Ine Givar

[Otto Harkaman]

Well this might be somewhat of a charged subject. I am actually just researching at the moment and wanted the communities' help to list where information about the Ine Givar could be found. I did see that there had been a thread about these guerrillas before but I didn't want to be charged with necromancy and it didn't go in the direction I wanted.

My interest in them has become based on a strategy article by Kevin Boylan off of Board Game Geek on playing GDW Fifth Frontier War. Following Kevin's advice the guerrilla counters can be quite advantageous to the Zhodani player.

Ine Givar guerrillas should be deployed singly in high-VP systems with large numbers of defense battalions so they can serve as garrisons after the systems have been conquered. This frees up scarce Zhodani, Vargr and Sword Worlds ground units for use elsewhere and makes it easy to garrison very high-population systems such as Louzy and Porozlo (which require garrisons, of 200 and 1,500 combat factors respectively!). Guerillas should generally be deployed in systems that are remote from the Imperial Reinforcements and Rimward Forces boxes and immune to attack by small Imperial raiding fleets and independent scout squadrons due to their lack of gas giants. Systems meeting these criteria include Alell, Efate, Extolay, Feri and Menorb. Guerrillas should always be deployed in ‘Covert’ mode and should never go ‘Overt’ until the Imperial ground troops and defense battalions on the world have been eliminated or reduced to a tiny fraction of the guerrillas’ own strength.

Makes the Ine Givar more interesting I think than an afterthought organization because they can be quite beneficial to the Zhodani forces. Its a war gamer's view on them as elements in the battle but I think it makes them more interesting to flesh out in the rpg mode.

 

[Dragoner]

Either that way, or you throw them away in diversionary battles to draw off Imperial forces. It has been a while since I have played FFW though.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

That would have been my first instinct, to throw them away.

Been going through materials, I thought I saw a reference on the SJ forum that there was some info in the Citizens supplement but didn't see anything. I only found one reference in the 76 patrons supplement. A hijacking to grab a cache of weapons for the guerrillas. I take that back, there is also a Striker mission to contract a mercenary battalion to fight guerrillas on Efate.

Barely a couple sentences in the Spinward Marches Campaign book (not the supplement). Basically saying the Zhodani were sponsoring the Ine Givar on Efatef because taking it was the center of their battle plan.

Getting late so tomorrow I'll go through the Amber Zones and also the Traveller News bulletins. I know "Dagger at Efate" is one, haven't looked it over good yet. I had made a list of the Casual Encounters but I don't think any of them seemed to be Ine Givar agents.

So I guess the only Ine Givar mentioned in the CT are located on Efate? Oh I just noticed one of the news bulletins also mentions guerrilla activity on Feri.

 

[Golan2072]

My view of the Ine Givar is that they're highly factionalized. Some factions are controlled by the Zhodani, others by SolSec, yet others infiltrated by Imperial Intelligence - and some are independent.

Oh, and I bet that, on the trailing side of the Imperium, they have something to do with the Hivers...

 

[Otto Harkaman]

Where did you find published information connecting the Ine Givar to SolSec etc? I didn't want to start speculating who they are until I had as much references to them as possible.

My view of the Ine Givar is that they're highly factionalized. Some factions are controlled by the Zhodani, others by SolSec, yet others infiltrated by Imperial Intelligence - and some are independent. Oh, and I bet that, on the trailing side of the Imperium, they have something to do with the Hivers...

From a war gamer's point of view there are 10 guerrilla units to be deployed. You can throw them away quickly or if you follow Kevin's advice and use them with cunning they can be a valuable asset in the FFW.

I don't want to speculate on their exact ideology at the moment but obviously they are being used much like the North Vietnamese did the Viet Cong. They seem to be an anti-colonial movement against the Imperium like the Viet Minh against the French.

There is a formula for calculating the strength of the guerrilla unit based on 10% of the planet's defense battalions. For example, a full-strength guerrilla unit on Efate (hex 2109) would have a strength of 100 and a tech level of 13. So they can be pretty useful on high density, high tech world.

