Ideas for small unit encounters

[Olefin]

Some ideas I had for small unit encounters that a typical player group could handle without them having to have a Bradley or tank along for the ride. I based these on the composition of Soviet units, looking at support units and not the combat units themselves.

for instance

Medical aid station for a Motorized Rifle Battalion (MRB) - you are looking at four men, one truck/ambulance, one trailer and one radio

Repair Workshop for a MRB - seven man, one repair truck/van, one trailer

A Supply Platoon for a MRB - nineteen men, one officer, with 8 trucks, 2 tanker trucks, one field kitchen, several trailers (if at full strength, a summer 2000 formation might be half that size), small arms only

A Signal Platoon for a MRB - thirteen men, one officer, 2 BTR's, 2 trucks (at full strength, most likely smaller for a summer 2000 formation), armed with small arms only

all the kind of encounters that a small group of men cut off and on the run are well placed to be able to encounter and survive even if all they rolled is a truck or Hummer or even no vehicles and are on foot

definitely not as hazardous as running into an infantry formation that has BTR's, BMP's or tanks and the kind of encounter a group that is just learning the game could probably survive pretty well

[Raellus]

Good idea, Olefin. I'd like to add to your suggestions:

A field kitchen with a couple of field ovens mounted on or towed by trucks.

A mobile blacksmith's shop attached to a horse cavalry unit; along the same lines, a veterinary unit.

A traffic control point. Not a roadblock, mind you, just a few MPs with small arms and a UAZ.

A penal construction unit. This could consist of quite a few men but all, aside from the guards, would be unarmed and the inmates wouldn't necessarily be hostile towards a party that could secure their freedom.

[Draq]

We could sit around all day and do this... I know I have.

[Matt Wiser]

How about a battalion's POW collection point?

Battalion NBC decontamination area...

Air-defense unit...even in 2000, old habits might resurface, and they're focused on the sky and not the ground....something like an SA-8 or SA-11 launcher.

[Olefin]

Always thought those types of encounters - ones against small units that have important stuff the players need - were the ones most like early Dungeon and Dragon encounters - after all no one sends a bunch of first level players against a Dragon - and it seems that many of the early encounters in the escape scenario seem to put them at very bad odds

plus a medical team has all kinds of supplies that a group of players needs - ditto the workshop or the mobile kitchen or repair workshop - and again as I said its a great way for a group to obtain their wheels instead of rolling for them

[unkated]

Bivouac (set up tents, out door shower) for ~50-80 men, occupied by only a handful - 4-7 man security force, small arms only; The rest are elsewhere. Nearby, (within 50-100m) are other similar areas. This could also be nearby a Battalion aide station and/or field kitchen.

The tents have packs with spare uniforms, blankets, a little food, personal stuff, small bits of booty - the stuff you'd leave behind before going to battle (like if your battalion was participating in the destruction of the US 5th Infantry).

Shooting will bring other small security detachments, and you don't really know when the company will return...

[Wolf sword]

Local village hunting party.

The PC stumble across a group of armed men...are they an army group out on patrol or something else?

Plenty of chances for observation checks, what are they wearing, armed with, and carrying.