Is this right? it still doesnt make sense

[Gabe The Gun]

Hi people,
I took someones advice and rolled up a couple of random encounters to have ready before my game starts. On a road encounter i rolled up Armed, the book says multiply the number of base units by d10, so on Army I rolled a 4, and the base units say 1 elite,3 veteran, 4 experienced NPC's, and 2 Novice NPC's. That would mean 10 base units correct? multiplied by my roll of 4 would be 40 men correct? The area unclear to me is if I have 10 base units, who are the other 30 men? How do i divy them up in proper skill groups? It is making no sense to me. Is it saying 1 elite character? or 1 unit of elite characters? if it is one unit, how many are in that elite unit? how do i divy up the forty men i rolled or am i even doing this right?
Also with this encounter I rolled an 82mm mortar,120mm mortar,rpg-16,and an AT-4. The Vehicles rolled were 5-ton,BMP-B(which I cant find in the boxed set),and two 2 1/2-ton stills I got all this by rolling a 6 on the EST table. HELP this is confusing the shit out of me!

[simonmark6]

The way I've always interpreted it, you rolled up four groups of ten men (each group has 1 elite leader, 3 veteran troops, 4 experienced troops and 2 novide troops). Given the weapons you rolled up, I'd suggest the following redistribution of troops. Note, this is my own idea only and is in no way prescriptive:

Squad One: Mechanised Infantry
BMP crew: 3 vet troops with AKR
Squad Leader: Elite with AK/BG1
Asst: Experienced with SVD
Auto Gunner: Experienced with RPK variant
Asst Gunner: Novice with AK
RPG Gunner: Experienced with RPG-16
Asst: Novice with AK
Rifleman/Medic: Experienced with AK

Squad Two: Motorised Infantry
5 ton Truck
Driver: Experienced with AKR
Gunner: Novice with RPK
Squad 1:
Squad Leader: Elite with AK/BG1
Asst Leader: Veteran with AK
Auto Gunner: Veteran with RPK
Asst: Novice with AK
Rifleman: Veteran with AK
Rifleman: Experienced with AK
Squad 2:
Squad Leader: Veteran with AK/BG1
Asst Leader: Veteran with AK
Auto Gunner: Veteran with RPK
Asst: Veteran with AK
Rifleman: Experienced with AK
Squad 3:
Squad Leader: Elite with AK/BG1
Asst Leader: Veteran with AK
AT-4 Gunner: Veteran with AT-4
Asst: Novice with AK
Asst: novice with AK

Squad 3
2 1/2 ton truck
Driver: Experienced with AK
Security: Novice with AK
Security: Novice with AK
Mortar team 1
Gun Captain: Elite with 82mm mortar and AKR
Asst: Experienced with AK
Asst: Experienced with AK

Squad 4
2 1/2 ton truck
Driver: Experienced with AK
Security: Novice with AK
Security: Novice with AK
Mortar team 1
Gun Captain: Elite with 120mm mortar and AKR
Asst: Experienced with AK
Asst: Experienced with AK

This would give you a sensible organisation for the vehicles and weapons you have. As it is, the unit is either a very well supplied platoon or a very short company. Whichever, it's probably doing the job of a company and troops may be tired and stretched, unless they're dug in and protecting an area which is unlikely given their transportation.

Of course, you're free to organise things any way you want them to.

[Marc]

As a warning, perhaps it’s better to create your own encounters or prepare them in advance. Some results in the encounter table could generate a considerable amount of enemy characters and vehicles. It could be difficult and slow to manage such quantity of NPCs in the first sessions, if you’re still not very familiarized with the rules. Players are always eagerly waiting for their initiative step to act!

[pmulcahy11b]

I have always had this sense in T2K of the players and the people they encounter as being armed with a motley collection of weapons that happen to still work -- you have a G-11, your squadmate has a BAR, another squadmate has an old Mauser rifle. No, it doesn't make any real sense for a European or Middle Eastern campaign, because things haven't quite slid into Mad Max mode yet, but I like idea of a unit having an odd pile of weapons, gear, and possibly vehicles. It's how I started statting so many out some 20+ years ago.

[Targan]

Remember that not all the weapons, equipment and/or vehicles generated using the random tables need to be fully functional. In fact an encounter might actually occur because the randomly generated unit has had a serious breakdown involving one of its prized vehicles and is stuck in place while they try to repair it or await a recovery vehicle/repair crew.

Or perhaps the encountered unit has recently been involved in a major battle and has been severely mauled. Some of the generated enemy troops might be wounded, some of the generated vehicles might have suffered major battle damage, be completely out of ammo or be running on empty or totally out of fuel.