Sandstorming

[Peasant]

So fellow party members....

Peasant is attempting to make a mission (insert boos/cheers here)

The idea of this mission is that a CSAT commando force has to find and destroy a number of Sandstorm MLRS launchers, and then successfully escape. The Sandstorms would be moving around, using 'shoot and scoot' tactics, then returning to a safe place to reload.

So far I've-
started to understand how to use the F3 mission maker, following the tutorials.
-worked out how to use triggers to cause an artillery piece to fire at a marker.
-am working on unit placement and scenario flow.

I created this thread as a sort of blog while I create the thing, and so I can get feed back and ideas on how the mission should work.

I have two questions for now: where should this mission be set? My initial idea is to set it in the wooded area around Agios Anderas:



This has a good mix of roads, for the sandstorms to move round and woods, so the sandstorms can't be picked off at extreme range. If anyone has a better idea then please tell me.

My second question is about pacing. Would it work better for the mission to focus on infantry- moving slowly, waiting for the Sandstorms to move into position and ambushing them, or would it work better if the CSAT forces were say mounted in pickups and technicals, and could operate as a sort of fast moving raider force?

Hopefully, I will have a prototype up this week, and then I can invite people to test it?

[Kefirz]

Definitely mobile forces. Since they use shoot and scoot tactics, we won't ever... ever get them on foot.
I just checked it out in night and it seems that the distance you can see the rockets going up in the air is determined by the object view distance. You probably intend to play this at night, right?

The mission really sounds interesting, I'm looking forward to it.

[fer]

Me too! Two questions: how will the Sandstorms be defended? How will the platoon be expected to destroy them?


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[Peasant]

Kefirz- it will be at night for sure. I may have to limit nvgs so people can see the trails better. I will mount everyone up in offroads and quad bikes for mobility.

Fer- the sandstorms only take 1 rpg round to kill, so RAT plus MAT should be able to take them on. I'll make sure there's plenty of spare rockets, either in the trucks or have the rifleman carrying spare rockets.
As for Defence, the sandstorms won't have any close protection, but there will be a patrol covering each of the routes, plus a squad+ security for the ammo trucks, which will be stationary .There will also be reinforcements, again, a squad or two.

[Sparks]

As for Defence, the sandstorms won't have any close protection

That seems... unrealistic
I mean, you'd have at least a few guys with small arms handy when deploying those things, wouldn't you?

[fer]

Kefirz- it will be at night for sure. I may have to limit nvgs so people can see the trails better. I will mount everyone up in offroads and quad bikes for mobility.

Please be careful about liberal use of quads, as splitting elements across multiple vehicles can make SL/FTLing very hard. Consider a dedicated scout attachment.

Fer- the sandstorms only take 1 rpg round to kill, so RAT plus MAT should be able to take them on. I'll make sure there's plenty of spare rockets, either in the trucks or have the rifleman carrying spare rockets.

Great - just be wary of creating a scenario what boils down to the platoon getting sight of each target and rocketing it from afar. You might consider grouping a lower-ranked HMG-armed vehicle with each MLRS to act as mobile protection.

As for Defence, the sandstorms won't have any close protection, but there will be a patrol covering each of the routes, plus a squad+ security for the ammo trucks, which will be stationary .There will also be reinforcements, again, a squad or two.

If you make the platoon mobile (with trucks), some static roadblocks might also help prevent it being a transport-a-thon for the dismounts - and force the CO to consider at what point to ditch the transports.

[Ferrard Carson]

Fer- the sandstorms only take 1 rpg round to kill, so RAT plus MAT should be able to take them on.

Are you sure about that? Sandstorms are based off the Merkava-chassis just like the Panther / Cheetah, and that chassis takes a serious beating to put down.

I can't test right now, but make sure that even a half-destroyed platoon will still have the resources necessary to complete the objective.

~ Ferrard

[Kefirz]

If the transport trucks carry extra, extra rockets we should be fine. On the NVG part I am not so sure, maybe you can play around with the cloud settings to hide the stars? Because, yes they can be spotted better without NVG's, but if we all die, then what's the point?

To limit the ranges of engagement I would suggest RPG's. As for the Sandstorms, I just tested once but 2 frontal hits with a RPG took it down, which seems reasonable.

Sparks, because of the long range, MLRS units operate behind the front line. They pull their own security with crews pulling 1 man from each launcher when not firing and positioning machine guns on the most likely approaches. In case they get under fire, each launcher books it to a previously assigned position.

[Sparks]

If the transport trucks carry extra, extra rockets we should be fine. On the NVG part I am not so sure, maybe you can play around with the cloud settings to hide the stars? Because, yes they can be spotted better without NVG's, but if we all die, then what's the point?

Blind panic, elevated heartrates, girly screams, all captured for youtube posterity?

To limit the ranges of engagement I would suggest RPG's. As for the Sandstorms, I just tested once but 2 frontal hits with a RPG took it down, which seems reasonable.

Yup, death to those ridiculous PCMLs. They're no damn fun at all.

Sparks, because of the long range, MLRS units operate behind the front line. They pull their own security with crews pulling 1 man from each launcher when not firing and positioning machine guns on the most likely approaches. In case they get under fire, each launcher books it to a previously assigned position.

Huh. Not how I would have thought they'd have done it. No wonder Marcinko's red teams had so much success.

[Peasant]

Thank's for all the feedback. To deal with your questions:

Fer- Road blocks are very much on the to include list. I'm wary about having more armour, even Hunter HMGs running about as it means that there are even more armoured targets to deal with, and people have raised concerns about running out of AT ammo. The idea is that there will be a perimeter screen of infantry, a guard around the battery HQ, several roving foot patrols and reinforcements. NATO Infantry will always have eyes on the Sandstorms, but they will keep a safe distance to avoid the risk of being hit by counter-battery fire.

Ferrard- the Sandstorms are a lot less tough than the chassis would suggest. More significantly, the Rocket Pods themselves are not armoured. The main protection the Sandstorms will have is their speed- they make pretty difficult moving targets.

Sparks- to expand on the theory: Multiple Rocket Launchers have two weaknesses: the launch locations of rocket artillery are very easy to spot, and they burn through ammo very quickly. This makes rocket artillery very vulnerable to counter battery fire. To reduce the risk, Rocket Artillery is generally placed on a mobile chassis. The vehicle will move away from its ammo supply to a safe place to fire, then move back to reload. Any counter battery fire will blow up empty countryside. Generally, you don't want to be too close to the rocket artillery, as its firing a big fiery 'shoot at me sign' into the sky.

Now back to work.