Henry J. Cobb's Infantry in the world of OGRE

The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the OGRE system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.


I feel that the Infantry suits in OGRE work together at the platoon level to "smear out" the electronic signatures of the individual suits. This creates a "Zone of Uncertainty" where enemy shells are tossed in to hope for the best.

Most of the "defence strength" of an infantry unit comes from "collaborative jamming" and their thin suits mostly just keep out diffuse blast effects. (diffuse NUCLEAR blast effects that is...)

At a more advanced level this would imply an electronic bounding overwatch, where one suit jumps forward quietly, under cover of the electronic racket of the rest and takes a scan along the way. Then the hopper drops back down into the crowd and transmits the info gained during the pop-up, while another suit takes a hop.

This constant motion would help keep the suits from becoming localized targets.

The game effect of all this is that a loaded GEV-PC would count as being stacked with 3 separate squads rather than one platoon. (Ogre Minis is unclear on this point.)

Infantry Costs

When I first did the analysis on missile infantry, I'd assumed that it was a heavy weapon platoon that had the impact of a Missile Tank.

So in going through the math for the point value of the Heavy weapon squad let me point out all the assumptions I'm making on places where the rules are unclear to me.

So first, normal infantry cost:

3.0 (overrun bonus to atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [ 1" (overrun range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] + 3.0 (normal atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [2" (total range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] + 3.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 1.13 (step reduction) * 1.5 (terrain bonus) * [ 2" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 69.9 "henries" or 5.82 VPs per platoon.

For heavy weapons platoons I've found that the missiles normally can't be used in overruns, and I'll use my standard adjustment that the first shot is one-third of the units total value:

So first calculate the value of a hypothetical platoon that carries a limitless supply of missiles:

9.0 (missile atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [8" (total range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] - 3.0 (overrun deficit) * 1.1 (split fire) * [ 1" (overrun range) + 4" (move) * 1.5 (move mod)] + 3.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 1.13 (step reduction) * 1.5 (terrain bonus) * [ 8" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 196.9 "henries" or 16.4 VPs per platoon.

"Normal" Heavy weapon platoons are one third of the full time missile infantry plus two thirds normal infantry and so come to: 112 henries or 9.4 VPs per platoon or a little over 3 VPs per squad. (Four VPs per squad is correct, due to riders benefits)

I'd calculate the value of a mounted missile charge, but I only have a BS in math.

As for the "Only takes a moment to fire a missile" theory. I'd like to point out that "units are assumed to be armed with rapid firing nuclear cannon" and under such conditions every units firepower will be mostly limited by targeting issues. (From the EMPs of their own shots, if nothing else...)

Variant Infantry.

Ranger Infantry

Each counter represents one squad of elite infantry. Rangers use stealth suits rather than the PIERCE (Platoon Integrated Electronic Radius Countermeasures Equipment) system of normal infantry for defense. Rangers have attack 1 with range 2", defense 2 and move 6". Rangers treat water as Marines do and may not combine into multi-squad counters but are otherwise treated as normal infantry.

Each Ranger squad costs:

1.0 (overrun bonus) * [1" (overrun range) + 6" (move) * 1.7(move mod)] + 1.0 (normal attack) * [2" (total range) + 6" (move) * 1.7(move mod)] + 2.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 0.75 (Ds are Xs) * 1.7 (terrain bonus) * [ 2" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 33.6 "henries" or 2.8 VPs per squad.

Marines

Standard infantry with the ability to treat water as clear or hide in it like OGREs do. Cost is:

3.0 (overrun bonus to atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [ 1" (overrun range) + 4" (move) * 1.7 (move mod)] + 3.0 (normal atk) * 1.1 (split fire) * [2" (total range) + 4" (move) * 1.7 (move mod)] + 3.0 (def) * 2.0 (std defence adjustment) * 1.13 (step reduction) * 1.7 (terrain bonus) * [ 2" (range) + 0.0 (no 2ndry move)] = 77.8 "henries" or 6.5 VPs per platoon. (7 VPs per platoon is generous)

So I would like to see the rather overpriced and wimpy marines replaced by ranger units that depend on stealth for defence (so that their defence does not "stack"), and have a little bit more speed but still only cost 50 percent more than normal infantry.

If the defenselessness of OGREs is a problem then allow the beasts to fire all of their weapons at half strength (not doubled) underwater but only in overruns. (How can a non-watertight weapon fire from inside a nuclear blast?)

