Class: Logistics
You can put troops on the ground, bring battle tanks in for support, put generals and officers in charge and put stones in bolt rifles. But who makes those real decisions eh? Who works out factory rotas, prepares the food, generates power or distributes the supplies? Who makes contact with the production centres, plans ahead, reaches far and wide to keep the flow of materiel going? Logistics is the power of any armed force and for that, you need someone that knows what they are doing and has an eye for the details. You also need someone that manages the work so that nothing runs out or gets wasted. If the factory order doesn’t get processed you can easily find your engines run dry of Etherium crystals or your ammunition box doesn’t get topped up with Stones. Collectively, the Industrialist Quartermasters (for the
Gulldhanian Forces) and the Scientific and Logistical Officers (as described by Revaaran Imperial Doctrine) is the person that the Commander-in-Chief looks to in times of need. Want to get a tank battalion in the right place to flank the enemy or the supply line set up and operational? Then count on Logistics to make it happen. Generals put boots on the ground, but who gave them the boots? Logistics. If you wish to play a character that supports their comrades in the field and has a say in the overall Campaign, but isn’t ordering troops around or dodging swords in the field, this class is the one to choose.
For ease of reference the equipment list for Logistics is as follows:
Each Logistics Officer is armed with a pistol and carries a knife or equivalent up to 18” long.
They may also carry 12 rounds of ammunition pre-loaded into magazines.
We will not restrict this to only 12 shot magazines if you don’t have them, so you can mix and match 7 and 12 shot mags if you wish.
Logistics Officers carry no further ammunition than that and may neither wear armour or carry a shield.
The player may dual wield their weapons should they wish to do so.
The War Table is the place where a number of skills come together and are presented to the players. The Army Generals decide where the fighting will be, but it’s Logistics that make it happen and keep it going. On the War Table will be representations of Resources, Armies and Tank Divisions. There will also be a representation of the Factories and what actions can be taken. On a regular basis the War Table will be updated with reports from the Front; runners bringing messages of troop
movements, enemy actions, losses and important victories. There will be requests for aid from all quarters and it’s the role of the Logistics Team to decide which orders for work will be placed and how the supplies will be managed. Only their signature can be placed on a work order, so it’s important they get it right.
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Important: Logistics officers carry the same rank as Field officers. Though the field officers dictate where their armoured unit goes and working alongside the generals in the war effort, it is the logistician's job to budget the resources, decide where it is needed and to implement, or to hold back for other purposes such as assisting missions or diplomacy. They are not subservient to field officers, they have full jurisdiction over logistics orders
For Logistics Officers, the work requests issued to Factories will set in motion a workforce to produce goods and supplies for the Front Lines and Strategic Encounters or Skirmishes. These are limited Ammunition and then change it part way through production to making armoured plates for a Battle
Tank. You might only get part of an order or at worse nothing at all. Each Logistics Officer will be given a number of work orders which relate to a specific work group or set or factories they have control of. Once the work order is filled in they are given to a Message Runner to start the production process. During the game day the Logistics Officers may obtain access to further work forces or factories. This will be provided in the form of a Specific Work Order to be completed. Each Work Force will be able to produce a specific type of supply for the larger Army Units on the Large Scale Battle Map.
These are categorised as:
Provisions : Includes Food and Drink.
Ammunition : Tank Rounds and Ammunition Stones, with magazines as required.
Repair : Divert resources to repair Armoured Units damaged in combat
Resupply : Aid Package including Weapons, Armour, Uniforms and the like. Also provides infantry
replacements to bolster the force.
Etherium Crystal Units : The power supply for military vehicles.
Medical Supplies : Bandages, Medicines, Injectors, Etherium Stim Packs and everything needed to
heal the wounded or sick, keeping the force operational or reducing casualties.
These will give benefits and bonuses related to what they are to any army they are given to. Ammunition will keep an army fighting at full force for longer, Medical supplies will lessen casualties, etc. The above types may also be used as bartering chips with outside parties to curry favor or to assist in conflicts elsewhere. With the right use of these resources, you could swing a foreigners war totally in their favor, or against.
- The Work Order will also need to include the Destination of the Supplies. The Army Logistics Division doesn’t make anything for fun – they need to cost the expense against a specific section of the Armed Forces, so will only supply an army group or Officer.
- Information on what is required may be available via the Message Runners. It is also possible that the Factory will advise how long that action will take. Nothing is certain while there is a War on though, so sometimes information will be sparse or not available.
- Consider what Work Orders are required. Do you think a front line Battle Tank Formation needs medical supplies to keep running? A rear-line defence unit need Resupplying? Be certain that your Orders match what will be required for that Army or Force in the field. Work Orders can also be sent to support a smaller encounter or skirmish. As part of the Order the Logistics Officer can use their considerable resources to directly effect the outcome of a critical part of the Battle Plan. This will be in the form of a Work Order that has a more free-form request but comes in either of two formats:
Support an Action in the Field:
If there is a Specific Task for the Encounter, this will provide a considerable bonus to the Characters in the Field. As an example, should the Encounter be a
Mission to Destroy an Enemy Command Centre, a pre-mission bombardment might be laid down, resulting in injuries to the defenders or even less protectors to stop the Attack. If this is a Mission to Defend a Bridge, previous work to strengthen the earthworks may have been undertaken to make it harder to Destroy. Provide Medical Support directly to the Troops Involved: After a Skirmish Encounter has completed, the Logistics Team have directly requested Medical Support to be available. A Medical Transport is provided, which gives immediate Medical Support with qualified staff, a clean area, medication and expert knowledge. Any Injuries will recover far faster as a result and any serious injury will be treated far more effectively. This could be crucial in keeping your best squads in tip-top condition or help your Troops survive a more dangerous mission.
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There are also free-form uses for the requisitions used by logistics. This is entirely a case-by-case basis but can be used to great effect. If an officer requires a new tactic to be acted out, it may require supplies to carry out. Here are a few examples used in recent history. Nobody knows how these were done, but it was a complicated process, you need to be specific in your requisition form about what needs doing.
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Dam a River
Fake army tracks
Ghost camp
Trench system
Bunkers
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Tip for playing a Logistics officer: Bring pens!
