RAPID FIRE

This page is dedicated to the Rapid Fire set of rules , it is an unofficial
page and carries no promotional information , just reviews and players ideas .

There is a Rapid Fire listserv at RapidFire@onelist.com , 
just go this site and follow the instructions . 

Any questions/comments to be forwarded to rapidefire@aol.com 

Introduction ;
'Rapid Fire' is a  set of  World War Two rules published by  Stratagem  and costs  £9.95  . 
It is a simple set of rules with high playability . although it takes quite a lot 
of getting used to , if you are a hardened Command decision player . 

Rapid Fire's main attraction is that a good game can be achieved in an afternoon or 
evening , and is in the category often refered to as a beer and pretzels game .

Rapid Fire is best played with 20mm figures unless your eyesight is exceptional .

Another of its attractions is that it is fairly flexible and can be tweaked
to players satisfaction , indeed 'Rapid Fire'  is one of the most amended set
of rules I've come across .

The basics are that infantry are represented as 1 figure equals 15 men ,
and vehicles/guns have 1 model equals 5 tanks or weapons . No ground scale
is given , vehicles are classified as types each with a speed classification
( slow , medium , fast) , armour classification ( A to F )  and gun type  ( 1 to 6 ) .

However , the figure/vehicle scale can be altered to any you prefer , the system works
just as well with a 1:10 or 1;1 figure scale . 

RAPID FIRE SUPPLEMENTS :
OFFICIAL  
Operation Market Garden - official £10.00
First supplement; NW Europe 44/45 - £8.95
Second supplement ; Russian front - £12.95
Third supplement ; scenarios for the Russian Front £10.00
up & coming - Fourth supplement - the Early War 1939/40 128 pages +++
UNOFFICIAL
Rompan El Fuego - The Spanish Civil war for Rapid Fire £5.50
Peace in War - for games post 1945 £3.50
Pusan To Panmunjon , The Korean war 1950 - 1953 - A wargamers Guide by Mark Hannam ( contact Mhannam@aol.com) 
Rapid forces  - part one £8.95
Rapid forces -  part two £8.95

Origins .
This may be slightly controversial , The rules are similar to those used
by Peter Gilder some years ago , and to which resemble a set of rules called ' Angriff' used
by gamers in London some 30 years ago . The rules themselves as they are
, are based on  the set used by the Grimsby wargames club .

Rapid Fire weaknesses ;
There are several weaknesses in the rules that  really annoy me .
1) There are no command and control  rules ,
2) There are no rules for a resolution of close combat/melee ,
3) In each move a player is allowed to move and fire or fire and move- for
me this tends to cause endless cheating and unfairplay - it is of course
highly unrealistic (it has more relevance when playing ultra moderns and
tanks can fire on the move without detriment ) ,
4) Infantry combat is terribly unrealistic - an infantry company is basically
always treated as 8 figures with the same firepower unless it is elite ,
regular or poor .

The conclusion of the above is that all these problems can be easily solved
, and I am keen to see how others overcome these and other problems .

RAPID FIRE SUPPLEMENTAL
RULES

1)SPECULATIVE FIRE

2 TYPES : BARRAGE FIRE AND SUPPRESSION FIRE

1)BARRAGE FIRE (INDIRECT)
TO REPLACE THE PRE GAME BOMBARDMENT RULE WHICH IS TOO VAGUE

UNITS ALLOWED;
ANY  ARTILLERY ( NOT MORTARS) BATTERY ( NOT SINGLE WEAPON) GREATER THAN 75MM .

THE UNIT  FIRING  MUST SPECIFY THE FOLLOWING;
a) THE TURN FIRING IS TO COMMENCE
b) HOW MANY MOVES THE FIRING WILL LAST . 
c) THE TARGET MUST BE IN THE FORM A MAP REFERENCE OR GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE ( HILL/WOOD ETC )  . ONLY 1 TARGET PER BATTERY .

2) SUPPRESSION FIRE (INDIRECT) DOES NOT APPLY TO AIRCRAFT

A WEAPON ( HMG/AUTOCANNON/AFV- HE) WITH LOS MAY FIRE AT A GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE OR 
BUILDING /WALL  (THIS MAY HAVE TO BE DONE IN CONSULTATION WITH THE UMPIRE). 

EFFECTS 
THE 9 BOX FALL OF FIRE  TEMPLATE IS USED - IF  INFANTRY OR MAN CREWED WEAPONS 
ARE HIT THEN THEY ARE SUBJECT TO AN IMMEDIATE MORALE TEST .  




 
2)COMMAND & CONTROL RULES 

Each units default  order status is 'defend'  . Except for artillery units which are
always on defend orders . 

For a unit to act it needs orders . An order may be issued to the battalion as a 
whole or orders maybe split through down to company level .


