Carrier Rifle Sections

[Askari19]

Defense strength can be set by several different logics... I'm not sure how the EF designers looked at it, but I'm a mite skeptical about giving too much credit for the small-or-dispersed-target consideration.

You're right that the steps in the unit do a good job of representing its lack of staying power, but whether dispersal really counts is something else.

I think that a typical 6-step infantry platoon has plenty of room to disperse in a 250 meter hex; when you start stacking them you can pay the price when artillery & mortars come into play: and that's density effect.

A unit smaller than 6 steps isn't necessarily doing to disperse more widely across the hex they occupy, in fact usually that won't happen. It might be a nice touch to make it slightly harder to spot, but assuming it's been spotted, an independent section or squad is likely to be occupying the same amount of ground that a section or squad would as a component of that larger, 6-step platoon, and be just as vulnerable to fire (i.e. same defense strength) as the larger unit. It will run out of steps quicker, is all.

That's how I'd approach it anyway...