"Need help with WWII character & weapon types" Topic

Hi folks. Long story short, I'm putting together some skirmish battle rules for WWII minis (I'd probably be using Bolt Action minis, so it will be like a 28mm sized game). There's no vehicles involved, just men on foot. The theme I'm going for is kind of like 1 squad of guys from one army vs another squad from another army, not big battles. You'll have maybe 8-10 minis per side, and each person in your squad might be armed differently and have their own strengths and weaknesses and special skills.

Problem is, the history channel doesn't give enough info when I watch shows like WWII in HD, and I didn't pay enough attention in school. The core rules I have now work real well, I just need to add flavor and character to them, but I don't know enough about the time period unfortunately.

What I'm looking for is advice on what kinds of weapons would be the most common, and what would also add a lot of flavor to a squad. There are 3 levels for the weapons in the game.. basic or common, advanced or uncommon and elite or rare. And also, I'd like to include something like ranks, or classes / professions.. what would you have in a squad? I'm thinking of making the options be Rookie (new guy right out of boot camp), Soldier (standard guy), Medic, chaplain, gunny (special weapons guy), demolitionist, and maybe just "Sarge" as the squad leader. Would ranks/classes like that work good for a German or Japanese squad too? I kind of want to have something good that could work for all types of forces just to keep it simple and avoid confusion.

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated :)

Okay, so first things first, before the bean counter brigade arrives:

Are you looking for something a little more hollywood styled or more "hard realism" styled?

Commando type raids or plain old infantry?

I get the feeling from your post that it's the former, something a bit more cinematic and RPG influenced. If so, don't get too hung up on historical specifics.

A plain infantry squad will look pretty similar across armies:

1 light machine gun team (2 man crew usually), squad leader may have a sub machine gun, the rest of the squad will have rifles.

Occasionally, might find things like a rifle grenade launcher, a scoped rifle or a few extra SMG, but squads were pretty workman-like and simple.

Rank-wise, you have a squad leader (Corporal), a second in command (like a lance corporal) and the rest are plain grunts.

For a cinematic commando raid, you could get away with all sorts of stuff.
See if they have older film like "Guns of Navarone" or "Where eagles dare" on Netflix or Amazon. Perfect gaming material.

If you want more of a grounding in real life, swing by a book store and grab an Ospreys or two. They'll get you started without spending a bunch of money.

Oh.. good point, should have included that :) Yes, I'm going for more of a hollywood-esqe kind of feel, not totally historically accurate but I would like it to seem accurate enough to folks that like that sort of thing. And the squads I imagine being more of a mixed bag, commando style like you suggest. Thinking of movies like Inglorious Basterds or even Saving Private Ryan. I'm picturing the game being played on a smaller 3x3' board with lots of blown up european buildings for terrain.

For the 2 man machine gun team, was that like there would be 1 loader guy and 1 shooter? I think for gameplay purposes I'd rather have each person able to carry and attack with their own weapon, though I do have rules for artillery like gatling guns in my western rules that could probably be applied.. for that, the artillery piece is a separate stationary model and you have to get behind it to shoot it. But I feel like artillery in WWII would be much more powerful and not really used against a small squad of guys 20 feet away. I was thinking this would be more of a run & gun & duck & cover kind of game.

The older History Channel show "Shootout!" did some interesting, historical episodes set during WW2. My dad, a history teacher, used them sometimes. Here is the Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shootout!

If, as you say, you're not all that knowledgeable about WWII, why not buy a set that's already available?

For a LMG team, one guy carries the weapon and fires, the other carries spare ammo and reloads.

What you could do is give a bonus if the loader is in base-contact and not doing anything else. Reroll a hit die, an extra shot, that kind of thing.

Or allow the team to move and fire, as long as the loader is there.

I'd leave out artillery altogether. A 75mm shell landing in the middle of an infantry squad would make a mess of the squad.

I wanted to use my own rules because I have my own rules that I think are lots of fun for small skirmish games, I just wanted to apply them to some different settings too :)

That sounds good for the LMG team. I have a rule for "slow" weapons, mostly for muskets that have to be reloaded after each shot so you have to spend an extra action point to reload it. So I could apply that rule to the LMG, and if there's a loader guy in base contact it will negate it.

You need to look at 'Bayonet Strength':

link

Tremendously useful online resource, listing unit numbers and equipment from Battalion right down to section strength.

