HE penetration reduces with range?

[Aeraaa]

I'm asking this because 12,7mm weapons only have HE rounds in them and well, having them have the exact same anti-armor abilities at any range is not realistic.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Aeraaa

I'm asking this because 12,7mm weapons only have HE rounds in them and well, having them have the exact same anti-armor abilities at any range is not realistic.

HE pen is the same regardless of range.

In the original SSI games, 12.7 HMG slaughtered class 1 armour out to max range reasonably easily. M113 would sweep away BTRs etc. However our code now reduces the HE pen chances for smaller HE warheads or marginal over penetrations.

However - HMG type weapons at 15 hexes or less in direct anti-armour fires get a bonus, generally by avoiding the tests for small warhead HE over-penetration introduced to make e.g. tiddly mortar rounds less effective A/T weapons back in ~2007.

Additional bonus (+1) pen can also happen if range is 10 or less, or 3 or less (with an experience test).

At a minimum - a 0 HE pen result will translate to a 1, at <15 hexes.

For example - I happily execute Italian tankettes at 2 hexes with my Vickers .5in armed light tanks MKVI in WinSPWW2, especially if I flank the little blighters, though it sometimes takes a few penetrations with a * or ** result to do so. Frontally on their 2 armour, it is harder work, but not impossible. Same if you extend range to 9 hexes or so, and then the front armour does shield them some.

So - warhead size <3 HE used as 'AP' can biff up class 2, and more so class 1 armour at short ranges. unfortunately in MBT there are more enemy anti-tank weapons (like the 14.4KPV on BTR-60s) about that make relying on such weapons hazardous, unlike running down MG armed baby tanks with your MKVIs .

Cheers
Andy