Trench Hammer Modifications

When I've played Trench Hammer I've been using a couple of minor variants from the rules, plus a couple of bits lifted from the Squad Hammer Core rules.

The latter is the ranges. the 6" Assault and 12" Firefight ranges seem quite large for a 2' square board, so I have used the ranges from Core - 3" Assault and 9" Firefight. This allows more long-range 'softening up' fire without return fire. This change may have knock-on effects in terms of leader command radii and some other rules, but I'm still thinking about those.

Another change is to the Regroup action. In Core this simply allows the unit to recover 2 hits, whereas in Trench Hammer you roll three times against current damage. The Trench Hammer version is more random, and therefore interesting, but the Core version is easier to apply. I have created a compromise. A unit using a Regroup action rolls a D6. On a 1 they recover 1 hit, on a 6 they recover 3 hits, otherwise they recover 2 hits.

On to my own variants:

(i) There are a few ways units can recover hits - Regroup, Withdraw and leadership. Regardless of which method is used, a unit cannot recover to zero hits; they must always be on at least 1 hit once they have taken damage.

(ii) All halved damage is rounded UP, not down.

(iii) Similar to the above, any hit always scores at least 1 damage, regardless of damage modifiers. eg A a unit firing with 1D3 has taken 6 hits, so does -2 damage. If it rolls 2 damage, this scores 1 hit, not zero. Basically if you score a hit, it has some effect on the target.

(iv) Rifle grenades ignore the cover modifier for shell-holes in the same way they do for trenches (and in the same way grenades treat them).

One more variant is lifted from Jozi's Tin Man blog - the half damage adjustment for trenches does not apply to assaults. A unit in a trench still gets the -3 modifier to hit, but only halves damage from long-ranges fire or firefights.

I have been considering whether to switch to the Core rules for assaults, but I'm not sure about it. In Trench Hammer both units in an assault roll to hit as if they were shooting at each other and score damage if they hit. The highest damage wins the assault, but it's possible for both units to take considerable damage. In Core the two units roll a D6 with modifers, and the difference is the damage the highest scoring unit inflicts on the lowest scoring. Basically only one side takes damage. I prefer this latter method of dishing out damage, but still like the Trench Hammer method of rolling to hit followed by rolling damage. What I'm considering is this:

Both units roll to hit simultaneously.

If neither hits, the assault is a draw. Both units take 1 hit and fight again (which could result in another draw).

If one unit hits, it scores damage on the other, which must then retreat as well.

If both units hit they roll damage. The side which scored the highest damage wins, and inflicts that full amount on the opposing unit. The winner takes half of the damage inflicted by the loser. In the event of a tie on damage, each side inflicts 2 hits on the other, then fights again (including new hit rolls).

Finally I have been looking at the unit profiles for Bombers in relation to Assault squads. It seems to me that Assault squads don't really offer any specific advantage over Bombers. Bombers score a +1 damage in assaults, and can ignore certain cover modifiers, but also count as a normal Rifle squad. An Assault squad is restricted in firing (firefight or assault only) and only scores 1D3 damage if not assaulting. Their one bonus is that they are more likely to score more damage on an opponent in assault combat, although their average damage isn't a lot different from that of Bombers. Basically Bombers are a Rifle squad with something extra, whilst an Assault squad has a limit balanced by something extra. I'm still deciding what extra bonus to give to Assault squads to make them worth using for, well, assaults, instead of Bomber squads. One possibility is to have them count a draw as a win if both units score a hit; this would give them an edge over other types of squad, with only other assault squads forcing them to a draw, which feels right in a way.

Phew! It feels good to get all that off my chest.