"Design an OrBat" Topic

I've a few ideas, but I'd like to see what others think, so go ahead, How do you think a SF Infantry force should look. Its for Quadrant 13, so basic stand is a squad, game is Company level, so aim for up Bn equivalent. Be sure to indice what you think the tech level is.

First Thoughts from me

Standard Plt –
2 x Maneuover squad (2 x 8 man team, standard squad, eg Rifles with Support Weapon)
Support Squad – splits into 2 4 man teams, with equiv of MMG or similar (heavy Grenade launcher)

Coy is 2 Standard Plts Plus

Support plt:
2 x Heavy Squad – 8 man team with extra support weapons (WW2 would be a Brit Section + extra Bren)
2 x AT (4 man squad with Missiles/heavy beam/whatever)

Depends. Are you looking for uber-professional Space Marine types, or rag-tag band of rebel types?

2x 4 man fireteams per squad each with a SAW. + sqd ldr
3x squads per plt. + plt HQ (plt cmdr, plt NCO, signaler, medic)

3x plts per coy + coy HQ (coy cmdr, coy 2 i/c, CSM, signallers, drone section -vehicle with drones and a couple of controllers)

Battalion support; mortar plt, hvy MG/lasgun plt, AT plt, sniper/recce plt, bn HQ has more drones for spotting and light AT work
Organic armoured coy with medium tanks 4x plts of 4 tanks + coy HQ of 2 tanks

For a basic SF light infantry force I would probably say…

Light Infantry Battalion
BN HHC (x1)
Headquarters Section (x1 MCP, x6 Jeeps, x2 Trucks)
Staff Section (x3 Jeeps)
Signals Platoon (x3 HQ vehicles)
Supply Platoon (x10-15 Trucks)
Support Platoon (x10-15 Trucks)
Reconnaissance Platoon (x6 Scout teams, organized into 3 squads)
Anti-Tank Platoon (x4-6 mounted AT weapons)
Mortar Platoon (x6 medium-heavy mortars)

Line Company (x3)
Co HQ (x1)
Headquarters Squad
FIST

Line Platoon (x4)
PLT HQ (x1--PL, PSG, RTO, Medic, FSO)
Line Squad (x3--9 pers.; 2x Fire Teams of 4 pers.+1SL)
Support Squad (x1--7-10 pers.; 2xMMG Teams, 1xATGM or AGL Team, +1SL)

ATTACHMENTS:

Combat Engineers (x1 PLT per BN)
Drone and/or Sensor (EW) Operators (1x Team per Company or Platoon as desired)

Extra Data:
Power Armor optional, High TL (2+), Regular-Veteran Experience Level; for a mounted infantry unit, give each squad an appropriate vehicle and reduce the number of dismounts to 4-6 personnel

sorry forgot tech level

I'm thinking a mid tech kinda force like in Falkenberg's Legion or Fire in a Faraway Place; projectile shooting autorifles, grenade launchers and wheeled and tracked AFVs.

Troops would have good body armour and comms plus advanced sensors/optics/NV gear
Drones can carry small SAWs or missiles.

Today's tech: Company has 3x infantry platoons, each infantry platoon has 3x squads with individual rifles, 2x grenade launchers, 2x Squad automatics, 1x designated marksman's rifle, optional AT missile; and a Weapons squad of 2x sustained fire MGs.

Company also has Mortar section of 2x tubes, Gun section of 3x light armored large-caliber guns, and sniper team.

BN combat support is Mortar platoon, Sniper squad, Ambulances and Medics, Arty spotter, Forward Air Controller.

All troops are wearing unpowered, unsealed body armor rated to stop sustained-fire MG, and all but snipers are transported in light armored vehicles.

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~50 years from now: See Aliens Colonial Marines Handbook for platoon org. Company would have 2x platoons, plus mortars. Battalion would have 2x companies, plus at least a tank platoon (4x tanks) and artillery battery (4x tubes).

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~150 years from now:
Battles are over before traditional tanks can be deployed, so light mecha (max of 4ton weight!) are preferred. These are vulnerable to infantry rifles, but speed of deployment trumps staying power.

'Squad' is still ~8-10 people, with HMG, sniper/DMR, LGL, AT missile, Electronic Warfare specialist, and pack mule drone or two.

