Realistic Artillery Management - FOO Rule

[RERomine]

1. FOO and A0 HQ may control artillery.

1b.Company commanders may control up to a platoon of mortars that are attached to their company.

Otherwise you could buy artillery assets, attach them to your five companies and effectively have 6 FOOs.

How can you verify that a company commander is observing for only their organic assets? Or for that matter, how can you tell the spotting unit isn't some other zero unit? The only thing that can really be verified is that the number of called fire missions doesn't exceed the number of FOOs. Beyond that, there is no way to tell who the observer is.

2. Only one target ‘sheaf’ per controller may be plotted at a time. You cannot start another ‘sheaf’ until the first is cancelled.

Personally, I think making batteries stay in the same sheaf will add an additional layer of complexity that I’m trying to avoid. I see the realism of the suggestion, but IRL didn't troops - not batteries - always had the same fire mission?

If I'm understanding you, what you mean is if the original call is a linear sheaf and you shift it, it should still a linear sheaf. I've thought of that too, but understand the additional complexity.

3. FOO may plot a sheaf by targeting guns within 2 hexes of any other plot.
FOO can cluster his guns, plot them in a line, a circle and even a curve, as long as each plot is within 100m of any of his other plots.

Do we limit the size of a sheaf? IMO, this adds complexity and doesn’t add realism. Sheaf sizes are already limited by the amount of artillery you have on call.

I would just keep it at "within 2 hexes" and forget the geometric shapes. If someone wants to drop arty and spell their name, as long as the plots are within 2 hexes of another, I would allow it. Just my 2 cents on that.

4. Whenever a controller chooses to correct, ‘creep’ or adjust fire, he must plot his guns according to rule number 3.

Is this an issue:

A. Controller does not have to adjust his plots.

OR

B. Controller must adjust his plots every turn to make sure they abide by rule 3.

Not sure on this. We can tell where the artillery was intended to fall, but we also know how the it scatters around. How about making it conform if they choose to adjust? That puts it in the middle of your two options.

5. Plots may be dropped or added to the sheaf at any time. As long as the sheaf continues to abide by rule number 3.

This will keep it simple; and if a controller is only overseeing one sheaf he should be able to handle artillery coming on or off line.

Dropping would be as easy as telling certain guns to cease fire, so that makes sense. I would think adding would be realistically more complex. Sounds like that would be more along the lines of a new fire mission, even if they are hitting the same location. Again, my 2 cents.