Again note that this an hour later than the usual ThNN. (If you guys really prefer the earlier time, let me know.)

This week: armor. And also infantry combat if we have time. And I hope we will, because we need to cover some of it prior to the campaign.

We're way more casual than ShackTac, but the simple fact is their resources are both incredibly useful and incredibly well-made. With that in mind, here is a Vehicle Crew Training Video. It is a fantastic video, give it a watch.

Gray has whipped up a training map for us featuring a bunch of tanks and 3-man tank crews. For the training session it will be first person only to force that driver/gunner/commander teamwork. Everyone will roll out as part of three-man tank crews and they'll have opportunities to try all three stations.

We'll emphasize working in a team with another tank in the same way you work with your fireteam.

Before we set off we'll cover the vehicle radios so everyone knows how to use them. We'll then roll out on a road course for travel practice and we'll cover tank recovery along the way (we expect to take losses on the campaign, and we'll need to recover or secure the vehicles if we want to use them in later missions). After that we're off to the gunnery range to demonstrate medium-range engagements, commander/gunner/driver interaction and a bit of tactics, and the pros and cons of the assorted ammo the tanks carry.

I don't see it taking very long, but it seems like the kind of thing everyone wants to know how to do but most have no experience with. I think we're hesitant to break out the armor in POs and whatnot because we've had a few bad experiences in the past, but I'm be excited to see more people with an understanding of it and more excuses to use these fun assets. :)

Edit: Post ThNN we usually have a decent crowd to continue gaming with, so even if armor isn't really something that interests you, don't be afraid to show up: we generally have a decent group to get games going with. And if decide during a one-off game later that you want to try armor, now you'll have some understanding of it!

Campaign relevance:

While nothing is required for this ThNN (it is a Noob Night after all), consider the ShackTac video (it's only 9 minutes long) and some form of armor training required if you want to possibly do armor during the campaign. We'll try to run this again over the weekend for the people who couldn't make it, or at least incorporate something like this into a big game of PO as practice.

We'll know right away who treats armor as a team asset and who Rambo's it. Part of this ThNN is to teach people How To Armor, but it's also a chance for us to see who approaches it with the right teamwork-centered mentality. New players or those with no experience in armor: you do not need to worry about having a tougher chance at it if you want the job. It is how well you operate as a team, not how pro you are at armor combat that the campaign CO will be looking at to help him know whom to ask first about the roles like armor.