More home grown house rules

[RLW]

Another of my homespun  house rules (and yes, I do in fact have a lot of them) is a rule to bring back snipers. Earlier version of PG had snipers via special events table. But this features seems to have been dropped in later games. 

This sniper rule is that for day turns  if  a unit with a leader in its stack/FG makes a DF (but not op fire) or a rally attempt (but not self rally)  if it rolls doubles for that DF roll or for each rally roll, then the other side can choose to roll two dice  as well for each leader in the stack/FG for the DF or for each rally roll. If that roll gives doubles as well then an effective sniper event has occurred that effects either that leader and/or the sniper.  Who wins is determined by making a sniper triggered initiative roll. 

This initiative sniper's roll is like a regular initiative roll modified by two other factors. First, there is a the shift by any DF modifiers that would apply  if that hex occupied by the leader were fired upon by DF fire. Thus if the sniper attack was against a leader in a woods hex the sniper initiative roll would be factor or  moral by that -2.  Second, if that leader used  either it's combat modifier or its morale modifier that is added to the sniper's to the sniper's roll as well (i.e would  help the sniper by the extra exposure incurred from modifying the combat or morale of the other units in that hex/FG. However if the combat modifier is 2 and the leader only is using 1 then only that 1 is added to the  sniper's initiative roll. Similarly  a leader can opt to not employ its moral modifier or just a portion of it if he so desires by declaring that up front before making any dice roll. Thus it is only the modifier that is used for that impulse that is added to the sniper initiative roll.

Thus if a leader acts the hero and uses its moral modifier to rally the troops or its combat modifier it is taking more risk of being a victim to that sniper shot by adding that modifier to the snipers initiative roll. So it pays to be in  good cover in regard to sniper fire but there is a risk cost of being a hero and applying a combat or morla modifier. 

Note that having a higher initiative  gives an advantage to either side in that that higher initiative reflects that any sniper's have  a better chance of getting off a good shot or the  target side having sanitized the  area of lurking snipers. 

If the sniper wins the leader is effected. If the sniper loses the sniper is killed and that cost 1 victory point which in turn contributes to further  lower its initiative. If the leader suffers the effect then a single die is rolled (or one could use the number rolled for the second doubles if they remember it) and  for a 1 or 2 the leaders is disrupted, a 3 or 4  the leader is demoralized, and for a 5 or 6 the leader is killed. An effect against the sniper is always a kill (unless  the shot is against a commissar, see below), i.e. it pays that 1 VP. As such the sniper  needs to choose wisely when to shoot.

A sniper can decline to take a shot but does so after the roll of the first  double, but once that second roll for doubles is made there is no turning back and someone will suffer if doubles are rolled in that second roll. 

[edit] For DF if the first  double that was  double 1's, 3's or 5's then if the the second doubles is rolled one  unit that is firing (sniper's choice) is also disrupted in addition to any effects on the sniper and the leader. For rally roll induced sniper fire if the leader is affected by the sniper fire the unit that is being rallied fails it rally roll regardless of what that roll is. A leader that initiated both DF and rally rolls that leader is susceptible to sniper fire for both DF the DF roll and each rally roll it makes. 

BTW, this rule may discourage units from taking low probability DF shots in that there is a cost (beyond  the possibility ammo depletion) for doing so. Thus this rule can speed  up the game rather than bog it down in that these mechanics are only invoked on a roll of doubles but can reduce the number of low probability shots. Plus it puts a risk of being a heredit above even a FG that has no leader may be effected by sniper fire.

BTW this rule applies for commissars as well but with some modifications in that  they must  add to their sniper initiative roll an additional 1 factor signifying that the "sniper" that takes them out was perhaps their own  men (that took exception for being shot. by him)  If the sniper triggered initiative role is a tie for a commissar this is  assumed the have been the case and the "sniper"  (i.e the  units  turning on the  commissar, become  disrupted, i.e they pass the moral check, and the commissar dies with no chance to roll that third role to see if instead he is  disrupted or demoralized. For a non tie the sniper resolution is the same for any  regular leader.

BTW, there are a lot of these house rules to remember. I am finding they do not bog down game play ( as per design) but do make one have to think harder to remember them. This should get easier as one becomes more familiar with them but even so  it will be easy to forget to apply them from time to time. When that occurs one assumes that the rule was employed but the resulting die roll led to a no effect. So the rule was not forgotten but rather the default die roll gave a no effect. 

So even if one never uses any of these one can never the less assume that they were all used and that the player was just lucky and always rolled a no effect. In fact at any time (if both players consent) one can assume that to be the case and not apply the rule to speed up game play. Thus one can only apply these on he more interesting or critical  situations or when one is in the mood to plus up the crunch level of the game. One does this by simply asking the other player, skip? If they say he says yes then assume a no effect die roll.

[edit] BTW, this rule is design to further penalize sides with low morale in that they are more likely to lose a sniper duel. Thus units with low morale may need to be careful as to when to shoot and only do so if they get a juicy shot like against  leader with a +2 modifier. Now the shooter may not know that if  that leader is not placed on top of the stack. But once a leader uses that super power then the cat is out of the bag and if that leader ever rolls doubles the sniper may indeed risk the shot even if he has low initiative.