Ground Effect Ogre (GEO)

[Desert Scribe]

I'm kitbashing a Ground-Effect Ogre from a Matchbox hovercraft and spare Ogre minis parts. It's about the size of a Mark III.

I envision the GEO as starting off with 3/2 movement. Ground-effect units replace tread units. It will have four G-E units per movement point, for a total of 20, to represent the fragility of the hover system. It has one main battery so far. What other weapons should this thing have? Should I just make it a Mark III with hover skirts, or should it have a different weapons loadout?

[Buzzardo]

I'd give it the same loadout as a Mk III and see how it goes. Just as a wild guess, I suspect it'll be about as effective as a Mk V. It'd take some playtesting to pin down its value.

[HeatDeath]

With that kind of mobility, I imagine the mission profile is of a zippier MkIV or Fencer - get in behind enemy lines (perhaps with the help of some escorts), snipe a bunch of infrastructure targets, and fade.

If that's the mission profile, then I would probably seriously emphasize missile racks over guns. This thing's drivetrain is too delicate - it should not even be tempting to let this thing try to break through a strong defensive line and, in the process, get swamped by a conventional defense, and it is emphatically not a line unit itself.

MkIVs and Fencers have enough guns and durability that they can be used to break through a defensive line themselves. This thing is not intended for that, it either goes around the defensive line, or uses it's speed to exploit much smaller holes in the line opened up by conventional gun-truck Ogres or missile crawler nukes.

Story-wise, it's increased dependence on escorts and support to break open defensive lines might make it a good fit for Nihon - their soldiers are accustomed to working much more closely with Ogres, and the increased range on their SBs would make them a very good fit for opening holes for this thing.

What are you thinking about for the movement degradation steps? 3-2, and then what? Lowering primary movement and secondary movement simultaneously, a la 3-2 -> 2-2 -> 2-1 -> 1-1 -> 1-0 -> Immobile? Or killing secondary movement first? Which way you do that changes the thing's mission role significantly.

Edit: Also, I would assume this things drivetrain is significantly more vulnerable to cruise missile strikes than standard tread units. I wonder how that plays out?

[Desert Scribe]

Yeah, hits on the propulsion are as you described and don't eliminate secondary movement until the very end. But the GEO is much more vulnerable to cruise missiles: each set of g-e units is treated like a GEV on the cruise missile effects table--so the drive can be damaged by a distant nuke. Also, with four g-e units per movement point, just one hit from a heavy will slow it down.

I see one of its roles as providing support during an amphibious assault, escorting Landing Craft-GEVs.

[HeatDeath]

As an amphibious unit it's an /excellent/ thematic fit to the published GEV-heavy Nihon amphibious invasion force on the counter sheet.

And medium-ranged shore bombardment via missile artillery is an interesting and useful capability that is underrepresented in the exist units.

My vote is definitely to load the thing up with missile racks, and a token smattering of AP guns, after the single MB.

[dwalend]

Maybe make it a missile frigate. Give it all missile racks, maybe a few in tubes outside.

Does it get any AP at all?

For damaged movement, maybe drop the GEV retreat early or even first. That'd force it to make hard decisions about fleeing or staying in the fight.

Can it float at M0?

[Desert Scribe]

If on water, sinks at M0 and is destroyed.

[Mack_JB]

Hmmm, a possible "salvage scenario" with combat engineers then ...

[dwalend]

Originally Posted by Desert Scribe

If on water, sinks at M0 and is destroyed.

Those two consequences don't necessary have to go together...

[FJCestero]

I wouldn't give it more than a '1' for secondary movement. Like 3/1 -> 2/0 -> 1/0. Something as big as an Ogre just isn't nimble enough to dance in and out of range.

The point of 3/1 is that you can shoot and avoid _some_ of the enemy's response, not _most_. Against HVYs with a 4/3 MB and Move 3/2 you can dash in from outside his range (most likely kill or disable) then retreat to range 5 from him (and range 6 from his friends) -- basically immune unless he's got MSL or GEVs.

Ogres already have enough going for them. At 3/1 movement his friends at least get a shot in. Remember: the reason GEVs have 4/3 or 3/2 movement is because they're otherwise fragile. Ogres are anything but. Just say'n.