New rule up for discussion: Offboard Fire Support

We have been pondering how to better use fire support teams, so here is a campaign rule to use them.  Email me any comments.

In certain locations a mission may setup offboard fire support.  The locations are those close to hills or containing hills.  The fire support units may include Forward Observer’s (FO), Forward Air Controllers (FAC, and therefore any air assets as well), vehicles, GPMG, HMG, Light guns, Light Mortars, ATGMs, Sniper teams and Anti-aircraft teams.

The following locations (orange highlight) may have offboard fire support: 

 The offboard location is represented by a vertical rod of 5cm, 10cm or 15cm height at the edge of the board.  To find the height roll a D3, on a 1 it is 5cm, on a 2 it is 10cm and on 3 it is 15cm high.  The owning player positions the rod on the friendly edge or on an enfilading edge (if a TQ is passed, the player may select an enfilading edge which is adjacent to the friendly edge).  The offboard support teams are placed in an offboard area and are activated as normal, and may fire at any target that can be observed from the top of the rod.  They must also pass a spotting TQ to fire.

All fire between onboard and offboard teams are considered to be beyond optimum range.

Certain onboard teams may fire on the offboard fire support: Forward Observer’s (FO), Forward Air Controllers (FAC, and therefore any air assets as well), vehicles, GPMG, HMG, Light guns, Light Mortars, ATGMs and Sniper teams.  The target must first be spotted by rolling a TQ.

All offboard teams are considered to be in +2 defensive terrain and are considered to be “in cover” in the turn after they have entered the offboard location.

The UNSAF player may “move” teams that have not yet entered the board to Offboard Fire Support through a normal activation.

The insurgent player may place a team offboard when a 6 is rolled.  The first time the insurgent player does this the player may place an offboard rod on the edge opposite to the UNSAF player’s friendly edge.