Real-world squad level tactics in D&D?

[Arravis]

My lovely wife wants to learn some of the basics on squad tactics... her new character has training as a soldier, but neither she nor I know much about it. Are there any old Dragon magazine articles or anything like that which deal with it? Any resources or opinions would be welcome, thanks guys!

-Arravis

 

[UngainlyTitan]

My lovely wife wants to learn some of the basics on squad tactics... her new character has training as a soldier, but neither she nor I know much about it. Are there any old Dragon magazine articles or anything like that which deal with it? Any resources or opinions would be welcome, thanks guys!

-Arravis

Squal level tactics is really a modern war conception that developed because of the devestating effectiveness of modern weaponary.

Given that wizards have limited magic ranges to 20 squares (1000 feet ) or just over 330 yards. That makes D&D magic user slightly more effective than Napoleonic musketry. And a good bit less effective than cannon in the same era.

So given those parameters, here would be my guesses at the tactics of D&D armies.

My guess that mobile use of rangers and wizards as skirmishing troops to disrupt heavy infantry formation, while trying to stop the other guys skirmish troops from doing the same to your guys while the heavy infantry manouver to charge range. Light cavalry would also be used in a similar role. Now that I think of it since wizards are likely to be a scarce resource then I would put the war wizards in the light cavalry where their mobility gives you the most use out of them. The foot skirmishers would be longbow or crossbow troops depending on culture and mostly rangers.

So the typical battle might look like a cross between Napoleonic and pre-gunpowder battle field.

The main weight of the armies would be armoured infantry and heavy armoured cavalry with light cavalry and infantry attempting to screen the movement of the heavies behind them and disrupt the movement of the enemy.

So what your wife's character would be like would depend on wether she was in the heavies or lights.
I presume she is a fighter so the heavies. In that case her basic training was to fight shoulder to shoulder with her comrades. How exactly that would go would depend on the kind of army she was in. Did they use pikes like the medieval Swiss or Alexanders Macedonians or shields and short swords like the Romans.

As for resources, can't think of any right now. Movies generally get it wrong once the formations come in to contact, almost always showing the fighting breaking down to individual duels.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Given that wizards have limited magic ranges to 20 squares (1000 feet )

20 squares is only a measly 100ft! (unless you use 50ft squares, I suppose )

cheers

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think as a soldier, the kind of environment fought in might actually look very similar to modern house-to-house combat - everyone has effective missile weapons, and there could be a huge amount of guerrilla warfare going on.

So googling a few references for 'squad tactics' can provide some useful basic reading on things people do today which would make sense for dungeon adventurers too.

e.g.

Infantry Squad Tactics has interesting general considerations for house-to-house fighting

Infantry tactics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Small unit tactics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia are interesting in the reference it makes to the way that snipers, skirmishers, heavy weapons etc. all work together in a squad i.e. the strikers, the defenders, the controllers in 4e terms.

Cheers

 

[mmadsen]

Squad level tactics is really a modern war conception that developed because of the devastating effectiveness of modern weaponry.

Exactly. Before the Great War, soldiers needed to work en masse to concentrate enough firepower to have much effect.

That makes D&D magic user slightly more effective than Napoleonic musketry. And a good bit less effective than cannon in the same era.

Wizards have tremendous rate of fire and accuracy compared to Napoleonic musketry and artillery. Imagine what one semi-automatic grenade-launcher could do to a Napoleonic infantry or cavalry unit.

 

[Belisarius]

Some links

Arravis, pre-gunpowder small-unit tactics were only a little different to modern small-unit tactics, although it must be said that there is a greater difference in the tactics used at higher levels.

A good introduction to modern small-unit tactics is http://wojtyna.com/Downloads/Fieldcraft/Fieldcraft%20Revision%20Booklet.pdf

which is probably very, very similar to medieval small-unit tactics, except with machineguns instead of bows etc. etc.

One manual that saw a lot of use in the medieval period is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Re_Militari

Another is the Strategikon of Maurice -
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/strategikon/strategikon.htm


Realism is not always fun, and may not work well in-game. Roleplaying game systems, like Hollywood, generally deemphasise realism in favour of dramatic, 'cinematic' combat.

 

[roguerouge]

There's a whole essay on this topic in Heroes of Battle. It's pretty focused on inspiration and its battle points system applies to any system, so I'd recommend it as a purchase in this specific instance.

 

[Herobizkit]

Amusingly enough, I used "movie" squad-style tactics with my group (as a Solo player controlling a group) when I ran through the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil.

Common tactic:
Fighter/Rogue checks for traps; if none, checks for locks; opens door
Wizard lobs in Fireball; F/R uses Wand of Fireball
Ranger and Paladin roll in and clean up
F/R and Favored Soul move in next; FS melees alongside Paladin or helps Rogue flank
Wizard "snipers" any spellcasters and is generally "crowd control"

Good times in that adventure. It somehow felt more guerrilla to me than standard dungeon romps.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Real world squad-level tactics? Try FM 7-8, The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad.

 

[Krensky]

It's interesting stuff to read, but due to the abstract nature of combat in d20 it doesn't really get you anything. Only a double envelopment gets you flanking bonuses, enfilade isn't recognized (and would loose a of of it's advantage since we don't track misses), etc. Most of this stuff just gets wrapped up in a few bonuses or a surprise round.

There are things that make them more applicable, but they tend to be very GM fiat (giving initiative and attack bonuses for good position, preparation or planning), covered already (adding traps to an ambush to cut of retreat from the kill zone), or require a Tactics skill or it's equivalent, along with a place to use it. 4e doesn't really have one, although 3.X could probably borrow the ambush check from SpyCraft 2.0 pretty easily.