PITS shooting system

[martin goddard]

Getting ready to test out gridded pits.

I will start a playtest group soon.

I am also wanting to keep a lot of PITS the same .

Shooting system
There are many shooting system across RFCM rules.
A majority use a  5,6 hit and 4,5,6 save method.  This gives the wanted outcome and is simple to carry out.

PITS uses a different system. i.e that of opposed dice outcomes.
This is fine but slow.
I propose a similar system but sped up. Do bear in mind that mechanisms tend to get modified in view of how the games work.  The initial ideas are not always the final ideas.

Here goes.
Shooting per 3 bases or part thereof.
Shoot = temporary term.
1 base = no shoot
2,3 bases= 1 shoot
4,5,6 bases= 2 shoot
7,8,9 bases = 3 shoot
No unit will have more than a 3 (9 bases) shoot ability.
Typically, a unit will have a 2 shoot ability.
The single base will need attention or just be ignored for simplicity.


For a shoot
This needs to be kept easy to remember.
Special cases will be added. i.e in special case X, Y will happen.

Shooter and target roll 4D6 (easy to remember)
Only two modifiers
Shooter
+1 Veteran
+1 Proximity range

Target
+1 In cover
+1 Raw shooter

By having only +  modifiers, extremes are avoided.
e.g. If one set of 4D6 has a -1 and the other set of 4D6 has a = +1 gives 5D6 v 3D6. Too extreme.

Using 4,5,6 because they are more predictable when only 4D6 rolled. 2,3,4,5,6 would be very predictable and 6 would be very unpredictable.

Only the target takes damage.
Damage = half base.  New to PITS.

e.g Veteran shooter at target not in cover.
5D6 shoots at 4D6.
Shooter =3,6,4,2,2=2 effect
Target= 4,3,3,2=1 efect.
Net result = 1 effect = half a dead base.
NO SAVES. This makes things quicker.

The above is carried out per shot.
Typically a British unit would have 3 such shots at the game start , reducing to 2 as the game progresses.

A shooter with fewer D6 can still cause damage. This is mainly because the 4D6 is never reduced.

The worst shot would be 4D6 v 6D6. i.e Shooter is raw and not at short range. Target is in cover. The chances are small but still present.

The multiple rolls of 4D6 will allow more damage and get rid of unit size modifiers. No saves will also reduce time taken for the procedure (?).

The key point to remember about this shooting system, is that failure to create damage causes no damage to the shooter. It is all "plus".

If the outcome of a unit shooting is a half base then that is fine. More at close range. There might be extremes of course. 6 kills.

A unit can shoot up to twice in a turn.
A full British unit might get 6D6 v 4D6 6 times in a turn. Expect 6 deads.


martin

[Sean Clark]

Some great thinking Martin. My troops are eager to get to the start line and this whets the appetite nicely.

Have a good day with PBI.

[Moggy]

A unit can shoot up to twice in a turn.
A full British unit might get 6D6 v 4D6 6 times in a turn. Expect 6 deads.

Not sure I understand that Martin. If a unit can shoot twice in a turn how can a British unit shoot 6 times in a turn? The Henry Martini rifle was reasonably fast to reload but not that fast lol.

I would also suggest that:1 base = no shoot

2,3 bases= 1 shoot
4,5,6 bases= 2 shoot
7,8,9 bases = 3 shoot

The 4 and 7 bases drop to 1 and 2 shots respectively.  IN this way having 1 base over doesn't count for anything same as 1 base getting no shot.

Derek

[martin goddard]

Not a problem Derek.
I will improve the phraseology.

Each group of 3 bases as per the above groupings  (2-3,4-6,7 or more) gets a shoot/firing effect  (FE?).
An FE consists of 4D6 v 4D6 with modifiers applied.

A British unit with 7 infantry bases is entitled to 3FE.
Each shooting action will allow the unit to have 3FE.  ie. 4D6 v 4D6, a second  4D6 v 4D6 and a third 4D6 v 4D6.
A unit will be allowed to carry out a shoot action up to twice per turn.
This would allow the British unit of 7 bases to have 6FE (3FE for first shot and 3 FE for second shot).

A unit with only 2 rifle bases has only 1FE per shoot action.
This unit could shoot twice and have 1FE followed by another 1FE.


I will improve the terminology.

martin

[Stewart 46A]

Looking at the shooing numbers

I think a British/Egyptian unit should shoot as follows

1 or 2 bases 1 shot
3 to 5 bases 2 shots
6+.    Bases 3 shots

Stewart

[John Watson]

It makes no sense to me at present, but I'm sure it will eventually.
John

[Leman (Andy)]

With you on that John. Maths never a strong point in my academic armour. Wargame calculations as straightforward as possible otherwise I am most likely to discard a set of rules. Find myself returning to Andy Callan's rules for the Italian Wars (supplied as a free down load by WoFun) after the complexities of Furioso, which, TBH are a good set of rules for the C16th, but do involve some long drawn out calculations for fire and combat, and an awful lot of set-up rules involving baggage, mercenaries, looting, Papal indulgences, etc., etc.