Support Troop

The Stat Card

In Team Yankee

The Recce Platoons of the 3rd Division are represented by the Queen's Dragoon Guards, albeit renamed to Support Troops. Composed of 3 or 4 infantry fireteams, the Recce Platoon's task was to serve as the sneaky-beaky eyes of the cavalry. While Scimitar and Scorpion troops would probe enemy lines for weakness in open ground, the Recce Platoon would do the same albeit in forests and other terrain features poorly suited for vehicles. This idea is only halfway represented; with the Recce Platoon lacking Scout or Spearhead but having historically correct armament (SLRs and a LAW or two). Recce Platoons would not need to be represented, as mechanized and airmobile units would have vehicular recon.

Costing a measly 4 points, Recce Platoons are exclusive to the Recce Squadron and can only be brought in once per squadron. More lightly equipped than the mechanized and airmobile platoons, the Recce platoon has two possible tasks: holding objectives (being too small and useless for offensives) or probing lightly defended forests. The task of engaging infantry can be handed over to the Spartans, whose GMPG fire can reliably pin small (<12 bases) units of infantry.

In Real Life

Recce Team from the Falklands Conflict, possibly Royal Marines or SAS.

As with most armies, Recon (or "Recce" because they're British) Platoons were found in most light infantry battalions, with mechanized, air assault and armored infantry battalions having their own form of vehicular recon. Typically composed of the fittest men in the company, the task of the Recon Platoon was to scout ahead of the main force and observe enemy movement while remaining undetected. Most would also be given specialized training in SERE and survival, depending on their area of deployment. However, the British preferred the use of vehicles to conduct reconnaissance missions; relying on the Royal Armored Corps' cavalry regiments to deliver.

Different armies have interpreted the concept differently, with the Singapore Army giving its Recon platoons ATVs and motorcycles while the US Marines established Force Reconnaissance; infantry companies acting at the level of special operations forces. In true Soviet fashion, the 'Razvedka' or Recon soldiers were underequipped troops given a pair of binoculars and told to 'walk in that direction until you find the Capitalists'.