So when an OGRE attempts to overrun submerged marines the grunts can either decide to hide or take their doubled shots against half-strength replies.

Militia

OK, here's my current take on translating Militia Units from OGRE Minis back into the GEV system.

Militia are personnel without battlesuits that carry infantry style weapons.

Militia only come in single-squad counters, these counters are marked differently on each side to show their two modes:

Scurrying Militia: Attack 1/1, Defense 1, Move 1
Cowering Militia: Attack 1/1, Defense 1, Move 0

Militia movement: Each turn each Scurrying Militia squad may remain in Scurrying mode in its current hex or flip to Cowering mode in its current hex or an adjacent non-water hex. (They get no road bonus)

Cowering Militia can remain Cowering where they are or flip over into Scurrying mode in their current hex. (Note: Militia may move at most one hex every other turn unless transported.)

Cowering Militia may also be carried around on Light or Heavy Tanks under the same terms as regular infantry squads.

Militia have their own attacks doubled in overruns, just like normal infantry, but all attacks against them in overruns are also doubled. (So an Infantry squad or OGRE AP gun attacks with strength four against Militia in overruns).

All normal attacks (not overrun) against a hex with a Militia squad have full, not spillover effect against each Militia squad separately.

Scurrying Militia get no defensive benefit from terrain (They are gunned down as they run for cover), but Cowering Militia get the same terrain benefit as normal infantry. (On a single-squad basis).

Example: One Scurrying and two Cowering Militia squads in a city hex are attacked by a Light Tank. The tank gets a 2-1 against the Scurrying squad (killing it on a 2-6) and a 1-2 against each of the Cowering squads (Killing each on a 5-6).

In each case, I have tried to make these units even more pathetic than the Militia in OGRE Minis, so they shouldn't be worth more than those units, right?

The cost? Each Militia squad costs the same as one-sixth of an Infantry squad.

Jump Troops

Jump Troops act exactly in all ways like normal infantry, but they have a new movement mode.

During Movement each squad may elect to Jump to an adjacent hex. (Note that several squads may jump at the same moment, but it is counted as if each was jumping alone.)

The Jump to the adjancent hex costs only one third of a movment point, regardless of the terrain, but they cannot jump into prohibited terrain (glowing craters and such).

So, with its move of two, a Jump Squad could travel six hexes during its movement phase.

If the jump carries the squad into an overrun, then it is resolved normally, otherwise every enemy unit within range of the hex jumped into can fire against the Jump Squad as if it was a cruise missile, at the +3 travel adjustment.

Each weapon may fire on each Jump Squad only once per movement phase (outside of overruns), but may fire on any number of squads during the movement phase.

Example: A squad of normal infantry is standing in the clear when three squads of jump infantry jump to the hexes adjancent to it. The normal infantry needs to roll a 8+ on two dice to shoot down each squad and gets one.

The two surviving jump squads jump into an overrun against the normal squad. In the first defenders fire phase the normal squad rolls a 2-1 for a 3 and bags one of the jump squads. In the first attackers fire phase, the remaining jump squad rolls a 2 on a 2-1 and eliminates the defender. Then the survivor jumps away and other jump squads move unhindered through the area.

I suspect that Jump Squads should cost about 4 VPs each. Note that their move is entirely during the first movement phase so it should be interesting to see how they combine with GEV-PC mounted infantry.

Forward Observers

In the 20th century, the grunts didn't fly around and carry very big guns, but they had radios and laser directors, and if anything would just stand still in front of them for long enough, they could call on all the power of the back line.

In the 21st century, everything is jammed, and the big guns don't reach as far, but they can go a bit further, with a little help from their friends.

under this optional rule, missile weapons (defined below), may fire at a 50% bonus to their effective range, when they combine fire with normal infantry fire, within the normal 2" (one hex) infantry range.

Heavy Weapons Infantry count as missile weapons when launching missiles, and forward observers when firing normal infantry weapons. (So a Heavy Weapons squad could fire at a target 12" away, if it combined it's fire with an Infantry squad 2" from that target.)

Announce both components of the attack before measuring either distance. If the missile unit is not within the 50% range boost, then it fires at the limit of it's boosted range and the infantry fires alone, if the infantry is not within the 2 inch range, the missile unit looses it's range bonus. (and it's shot falls short, hopefully not on the myopic infantry! ;-)

Missile weapons are: OGRE missiles, Missile Tanks, Howitzers (all types), Field Artillery and Heavy Weapons Infantry Missiles.