None of your weapons should be "slow." As noted above, you will have a rifle team and a LMG team. You are not going to have a medic, or a chaplain, or a demo guy, or a special weapons guy unless that is somehow part of the scenario, such as the squad needs to escort a demo team across the table to a bridge which must be blown up, or something like that.

For what you want to do, I suggest you go to a comic book shop (or ebay) and get a stack of Sgt. Rock comics for your inspiration and scenario ideas.

And also, I'd like to include something like ranks, or classes / professions.. what would you have in a squad? I'm thinking of making the options be Rookie (new guy right out of boot camp), Soldier (standard guy), Medic, chaplain, gunny (special weapons guy), demolitionist, and maybe just "Sarge" as the squad leader.

I think Weasel covered the main points, in a squad you would have squad leader, assistant squad leader and a bunch of riflemen (possibly of various levels of experience). Two of the riflemen are likely to be assigned as gunner and loader for the squad LMG (probably because they are considered as the most capable for that task), but in many armies the rest of the squad members are expected to be able to pick up that weapon if the main users become casualties. Somebody might also be assigned with a rifle grenade launcher to attach to his gun.

"Gunny" in the US military slang is likely to refer to Gunnery Sergeant, a senior NCO. Medics would typically be found at platoon/company/battalion level, not down to individual squads – and unlike what some game designers may think, their task was not to batch men immediately back to fighting condition, but to stabilise wounds and get the wounded to field dressing station. Field chaplains would not be certainly running around the front line with guns, more likely to be found at the battalion HQ doing administrative work. Demolition training would mainly be found in engineer units or special forces, though in some armies riflemen might get basic instruction on how to use satchel charges against tanks or bunkers.

That sounds good for the LMG team. I have a rule for "slow" weapons, mostly for muskets that have to be reloaded after each shot so you have to spend an extra action point to reload it. So I could apply that rule to the LMG, and if there's a loader guy in base contact it will negate it.

LMGs were not slow firing weapons, rather the opposite. It was this fast rate of fire that made the assistant gunner – he would be lugging plenty of spare ammo for the LMG (there is only so much that the gunner could carry, especially with his already weighty weapon), help change the barrel if it had overheated from all the firing – and also help with reloading the gun if needed.

As for information about WWII unit structure and infantry weapons, this website is a handy starting point, you can find there descriptions for a lot of the more common weapons, and organisational information from squad to battallion level:

bayonetstrength.150m.com

Sounds a little like the sergeants miniature game.

I think by "slow" he means less able to move and fire, not the rate of fire.

Second all the points from Weasel

Yes, slow does not mean rate of fire, it just means you have to spend an extra turn to reload it, or if it was a slow melee weapon it would be something big and heavy where you have to take a breather after each swing.

So in this case I imagine a LMG would have the slow rule, the Rapid fire rule meaning it spews lots of bullets.. or would something like a volley rule meaning the gun is less accurate but those bullets cover a wide area be better? It would also be a rare or unique weapon, so only a Specialist would be able to use it.. your average grunt will have to stick to their own rifles. and there would only be 1 per squad.

I like the idea of any soldier being able to pick up the weapon but for this kind of "quick & brutal" skirmish game it works out better if you assign 1 weapon to a guy and it's theirs for the whole game, extra rules just slow things down.

I got the idea of having a medic and a chaplain offering morale support from Saving Private Ryan :) I remember in the big d-day scene there was a fella with a cross on his helmet praying with the dying soldiers, and Giovani Ribisi's character looked like the type who could handle a gun and also patch up a wound to keep the guys in the fight a little longer. Maybe Medic & chaplain weren't the right terms? I didn't see them as being something that's mandatory, just something to give your squad a little extra flavor.

Later war German Panzergrendiers and SS had two LMG's per squad, an NCO with an SMG or assault rifle, the other 5 men rifles. If on the Russian front, some may have a PPSH.

I'm a huge fan of area of effect templates for automatic weapons. Possibly a small hit bonus against the first guy under the template or some such.

You could abstract out the chances of support into a chance of a suppression effect.
Move so far in the open and you get a chance of suppression based on your enemy.
Fighting jerry that's 80mm mortars, vs us thst's 105s… uk is 25 pdr.
You can also differentiate on weapons if you like.
The mg42 is a lot different from a bar and so on.
Also consider players on one side with the ref playing the other.
The opposition can be placed on table as spotted. Simpler than double blind but adds a lot of suspense interest.

and there would only be 1 [LMG] per squad.