With that at the back of the mind when you move to role playing that means the movement can raise an equivalent of 10% of a planets military forces on ten planets! Thats not a small movement.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

Golan I am bad on my Israeli history, was there a name for the early Jewish partisans that organized way before Israel was given its sovereignty? I guess this would be after World War I?

I guess I could go back for an example to the partisan movement that happened back in Roman times. Its been a long time since I read Josephus. Ah "Zealots" I had forgotten. I thought there was a group called the "Siccari" or something also. But these weren't sponsored by a foreign power or maybe they were. They could have been sponsored by the Persian empire to tie down Roman legions.

 

[McPerth]

There is a formula for calculating the strength of the guerrilla unit based on 10% of the planet's defense battalions. For example, a full-strength guerrilla unit on Efate (hex 2109) would have a strength of 100 and a tech level of 13. So they can be pretty useful on high density, high tech world.

You have 10 gerrilla units, but IIRC (there are some years since I played FFW) some of them have fixes deployement (3 at Efate and another on another planet I cannot recall).

Those Guerrilla forces are not useful in true combat, as, being 10% of the integral planetary forces, should they go open they're likely to be dead at the end of the turn (they attack on the 1 to 10 table and are attacked at the 10 to 1).

Their use as garrisons may be their main use, as you said, freeing scarce ground units, but I'd never deploy a unit in Porozlo intend to use them such way, as I believe if the Zhodani must garrison Porozlo, they'd better send all their victorious troops home.

As an aside, there's a small statement in TNS (JTAS 4, Page 4) where a Naval liaison officer states there's no Ine Givar activity on Efate, Feri nor Forboldn (Regina 0105, 0405 and 0208 respectively), even when no one has mentioned nor asked about Forboldn, so hinting there may be IG activity to deny there.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

As an aside, there's a small statement in TNS (JTAS 4, Page 4) where a Naval liaison officer states there's no Ine Givar activity on Efate, Feri nor Forboldn (Regina 0105, 0405 and 0208 respectively), even when no one has mentioned nor asked about Forboldn, so hinting there may be IG activity to deny there.

Thanks McPerth, that is what I was looking for! I had forgotten already that there are some preset locations for some of the Guerrilla units. Thanks for the other bits of tactical and strategic advice!

Hanging out in my favorite coffee shop going through the TNS right now c(_)

 

[rancke]

Where does it say that the Ine Givar is active in other parts of the Imperium than the Spinward Marches?


Hans

 

[Golan2072]

Where did you find published information connecting the Ine Givar to SolSec etc? I didn't want to start speculating who they are until I had as much references to them as possible.

Pure speculation, I'm afraid, but it does fit SolSec's modus operandi (and Argon Gambit - as well as A10: Solomani Rim - implies that there are Solomani sympathisers outside the Solomani Confederation). Oh, and it REALLY fits the Hivers to fund freedom fighters/terrorists/secret societies within the Imperium for their own, manipulative goals...

 

[Golan2072]

Golan I am bad on my Israeli history, was there a name for the early Jewish partisans that organized way before Israel was given its sovereignty? I guess this would be after World War I?

You mean the various Zionist paramilitary groups in Palestine before the formation of the State of Israel? Well, there were HaShomer (around WWI), NILI (a pro-British spy network in Ottoman-controlled Palestine during WWI), later the Haganah (a major paramilitary group that later became the IDF) and its right-wing splinter groups the Irgun and Stern Gang. The Haganah supported the British war effort during WWII and refrained from attacking them during the war, while the Irgun and the Stern Gang committed terrorist attacks against the British Mandate even as the British Army was fighting Hitler...

Oh, and the British DID train Haganah units in the late 1930's, in order to use them against the Arab Revolt of 1936-9.