Battalion HQ 
can take 3 of the following before the start of the game 

take objective card - player must specify objective on card
rally card 
attack/counter attack card
retreat/withdraw card

Regimental HQ
can take 7 of the following types of cards before the start of the game . 
objective card - specify on card
rally card
attack/counter attack card
retreat/withdraw card

A commander may wish to change a units orders at the start of a turn -
to do so he must : 

Dice roll to change orders :(reflect communication skills)
USA 1+
BRITISH/COMMONWEALTH 2+
GERMAN 2+
RUSSIAN 2+
ITALIAN 3+
FRENCH 3+
JAPAN 3+
OTHERS 3+

AMENDMENTS;
DOWNGRADE ONE LEVEL = 
PARATROOP FORCES ONCE DROPPED BEHIND ENEMY LINES - 
E.G British paras at Arnhem change orders on a 3+ , 

CIVILIAN FORCES ( HOME GUARD, VOLKSTURM ETC.) . 

ANY FORCES INVOLVED IN BEACHHEAD AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION . 

PINNED UNITS .

ANY UNITS FIGHTING IN JUNGLE CONDITIONS .

IF THE HQ UNIT HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO AN ARTILLERY BARRAGE IN THE PREVIOUS TURN . 


NOTES - 

The first order card is free - i.e no dice roll needed .

Distances
Battalion HQ ; all its sub units must be within within 24" 
allows a frontage  of 48" (2 2 feet  tiles) if HQ in centre.  

Regimental HQ;  It would issue orders 'down the line' to battalion HQs therefore the 
battalion HQ units only need to be within 36" for the same reasons above. 


 Once an objective is taken it must be held for at least one move . 
i.e the unit must revert to defend - ( still needs to roll 1d6 to change ) 

To change orders - takes one full move .

If  the HQ unit is lost all its cards are removed . therefore units exist on defend                ( default ) orders , until a friendly HQ or higher unit HQ takes command . 

An objective card must be handed to the umpire if present . 

Signal flares.  Issued by a battalion or regt HQ - The use of flares allows
standard Defend to Attack, Attack to Defend, Defend to Withdraw order to be issued 
to the whole front by the use of flare pistols 

BUT each unit must role D6 to see and act on the flare? 
2+ and they can respond.

Flares are best suited to early 20th century conflicts such as WW1 and where 
large amounts of infantry are present ( Chinese in North Korea ) .


3)CLOSE COMBAT

Close combat can occur in Rapid Fire and on the few occasions when it does it should
 prove decisive . The basic rule set does not  effectively provide for  this , and 
although warfare post 1939 did not feature large close combat actions it does need 
to be accounted for . 
Especially when the rules are  used outside North West Europe in theatres 
like the Far East , and when adapting Rapid Fire for other twentieth century conflicts 
such as the First World war . 

The Rules 

Close combat takes place after  all  movement has been completed.
This is for infantry or cavalry units that have moved into base to base contact 
with other  figures , combat may also take place where figures are in contact 
but divided by  a wall or  hedge . 

NOTE:
Combat is resolved by assessing the factors involved , each figure has the 
following points ;

each non sword carrying figures +1
each sword/sabre +2
cavalry lance  +3
each CO figure  +2
each cavalryman against infantryman +1
each defender in trench/foxhole/semi prepared position +1
each man  pinned  -2
each man  retreating -2
if  elite  +1
units advancing up hill -1
units charging downhill + 2 
each figure moving against a stationary figure +1 
cavalry charging into base to base contact +2 (  ignore the above)  
defender protected by cover ( hedge/wall etc) +2
attack from the rear +1  (to the attacker )


The total figure is added together for both sides.

Results:
The total difference between the two is taken. This figure is then divided by two and 
this amount of figures taken from the losers infantry/cavalry .
If the result has a fraction in it round it up to the nearest whole number. 
Example ; 8 Moroccan cavalry  with swords move into contact with a  stationary 
anarchist militia unit behind a hedge ( 6 figures )  with rifles  . 
The Moroccans get  ; 16 sword  pts + 8 cavalry points + 8 moving points = 32pts
The militia get ;  6 rifle ( non sword )  points + 12 cover points = 18 pts

32 - 18  = 14 , 14 Divided by 2 = 7  , the militia would loose 7  figures . 

The result would have been different if the anarchists had 
fired using the reserve fire rule . But that's Anarchists for you . 

If the defenders had survived they may fire as normal in the fire phase , 
as may the attacker's - however your own men will be vulnerable in such a 
confusing environment - throw another 1d6 - on a roll of 1 the casualties 
inflicted are your own men . 

note
cavalry - no cavalry units may fire as mounted figures - they should always dismount 
the exception to this rule being  Cossacks . 

Special rules  for close assault

1) Board stationary armoured trains.

Infantry units may close assault stationary armoured trains. Providing there is 
access for infantry  units they may attempt to board.
They have to spend 1 move trying to break in.They may then enter and close assault 
the occupants  . Defenders get +1 to their close combat score.

WARGAMES CLUBS PLAYING RAPID FIRE 

IF YOUR CLUB INDULGES SEND ME YOUR DETAILS AND I'LL ADD YOU TO THE LIST ;

KINGSTON GAMES CLUB 
WHERE;Willoughby Pub - Kingston on Thames 
WHEN; Sunday's  at 3/4PM 

Molesey games group;
Where ; near Hampton Court station on Sunday afternoons at about 4pm .
contact rapidefire@aol.com for details 


TRING WARGAMES CLUB 


SHEPWAY WARGAMES CLUB 

Bognor Regis wargames club .