While that would be typical allocation in most cases, there are lots of cases where a squad would have 2 or even 3 automatic weapons allocated. German panzergrenadiers and fallschirmjäger had two MG34 or MG42 per squad, later war Red Army squads could also have one or two DPM per squad, and US Marine corps fielded squads with 2 and eventually 3 BARs.

Maybe Medic & chaplain weren't the right terms?

Chaplain certainly was a term used in the British army, and they were not exactly common – around 3000 (plus a number of Roman Catholic Priests) in an army of over 3 million. A battalion size formation would likely have one chaplain allocated, and he would be likely found somewhere in the rear of the battalion – such as at the battalion medical post.

And the purpose of medics (or stretcher bearers) is not to "patch up a wound to keep the guys in a the fight a little longer". It is rather to patch you up to such extent that you may be able to survive and recover back to active duty after a number of weeks or months – as well as making your squad mates less concerned about your fate. And when you are seriously wounded and screaming in pain, no amount of dressing is likely to be able to get you back to fighting effectively – though if you are experiencing an adrenaline high from the combat, minor wounds may go unnoticed for a while.

Also in most armies basic first aid was part of basic training, so even your average infantryman could be expected to be able to dress up a wound to a basic extent – this would allow the patient to at least survive until more skilled medical personnel would be able to attend the situation.

Watch the old war movie, "Kelly's Heroes" …

Visit veterans in the Veterans home. I had a long interesting talk with a gentleman who was in a TD in Italy. He was my father in laws roommate. My uncle who had lost three limbs in Germany in April 1945 told his story to a newspaper in Arizona when he was in the hospital there. He had never told his family.
So checking old archives will result in scenarios with characters.
I have done a lot of skirmish scenarios over 200 and am in the process of editing them.
Another source are books written in the late forties or early fifties. I got one from an infantry division which fought in the Phillipines and Okinawa.
Another source are university programs such as the university of Tenn. which has the War and Society project which saves photos and audio interviews with veterans.

I will stay away from the m chance part since it will mainly result in overlap and confusion.
Many people who tend to field multiple forces build 20mm or 15mm armies to save money.

So in this case I imagine a LMG would have the slow rule, the Rapid fire rule meaning it spews lots of bullets.. or would something like a volley rule meaning the gun is less accurate but those bullets cover a wide area be better? It would also be a rare or unique weapon, so only a Specialist would be able to use it.. your average grunt will have to stick to their own rifles. and there would only be 1 per squad.

At least in the US army, each grunt was expected to be able to feed and clean all the weapons in the Infantry. The Carbine, the Garand, the BAR, the .30cal MG, and the .50cal MG. And the 1911 pistol.

@Rudy: True, but when you're only fielding ~10 guys per side it's not too troublesome to collect 28mm.

Same in the British Army, infantrymen were trained to operate all infantry weapons up to and including the Vickers MMG and 6pdr AT gun.

If you are looking at 'patrol'/Commando type actions outside of a normal TO&E, then you have a fair degree of flexibility, but even fighting patrols had suggested organisations (typically 4-10 men) and they would generally still carry their normal personal weapons which for the vast majority of WW2 troops was a rifle. The groups would be led by junior NCOs (or senior privates in the Germany Army) and a fightin patrol of significant size would probably be led by an officer (or senior NCO in the German Army).

They _might_ take some heavier weapons along (LMG, portable AT, demo charges etc), they _might_ have a higher proportion of SMGs, particularly in units allocated pools of such weapons. Or they might just strip down to minimum kit, and go out with their individual weapons.

Kellys Heroes has been cited above, but in fact they are armed pretty much as a normal US armoured infantry with mainly Garands, a couple of BARs, a .30c cal for Crapgame to carry and Hollywood levels of Thompsons for Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas. As if you'd take a heavy, inaccurate and prone to rust Thompson over the finest battle implement ever devised.

That is true, but none the less … it could be used as a "guide" in respect to the original question. And yes, the M1 Garand was at that time the best Infantryman's individual weapon available.

And also note, by '43-'44, most if not all Infantry units, in the US Military, that was the basic weapon issued. Replacing the '03 Springfield. Also the US was one of the few Armies that had a semi-automatic weapon for all it's basic Grunts. Most others were still using bolt action rifles …

At least in the US army, each grunt was expected to be able to feed and clean all the weapons in the Infantry. The Carbine, the Garand, the BAR, the .30cal MG, and the .50cal MG. And the 1911 pistol.

