New Partisan Stealth Ability?

It would be interesting if partisans sometimes slipped through the fingers of attackers as U-boats do. Classifying partisans as U-boats won't work because of the lamentable restriction that only destroyers and tactical bombers may attack submarines. Intrepid programmers should leave comments here.

Update 8/27/06

Add Infiltration ability to Partisans, Commandos, or Japanese Infantry

PG/AG partisans are little more than poor frontline infantry but there are many better ways to model the espionage, intelligence, sabotage, raids, and uprisings behind enemy lines (with appropriate cost adjustments).

1. Fix Partisan Purchase Deployments

PG/AG oddly makes purchased Allied partisans appear behind the Allied lines, exactly where the Allied general does not need them (great, French partisans show up in Paris 2 days after Allied combat units liberate the city). Fix this by creating a partisan “minor nation” with only partisan units and assign partisan control to minor towns in France, Ukraine, etc. behind German lines.

2. Place Static Partisan Strongholds behind Enemy Lines

Place a strongpoint on a crossroads behind enemy lines to represent a partisan roadblock and place a strongpoint protected in the woods/mountains with 4-hex spot range to represent an area infested with partisan lookouts and informants. These partisan strongholds don’t move or capture cities but they can dominate a general area, ambush an unwary convoy (the roadblock), report enemy positions, and be a general thorn in the side. You could pre-place them as part of the initial deployment or make them available for purchase in the partisan-nation screen. As against strongpoints, infantry are best for clearing partisan strongholds.

3. Add Stealth/Infiltration ability to Partisans

Represent the special nature of partisans by giving only token attack value but robust survival and a penchant for denying control of an area, disrupting supply, and impeding reinforcements:

I tested this unit and it is not invulnerable but it is a nuisance and (appropriately) infantry are the best medicine for rooting partisans out from woods and cities. I tinkered with AA-class (cannot capture cities) and AD-class (also cannot initiate attack) but settled on infantry-class for the moment. The final numbers might differ but the basic idea of low attack but hard to eradicate seems promising.

The "Partisan Nation" purchase screen might include:

• Current Partisan unit
• New Infiltrator unit
• Infiltrator "transport" (to make skilled partisans)
• Truck transport
• Partisan Stronghold (Strongpoint)

You could make "anti-tank" partisans with molotov cocktails but I felt that the infantry bonus in close-quarter combat (woods/cities) covered this (that's why they do not have HA=0).

"We know they're there but we can't get a grip on them!"--Infiltration for other, famously slippery units

I labeled this unit “Infiltrators” for now because you also could assign Infiltrators as “transport” to commandos or Japanese infantry to represent the special ability of these units to approach a target stealthily before assembling (toggling) for a full-strength assault. For instance, even though simple spot rules might show your commando unit, stealth mode might allow your boys to infiltrate through an artillery zone largely unscathed--but they must give up their stealth protection and expose themselves to attack in strength. In the case of Japanese infantry, Infiltration ability (the investment in infiltration training) can be a standard purchase option in addition to Truck. In the case of unpurchasable units for special scenario situations, you have the additional options of using Infiltrators as the base unit with 1 towed MP or 1 air MP.

Uses of Infiltrator Mode (toggled "transport"):

• commando/guerrilla hit-and-run raid (stealth to approach a target for major assault)
  
• Stalingrad sewer movement to worm through frontline ZOC to flank
• Japanese cave-system travel (and the shift from defensive to offensive mode also can simulate Pacific General's Banzai bonus)

Vote on Infiltrator idea