VB Lauchers – does anyone use them?
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- This topic has 21 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 2 months ago by Nat.
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February 22, 2020 at 2:28 pm #174562Paul NettleParticipant
20 points for a nerfed light mortar sounds far too expensive in points. Two regular infantry are better value, aren’t they?
In particular, the 6″ TO “18 range means it can’t fire as much as a rifle with 24” range.
February 22, 2020 at 3:03 pm #174563Master ChiefParticipantI never used them before, but off-hand while they have shorter range than a light mortar, 2 of them cost the same as 1 light mortar, so you can equip them to 2 squads. They may come in useful for close support to provide smoke cover. They also do not suffer from the team rule, unlike a light mortar team.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
February 22, 2020 at 9:09 pm #174566Paul NettleParticipantThanks for your reply. Yes, the smoke option might be useful, but I think the points are too expensive, so I have bought rifle troops as replacements.
February 24, 2020 at 9:47 am #174583NatParticipantWell as the VB launcher IS equiped with a rifle* you are paying 20 points for the flexablity to either fire as a normal riflemen OR put smoke down OR put a 1″ HE shot down on some closely packed enemy forceing them to move /spread out.
But as you said depending on your play style and opponents yeah 20 points may be a bit high
*”can shoot either as a riflemen or as a light mortar”
February 25, 2020 at 2:35 am #174599Master ChiefParticipantYes, as evidenced on page 11 of the Armies of France and Allies book (see also attached screenshot):
The VB launcher attachment for the rifle converts the rifle into a short-range light mortar with stats as follows. The infantryman equipped with the VB launcher can either shoot as a rifleman or as a light mortar.
It is like adding an LMG (longer range than rifle) to an infantry squad or a flamethrower (shorter range than rifle) to an engineer squad for 20pts, except that these are team weapons and require a loader/assistant. Some may say these are expensive, but they each have their use.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
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February 25, 2020 at 2:57 pm #174623arcoleParticipantAlso, remember that the when firing the VB mortar your to-hit chance is not impacted by the target size, cover or down status. It also has a better penetration value than a rifle too.
February 25, 2020 at 11:25 pm #174637Master ChiefParticipant“It also has a better penetration value than a rifle too.”
Good point, as its Pen +1 gives the VB a 50% chance of pinning a regular enclosed armoured vehicle which a rifle normally wouldn’t have (see Page 102 of 2nd edition below).
REGULAR VEHICLES
Fully enclosed regular vehicles that take a hit with a Pen value of at least +1 that can actually damage them (as described above for veteran vehicles), take a pin as normal. If a regular vehicle takes a hit with a Pen value of at least +1 that cannot damage it, it rolls a die and takes a pin only on a roll of 1-3, while on a 4+ it ignores the hit. This means it’s still worth firing heavy weapons at regular enemy vehicles in the hope of pinning them.- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
February 26, 2020 at 1:27 pm #174656Master ChiefParticipantAnd I just remembered this on page 72 of the 2nd Edition:
If a unit includes both normal weapons and indirect firing weapons (such as one or more light mortars inside a unit of riflemen), any mortar in the squad can pick a target individually, regardless of what the rifles and other mortars in the squad are doing. Ranging in is kept track of separately for each mortar (you might have to write things down…).
Assumimg a US squad has the maximum allowed 3 rifle grenade launchers, it will be able to hit 4 targets with one Order … this could be a useful option in the right situation.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
February 26, 2020 at 2:31 pm #174662NatParticipantWith rifle grenades you can out indirect an Seelow Heights (Soviet) Selector list!
[6 per platoon – 2 mortars, 2 artillery & 2 SP Guns]
February 26, 2020 at 4:20 pm #174666Carl E. CorradoParticipantHi Gang:
Seems that I remember recently seeing a rule revision regarding the VB and I think the number or makeup of a VB unit?
Am I correct and can someone point me to the new reference?
As always,
Thanks
Carl
February 26, 2020 at 4:49 pm #174667NatParticipantIn the Feb FAQ there is an entry for the ‘Battle of France’ book which changes the rifles to have VB Launchers if thats what you mean
February 26, 2020 at 5:48 pm #174670Carl E. CorradoParticipantNat:
Thanks, what I was looking for.
Carl
February 26, 2020 at 11:20 pm #174671Master ChiefParticipantI think the “largest” write-up on rifle grenade adaptors is on page 16 of the Battle of the Bulge book. I have attached a screenshot.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Master Chief.
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February 27, 2020 at 2:19 pm #174689Carl E. CorradoParticipantThanks!
Carl
March 1, 2020 at 2:29 pm #174754Paul NettleParticipantThanks for all the replies. I didn’t appreciate the different target ability or armour-pinning abilities, which does make them far more versatile. So I might include one or two in my Regular squads, but not in my Inexperianced squads. I still think this is too expensive when compared to a panzerfaust for five points!
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