And that was true when I was a Light PL in the 101 and later a Mech Cdr, '79-'90. That has been the standard/norm/SOP for not only the US but many other nations' Grunts. We were all cross-trained on all weapons systems available from our inventory. As if your MG Gunner went down, anyone else in the unit could pick it up and put it to use effectively.

Lots of great info, thanks guys :)

On mini sizes.. 30/28mm is the "standard" size for my games because that's my personal favorite. Our new ruleset will be very flexible however, and I think it would be fine for 25mm or even slightly bigger 32mm. Sizes seem to be all over the place these days. The most important thing though is that both players use the same scale. So, if you prefer 20mm minis, and so does your friend, then you should be fine however the weapon ranges might seem too long. I could always make adjustments for different ranges as a PDF download or something like that if there's enough interest :)

And yes, the M1 Garand was at that time the best Infantryman's individual weapon available.

I dunno, I kinda like my SVT40, even though she doesn't have the rails milled for the scope.

however the weapon ranges might seem too long

In WWII, most weapons had quite decent ranges. If you are doing a squad versus squad game, then rifle caliber weapons (and anything heavier) should probably have maximum ranges that are longer than your gaming table.

Some weapons were more restricted with the range, however. These could include pistols, sub-machineguns, hand grenades, rifle grenades and certain anti-tank weapons (like PIAT and Panzerfaust).

Make the LMG a separable weapon. Gunner model is trained and gets a +1 or other bonus, and carries 1 belt. Loader model has ~3 belts and extra barrel, or no barrel and +1 belt.

Have the LMG make sustained fire checks to need to reload or change barrel. If another model is in base contact to assist then reloading does not miss a turn. Belts are transferable between models but non-Loader models can only carry 1 belt or barrel each.

Changing barrels takes variable number of turns (1-3?) but assistant reduces by 1 and Gunner bonus applies (so lucky/skilled roll could be no turns missed). If no spare barrel available, must wait maximum barrel change turns, then 50% chance per turn to resume using weapon (Gunner bonus applies).

Any model can fire the gun but without Gunner bonus. Any model can assist, assuming either Gunner or assisting model has a belt/barrel.

Special rules for portable LMG like BAR or Bren or DP: no slow movement penalty. Reloads are magazines not belts and a model can carry twice as many magazines as belts. Magazine-fed LMG always fails sustained fire check and has to reload. However reloading without assistance has 50% chance of not losing a turn. Did these guns have changeable barrels? Not sure. Either way change barrel rules also apply.

In WWII, most weapons had quite decent ranges.

Yes, as they were very few weapons that fired an Assault Rifle or actual carbine type cartridge. The SG-44 and the M1 Carbine comes to mind. They didn't fire a full size rifle round like most individual basic Infantry weapons. Like the M1, 98K, SMLE, etc. …

And of course, any SMG, like a Thompson, MP-40, Sten, PPSH, etc. fires a pistol round. So anything beyond 50m, would be out of effective range.

Plus after spending a lot of Range time in my 10+ years in the Army. Any human sized target at 300m, which was the longest target on the M16/M14 Qual range. Is just tiny with standard open iron sights. Statistically most firefights took and take place at about 250m. Which is not only a factor of terrain/LOS/FOF. But in many cases you will not get a clear shoot at 300m or more. As I said a human at that range is just tiny. You'd be lucky to see him … let alone shoot at him effectively. Of course like I said based on terrain, light level, etc. …

We saw in the '56 Arab-Israeli War the IDF paras at the Mitla and Giddi passes in the Sinai with Uzis. Found it difficult to engage Egyptians with AK-47s. At longer ranges. The Uzi is an SMG with a 9mm pistol round vs. the AK-47 with a 7.62x39 Assault Rifle round.

We also saw recently in Afghanistan, you could see a human target more clearly in the open in the mountains as now you had in many cases a height advantage and more open terrain, etc., … The standard M16/5.56mm round with open iron sights was at a bit of disadvantage at long ranges. But again the AK-47s performance dropped off markedly at over 250m. Again both fire assault rifle rounds.
Even the M14s we first trained with before we were issued M16s … they both had 300m max effective range with open iron sights. Even with the M16 being an 5.56 Assault Rifle round vs. the M14s full sized 7.62 NATO FMJ rifle round.

In Afghanistan an M14 might have been good for some of those longer shots in the hands of a very skilled Infantrymen. Because the 7.62 NATO round's performance is better at longer ranges than the M16s. For obvious reasons. The Max range of an M16 5.56mm round is @ 2500m, vs. the M14's 7.62mm NATO is @ 3750m.

