Captured Vehicles & Battlefield Recognition Symbols

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

With the situation at the end of the 5th ID, ANY direction is going to get you into contact with Pact forces.

Of course, but they are going to thin out somewhat to the west. Not so, to the east. And the PCs aren't likely going to know just how badly the 5th has been overrun and how deep they are behind enemy lines.

[Panther Al]

I voted to ignore it: if I am on the run I don't want attention, and armoured vehicles, and these days a BTR counts, draws attention. Now if it was a Ural truck or some UAZ's, then I'd snap them up in a heartbeat.

[Legbreaker]

I believe the situation presented in the Ref's materials indicates the only practical path out of the Kalisz area is towards the south. Every other direction has litterally MASSES of Pact troops.

The BTR in my mind is a great vehicle for a T2K situation. With wheels it's capable of a decent speed without copious consumption of fuel. It's amphibious and has a decent cargo capacity (if somewhat limited by access but I don't thinkg anyone's going to want to load it with a forklift). In it's basic models it has reasonable firepower with 14.5mm KPV and smaller coax - in newer models this can be anything up to a light autocannon and potentially missiles. Protection is limited to small arms and shrapnel, but it's doubtful many PC groups are going to want to try the full frontal assault option very often. It's also able to be driven by almost anyone - you can drive a car, chances are you can drive the BTR (ie don't need TVD skill).

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

I believe the situation presented in the Ref's materials indicates the only practical path out of the Kalisz area is towards the south. Every other direction has litterally MASSES of Pact troops.

Unless the GM is a big ol' softy, the players are probably not privy to this info.

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

The BTR in my mind is a great vehicle for a T2K situation. With wheels it's capable of a decent speed without copious consumption of fuel. It's amphibious and has a decent cargo capacity (if somewhat limited by access but I don't thinkg anyone's going to want to load it with a forklift). In it's basic models it has reasonable firepower with 14.5mm KPV and smaller coax - in newer models this can be anything up to a light autocannon and potentially missiles. Protection is limited to small arms and shrapnel, but it's doubtful many PC groups are going to want to try the full frontal assault option very often. It's also able to be driven by almost anyone - you can drive a car, chances are you can drive the BTR (ie don't need TVD skill).

Those are the positives. On the negative side, your BTR is vulnerable to RPGs, LAWs, HEDP grenades, and most types of HMG rounds, not to mention tank shells and autocannons.

[Legbreaker]

Even most tanks are vulnerable to those weapons. A 40mm grenade has the potential to imobilise a tank with a hit to the suspension. A LAW, RPG, tank gun, etc is almost certain to give the crew a VERY bad headache. Even a HMG is potentially able to cause some issues with a lucky shot to the radio antenna, external cargo (god help them if they're stupid enough to have spare fuel and ammo strapped to the outside!)

In my mind a wheeled APC is possibly the best choice for the T2K envroment. This could be the BTR, a LAV-25, Bison, or any one of a number of similar vehicles. Most of the time the enemy are unlikely to want to waste using up their heavier weapons on such a lightly armoured vehicle, and usually the vehicles is able to stand up to small arms and the lighter explosive weapons (greandes, mortars, etc).

Now lets look at a few other vehicles to compare:
The Bradley or BMP class of tracked vehicle: heavy, good armament, chews fuel, might be amphibious, very likely to warrant a AT weapon.
Tanks: very heavy, excellent arament, good protection, demolishes any fuel reserves in short order, stopped cold by most waterways, definite target for AT weapons, next to no cargo capacity.
Trucks and other softskins: relatively mobile, generally no armament, generally decent fuel consumption, non-amphibious, no protection from even thrown rocks, destroyed by spitting on...

Now, on a conventional battlefield, the wheeled APC is far from ideal, but for a behind the lines T2K type of scenario...

[mikeo80]

IMHO, keep the BTR. The few T2K games I have played, the player characters where pretty much like most of the D&D charcters I ran into over the years...

We take anything that is not nailed down....We Carry Crowbars!!!!

These hardy souls would strip anything that came their way on the proposition that having something now was much preferable to not having it later. Trade was ALWAYS an option, especially if you could score some ammo, food, adult beverages, female companionship...you get my point.

Having a fairly large verhicle like a BTR would make it easier to get from point A to point B AND caryy all of that STUFF you liberated. If you could get access to fuel....all the better.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Even most tanks are vulnerable to those weapons. A 40mm grenade has the potential to imobilise a tank with a hit to the suspension. A LAW, RPG, tank gun, etc is almost certain to give the crew a VERY bad headache. Even a HMG is potentially able to cause some issues with a lucky shot to the radio antenna, external cargo (god help them if they're stupid enough to have spare fuel and ammo strapped to the outside!.

This is a considerable overstatement. Of course there's always the chance of a lucky hit compromising a tank but comparing a BTR to an MBT is apples to oranges. M1A1s and Challenger 2s have been known to take literally dozens of RPG hits and keep on ticking. BTRs have been killed by .50 fire. Advantage MBT.

If all you can expect to go up against is AKs and PKMs, then, by all means, go with the BTR. But even in 2000, RPGs are likely to be fairly common. Just one solid hit and you're toast. I mean, in our PbP, how many BTRs and BTR-type vehicles have the players killed? It's not that hard, and, besides my confusion with the side hit dice rule, I've been playing it by the book when it comes to vehicle damage. If you keep this up, I'm going to send a T-72 at you.

Now, a LAV-25, that's a slightly different story. Slightly better armor protection and a whole lot more punch and versatility from the 25mm autocannon.

[Adm.Lee]

Keep it, have some kind of US markings (flag would work great) and obscure the Soviet ones. I probably wouldn't raise the flag until I got close to US lines, if that was the way I was heading.

It could be saleable in Krakow.