The Commander Series Forum

Just read the few previous posts about spotting options and
was wondering whether anyone had anything new on this topic.
I'm asking because a friend of mine who is playing bkc,
said that they had a complete different game once they
added spotting rules and the tension and excitement was
even better^^.
What they did (as far as i remember) was, you start the game
with empty stands, and you have to do a successful command
roll with one of your HQ having a LOS on enemy troops.
On a 4.5 or 6 for standard troop you succeed (3.4.5.6 for
recce units) adding a +1 for cover etc...On a successful roll the enemy put on tyhhe table the real troops that have
been spotted.
It's maybe a bit more elaborated than hat but you got the idea.
So what about you? Do you have a satisfying spotting house
rule?

*A friend of mine who is playing bkc too...
(initial post read as if i wasn't ... :p)

Not quite spotting, but similar.

We use the hidden deployment rules from CWC. Here you use blips which are HQs & CO + attached units, FAO, FAC or recce. Plus you may have dummy blips.

In the Arab Israeli games we used to find that the outranged Syrians got shot up without getting any where! With the blips you need to "spot" them before you can fire at them, basically it's a 50% chance at long range. It's a very simple system and allows for confusing the enemy with dummy units. It's very simple, fun and effective.

Dr. Dave:

Have you used the hidden rules with both sides using the 'blips'? I found it hard to imagine how that would work without something being revealed about the blips...

I made my own hidden rules that relied not on the enemy spotting, but the discipline of the hidden units to remain hidden (roll against CV) when they come into LOS of the enemy.

Chris

thanks for the answers guys, looks like most play without
any spotting rules
Is the the hidden deployment rules from CWC available
in the download section?

I knocked together a spotting table that broke units down into 4 size catagories then adjusted for whether in the open, in cover or moving. But once stuff opened fire everything with LOS could see it.

Not necessary perfect but it stopped FAOs being all knowing and all killing.

Cleach,

We now use blips for BOTH sides - though we've only done it in two games.

Pros
speeds up play
adds uncertainty
great for completely spoofing the enemy with dummy blips

Cons
Blips "spot" each other on the die roll chart - but fake blips can't - hence, if you state that your attempting to spot then it must be a real formation / command unit - not a dummy.

The cons is what I thought...a small price I suppose.

One spotting essential that we use is the dug-in rules but applied not just to defenders but any units that move from out of LOS to a cover position in LOS. It is central to our play and we add the wrinkle that units MOVING into a position that is in LOS of the enemy, the basic spotting ranges (5 and 20cms) double.

Cheers,
Chris

I'd rationalize the dummy blips doing spotting rolls as being very small patrols sent out to scout out the opposition. If a dummy blip succeeds in spotting another blip, it is automatically revealed as a dummy, but the thing that it spotted is also revealed.

That sounds like a reasonable approach, Siggian, although it does rather assume everyone's got radios. I suppose the whole approach does, though, so that might not be worth getting one's undies in a bundle over.