VB Lauchers – does anyone use them?

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  • #174562
    Paul Nettle
    Participant

    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.

    #174563
    Master Chief
    Participant

    I 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, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
    #174566
    Paul Nettle
    Participant

    Thanks 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.

    #174583
    Nat
    Participant

    Well 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”

    #174599
    Master Chief
    Participant

    Yes, 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, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
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    #174623
    arcole
    Participant

    Also, 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.

    #174637
    Master Chief
    Participant

    “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, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
    #174656
    Master Chief
    Participant

    And 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, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
    • This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
    • This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
    • This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
    #174662
    Nat
    Participant

    With rifle grenades you can out indirect an Seelow Heights (Soviet) Selector list!

    [6 per platoon – 2 mortars, 2 artillery & 2 SP Guns]

    #174666
    Carl E. Corrado
    Participant

    Hi 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

    #174667
    Nat
    Participant

    In 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

    #174670
    Carl E. Corrado
    Participant

    Nat:

    Thanks, what I was looking for.

    Carl

    #174671
    Master Chief
    Participant

    I 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, 1 month ago by Master Chief.
    #174689
    Carl E. Corrado
    Participant

    Thanks!

    Carl

    #174754
    Paul Nettle
    Participant

    Thanks 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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