Striker Book 3 Variable Ballastics

[snrdg082102]

Evening all,

Is the Variable Ballistics added feature start at the same tech level as Laser guidance?

Revised question:

Does the Variable Ballistics added feature start at the same tech level as Laser guidance?

(I'm going to have to stop asking questions just before I hit the bunk)

Can you have Variable Ballistics without laser guidance?

 

[Carlobrand]

"Variable Ballistics" is a little trick where the round flies with something slightly different from the traditional parabolic arc, like a pitcher throwing a curve ball to confuse the batter. Maybe the gunner shooting the round knows what it's going to do and factors it in, maybe the thing has some doohickey inside that steers it off path then brings it back on path, I don't know - but an enemy tracking the round on radar is going to have a harder time tracing it back to its source because it isn't flying the way an ordinary artillery round does, so that enemy's going to have a harder time hitting you back with counterbattery fire. Doesn't affect point defense.

Striker Book-1, Rule 26: Counter Battery Fire
"If counter battery radar is available, it can be used to locate enemy indirect fire weapons. Location of the site of the enemy weapons allows a player to use that site as the intended point of impact of an artillery fire mission.

"A. Location: The die rolls to locate various types of weapons are listed for radars of each tech level in Book 3. If the rounds fired have variable ballistics (see Book 3) there is a DM (either + or -) of twice the difference in tech levels between the radar and the weapon; if the rounds fired do not have variable ballistics, the weapon's tech level is considered to be 7 (even if it is actually less)."

The DM for variable ballistics kicks in at TL 8, so yes it starts at the same tech level. As far as I know, you don't have to have laser guidance to have variable ballistics; it's just that the price is figured as 1/10 the cost of laser guidance. Saved them the trouble of taking up space with a whole nuther table.

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning Carlobrand,

Thank-you for once again coming to my aid.

TL8 and uses the Laser Guidance Cost table x 0.1

"Variable Ballistics" is a little trick where the round flies with something slightly different from the traditional parabolic arc, like a pitcher throwing a curve ball to confuse the batter. Maybe the gunner shooting the round knows what it's going to do and factors it in, maybe the thing has some doohickey inside that steers it off path then brings it back on path, I don't know - but an enemy tracking the round on radar is going to have a harder time tracing it back to its source because it isn't flying the way an ordinary artillery round does, so that enemy's going to have a harder time hitting you back with counterbattery fire. Doesn't affect point defense.

Striker Book-1, Rule 26: Counter Battery Fire
"If counter battery radar is available, it can be used to locate enemy indirect fire weapons. Location of the site of the enemy weapons allows a player to use that site as the intended point of impact of an artillery fire mission.

"A. Location: The die rolls to locate various types of weapons are listed for radars of each tech level in Book 3. If the rounds fired have variable ballistics (see Book 3) there is a DM (either + or -) of twice the difference in tech levels between the radar and the weapon; if the rounds fired do not have variable ballistics, the weapon's tech level is considered to be 7 (even if it is actually less)."

The DM for variable ballistics kicks in at TL 8, so yes it starts at the same tech level. As far as I know, you don't have to have laser guidance to have variable ballistics; it's just that the price is figured as 1/10 the cost of laser guidance. Saved them the trouble of taking up space with a whole nuther table.

 

[shield]

Tom

two completely different systems

laser guidance is as per our current TL - paint the target with the laser dot and the round homes in.

variable ballastics is the shell jinxing in flight to confuse counter-battery radar and it makes it more difficult for them to locate your guns and fire back.

 

[snrdg082102]

Morning Shield,

Tom

two completely different systems

laser guidance is as per our current TL - paint the target with the laser dot and the round homes in.

variable ballistics is the shell jinxing in flight to confuse counter-battery radar and it makes it more difficult for them to locate your guns and fire back.

Thank you for the reply and yes they are two different systems, however Striker Book 3 states that the cost of variable ballistics is one-tenth the cost of Laser Guidance.

Laser Guidance is available at TL 8 and above, unfortunately the variable ballistics entry does not specify a tech level.

The latest version of the Consolidated CT Errata does not appear to address the variable ballistics TL.

 

[sabredog]

On page 41 (Counter-battery Fire) of Book 1 Striker it says that if variable ballistics are not included in the artillery then for purposes of counter-battery fire the TL is 7 even if the actual level is less.

Therefore I would say that means that variable ballistics can begin to be incorporated at TL8.

 

[snrdg082102]

Afternoon Sabredog,

Thanks for the reference and that I may be on the right track.

On page 41 (Counter-battery Fire) of Book 1 Striker it says that if variable ballistics are not included in the artillery then for purposes of counter-battery fire the TL is 7 even if the actual level is less.

Therefore I would say that means that variable ballistics can begin to be incorporated at TL8.

More supporting documentation that variable ballistics is a TL 8, though I would like something more concrete.

 

[sabredog]

Variable ballistics also don't have an effect on flash and sound ranging in the advanced rules section for counter-battery fire. They only work against counter-battery radar. And they require laser guidance to be part of the equation.

So while there are no concrete rules, per se, and probably because they have such esoteric effects while now seriously altering the round itself enough to have any changes in determining range and damage values, the developers probably missed the specific table or ruling in all the other stuff they stuffed into a tabletop wargame not likely played as it was meant to by anyone but the truest grognards. But there is more than sufficient info to make the inference on the TL which is what the truest grognards would do.

So I guess that makes you one of the club.

 

[snrdg082102]

Yipee, I'm a member of the club

Thaks Sabredog for the help.

Variable ballistics also don't have an effect on flash and sound ranging in the advanced rules section for counter-battery fire. They only work against counter-battery radar. And they require laser guidance to be part of the equation.

So while there are no concrete rules, per se, and probably because they have such esoteric effects while now seriously altering the round itself enough to have any changes in determining range and damage values, the developers probably missed the specific table or ruling in all the other stuff they stuffed into a tabletop wargame not likely played as it was meant to by anyone but the truest grognards. But there is more than sufficient info to make the inference on the TL which is what the truest grognards would do.

So I guess that makes you one of the club.