Campaign Vehicle Crew

[grumpysmurf]

If a crew to a vehicle is killed during a game and again rolls poorly in the maintenance phase and are actually dead and not wounded, do you need to use your resource points to "buy" a new crew or is it assumed that a crew is dime a dozen so long as the vehicle is still in the game.

In that same theme, if the crew if forced to miss the next game does this prevent you from bringing that vehicle?

This come up from the discussion that you don't "buy" the crew you "buy" the vehicle and the crew comes with it

Sorry for all our crazy questions

Thanks in advance

Shawn

[abbysdad]

No problem. Questions like this help the game get better and the rules clearer.

We'll take a look at it and get back to you guys by Friday.

Cheers,

Chris

[grumpysmurf]

Thanks, I fear your going to strangle me at GenCon

[CmdrKiley]

More like stick you in a big pot in a back alley and stir you around with a huge paddle.

[abbysdad]

Are you kidding?

I have to deal with the federal government 90% of the time at work. I would welcome a stream of useful questions from that blackhole. I have no problem answering your questions and making the rules set more clear. Keep'em coming. If we really don't want to answer them, we can just delete your post ;D

[silentbob27]

Well, it is good to see that my players are thinking all sorts of good things for the campaign. Poor motor pool

[CmdrKiley]

We've been trying to de-Badger things using Failure Mode Analysis techniques.

[abbysdad]

The ruling, as promised:

Q: "If a crew to a vehicle is killed during a game and again rolls poorly in the maintenance phase and are actually dead and not wounded, do you need to use your resource points to "buy" a new crew."

A: Yes, you need to use your resource points to 'buy' a new crew.

Q, Caveat for campaigns: "...or is it assumed that a crew is dime a dozen so long as the vehicle is still in the game."

A: It depends on the nature of the vehicle. If we're talking a truck or a jeep, the replacement crew will be easy to find. If we're talking about a tumbleweed, an M-20, a tank or a half-track, that is not so simple a crew to replace as they require special training on the use and maintenance of the vehicle. Feel free to require additional RP's to replace the crew to weird vehicles.

Q: "In that same theme, if the crew is forced to miss the next game does this prevent you from bringing that vehicle?"

A: Yes, but see the caveat to the first question. If we're talking about a truck, you can assume that replacing any members of the detachment would have the skills necessary to drive a truck.

Bonus Q&A!

Q: If the vehicle is toast, but the crew survives, can you still bring the vehicle in the next scenario, or do you have to buy a new vehicle?

A: You need to buy a new vehicle. But again, it also depends on the nature of the vehicle. Trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, etc. are much easier to come by. Military equipment, weird vehicles, and vehicles with weird upgrades are special and much harder to come by. Feel free to require additional RP's to replace weird vehicles during a campaign.

[CmdrKiley]

To make this simple.

It says on page 86, replacing a Partial Squad costs 1/2 the Cost of the Squad. Thus the RP cost would be half for that unit. Thus 15 points for Light Vehicles and 25 points for Medium Vehicles, regardless of whether it's a special vehicle alone (you're already paying for that via the support requirements like having a Mechanic in the Detachment). You don't pay any extra for lost Tesla units than you do for Infantry or Specialists. That sounds pretty clear.

However,

I'm assuming a partial loss of crew works the same as loosing the whole crew in terms of RP. Just like getting a 3 man squad up to strength is no more than a 2 man squad. As the intact vehicle is part of a squad, the loss of the whole crew but an intact vehicle would still be a partial squad and still cost the same to put back in play. Same would go for the loss of a vehicle but the crew survives.

Although I don't see it clearly stated, it appears that a partial squad can be fielded in the next turn (waiting for a replacement). I'm assuming this because it states that Out of Action models cannot be replaced (thus they sit out for a turn while their comrades fight another day). I'm also assuming an understrength squad starts with the appropriate Drive modifiers for missing squad members as well. If I'm incorrect and an understrength squad can't be fielded until it's up to full strength then then answering the following questions is pretty easy.

Do vehicles short on crew work the same way?

I see two possibilites:

1) Like a squad the unit can be deployed under-strength. The remaining crew members must spread their actions out for the vehicle operations (moving and shooting to cover the loss of a crewman). Where a full strength vehicle can move and shoot for each AP spent (a total of 4 actions from a 2 man Regular unit), now the single crewman must spend an AP driving, then spend another AP manning the MG (a total of 2 actions peformed in a single activation). This sounds workable, but the idea of a guy driving, jumping up out of his seat and manning the .50 seems a bit of a stretch (but this is a bit pulpy). The unit will still take the reduction in any gained TL if he gets his crew back up to full strength however.

2) You cannot field the vehicle at all until the crew is back to 100% strength? If this is the case, then capping a single crew member can put a vehicle out of action in the next game until the player can scrounge up enough RP to get the vehicle back up. Furthermore, looses an any TL gained by experience. This seems easier to manage, but really hurts anyone wanting to field a vehicle.

And obviously any vehicle with no crew may not be fielded until it gets someone to at least drive it. What about a crew that survives but the vehicle doesn't? Can the crew be fielded as a unit on foot at the beginning of the next game? There's stats for them to be used as dismounted during game play per p.64. If so do they take any Drive Penalties for starting the game without the vehicle? This may be a desperate action to put more boots on the ground (rather than having Oddball sit and eat cheese, drink wine, and catch some rays ;D) but risks loosing the whole crew and thus becoming a 100% RP cost for the vehicle.

[grumpysmurf]

Thanks for getting back to us so promptly and with such detailed answers

I am sure we will have more for you

Thank you again