Mixing and matching factions

[Iorwerth]

I was wondering whether there is anything unbalancing about combining factions together into 1 force?

I have forces for all four factions and was thinking of a battle where the US and Brits were on one side and the MEA and PLA on the other. I can't see why this would be a problem, as there is a point cost system, but maybe I have missed something.

 

[Mr Evil]

it would be fine, with player agreements on all sides. maybe make it more interesting and have mea and yanks V brits and pla maybe a hongkong conection ?

im doing somthing similar this week each person will have 500 points and start in a corner on a 4x4 table in their turn they may pass 2 notes to other players, then in the other players turn they may pass 2 notes as well in a bid to create rocky coalitions and allies, should be interesting to see how it goes.

 

[Iorwerth]

That sounds really interesting. Could you let me know how it goes?

The fact that each faction has their own turn means that you have three potenial enemy turns before your go comes up again. Leaving your units in cover will be become even more important, if that is possible.

I also like your idea of passing notes around. Alliances and backstabs could really spice things up.

 

[Turtle]

I suspect there are rules and scenarios that have mixed forces under the same player. However, they won't be common because these armies are balanced so that they use mainly their own units.

Notice how for the USMC intelligence feeds text, the specifically say an army with at least one of these units gets to reroll? So that would mean at some point there could be an army where there are no USMC except for that unit.

Scenario-wise, I can see situations where various units would work together, although USMC and PLA working together is somewhat more rare.

For example. USMC and EFTF troops together, that could be a NATO operation right there.

Anyone with MEA? Local militia or government troops fighting alongside foreign troops to help fight back an insurgency or as part of a civil war.

Anyone with PLA? Well this is more dificult unless there's some open war and military alliance.

 

[GJD]

I had a "captured" PLA type 99 (with a hastily drawn MEA flag flying from a pin stuck in the turret roof) supporting some MEA squads against PLA infantry and another type 99. The mix of two lots of rocket armed troops with tanks made for an explosive game.

G.

 

[britneyfan97]

hehe MEA are the new Orks of BF:E :lol:

 

[Col_stone]

For example. USMC and EFTF troops together, that could be a NATO operation right there.

Is there still a NATO?

 

[The-Patriot]

Yes, there is still a NATO.

If your interested about NATO here are some quick facts.

Formation: 4 April 1949
Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
Membership: 26 member states
Official languages: English, French
Secretary General: Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

Website http://www.nato.int/

 

[Ginsu Moose]

Cool website link.

Im thinking of using European troops as a UN peacekeepers force

 

[Col_stone]

hehe i know there is still a real NATO, i was thinking BFevo time

 

[britneyfan97]

Cool website link.

Im thinking of using European troops as a UN peacekeepers force

What would the special scenario rules for that one be?

As UN players forces are fired upon by opponent, they may only return fire after scoring 12+ on a D10. :wink:

 

[Ginsu Moose]

No special rules, just a theme.

I always liked seeing the military vehicles with UN on the sides and blue helmets.

A NATO force would be good too.

 

[Ben2]

Well, since we have sold Challenger IIs to Oman at least, then you could field them in an MEA force.
China is currently taking a big interest in Africa, and has an existing strategic interest in various central asian former communist states, so there is room for MEA+PLA vs USMC+EFTF right there.

 

[The-Patriot]

Challenger II's in an MEA force... your kidding right?

 

[Mr Evil]

some arab states own a handfull of of m1a1's as well, anything is possable, also middle east states have special forces equiped in merican ger so you could use a usmc squad in the mean as well in theory.

 

[The-Patriot]

The only way they would get their hands on USMC land warrior gear would be by ripping it off the bodies of the marines they killed.

Plus if you add USMC units into another force, you have issues with unit types. Many would question an overseas unit such as the MEA being able to field soldiers in USMC gear who are trained just as well as their american counter-parts.

Basicly I think it's too much to swallow. If your talking about getting your hands on M4's and vests, maybe so, but I don't believe the US will sell their new land warrior gear to other nations their not allied with or trust.

 

[Mr Evil]

well i know of a few units in the middle east who are trained by my friends dad whos ex SBS and he feels their better trained than many american special forces, we are of course not talking about iraq here there are many many states within the plausable MEA.

land warrior isnt unique either, china is planning on their own version, that will be sold on the open market.

america may have more units equiped as such but other places will have their own version intime for special units, wich at the worst will be equivelent to the usmc, so maybe allow the MEA to have them but as a speacial choice to represent there elite status.

IRAQ was a backwards state whenthe coalition attacked, dont judge the rest of the middle east upon them.

 

[britneyfan97]

Mr Evil is absolutely right on this one.

The biggest role of US Special Forces is to train indigenous forces. They did this in Iraq pre-invasion in the largely unheard of FIF. (Free Iraqi Forces if I remember correctly).

As you see in the photo, they wore the older 'chocolate chips', and the VietNam era flak jackets.

My own contact with them was rather, er... limited... A few of them after having driven out some Saddaam loyalists with Coalition assistance decided to engage in a bit of looting. Where this took place, I wasnt privy to, but they made it to the prison camp I worked at in May '03. They were still in their chocolate chips, and were going to be thrown into GenPop (general population) with a bunch of the guys they'd been fighting against! So we at least did them the favor of changing them out of those uniforms and into the same style jumpsuit we gave out to those who did not already have decent clothes.

I ended up keeping an FIF patch off of one of their uniforms, as well as an FIF ID card (that one was an accident though) that an FIF Colonel told us was no good. We think he was just so disappointed at what they had done, that he wanted them to just go away and pretended they werent really FIF.

So back on subject: A USMC Force Recon team, or SAS team leading a group of MEA not outside the realm of possibility.
You could have them leading a distruptive force within a nation occupied by the PLA in prep for the arrival of conventional forces. Providing the leadership and logistics necessary to engage a superior force.

Take a look at the book 'Roughneck nine-one'. US Army Special Forces supported by several truckloads of Kurds.
The SF's would sit up on this hill shooting up military convoys on an Iraqi highway, and send the Kurds out to subdue the survivors/capture prisoners. Problem is the CAS bombed some of the Kurds.



The idea cup runneth over...

 

[Hiromoon]

Well, Mr Evil's right in a few things.... Land Warrior ISN'T unique. I refer you to the thread where I've posted tons of pictures concerning future technology, and you'll see that a good portion of Europe is making their own systems.

The systems to utilize the intel, though, is pretty unique from country to country... that's why the US forces get that re-roll for deployment purposes, but the Brits with their FIST don't.

And the Chinese stuff looks kinda funky anyway... I've gotten a few pictures of the Chinese version of Landwarrior posted in that thread too.

 

[The-Patriot]

There may of been some confusion in my post.

Im well awear of the US training friendly forces. Take note of the word FRIENDLY.

All im saying is an MEA force that is NOT friendly to USMC forces yet has their weapons and gear doesn't make sense to me.

I know there have been forces in the past that have indeed been trained by the US and have turned against them, but you don't see them with top of the line US gear and weapons.