ACOG Equipped

[Bob Frapples]

I was looking at some of the scenarios in the main rule book and I notices that for the US troop weapons it specifies “ACOG equipped”.  Why is this?  I don’t see in the rules where there is an advantage having a scope equipped over iron sights.

[maggico]

Probably was an enhancement that is not developed by author.

[madman]

Just looked it up and found the manufacturer’s site. Based on their “claims” I would say the best way to model it in game terms would be to double or triple (maybe more) the optimum range for units so equipped. Thoughts?

[Bob Frapples]

The ACOG is a fixed 4x scope.  It is good at intermediate range but not so good at close or long range.  So in game terms you could double the optimum range for ACOG equipped weapons but in close combat it would suffer a -1 die shift.  Unless the ACOG equipped rifles also have an RMR sight.  How about that?

[madman]

Yea, it’s tough. Lengthening the optimum was not the best approach but best I could think of. The game doesn’t have an easy mechanism for medium ranges, which frankly is the entire table OVER optimum range.

I forget but is there any benefit to scopes in this game?

[Bob Frapples]

The rules don’t specifically say anything about scopes.  However for snipers it does say that “Everything on the table is in Optimum Range for a Sniper.”  Since snipers generally have powerful, long range scopes, then that makes sense considering the small battlefields.  So I guess for ACOGs, as a house rule, I would go with what I proposed above: double optimum range and -1 die shift for CQB.

[maggico]

Bob Frapples wrote:

The rules don’t specifically say anything about scopes. However for snipers it does say that “Everything on the table is in Optimum Range for a Sniper.” Since snipers generally have powerful, long range scopes, then that makes sense considering the small battlefields. So I guess for ACOGs, as a house rule, I would go with what I proposed above: double optimum range and -1 die shift for CQB.

 

I agree

[Jörgen Andreasson]

Late to respond to this but I think it is as much a training thing as anything else… to be honest I don’t think it should effect optimum range at all… I would just treat such teams (more than half have ACOG) as having a DMR. I think it would be the best simulation of the effect of that equipment.

 

I would decide this on a case by case basis…

[Bob Frapples]

A DMR is a pseudo-sniper as reflected in the rules, however in the Sample Organizations and Vehicles section the descriptions distinguish between “ACOG equipped” and “Designated Marksman”.

From page 167 –

USMC Squad*
1 x Squad Leader w/M16A4 (ACOG equipped)
3 x USMC Fireteams
*One rifleman per squad is a Designated Marksman
(DMR) equipped with a SAM-R rifle

And while the rules define what a DMR is, they say nothing about ACOG other than what is on page 37:

“Support Weapons and units with enhanced optics have twice the usual Optimum Range for their Troop Quality.”

So per that, an ACOG should have double the usual Optimum Range.  I guess I missed that before.  So really the only ‘house rule’ part, and I would extend this to DMRs as well, is that they get a -1 die shift in CQB unless they are also equipped with a RMR, offset sight, or similar.

 

 

 

 

[madman]

Thank you for bringing this back up Jorgen and great catch Bob.

[Jörgen Andreasson]

My problem is that ACOG is not really defined and very few squads/fire-teams have every member equipped with them, therefore it is in my opinion to house rule it in some way. I feel the DMR rule make a bit more sense, not that they are “snipers” but the general effect it has…  you can increase the optimum range as well if that is your choice, but I feel it is a bit too powerful in general. In most cases I would likely not give them any special effect at all as too few in each fire-team have them.

[Bob Frapples]

Actually ACOG is defined, though not directly, as I discovered on page 37 where the rules state, ““Support Weapons and units with enhanced optics have twice the usual Optimum Range for their Troop Quality.”  So for the example squad where the squad leader is equipped with an ACOG, if the unit splits fire where the support weapons shoot at one target and the rest shoot at another target, then the squad leader can add their FP dice to the rest of the support weapons since they will all have the same Optimum Range (assuming all TQ is the same).

[Jörgen Andreasson]

Yes… in such an instance I think it is perfectly alright to treat it as Enhanced Sensors if everyone who fire have them equipped.

So the best way is basically to ignore them unless all of individuals that fire on a specific target is equipped with Enhanced Sensors or at leas MORE than half I could agree with as well could be alright.

[Papasan]

Some distant place in my mind recalls there being a +1D fire power for units with optic sighted weapons. I don’t recall where it came from now but it makes some sense with the game mechanics of FOF.
It’s not something I use as most the modern forces have optics of one sort or another and I take it as accounted for within the different Troop Quality/optimum ranges as there’s a lot more to shooting than just the sights fitted to a weapon.
This is an option though. It would give +1D FP over optimum range; an extra one within it  and it could be argued an equipped squad leader could better direct his unit’s fire onto targets for better effect.

[Author]

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