Both LOS/terrain along with the type of rounds are clear factors in a firefight. Among others of course, like the training and marksmanship of the soldiers, etc. … But again, all things being equal most firefights occur at @ 250m OR less, since about WWII on.

Instead of the History Channel, watch a few episodes on Combat!

If you're looking for gaming inspiration, look no further than the 1960s TV series "Combat". It mainly features a squad sized unit going up against a similar German one. One of the best episodes which contrasts the two sides is "Anatomy of a Patrol", where the US and Germans are racing to get to the same objective.

In WWII, most weapons had quite decent ranges. If you are doing a squad versus squad game, then rifle caliber weapons (and anything heavier) should probably have maximum ranges that are longer than your gaming table.

Yes, all basic infantry rifles should be "point and click" out to 300m or so. Even assault rifles like the StG44 or M1 Carbine.

Some weapons were more restricted with the range, however. These could include pistols, sub-machineguns, hand grenades, rifle grenades and certain anti-tank weapons (like PIAT and Panzerfaust).

Pistols to 10m, SMGs to ~50m (maybe 100, but at penalties).

Hand grenades can be thrown about 30m, rifle grenades out to 150m or more.

The vast majority of riflemen didn't manage to hit much until at remarkably short range.
You could therefore justify differentiating between stars and extras.
Or you could make the effect of rifle fire suppression unless at short range.
Most players expect their guys to shoot a lot more effectively than reality.
Machine guns, mortars and artillery did most of the damage outside of rock chucking range.

Rather than trying to get every exact weapon accurately portrayed, what about listing them more like the weapon type? And then allowing a certain number of specialized weapons per squad?

Something like.. every soldier can have an Infantry Rifle & combat knife, 1 may have a grenade launcher (and/or bazooka?), 1 can have a SMG, 1 can have a LMG and having a loader guy makes it work better, 1 could have a sniper rifle? And each weapon type would have 3 different levels to represent better equipment. What about handguns/sidearms? Shotguns for close encounters? Would everyone have a couple of hand grenades to throw? Or improvised weapons like a maltov cocktail?

I'm basically going for a WWII version of my western game Blackwater Gulch. I want it to play almost exactly the same (because it works and it's fun :) ), only with a different theme. There are 3 character levels, basically a hero to lead the gang/squad, then you can have any number regular members and henchmen. Each type of weapon also has 3 levels, where the strength of the weapon and the range increases slightly, but also costs more points to add to your gang. Usually the Hero gets the best / high level equipment and the rest trickles down from there. Most of the gun ranges are between 12 & 24 inches except for long range rifles, and I want to stick to that for game balance reasons.

Something like.. every soldier can have an Infantry Rifle & combat knife, 1 may have a grenade launcher (and/or bazooka?), 1 can have a SMG, 1 can have a LMG and having a loader guy makes it work better, 1 could have a sniper rifle?

You will have trouble coming up with limitations that could work for everyone while being historically accurate. For example US rifle squad could have 3 rifle grenade launchers plus possibly a bazooka from company weapons pool, while USMC rifle squad could have 3 BARs and Soviets could field squads armed almost entirely with SMGs.

And each weapon type would have 3 different levels to represent better equipment.

You mean three versions overall, or three different versions for each army? Because most armies did not really have three different versions of the same weapon type.

What about handguns/sidearms? Shotguns for close encounters?

Shotguns were rare as military weapons (though maybe you might find a few in the hands of La Resistance). Pistols could be issued to officers, weapon crews, vehicle crews etc. but would not be particularly common sight in a rifle squad – though possibly LMG gunner and/or loader might be issued with one.

Looting enemy pistols as souvenirs tended to be a popular activity in many armies, often discouraged by the authorities higher up. These would be unlikely to be of much practical use in combat, though the untrained new owners tended to sometimes hurt themselves or their comrades with an accidental discharge.

Would everyone have a couple of hand grenades to throw?

Hand grenade or two per rifleman sounds sensible. Depending on mission, possibly more – in urban combat or trench assault squads would probably try to pack plenty of extra grenades.

Or improvised weapons like a maltov cocktail?

Improvised weapons were not particularly common – even Molotov Cocktails were industrially manufactured to a large extent. And they were intended to be used against armoured vehicles, or for setting buildings aflame – they would not be very practical weapons against infantry in the open.

I presume you do not really want to involve tanks in your squad versus squad game.

PS: if you do not want to be too restricted by the conventional TOEs, maybe you could try putting the focus instead on some less regular forces, e.g. resistance/partisan units armed with whatever mixture of weapons they manage to find or capture.