Platoon has 2-3 infantry squads with a squad of ground drones (hmgs, light 'mortar' equivalent, scout, standard rifle).

Company has 2-3 platoons, possibly including powered armor (PA might be a BN asset). Definitely includes a platoon (~4x vehicles) of light mecha and all their support equipment.

Very few operations mobilize an entire battalion at once.

Meiczyslaw: Anything you like.

I had a bunch of stuff written up for my imagi-nation based in the GZG-verse--can't find the stuff now, though. I kept organization by 3s (as in 3 squads plus HQ make a pltn, 3 line pltns + support or HQ make a co, etc.) instead of the 2s some other folks are suggesting.

For ideas by others, you could also look here: link

Rob

… instead of the 2s some other folks are suggesting.

The "3s" idea is born of having a reserve, redundant, unit at each level of the organization. A cash-strapped, or man-short, military might organize around 2s because that's the minimum you need to get the job done.

Tech 3

1 Big man Company commander

3 specialist snipers
3 specialist medics
1 EWOS

1st and 2nd platoon infantry
1 Big man
3 Squads (heavy, regulars, power armor, 10 men)
1 Squad ( support, regulars, power armor, autoguns, missile weapons dual purpose anti air and anti tank, 10 men.)

3rd platoon Engineers or Assault
1 Big man
4 Squads (heavy, flamer, regulars, power armor, 10 men)

4th platoon Support
1 Big man
2 squads of drones + 4 handlers
4 mortars (support, regular, power armor, 12 men, mortars are dual purpose anti infantry and anti armor)

I have been kicking alot of ideas around fidgeting with low tech and hi tech forces. The only reason I went with ten man squads was to get the maximum fire power bonus on the chart and make them more resiliant to casualties.

Interesting question

To me the squad size is a function of transport and resources – if you are in the situation of having restricted lift capacity, you might go with smaller and very well equipped units (i.e. 4 trooper fire teams) – while if transport is less of an issue the ten trooper squads would give you greater staying power

So – if this is a mercenary unit which aims to hit hard, strike fast and leave quick, small high tech units – if the intent is an occupation force, bigger but maybe less well equipped squads

I'm probably going 8 man squads for most armies (depending on the background) as 'more realistic' – 2 4 man groups in a squad, similar to modern UK/US thinking.

I'm also thinking about dedicated 'Assault Squads', losing their 'SAW' (so -1d in shooting) but with armour/shields, as well as the extra di(c)e in combat, Maybe even make them 10 man. The rational would be the armour/shield is heavy/cumbersome/etc that you can't easily handle a SAW, plus doctrine doesn't want them in protracted firefights.

1 O.G.R.E.

'Nuff said.

Javelin98 – ever wonder what would happen in battle between a BOLO and an OGRE?

Organisation by 2s is a problem (BAOR tried it briefly in the late 1970s), triangular or square work better and pentomic is just bonkers. 2s mean half your force is permanently in reserve, 3s and 4s mean you have some flexibility.

A decent organisation depends on the type of operations you are envisaging as it informs how decentralised your heavy weapons are. Light infantry type stuff generally needs light and decentralised support weapons, fighting WW1/2/3 benefits greatly from battalion and brigade level support weapons companies.

So, being boring, a basic triangular organisation, three rifle comapnies of three platoons of three sections to a batalion plus a heavy weapons company with mortar, MG, AT, AA and sapper platoons which can be broken down and allocated to the rifel companies/platoons as required.

In light infantry ops these allocations may become semi permanent, but you have the option to still fight with a weapons company in high intensity conventional warfere.

Pared down organisationsa are all very well, but when do the guys to any maintenance or get any sleep?

Depending on tech level 'AA/AT' may be BFG-9000s or other equiv energy/smart missile or whatever weapons, as well as 'mortars'.

I really don't care what bullet throwing weapons the sections have, as long as they generate sufficent weight of firepower. Whatever seems reasonable given the tech. Sections will however be homogenous and not split by specialism. They tried that in WW1 and it died out very rapidly by WW2.

@Phil McCrackin: The larger BOLOs might notice a speedbump.

Anything smaller than a BOLO CSU (continental siege unit) would be close to the same size as the largest OGREs. Remember, BOLOs can effectively engage spaceships in orbit, while OGREs cannot.

True! Gotta love BOLOs.