ADI
I get what your saying about the AM being a good choice in a limited munitions weapon and you are totally correct it is!
But here are some question for you.
1:What are these soft skinned vehicles being used for?
(the answer is probably transportation if so move to question 2
2:What are they transporting?
2A:Are they transporting infantry/fighters?
2B:Are they transporting goods?
2C:Are they transporting non combatants?
2D:Are they being used for scouting/observation purposes?
3: Are the soft skinned vehicles armed?
( if you answered yes to any of the questions 2:-2D: the answer is probably yes.)
Almost any vehicle worth taking time and effort to keep running is worth protecting! That means that these soft skinned vehicles that you feel will be too vulnerable can strike back!
4: What kind of Armaments could they have?
( Belt Fed, Light Machine guns) RPD, M249SAW/FN Minimi, Negev NG7, HK23, MG82 Ameli)
(General Purpose Machine Guns) RP-46, PK/PKM, VZ-59,SG-43, M60, M240/MAG-58,1919A4 Browning, MG3,H&K21, AA-52,
(Heavy Machine guns) Dshk,KORD, M2HB,
(Auto cannon) KPV, M242
That is just a few then there are rockets launchers of all types, Recoiless rifles, ect.
So lets imagine your PC's have a AM which can shoot about 2KM effective range (1.24 Miles) and the bad guys only a Land Rover with 1:PKM GPMG mounted (which has an effective range of about 1000 Meters for direct fire, though you can use it for area coverage/indirect fire out to about 2000 meters effectively ) Now lets say the PC's are 1.5KM away (that is 1500 meters). So the PC's are basically out range of the PKM for direct fire. And since they have a really good hide with good cover. The PC's decide to shoot at the Land Rover with one round of .50AP BAM!!! Direct hit in the engine block!!! The Land Rover is disabled and the occupants get out and hit ground running!!!! Now what can these fighters who dismounted from the disabled land rover do? Not very much,except try to move closer to the PC's and attack them with small arms. Which is probably a pretty dangerous proposition. I doubt they could safely get to the PKM and try to deploy it for indirect fire.
Now what happens if there are two soft skinned vehicles? The same Land Rover one with a PKM and a second Rover that is unarmed?
The PC's are at the same distance 1.5KM and have the same great hide with good cover and concealment. Again they decide to fire at the land rover with the mounted PKM. Just as before direct hit to engine block, fighters hit the ground running! leaving the disabled rover with the mounted PKM a sitting duck.
But this time the second rover drives behind a small rocky knoll. It can no longer be seen by the PC's. What the PC's don't know is the second rover has a concealed Chinese Type-31 60mm Mortar in the back, which has an effective range of 1500 Meters. Now the PC's are now in range of it's 1.5KG (3.5LB) explosives.
Since the PC's can't see the second Rover, they decide to fire the AM at the fighters who are attempting to take cover. Just then BOOM! INCOMING!!! The second rover that is concealed starts dropping HE 60mm mortar rounds in general direction of the PC's. Now that the mortar rounds start coming in it's much harder for the PC's to return fire at the fighters. And instead of them hiding behind cover, they are able start advancing toward the PC's until they are within small arms range.
The idea is you can make the bag guys smart....or even just better armed than the PC's....what if the Rovers both had Chinese B-10 82mm recoilless rifles?
Then the PC's would taking some HEAT. Or what if the PC's are so busy watching for soft skinned vehicles that they get snuck up on by a hunter killer team 1: Machine gunner 1: RPG gunner 1:Sniper. Instead of taking out Armor they could be used to take out the PC's sniper hide.
Brother in Arms