COMBAT MANEUVER TESTS

Combat Maneuver Tests are based on the standard teamwork skill listed on p. 49, SR5. Before
any combat maneuvers are attempted, the team will have to designate a leader to order and/or
coordinate the maneuver. The leader in this case will be the primary roller for the test with the
rest of the team contributing. To perform a Combat Maneuver Test, the designated leader needs
to have the Small Unit Tactics Knowledge skill. They roll a Small Unit Tactics + Intuition Test.
Any team members who also have the Small Unit Tactics skill can join on a teamwork test (or
they can default on the test, making an Intuition – 1 Test), making a roll and applying their hits
per the teamwork tests rule. The team leader may use their Leadership skill to direct one team
member per maneuver as described on p. 142, SR5). Ordering a Combat Maneuver can be done
by verbal command, which is a Free Action. The Combat Maneuver Test is also a Free Action,
and the success counts for an entire Combat Turn. A new Combat Maneuver Test is needed in
subsequent turns if teams wish to continue the bonus. If the team is not familiar with the
maneuver they are going to attempt and require extra explanation to familiarize themselves with
what they are doing, the leader must spend a Complex Action passing on the necessary
instructions before the Combat Maneuver Test can occur. As always, normal limits apply. Each
maneuver has a specific number of successes required for completion. All bonuses are granted
immediately. All team members performing a combat maneuver must wait to act at the same
time during an Initiative Pass. If the Combat Maneuver Test fails, then each member of the team
involved in the maneuver is considered to be out of position, and they receive a negative penalty
equal to the bonus normally granted on Defense Tests for that Initiative Pass. If a team member
rolls a glitch but the maneuver still succeeds, only that team member is considered out of
position and suffers the penalty. A critical glitch by any team member automatically causes the
maneuver to fail, and in this case it is bungled so badly that the penalties last until the end of the
current Combat Turn, not just until the end of the Initiative Pass. Maneuvers can be countered in
two ways. The first is to simply maneuver before the opposition during the combat pass and take
out key elements of the maneuver before it can be completed. The second is to counter-maneuver
by making an opposed Small Unit Tactics roll to identify the maneuver and then act to disrupt it.
The winner in the opposed test is considered to have completed the maneuver first and has
sufficiently disrupted the opposing team/unit. This can only be done if both of the opposing
teams go on the same initiative score.
COMBAT MANEUVER STEPS
1. Designate “Leader” for test
2. Leader rolls Small Unit Tactics + Intuition
3. Team members roll; normal Teamwork rules apply
4. Tally hits and compare with number required to complete maneuver
5. Apply bonuses if maneuver successfully completed or apply necessary penalties
SMALL UNIT TACTICS
KNOWLEDGE SKILL
Small Unit Tactics skill governs the understanding and utilization of maneuvers and methods
specific to small-group actions during combat. It specifically covers fire and maneuver in combat
by using maneuvers and formations and can be used to determine beneficial or negative
consequences of specific maneuvers/tactics such as cover and concealment. This skill can also be
used to recognize any tactics/maneuvers used by an opposing force.
Default: Yes (Intuition)
Skill Group: None
Specializations (By terrain/environment): Arctic, Desert, Forrest, Jungle, Mountains, and Urban
BOUNDING OVERWATCH (R&G)
Successes required: 4
Description:
This is the classic leapfrog maneuver used when a unit must move while under fire. This can be
used as both an offensive or defensive maneuver. It involves one combatant providing cover or
suppressive fire to pin down enemy combatants from a protected position (see p. 179, SR5) as
other members of her team move to another position. This process is repeated, with team
members alternating roles, until either the objective is achieved or the team is clear of the
engagement area. Note that locating sufficient cover is recommended while attempting this
maneuver, but is not necessary.
Benefits:
If suppression fire is successful, the moving elements of the team/unit receive a +3 bonus to
defensive actions while any enemy combatants receive a –3 penalty for any offensive actions.
COORDINATED EFFORT (SL)
Hits required: 3
Description:
Sometimes a vehicle crew, runner team, or military combat unit has worked with or trained
enough with one another that they can anticipate each other’s moves and know exactly how
everyone will react under a stressful and or combat situation. It’s this familiarity that allows for
enhanced coordination during combat situations or when the drek hits the fan and the team needs
to start putting fire down-range or when the team decides to spill some blood with melee
weapons. To execute Coordinated Effort, a team simply has to plan their actions out before
enacting them and then be successful on the Small-Unit Tactics test. The coordinating unit/team
must still hold actions and go on the same initiative.
Benefits:
+2 to all ranged attack dice pool bonuses. If used by a vehicle crew, pilots/drivers also receive a
+2 dice pool bonus to their piloting tests in addition to any other bonuses.
