as a more slowly (cautiously) moving soldier would.

[Dubar]

Definitely!

I added another modifier just to see how it would work plus revised some of the numbers of others:

MODIFIERS TO ROLL:

Shooter Aimed (did not move)   = +10

Target is partially obscured by   = -10 (soft cover) or -20 (hard cover)
                  (partially obscured by cover that’s in between shooter and target                      such as edge of woods or edge of building)

Target is in soft cover              = -15 (Bushes, edge of wooded area, fences, etc)

Shooter Wounded         = -20 (EACH WOUND)

Target ran                    = -25

Target is in soft-skinned vehicle   = -30 (jeep, kubelwagen, schwimmwagen, truck, etc)

Target is in hard cover       = -35 (Stone walls, buildings, sandbags, behind a berm, etc)

Target is in armored or fortified   = -75 (tank, bunker, etc)

The reason I added the partially obscured modifier is I had a G.I. on the move that could be seen approximately 75%, the edge of 2 different wooded areas partially obscured the target.  That added another 20 pts (10pts for each wooded area) to the German's die roll, in this case it happened to be a bipod-mounted MG42 shooting from a window ledge.  The target was 40 inches away so the roll required was 60 or better.  The bipod-mounted MG42 gets 4 rolls (rate of fire) and 1 of the 4 found it's mark.

If I get into using vehicles I may add modifiers for soft skinned, lightly armored, heavily armored but that'll take some research.