Firepower of machine guns in FNG

[thebigandyt]

Slowly pulling a platoon each of VC and US for FNG and getting the rules in my head. Have I missed something about the effectiveness of a mmg, it seems to be just as effective as a lmg with regards to range and targets. Also a LmG is only marginally more deadlier than a M16 with only one more target, 4 to 5 but is probable worse if moved.

Maybe this is historically accurate between firepower of M60 and M16 but I would have thought sustained firepower would have counted for more.

Then also weirdly a hmg is less effective than a mmg. Although can harm an apc?

I'm wondering should I bump up the Targets number or stick something in damage or shooting table

[Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy]

Nov 9, 2020 19:12:15 GMT thebigandyt said:

Slowly pulling a platoon each of VC and US for FNG and getting the rules in my head. Have I missed something about the effectiveness of a mmg, it seems to be just as effective as a lmg with regards to range and targets. Also a LmG is only marginally more deadlier than a M16 with only one more target, 4 to 5 but is probable worse if moved.

Maybe this is historically accurate between firepower of M60 and M16 but I would have thought sustained firepower would have counted for more.

Then also weirdly a hmg is less effective than a mmg. Although can harm an apc?

I'm wondering should I bump up the Targets number or stick something in damage or shooting table

I feel good on the stats as the folks that wrote or were involved in the rules also served there. But it is your game, so make whatever changes work for you. Just be sure to let other players know about the changes before the game starts.

[arkangilos]

Nov 9, 2020 19:12:15 GMT thebigandyt said:

Slowly pulling a platoon each of VC and US for FNG and getting the rules in my head. Have I missed something about the effectiveness of a mmg, it seems to be just as effective as a lmg with regards to range and targets. Also a LmG is only marginally more deadlier than a M16 with only one more target, 4 to 5 but is probable worse if moved.

Maybe this is historically accurate between firepower of M60 and M16 but I would have thought sustained firepower would have counted for more.

Then also weirdly a hmg is less effective than a mmg. Although can harm an apc?

I'm wondering should I bump up the Targets number or stick something in damage or shooting table

I think, personally, do something in the damage table.

[atomicfloozy]

From limited personal experience, I can only speak about the Marine Corps & from 1972-1974, anyway outside of firing range demonstrations, the only HMGs I ever saw were all vehicle mounted. I got to fire a .50 cal once, at one of the demonstrations, the guys got a kick at watching our BAM butts scoot on the ground from the recoil. The .50 cal seemed to have a slower ROF than the M60, but certainly did more damage to the targets. At the time I was in, the M60 filled the role of both LMG & MMG.

I never got to fire a M60, but did get to fire a M14, M16 & Colt .45 in addition to the .50 cal. Marine doctrine has long been that every man is a rifleman, & even though women weren't allowed in combat roles, they weren't shy about teaching us how to pull the trigger.

[jgregory]

Nov 9, 2020 19:12:15 GMT thebigandyt said:

I'm wondering should I bump up the Targets number or stick something in damage or shooting table

I went the other way, and dropped the M16 to Target 3, because, in my mind at least, it isn't 33% better than an AK47. I actually started doing this in my Afghanistan games - Target 3 seemed a neat fit with the 3-round-burst option of the M4 Carbine - and got so used to it that I just carried on with it in FNG (despite the M16s/M16A1s used in Nam not having a 3RB). It also helps to make more of a functional distinction between the M16 and the MMG.

As for the M2 HMG, I give it a +1 bonus when rolling on the Shooting Damage chart against troops (so, OD on a 6 or 7) to try to model the power of that massive round whilst keeping the slower ROF of Target 4.

As always, go with what feels right to you.

[Ed the Two Hour Wargames Guy]

This is a great example of how you can tweak THW rules to fit. Thanks all for sharing.