HIT! Medic and respawn rules at Swift Fox 23

Here at CWG we agonized for a long time about how to represent and handle casualties. We wanted to be accurate, without too terribly much burden on the individual participant. You will be using what we've developed and been using with only minor tweaks for years, at Swift Fox 23.

What we ended up with was nothing much for the casualty to do, and a Combat Medic role, often filled by people who are combat medics, or EMTs, in their actual life.

The casualty just calls HIT, lays down, and indicates they are a casualty with a red rag. Lay there until 5 minutes have passed — everyone is required to have a watch — and it is safe and not disruptive to the fighting, to walk off to the aid station. 

If a medic arrives before 5 minutes are up, they will open their aid bag and retrieve, first, a casualty card. These are randomized, and indicate where you were hit, and what the effect was. Some effects are reduced or removed if you were wearing armor.

Treatment is anything from a bandaid (you think you were killed, but the medic confirms "it's just a scratch") to bandages, slings, and splints that remove the ability to use various parts of your body.

Casualty Care in the GDL

At Swift Fox 22 we had the insurgent force go out with the same rules but... no medics at all. Hits were kills. In the end we've decided that they are just as much about operational level work as other factions, so will also be getting a medic this year. 

Aid Stations

When killed, or to remove treatment like a split, your recovery or respawn will take place at an Aid Station. This is sited to be as unlikely to be attacked as we can, and may even be in a specifically out-of-bounds area.

Aid Stations are well marked, with a large red cross, and usually have signs along the road when you get anywhere nearby, to direct you to it.

They are not hidden because they are notionally Aid Stations. Reasonably large, loud, manned facilities with gensets, and ambulances going in and out. That includes notional defending troops. Anyone attacking an aid station will stop immediately, as soon as they realize it, or when someone stomps out of the aid station to yell at them. They will then will declare themselves casualties as the defending troops are assumed to have killed them all. 

I'll say that again: attacking an aid station results in 100% casualties being inflicted on the entire unit attacking it. Go to your aid station, and respawn. 

Don't attack the aid stations, and use this risk of everyone being killed as a good example of why you need to get positive ID on anything before you attack it. 

At the Aid Station

There are instructions on the table in the aid station. You keep your eye pro on, note the time, then just rest. We even have some sleep pads, and water, and this is why your supply point is near the Aid Station, so you can go to your  Ready Bag.

Consider keeping a spare woobie, water, and snacks in that bag. You can also reload ammo and so on. We shouldn't encourage this, as it's game play impacting, but is minor, we can't stop you, and it's boring being dead so helps pass the time. 

Read More

Read these other entries for more details on casualty handling, especially if you will be a Medic:
Rules: Hit, Medic, and Respawn

Some blog posts, in date order. Note that we did revisions, so older ones may use odd terms like call the Aid Station a Casualty Collection Point. The changes to today's method are explained in later blog posts.
The Combat Medic at CWG Events

Combat Medic Skills: Treatment of Wounds at CWG Events

Changes: Casualties