I would like to point out just how much of a gentleman Weasel is being right now, considering he sells a product that would be of immense help to you, but has not done a shameless plug. So I will! As far as I am concerned, his stuff is worth every penny he charges. even if it isn't your thing you get a heck of a lot of product for your money, and I think that $8 USD is the most expensive thing he sells.

I believe that it is the Rifleman's guide that has all the personality traits and skills, and its only $1.50 USD you could use them as an inspiration for your stuff.

Weasel, please correct me if I have the wrong product.

link

and here are some of my own recommendations of the top of my head
RPG style
Leader types:
OldSarge: aka Gunny Highway. this guy has seen everything. Been in the Corps since Jesus was the Commandant. the "Old Breed" are mostly his illegitimate children from his bar hopping days. bonus to detecting the enemy, traps, ext and a bonus to his courage and any troopers around him

Grizzled Vet: AKA Sgt Rock. this guy is a one man army. wielding 2 thompsons and a bazooka strapped to his back, your pretty sure that he is superman's big brother.

I can't think of any booky types right now
Trooper types
"Buck" those yokels from the midwest always have a name like that… he is built like a brick shithouse and as strong as an ox. he lugs the 30 cal without complaint and your pretty sure he could wrestle a grizzly. he aint much for book learning but he has that country wisdom. very soft-spoken and polite. bonus for strength related stuff, stuff involving agriculture, and brawling with krauts.

Ill see if I can come up with more

Check the old "Cross of Iron/Panzerknacker" skirmish rules. They featured a good system for determining skill/personality characteristics.

B

Thanks for all the ideas and advice :) Here's some more info about my plans.. basically I am taking the rules I have for my current game, Blackwater Gulch, and turning it into a generic small skirmish game ruleset that can work with any genre, like GURPS for RPGs. We'll have a free playtest version going for a while before the real books are printed. The core rulebook will have different chapters for a bunch of different settings and these will mostly just be weapon and skill lists with a little background. Separately we'll also be doing whole gameworld books that are more in depth. The different genre/setting chapters in the core book will be to kind of get you started and and give you what you need to play some fun games, and if there's enough interest in a setting we'll do a big gameworld book for it later. Our first gameworld book is actually going to be a D&D style fantasy setting, but I want to get the WWII genre set up good and fun to play. The games are meant to be fast and fun close quarters battles in crowded town streets or ruins, not a field with lots of room to maneuver like most big wargames. On a 3x3' table you'll probably have to fill at least half of it with terrain and obstacles. It gives the games a much more cinematic feel and lets you do fun things like dive through windows and tackle people.

So, here's what I'm planning now. Basically how the system works is there are 3 types of characters .. Heroes (1 per 5 models in your gang/squad), Members and Minions (New recruits or townsfolk). And there are 3 levels of weapons, common, uncommon and rare. Minions can only use common weapons, members can use common and uncommon, and heroes can use anything. Here's what I'm thinking of for the different weapons… They will be more generic and listed by weapon type rather than a specific name and your characters can have an amount of items equal to their Strength attribute, that's from 1-6 but usually averages around 3.

Common weapons – Infantry Rifle, Combat Knife (or any 1 handed melee weapon), Grenade (1)
Uncommon – Grenade Launcher, SMG, Pistol/sidearm, shotgun, sniper rifle, any 2-handed melee weapon (big axe, sledgehammer)
Rare – LMG, Flamethrower, Bazooka (1 shot)

I'm guessing melee weapons like sledge hammers probably weren't too common, but due to the way the game is played melee combat is almost inevitable, so I thought that could be a fun way to have some really characterful heroes too. So I didn't want to exclude them.

Then we'll also have different traits that each Hero or Member can choose, like a class or profession. Like, a grizzled veteran who won't run away, a Doc who can help patch people up, marksmen who are better at shooting long range rifles, or a specialist who can use weapons from 1 level above (allowing a regular squad member to use a LMG for example). I still need to come up with some cool and fluffy sounding names for the traits.. I was thinking of different ranks at first, but I was afraid that would be too restrictive and would vary based on army. I'd like players to feel free to form squads or soldiers or resistance fighters or even mix them together. It's all about building a fun and characterful squad with any miniatures you want and building your own story and history for them, almost like a RPG only you're controlling 8 different characters rather than 1 or 2.

Sorry this post ended up being so long :) Hopefully that paints a better picture of where we're going with the new rules and stuff.