Advanced Firefights

**Advanced Firefights** are a suite of optional mechanics which improve the realism of squad-level firefights involving Cogent characters.

## Fire superiority and Suppression

In open or occluded terrain (such as forests), firefights might (and often do) start beyond a ranged weapon's effective range. In these instances, the result is a firefight where a large volume of gunfire is exchanged between parties which are concealed or in cover at great distances, with very few casualties on both sides.

The struggle is not so much to shoot and kill members of the opposing side, as they are too difficult to see, but to gain "fire superiority" over the other side, a psychological advantage which causes members of the other side to hunker down and be more cautious. This, in turn, reduces the amount of fire which their side puts out and emboldens the side with fire superiority, allowing for maneuvers.

### Basic rules

#### Ranges

* **Short Range:** 1 to 3 squares away from the character (within the vehicle square)
* **Medium Range:** 4 to 8 squares away from the character (within the vehicle square)
* **Long Range:** 9 to 20 squares away from the character (1 vehicle squares away)
* **Extreme Range:** 21 to 30 squares away from the character (2 vehicle squares away)
* **Standoff Range:** 31-50 squares away from the character (3 vehicle squares away)

#### Cover rules

* **Prone:** Use an action to drop down, reducing you to a quarter of your movement speed but giving you +2 armor, up to the cap. Requires an action to rise from again. Good when no cover is available.
* **Concealment:** Terrain-dependent, +1 to armor once moved into.
* **Cover:** Directional and terrain-dependent, +2 to armor when moved into.

#### Firefights

* When fights begin beyond long range, or in such circumstances (influenced by the presence of cover, concealment, terrain, fortifications, and camouflage) as the DM might decide, the following mechanics apply.
* Individuals or groups may also choose to use their ranged attacks to suppress an enemy or cluster of close-together enemies instead of going for lethal hits.
* Characters on both sides are considered mechanically as a group.
* Normal range penalties for most ranged weapons, such as penalties for firing at long range, do not apply when firing at the group.
* Weapons:
	+ Shotguns with buckshot and thrown weapons cannot be used at all to contribute to a beyond long range firefight.
	+ Autocannons, machine guns, and other cone attack weapons make their attack twice.
	+ Grenade launchers, thrown grenades, RPG's, vehicle weapons, and artillery are fair game.
	+ Sniper rifles and weapons with scopes can bypass this mechanic and engage targets beyond long range. They can choose to contribute to the firefight or attack single targets, but not both.
* While engaging in a long-range firefight, all of the combatants with qualifying ranged weapons on both sides will make their attacks against the other group. However, instead of making them against discrete targets, both groups will count up their total number of attack dice.
* Once both sides have counted up all their dice, one side should have emerged with fire superiority and the other should be suppressed. In the event of a tie, the firefight stalemates and drags on, and the round is done again.
* Being suppressed results in the following:
	+ Every member of the group rolls their attacks with all weapons by -2.
	+ The group is pinned and unable to advance. Every member of the group needs to remain in cover, in concealment, in a prone position, behind a shield, or behind someone who has a shield. They can shuffle laterally, move backward, and move up to the position of their most advanced member, but no further. If they have a shield or are behind someone who has a shield, they may advance at half their movement speed.
	+ The group may choose to retreat from the engagement at any time. This is an organized action involving some members of the group withdrawing while others provide covering fire. A full turn's worth of ammunition is expended by everyone in the group taking this action. This necessarily cedes the terrain to the other force.
* Having fire superiority results in the following:
	+ The group with fire superiority must continue suppressing the other side. In order to do this, they must keep people on the line firing at the enemy, and keep winning round after round of the suppression fight. If this team loses a round, the firefight resets (the suppressed group loses the effects of suppression), and all characters caught within the effective range of the other side's weapons may be fired upon by both sides.
	+ The group with fire superiority is encouraged to detach members from the group and maneuver them into advantageous positions. These characters cannot contribute to suppression, but can maneuver into long, medium, and close range to engage the other group with ranged or melee weapons. The suppressed group rolls uniformly with -2 to their attacks, but rolls regularly with defense.
	+ The group may choose to retreat from the engagement at any time. This is an organized action involving some members of the group withdrawing while others provide covering fire. A full turn's worth of ammunition is expended by everyone in the group taking this action. This necessarily cedes the terrain to the other force.