CT Only: Do you use morale?

[aramis]

Hehehe...
You're obviously not talking about airborne troopers......we often carried 70+ lbs
And, had to manage co-dropped supplies

I decided against trying to refind the breakdown of the loadout of Cavalrymen in the Pancho Villa expeditiion... as I recall, the horse was carrying upwards of 300 lbs.
Timerover52 probably can find the exact figures if he wants to. Man seems to have outprocessed with a complete set of the TO&E manuals...

 

[Rupert]

Hehehe...
You're obviously not talking about airborne troopers......we often carried 70+ lbs
And, had to manage co-dropped supplies

Our full kit, including personal weapon, ammo, etc., a couple of days' food and several litres of water, uniform (including boots), and a steel battle bowler (but no body armour back then), and not including a share of the section's MG ammo or 'extras' like claymores, M72s, or the radio (we had AN/PRC-77s back then - awful things) came to around 50kg/110 pounds, at least in theory. We'd leave things like tent poles, ground mats, as much spare clothing as we thought we could do without, etc. behind to try and cut weight. I'm pretty sure if I'd stayed in, made a career of it, I'd have stuffed ankles and knees (to go with the increasingly dodgy hearing).

 

[kilemall]

Hehehe...
You're obviously not talking about airborne troopers......we often carried 70+ lbs
And, had to manage co-dropped supplies

I based my encumbrance house rules on my para buddy’s recollections.

 

[McPerth]

You're obviously not talking about airborne troopers......we often carried 70+ lbs

And yet paratroopers are considered light infantry ...

 

[Black Vulmea]

I have to admit, I like polls like this where the answer I pick is not the clear favorite. I then spend time questioning why did I go down the road less travelled.

The Road Less Travelled is my street address, brother.

 

[Rupert]

And yet paratroopers are considered light infantry ...

It's one of those oxymorons, like 'military intelligence'. [I kid - I spent a little time as military intelligence after moving from infantry.]

 

[aramis]

The salient point was that there are two skirmish board/war games Snapshot and AHL, only one bothers with morale.

If you adopt some variation of Snapshot for combat resolution then there is no morale to worry about. You can always just ignore the morale rules in AHL and Striker if you so choose.

And the ones in the core rules.

 

[Ildefonse]

I'm solidly in the using morale rolls for NPCs only, but upon reviewing the CT LBB1 verbiage: there is the statement "Valiant parties may have a lower throw." (which I've generously interpreted as "2+" ). But for those who might use actual rolls: do you roll by PC, for (presumably) mixed parties? So the Marine PC might have 4+, the Army 5+, and Scientist 7+? I.e., do roll for the party as a unit, or individually? LBB1 is ambiguous.

 

[Badenov]

I'm solidly in the using morale rolls for NPCs only, but upon reviewing the CT LBB1 verbiage: there is the statement "Valiant parties may have a lower throw." (which I've generously interpreted as "2+" ). But for those who might use actual rolls: do you roll by PC, for (presumably) mixed parties? So the Marine PC might have 4+, the Army 5+, and Scientist 7+? I.e., do roll for the party as a unit, or individually? LBB1 is ambiguous.

So, I read 'For an average party, 7+ is the throw to stand, or not break and run.' to mean the roll is for the whole party. Otherwise, if a party gets mixed results and a couple members break and run, those that remain might do better to reconsider their options again.

The Fat Electrician, an American military historian of sorts, (https://www.youtube.com/@the_fat_electrician) notes that dropping an American unit's officer, rather than making them more likely to break (per the LBB1 rules), makes them more likely to fight even harder, and less likely to follow doctrine. Downed officers in other groups do seem to make them more likely to fail morale, so it seems like morale is very specific to groups.

 

[Condottiere]

You could always penalize the character with a minus one to hit if he stands his ground, while his instincts scream at him to run, run away.