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Another question!

We have four sessions under our belts, with two fights so far. We're beginning to get a handle on the rules. The combat so far have really been quick volleys, and I'm looking forward to making them a bit more interesting, using the rules to greater effect.

With this in mind, I finally put my finger on something that had been bothering me, but that I hadn't sorted out until just now:

When an encounter occurs, how do you know where to place the units? Both the PCs and the NPCs?

I know there is a table to tell me the distance between the two sides. But since terrain, flanking of cover, and limited movement matter in this game, it seems as if where units are when drawing initiate is going to be a big deal. I might have missed it in the rules, but if the PCs are marching cross-country, and you pull out the combat map, where do you actually place them? How do you know where to place them? How do you know where to place them? And the reverse: independent of distance (which, again, is determined randomly) how do you know where to place the NPCs for the encounter.

How do people here handle this? Is there something obvious I'm missing? Or is there a bit of an at to it?

Also, how many maps do you usually put down? Obviously distance of encounter will affect this. But I’m curious about whether the game is better if you build a tighter tactical area, or give more space.

Thanks!

I usually use about two battle maps for an encounter. Where I place the NPCs in the encounter depends on who discovered who first and what the NPCs and PCs where doing at the time.

Set the scene in your mind ... how does it start?

One side is "doing something" when encountered by the other side also "doing something"

How do both sides react to the start of an encounter?

The first decision I would make is "how do you expect each side to try to *end* the encounter?"

Now, consider what steps each side would likely take for the first 3 rounds of the fight ... trying to reach that goal.

Round one: Positioning - taking cover, grabbing a piece of high ground, close up formations, etc.

Round two: the most valuable persons take their best shots for most effect

Round three: try to achieve the goal - whatever that is

While these articles were written for fantasy RPG in mind, the concepts apply to modern games like T2K or sci-fi games too.

The full idea and examples for the "3 Round Combat Plan" are available in the Roleplaying Tips archive:
https://www.roleplayingtips.com/combat/ ... ts-part-i/
https://www.roleplayingtips.com/combat/ ... s-part-ii/

Hopefully this helps put some story and strategy around your encounters.

Different forces have different tactics/training and postures.

"small unit tactics" searching on google can pull up lots of resources

U.S.
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs ... -WEB-1.pdf
For instance, talks about expectation of enemy contact, if not likely then normal traveling, if possible then by traveling overwatch, and if expected, then by bounding overwatch.

Soviet operations and tactics
https://irp.fas.org/doddir/army/fm100-2-1.pdf

videos:
Fireteam Wedge - FOOM Pt.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VTeL1v ... 1D847CFFDD

Motostrelki '22: Russian Infantry Tactics & Structure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=felcqDnfrGA

Squad Movement Formations & Techniques [which gives good animation examples of the traveling/bounding overwatch]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKRues4Fwrk

I always get the PCs to tell me their marching order when heading out, so that's sorted.

And I find that I usually have a good grasp of how the encounter cards play out (but I do have military experience, that might help).
There's a lot of excellent material to read and watch further up in the thread, but the simple version is here: Marauder roadblock? A vehicle and some logs across the road, everyone behind facing the most likely approach. Military roadblock? Sand bags and vehicles in the road, the approach will be a short zig-zag between obstacles, forcing approaching traffic to slow down. There will be an area where vehicles can be searched, and a separate area where the occupants of said vehicles will wait.

To make it simple, just say that when you meet a patrol along the road, they are strung out, with a scout a bit further ahead than the rest. If they are encountered in the countryside, put them in a "V" formation.

Make all ambushes simple "L" shaped affairs, with the machine guns on the short leg facing down the direction of travel, and riflemen placed along the long long facing the side of the direction of travel. If mines are available, they will be placed everywhere the enemy will likely go when trying to escape the ambush.