COUNTER PEAL (R&G)
Successes Required: 5
Description:
A fighting retreat designed to allow a smaller unit to withdraw from an engagement with a larger
enemy force. The team forms a sloped or diagonal battle line so that each member has a clear
field of fire and one end of the line is closer to the enemy than the other. The team member
closest to the enemy withdraws under cover of suppressive fire from the rest of the team and
takes up a fire position a not far behind the last team member. The process repeats the team
member closest to the enemy moving to be farthest away along the direction of retreat under
cover of her teammates’ suppressive fire—until the team is out of the engagement zone. (Note,
the realities of combat may prevent the initial formation of a straight line, but the principle
remains the same.) To accomplish this maneuver, each team member must be able to take some
kind of ranged offensive action during execution.
Benefits:
+2 for all Defense Tests
CROSSFIRE (R&G)
Successes required: 6
Description: This maneuver consists of placing two elements of the team into separate positions
from which both can envelope a single target from two different directions. The team leader must
first identify suitable locations for his people to take up firing positions (solo Small Group
Tactics + Intuition Test, Simple Action). The second step is maneuvering the team members into
those positions (normal Combat Maneuver Test). This can be done either before combat as part
of an ambush, or during combat as a tactical maneuver.
Benefits:
Attackers on the team receive a +3 attack bonus.
DIAMOND FORMATION (R&G)
Successes required: 4
Description:
The Diamond Formation is employed by teams of four and used defensively when moving
through an open area of unknown potential danger. It is also used when the team is searching for
a target/objective. The Diamond makes 360 degrees of overlapping fields of view and fire
possible—enabling quick assessment of and response to incoming threats. The classic Diamond
formation has the leader at the forward-most point of the diamond, a tail at the point directly
behind her, and two other team members at the diamond’s left and right points halfway between
them. Larger groups can use modifications of the Diamond, such as placing additional team
members along the sides or at the points of the Diamond. It’s also common to use the Diamond
formation as a defensive perimeter around whatever’s being protected—client, wounded,
objective—at the center. A team in Diamond formation doesn’t have to waste time turning; the
lead simply transfers to the point nearest the new direction of travel. Obviously the Diamond
formation is not well adapted to narrow settings such as hallways and impossible to use when
terrain forces the team to move single-file.
Benefits:
+1 bonus against any surprise/ambush checks, +2 on Initiative roll
DOG PILE (R&G)
Successes required: varies
Description:
A favorite of gangs who want to put the beat-down on larger metatypes or formidable
individuals, the Dog Pile looks like a mad rush but is in fact a tightly coordinated physical attack.
The group swarms their intended victim, focused on disabling his or her extremities (thus, most
common defensive moves simply make their targets easier to hit). Once the target is immobilized
or brought down, the attackers strike vital areas until the target is neutralized. This maneuver is
slightly different than others in its execution.
Benefits:
For every 3 successes (rounded down) the leader makes in their Small Unit Tactics roll, team
members receive number +1 to their attack bonus.
DYNAMIC ENTRY, STANDARD (R&G)
Successes required: 4
Description:
First developed by law-enforcement tactical response teams for use against barricaded subjects
and/or in hostage situations, the standard Dynamic Entry tactic is to suddenly fill a confined area
with overwhelming force and neutralize the threat. In a rare case of military adapting law
enforcement tactics, the Dynamic Entry has become commonplace in small-scale, urban military
actions. With Dynamic entry the team first “stacks up” outside the entrance(s) to the confined
and/ or barricaded position, out of sight of their target. On signal they enter fast—it takes
planning, choreography, and above all practice, practice, practice to be able to get a team through
a narrow opening and overwhelm opponents in a confined area without everyone tripping all
over each other. Standard practice is for the team to go through in pairs, breaking left and right as
they cross the threshold, until everyone is through. If a door must be breached, the “door kicker”
blasts it with shaped charges or specialized ammo and the first pair go through before the smoke
clears. (It’s not uncommon to send in drones or spirits as the first pair of team members.) As each
pair enters, the team spreads along the perimeter of the room so each has a clear field of fire. The
team leader is responsible for assigning positions in the line and selecting which direction they
go in. The last team member who opened the door secures the entrance.
Benefits:
If the attacking team breaches before they are seen by defenders, they receive a +3 attack
modifier. If their approach and breach is known, the bonus is only +1.
DYNAMIC ENTRY, “CHUCK AND CHARGE” (R&G)
Successes required: 4
Description:
This is the Dynamic Entry with explosives. Before the first pair crosses the threshold, the door
kicker deploys an explosive device—i.e., pitches a grenade—into the room (normal Throwing
Weapons Test applies). The team then waits for the device to detonate before breaching.
Depending on the explosive device used, this can have dire consequences if not performed
properly.
