BKC at Higher Level

[Last Hussar]

I don't particularly like BKC, one of my big problems is the so called 'Troll Tank' phenomenom - the fact you need multiple shots to kill one unit, and if you fail its perfectly healthy next turn.

However I believe it could be a good set of rules at a level that doesn't currently seem to exist: 1 Stand = 1 Company (Ignore the points rules, and have the command units at brigade level, and use real OOB's

If doing this should weapon ranges be halved?  What other tweaks would it need.

[Ithoriel]

We play at one stand a platoon level. Works OK for us.

Our main tweak is that hits are only slowly removed. Two removed a turn for elites and fanatics, one for normal troops and none if the unit is green. Once damaged a unit can never remove the final hit so it will always be slightly weaker than an undamaged version.

We assume lightly wounded/ shocked/ panicked troops are brought back into action, damaged parts are hit in the appropriate place with a spanner, HQ sends a couple of replacements or whatever.

Bearing in mind that you can fire multiple times if you can make the command rolls and that a suppressed unit can be removed by a subsequent Fall Back roll of 10 or more we don't find armour overpowering.

As always YMMV.

[Last Hussar]

The gradual removal of hits seems a better idea

[petercooman]

We have used a d3 roll to determine how much 'health' a base gets back, and also rule that the last hit always stays on.

I would like to work with normal hits and critical hits (where critical hits always stay on), but i'm afraid that would take lots of bookkeeping.

One of the things i want to try next game is a modifier on the dice roll when the enemy is too close.

However I believe it could be a good set of rules at a level that doesn't currently seem to exist: 1 Stand = 1 Company (Ignore the points rules, and have the command units at brigade level, and use real OOB's

If doing this should weapon ranges be halved?  What other tweaks would it need.

I think halving weapon ranges could work, but infantry would be stuck at 15 cm. Wich would make them an easy target for armour, without much fear of retaliation. I play bkcII and the antitank weapons of the wehrmacht have a range between 5 and 10 i think (faust and schrek)
Don't know how this is in the first edition though. That's when at/ap didn't exist in the rules yet.

[bigjackmac]

LH,

For what it's worth, if you're going with company-level stands I think I'd go a little further, make it one inch = 100 yards, where regular rifle company vs rifle company combat is pretty much base to base, with smaller elements of mortars, field guns, and MGs attached to the rifle companies, giving them the ability to reach out 700-1000 yards.  Tank combat would be much the same, and you'd really see the difference between Allied 75mm guns and German 88mm guns (for example).

Regarding the hits deal, we always played the optional rule for static hits, which worked for us in terms of showing the gradual whittling down of units.

Regarding the infantry anti-tank issue, my opinion is that, at company-level scale, rifle companies don't have an AT factor, it's simply worked into the close assault factor.  What I'm getting at is, bazookas, PIATs, PzSchrecks, and Pzfausts were really killing tanks at about 50 yards or less.  Infantry should be saved by the rules that states tanks can't engage infantry in cover beyond 'x' distance (which was not far, but sorry, I don't have the rules to hand to look up the actual distance).

I hope that helps.

V/R,
Jack

[petercooman]

  Infantry should be saved by the rules that states tanks can't engage infantry in cover beyond 'x' distance (which was not far, but sorry, I don't have the rules to hand to look up the actual distance).

I hope that helps.

V/R,
Jack

Should be 10 cm into low area terrain (crops,bushes etc..) and 5 into high area terrain (orchards,built up area's etc...)

Just don't plant them on a hill 

[getagrip]

The gradual removal of hits seems a better idea

As a newcomer to BKC, how would you record this?

Do you use tokens or dice frames?

[petercooman]

As a newcomer to BKC, how would you record this?

Do you use tokens or dice frames?

I just use mini dice

[Ithoriel]

We use 5mm dice (small enough to stop people picking them up to roll for combats) just placed on the base somewhere. We base vehicles as well as figures so the dice just travel with them.

Dice frames might be tidier bur we'd based most stuff before we came across the frames.

[getagrip]

Thanks guys; great ideas.

I think I'm going to base my vehicles too so dice frames will be the way to go

Like the explosions Peter; are they Space Marine?

[petercooman]

Thanks guys; great ideas.

I think I'm going to base my vehicles too so dice frames will be the way to go

Like the explosions Peter; are they Space Marine?

Got mine from epic 40k, add a nice effect!

[getagrip]

Got mine from epic 40k, add a nice effect!

Thought so; yep, they look good