Yes, I think it has merit. But what is intended to be low profile. The rules say infantry and command units plus vehicles with the low profile special rule. But also a few IGs. Mark says AT guns as well, which makes sense - but which ones?

Not Pak- 43's or Flack 36's

Hi Kiwidave

From my experience as a Chieftain gunner I can say that the High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) rounds that we used to fire did have a slight elliptical flight to them (depending on the range), but nothing like the flight of mortar rounds. A different part of the gratical on the sight was used to aim when firing HESH as opposed to Armoured Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) rounds. And all though not relevant to BCK, I do remember back in 1976 the whole squadron firing at a large German bunker from WWII in the middle of Hohne ranges that was 8 kilometers away (maximum range for HESH) and the curve on firing at that distance must have been quite a lot!

As another aside I'm pretty certain I have seen film of Sherman's in Italy in WWII with what looked like the rear of the tank dug in (to give them greater elevation, presumably) and being used in a bombardment role. Again the 'arc' of flight of the round must have been considerable. 

On the whole I think BKC IV has got it about right on this one.

Cheers Paul

Quote from: ianrs54 on 09 May 2019, 11:55:10 AM
Not Pak- 43's or Flack 36's

Clearly not, but 6 pdrs or pak 36s? Then again, there's no mention of this that I can find, so perhaps Mark has misremembered it?

Quote from: T13A on 09 May 2019, 01:50:41 PM
As another aside I'm pretty certain I have seen film of Sherman's in Italy in WWII with what looked like the rear of the tank dug in (to give them greater elevation, presumably) and being used in a bombardment role.   

There was a lot of that going on in Korea too. Must be the mountains.

Paul,

Thanks for the info. Very informative.

The Shermans where probably at Casino; the nature of the terrain made shelling units on reverse slopes very difficult, and they needed a way to increase the arc .

KD

I am putting on a game at the club tomorrow
Having read this thread I am still not sure if infantry being shot at are hit on 5 and 6  or are hit on 4,5 & 6 but the firer uses one less dice as they are low profile

If it's the latter it makes it even harder for units to shoot at infantry in cover as they get cover and low profile bonuses

Please can someone confirm for me

Thanks

Infantry in soft cover (i.e. behind a hedge)

Attacker has one less shooting dice, hitting on a 5+

Thanks Fred

So I am hoping that means that infantry in the open are HIT on the standard 4,5,6
BUT
Each firer has one less dice per shot for the low profile

Thanks

Quote from: Jimbo94 on 16 May 2019, 09:08:50 AM
Thanks Fred

So I am hoping that means that infantry in the open are HIT on the standard 4,5,6
BUT
Each firer has one less dice per shot for the low profile

Thanks

Yes that's right.

Thanks

I've been thinking about the matter of 'Low profile' and the AP stat, for a bit.  Especially as most soft targets are also low profile, with the exception of large guns and trucks.

I'm of the opinion that 'low profile' almost doesn't need to be a special rule and that the matter would be more clear, and involve fewer special rules in general game play, by reducing everything's AP stat by by 1* (except for indirect weapons) and having an 'average profile' rule for the large guns and trucks where the attacker gets a bonus D6.

*weapons with an AP of 1 should probably be left at 1, given the caveat at the start of the special rules that prevents attacks from being made useless.

(I did re-read this thread before posting, just to make sure that the low profile rule is what I think it is.)

Am I mad?

I spotted that as well. There was a house rule on the old forum that trucks, once empty, were simply removed (to stop the RASC charging around!  ). That would make your suggestion even more useable. 

What about STUGS, etc?

Stugs should still be OK.  They're attacked by the AT stat, so Low profile is fine there.  Most vehicles are average profile.

My main thinking was that pretty much all the AP targets were low profile, to the point where the 'special rule' is the norm.

Ah yes! All Infantry, Infantry support HMG and Mortars, ATGs, except Flak 36 88, jeeps and motorcycles and designated low profile AFVs.

I am still stunned that this rule only appears in the Special Rules - how is it possible that it was missed for inclusion in the sections on Profile, Firing and on the QRS.

Was this a very late addition ? Has it been playtested ?

We now have Infantry able to suppress tanks with relative ease and with less chance of being hit too !!!

This looking more like a fantasy than reality.

Check the other thread on suppressive fire. You can only use if you have no chance of killing (causing a real hit) and with suppressive fire you only hit on a 6, so it's not that easy. .

Suppressive Fire thinking here Tony -

http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,18680.0.html

AJ