Benefits:
Same as the standard dynamic entry, but with any added benefits of the explosive device.
FIRE SHIELD (R&G)
Successes required: see description
Description:
A variation of the old “Shoot and Scoot” artillery tactic, Fire Shield involves using long range
artillery fire (grenades, rockets, mortars, offensive magic, etc.) and “walking” it toward a target
or objective. As an offensive maneuver, members of the team/unit follow the fire shield in,
mopping up any remaining enemies. It can be used as a defensive maneuver when an enemy
force is close to a friendly position. Artillery fire is deployed behind enemy positions and then
walked forward until the enemy force is neutralized or when it comes too close to a friendly
position. This is a risky maneuver because to complete it, the team members deploying the
artillery fire must succeed on an attack roll, with teamwork help from those walking it forward.
A glitch will always require a grenade scatter test to see how close the weapon comes to team
members, while a critical glitch drops artillery fire right on the heads of friendly forces.
Benefits:
+4 for all friendly forces maneuvering under the shield, –2 for all enemy actions because of
combined artillery and regular fire.
INDIRECT FIRE (SL)
Hits required: 4/5
Description:
Sometimes, it’s just not feasible for whatever reason to engage a target directly. One could be
pinned down by enemy fire behind cover, or the element(s) of your team/group with the big guns
or heavy ordnance can’t get a clear line of sight. Indirect Fire is the classic tactic where one
combat element spots for another, designating a target or a set of geographic coordinates for
heavier weapons to target and hopefully eliminate. Note that Indirect Fire is for use by ground
forces only and can only be used by heavy weapons such as grenades, mortars, rockets, and
assault cannons (which become mini-artillery pieces). Vehicles with such weapons or other
heavy weapons can also employ this maneuver. Completing the maneuver requires two elements,
the spotter and the shooter. The spotter must first have some way of viewing or observing the
target and the ability to communicate the target’s location with the shooter. A simple way to spot
is to use a PI-TAC system to designate the target by GPS coordinates. For this, the spotter will
simply need to make a Perception + Intuition [Mental] test. However, if the situation doesn’t
allow for any wireless systems, spotters can do it the old-fashioned way with a map and some
good optics. In this situation, the spotter will need to succeed at a Navigation + Intuition
[Mental] test with difficulty set by the gamemaster to figure out the grid coordinates. Doing it
this way increases the maneuver’s success threshold by one.
Benefits:
Dice pool penalties for blind fighting by attacking elements (shooters) becomes –2
MARCHING FIRE (R&G)
Successes required: 6
Description:
This tactic is straightforward: The team maneuvers as a unit towards a objective, laying down
suppressive fire as they advance. When the team is close enough to the objective, the steady
advance becomes a charge. In most military situations, this is accompanied by either artillery or
heavy weapons support and is used as a final push against an objective. The serious drawback to
this tactic from a small unit standpoint is it was designed for use by military forces with lots of
expendable personnel available. The Marching Fire maneuver requires you leave any cover
behind, counting on the volume of your suppressive fire to keep the enemy from shooting you.
Obviously fully automatic weapons are best for this maneuver. At one time firing while
advancing greatly reduced accuracy, but with modern technology this is no longer a significant
factor. The team leader doesn’t coordinate in this maneuver much beyond designating the target
and giving the order.
Benefits:
+4 for all attack rolls with semi-auto, burstfire, or fully automatic firearms.
PAINT THE TARGET (SL)
Hits required: 4
Description:
Similar to the Indirect Fire maneuver, Paint the Target is meant to assist aircraft with attacking
their respective targets. When it comes to aerial strikes, factors such as environmental conditions
and target identification play a crucial role, because time-on-station is limited and aircraft are
vulnerable to ground-to-air weaponry. Even modern, state-of-the art guidance systems can’t
handle every situation and need spotters on the ground to assist, especially when a target’s
location hasn’t been confirmed. In these situations, a ground force needs to identify the target
and relay that information back to the attacking aircraft. This can be done by different methods
including, but not limited to: attaching RFID tags, using a low-powered low-light laser, or in
some cases using literal paint. Whatever method is employed, the spotters will paint the target
without being detected. Gamemasters may call for appropriate Sneaking tests to accomplish this.
If the spotter can accomplish this and then relay/ coordinate this information back to the
attacking aircraft, then the attacking aircraft will receive the designated benefits.
Benefits:
+2 dice pool bonus to all aircraft Gunnery tests when attacking designated/painted target and
eliminates any environmental modifiers.
PENETRATING FIRE (SL)
Hits required: 4
Description:
This is a maneuver designed for situations where a heavily armored target needs to be taken
down immediately. When employing this maneuver, individuals within a unit use coordinated
called-shot attacks on a target’s perceived weakness of some kind, be it a joint-section in a suit of
heavy armor or an already damaged area of a vehicle, and attempt to bypass the target’s armor.