There was serious infighting between the Haganah, the Irgun and the Stern Gang - despite the fact that they were all fighting towards the same goal (a sovereign Jewish state in Palestine) - including the Haganah informing on the Irgun and the Stern Gang to the British Authorities during the Mandate - and the IDF bombing the Irgun weapon freighter Altalena in June 1948 to keep the monopoly of power in the hands of the IDF and the legal Israeli government and prevent the Irgun of building its own militia.

I guess I could go back for an example to the partisan movement that happened back in Roman times. Its been a long time since I read Josephus. Ah "Zealots" I had forgotten. I thought there was a group called the "Siccari" or something also. But these weren't sponsored by a foreign power or maybe they were. They could have been sponsored by the Persian empire to tie down Roman legions.

The Sicarii (Sikrikim in Hebrew) were Jewish zealots who fought against the Roman Empire in the first century AD. They fought for national - and, more importantly, religious - independence and were more than willing to murder anyone - especially Jews - who conformed to the Roman occupation of Judea. They hated Herod as well. One problem with them was that while the Jews were fighting the Romans during the 66AD rebellion, they were not above killing their fellow Jewish soldiers on the ramparts of besieged Jerusalem out of zealotry.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

Wow great stuff Golan!

Well what you just described is how I am thinking of the Ine Givar. That story about the Altalena would make a great scenario tweaked into starships.

Thanks!

 

[Golan2072]

Glad I was of help!

 

[MCEvans]

You have 10 gerrilla units, but IIRC (there are some years since I played FFW) some of them have fixes deployement (3 at Efate and another on another planet I cannot recall).

The other system is Ruie.

 

[warwizard]

1 at Roup, 1 at Ruie I believe.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

Thanks MCEvans

Which makes me wonder (or speculate) after starting to go through the Amber Zones whether the first one "Rescue on Ruie" might have some connection to the Ine Givar, though its not directly stated.

Seems contact with the Imperium has messed up the local economy, causing at least one nation (Nebelthon) to plunge into an economic depression. The ruling family, the Eldenns seem to have a great hatred towards the Imperium because of this.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

1 at Roup, 1 at Ruie I believe.

Hey Warwizard thanks! I think I saw some adventure involving terrorists on Roup. I'll keep my eye out now.

Would anyone know if Ine Givar is taken from something familiar here. I noticed that there is a Pacific island named Efate. I think there was a Survivor episode on it.

 

[Easterner9504]

The Ine Givar are linked to Rule of Terra a Solomani terror group per the write up in GURPS:T. I also recall a major article on the IG in the GURPS JTAS. Looking there may help. I recall it was founded by a republican idealist named Ine Givar.

 

[rancke]

I can't find it now, but at one point I worked a writeup of the amimal's right organization from Nomads of the World Ocean (Pan-Galactic Friends of Life?). I said something about the name being used by separate organizations in all corners of the Imperium for the name recognition (trading on some spectacular successes).

Something similar may be the case for the Ine Givar. The Ine Givar in the Solomani Rim may not have any organizatorial and only superficial ideological connection to the Ine Givar of the Spinward Marches. And there may be other Ine Givars in other sectors.


Hans

 

[McPerth]

The other system is Ruie.

1 at Roup, 1 at Ruie I believe.

TY to both. One of the (many) things I like from this forum is that most of the times one must only hint a detail not fully remembered, and someone would step forward to help with the details .

Pure speculation, I'm afraid, but it does fit SolSec's modus operandi (and Argon Gambit - as well as A10: Solomani Rim - implies that there are Solomani sympathisers outside the Solomani Confederation). Oh, and it REALLY fits the Hivers to fund freedom fighters/terrorists/secret societies within the Imperium for their own, manipulative goals...

Anyway it has logic to think the Solomani will do whatever they can to help (with all the constrains due to distance) any one tying Imperial forces at the other side of the Imperium.

Historically, most powers have covertly (or not so covertly) helped any guerrilla against a rival (not to say enemy) power. Most of cold war insurgencies agains any power used to be supported by the other block, and older examples also abound.