(07-26-2012, 01:05 PM)JoeBuckeye Wrote: The scenario I'm playing now (Black SS #26) has a good number of APCs in it.
How do people generally use them?
With the ability to add them to a hex as a non-combat unit they can certainly beef up the direct fire ability of a hex but since they can't Dig In they are pretty much dead meat if any sort of armor or AT gun is in the area.
I also have a couple of questions around them:
1) Is it correct to assume that APC's have no bearing on the modifier for having 3 combat units in a hex? That having 1, 2, or 3 APC's in a hex have no column modifier?
2) APC's use the Motorized movement column, correct? They have the transport symbol so I always associate that with Motorized. This brings up a missed opportunity by APL when designing the PG counters. They should have used some sort of coloration or indicator with the movement factor number to indicate what type of movement the unit has. Black = motorized, white = foot, red = mechanized.
Joe,
APC's can dig-in.
See rule 4.3 = APC's are hybrid units. They are OPEN-TOP AFV's (my caps) that ACT as transports. They can, despite being AFV's also be activated by a 'foot' leader as well as tank leaders.
So they are not transports per se, but merely ACT as transports, thus allowing them to dig-in as AFV's.
1. APC's have no bearing on stacking. You could have 3 x APC's stacked with 2 x combat units on foot, and despite the 5 x units, it still DOES NOT receive the 3 stack +1 col.mod.
Also note, that if you have been using them classed solely as transports, make sure you are NOT removing one of them if a combat unit suffers an X in the hex (just like a truck, wagon or prime-mover is removed when a combat unit gets an X). They do not get eliminated like that.
The ultimate transport stack would be 3 x combat units on foot with 3 x APC's transporting a combat unit each for a total of 9 units .... However, woe betide you if any of these get forced to unload .... You'll be real trouble with end of activation eliminations.
2. Joe, sorry, wrong here too old mucker. APC's use the mechanised table (halftracks). See rule 5.1 - Mechanised = tanks, SP artillery, MOST APC's (For me this certainly includes hanomags, M3's and Bren carriers here). I'm personally struggling to think of a wheeled APC (apart from the 70's & 80's Russian one) but somebody will chime in I'm sure.
One more thing to remember are that the three I have mentioned are all open-topped. Therefore, immune to M results on the fire table, but suffer casualties with X results.
2X means that at least the 2nd step removed has to be an open-topped vehicle
X means if NO OTHER units in the hex with an open-top unit (this does not inlude the guys being transported BTW), then they must absorb the X result meaning any of its cargo would be lost as well.
As to how they are used, which was your thread opener ..... As the situation demands. Sometimes, due to certain nearby enemies, they can not be used offensively at all. Each scenario will determine how to use them in your own mind. I certainly don't put mine up to be needlessly and wastefully blasted away.
Also, beware using them just because they are IN the scenario. PG has a habit of supplying all units in the OOB whether required or not. Therefore, their mere existence in a scenario should not be taken as a 'clue' that they need to be used. Mike Perryman is particularly good at supplying complete OOB's for his scenarios, and I like this historical aspect where some units are simply not of much use as they might be in another game.
Vince