Before Penetrating Fire can be employed, someone must first identify a target’s weak point. This
does not have to be a literal weakness, nor does the target have to be damaged already. It can
simply be an area identified as having slightly less armor, an area where armor plates meet, or
something similar but relevant to the situation (gamemaster’s discretion). To find/determine the
weakness in an undamaged target, the observer must have the appropriate skill such as:
Aeronautic Mechanic for aircraft, Armorer for personal armor, Automotive Mechanic for ground
vehicles, and Nautical Mechanic for watercraft or default per standard rules. First, they will
make a standard Perception + Intuition [Mental] test in order to observe the target, followed up
with an appropriate test based on the target type to identify the weakness, thereby knowing
where to target. This information is then relayed to those participating in the maneuver, and they
must hold actions in order to act on the same initiative pass. Those participating must then make
a Called Shot test (p. 195, SR5) during their attack roll. All normal ranged attack and defense
modifiers apply. Because this is a coordinated attack, only the highest net DV is applied.
Benefits:
An additional AP value equal to one half the AP (round up) of each additional participant
that hits is added to the AP of the participant with the highest net DV. For example, each member
of a four-person team is using a weapon with a total of –4 AP. The highest net DV is 14P with
the initial –4 AP. If all hit and a successful maneuver test is made, the AP is increased to –10 AP.
Note, if the target’s armor rating is decreased to zero, nothing more can be gained by the
maneuver.
SLICING THE PIE (R&G)
Successes required: varies
Description:
Technically not a combat maneuver because it’s normally used before combat begins, Slicing the
Pie (also known as Cutting the Cake) is a maneuver that’s been used by Law
enforcement/Security officers for decades and has become popular with military units engaged in
urban warfare. Used during building searches, this maneuver is designed to look around corners
into open hallways, through open doors into rooms, or around tall obstacles. Using a
corner/wall/edge as cover, the searcher moves in a lateral or semi-circular pattern (with weapon
up and ready) behind cover. This is done until they can visually identify the target/subject of their
search. If done correctly, the searcher will only minimally expose themselves and then can take
whatever action they deem necessary. The searcher may carry over the gained bonuses from this
from Combat Turn to Combat Turn as long as they don’t move and other combatants stay in the
same general area where they were first seen.
Benefits:
Defensive bonus to the searcher only based on number of successes when performing the
maneuver. Maneuver fails if no successes are rolled, giving the searcher no bonuses or penalties.
A glitch gives the searcher a –2 defensive penalty, while a critical glitch means they are seen by
the enemy, who moves on them to force them from their position.
SHIELD WALK (SL)
Hits required: 3
Description:
Also called “The Meat Shield” or “Walking Phalanx,” this maneuver is designed for those who
have a large stature or robust build, carry a ballistic (or other kind of) shield, wear heavy armor,
or all of the above while moving in formation. The main idea is for those on the outside of
the formation to use their bodies, shields, and armor to cover their teammates as they maneuver.
Shield Walk is essentially a variation of Slicing the Pie (p. 102, Run & Gun). To employ Shield
Walk, the team must line up behind the shield-bearers in order to use them as cover. There are
limitations to this maneuver. Only three team members can stack up behind a single
shield-bearer. To allow more team members to take advantage, another shield must be brought
into play, and even then only one person can engage a target from one side at a time. For
example, one team member can attack on the right side, another on the left side, while the third
(in the center) cannot attack but still gains the defense bonus. A failed maneuver test simply
means that the positioning was off or that the formation was broken for some reason, and no
bonuses are gained.
Benefits:
If successful, the team members behind the shield-bearers get to add the shield’s armor rating as
their own. Each team member also gets an additional number of defense dice equal to the
number of net hits on the maneuver test.
TRAVELING OVERWATCH (R&G)
Successes Required: 2
Description:
Similar to Bounding Overwatch, Traveling Overwatch is a preventative maneuver. It’s meant to
be used when speed is essential and best intel indicates contact with an enemy is unlikely. When
the team is in motion, one—or preferably two—members take a trailing position and periodically
stop to carefully survey their surroundings. If the main body of the unit is attacked, the
overwatch pair can respond with either long range-support or engage in a flanking maneuver. In
using this tactic, a drone or spirit will either complement or replace a team member in the rear
overwatch position. The drawback to this tactic is that the rear overwatch has a chance of being
separated from the main group or being eliminated without the main group realizing. This is why
drone and spirit use has become popular in this position. For this maneuver, the team leader is
always the team member in the overwatch position.
Benefits:
+ 1 on all Perception Tests and + 2 to the overwatcher’s Initiative roll if combat is initiated.