Locking Down How Grenades Might Work

The Grenade; Col. Charles H. Waterhouse

Ok, I've been thinking about grenades some more. So here's a more formal breakdown of how they might work, which incorporate some of the feedback from my last post on them, and gives us the chance to have typical "action movie moments" with them.

Preparing A Grenade:

At the start of the Shooting Phase would be a step called "Declare Grenadiers". This is where each player would place a grenade token (coin, glass bead, or whatever) next to any of the models in a unit that are intending to throw a grenade during this shooting phase. This represents that model getting a grenade out and preparing it for a throw.

There would be a limit of 2 grenadiers per unit, or one for a single model, and a grenadier wouldn't be allowed to fire their normal weapon during the turn.

Throwing A Grenade:

During the shooting phase, as part of a unit's normal attacks, each grenadier in a unit would toss their grenade up to 16" away if their unit held, 8" if their unit advanced, or 4" if their unit moved At The Double. Their grenade marker can be thrown anywhere within this range, without any sort of scatter being applied yet. Or they could decide to put the pin back in and not throw it.

The Dangerous Part:

Since the enemy knows that you've got models in a unit that are intending to throw grenades, they can shoot at the unit and, if they get some casualties, they can potentially select some grenadiers as casualties. The owning player would have to place the grenade marker in base contact with the grenadier being removed before pulling them from the table. Leaving a live grenade in the midst of their unit!

When Grenades Go Live:

At the end of the shooting phase, all grenade markers on the table would 'go live'. Meaning that they'll explode at the beginning of the following shooting phase.

Dodging Grenades:

Since there's a whole movement phase between when grenades are thrown, and when they go off, this gives each unit plenty of time to react to them. Will they run away? Will they push through them? Will they gamble on a favorable scatter? That's part of the fun!

Throwing Grenades Back:

Any model that starts, or moves into base contact with a grenade in the movement phase may toss it 16" (if holding), 8" (if advancing), or 4" (if moving ATD/Running).

Diving On Grenades:

We could also allow a model (on a LD check) to dive on a grenade to save their buddies. This has no effect on the grenade's AP or Strength, it just keeps it from scattering before it goes off.

When Grenades Go Off:

All live grenades would go off as the first step of the shooting phase.

The player who threw each grenade rolls 1D10. If this is equal to, or less than the BS of the throwing model, the grenade hits. Or we could just have a set number if it's too hard to remember/track who threw what.

If the grenade doesn't hit, then it will scatter. Place the small blast template over the center of the grenade marker, and then flip it over in the direction pointed to by the D10. Grenades that models dived on would not scatter.

If it's a smoke grenade, then it will hit or scatter as normal. But then the narrow end of the teardrop template will be placed over the hole in the middle of the small blast template, and it will be rotated around this point in the direction of the wind (one of the 4 table corners, rolled before the battle). The smoke would then reduce the BS of models firing through it.

Thoughts?