I'm starting up a FFT3 campaign based in 1986-1987 West Germany. Pretty standard PACT v. NATO, Race to the Rhine kind of stuff. Anyway before it gets started I was considering adding some rules, 'depth' perhaps, and wanted to get some feedback on it before we start.
Each side (PACT and NATO) must (or may, I'm not sure on that yet) include an ambulance stand, representing a battalion aid station, and/or an ARV stand in a given scenario. Now, I like campaign games since it forces losses absorbed during a scenario to mean something- lining up your miniatures across the table from mine and rolling dice until there is one stand remaining doesn't do it for me. When the forces I can use for the next game reflect the losses I incurred during the last game… well now I'm interested. My intent for the recovery and aid stands is to force the players' consideration for managing service-support in addition to the combat and combat support which are on the table.
The rules for which I'm still developing, but leaning towards these: please feel free to let me know what you think of them.
Battalion Aid Station (Ambulance)/ Armored Recovery Vehicles (ARV)
1. Follow the rules per 15.4, Dedicated Forward Observers except that they cannot themselves observe for Area Fire. (specifically, that they can't fire nor be targeted by enemy direct fire or artillery if they are within 4" of an friendly stand.)
2. ARV effects- Side achieving a Victory (major or minor per 25.3.3, Objectives and Victory Points) with an ARV stand on the table and in cohesion at the end of the game may recover 2/3 of vehicle stands destroyed vice the 1/3 allowed by 25.4.2.
3. Ambulance effects- (this was a little more difficult to come up with) Following the scenario during Recovery and Reorganization, a side with an Ambulance stand that was still on the table and in cohesion at the end of the game may recover 2/3 of infantry stands which were lost due to failed QC rolls as normal and may additionally recover half (rounded up) of the remaining infantry stands.
Infantry stands destroyed (e.g. those failing QC rolls following their carrier vehicle being destroyed) are recovered at the rate of 2/3, vice 1/3 per 25.4.2.
So what do you think? I wanted the players to have to keep these recovery units on the table and somewhat forward (hence the requirement to be in cohesion) while still protected, rather than hiding on the owner's table edge for the whole game just to be there at the end. I also wanted the players to get some benefit from doing so, without giving back everything that they lost. Looking forward to your thoughts.