RFCM

I have just finished a WS battle with another mate I have introduced this to. He thoroughly enjoyed the game, but we felt the need for a little clarification as regards the Withering Fire rules

1. If an assault is declared from two squares away a withering fire test must be taken as the assault must first enter the square adjacent to the enemy. This is action one. Must the assaulter then take another test to actually assault the target?

2. If a unit is two squares away from an enemy occupied square and only wishes to move one square closer, as part of building up an attack or consolidating a position, and it fails the withering fire test, does it move forward anyway on its second action or must it take another withering fire test?

3. The second example in the supplement seems to indicate that the withering fire test overrides a terrain test if leaving terrain to enter a withering fire square, i.e. only the withering fire test is taken. Is this interpretation correct?

There were a couple of other areas where I think the assault table could do with an addition to avoid misinterpretation, i.e.:

Assaulter
+1 Each additional assaulting unit (max 2 units per face) not in assaulting square

Defender
+2 for each artillery base undamaged
+1 for each other (i.e. damaged)artillery base and all other understrength units.
-1  Each additional assaulting unit (max 2 units per face) not in assaulting square


Finally I am assuming that Prussian jaeger can engage in long range fire as this mimics the light infantry skirmisher ability to move closer, fire and then slip back behind cover.

Quote1. If an assault is declared from two squares away a withering fire test must be taken as the assault must first enter the square adjacent to the enemy. This is action one. Must the assaulter then take another test to actually assault the target?

correct

Quote2. If a unit is two squares away from an enemy occupied square and only wishes to move one square closer, as part of building up an attack or consolidating a position, and it fails the withering fire test, does it move forward anyway on its second action or must it take another withering fire test?

If they fail this roll they use up 1 additional movement point to move. If they do not have the movement points do not move. If they do have the movement points they must move. You cannot dice, and fail, and then choose not to move.

so if you fail , but have 2 MP then it takes both up and you must move.

In the example its not clear that you are adjacent to the enemy at some point?  to cause the test in the first place.

Quote3. The second example in the supplement seems to indicate that the withering fire test overrides a terrain test if leaving terrain to enter a withering fire square, i.e. only the withering fire test is taken. Is this interpretation correct?

correct - in effect its the same test , but with some potential modifiers.

I'll update the assault tables when I get a moment with the clarifications.

QuoteFinally I am assuming that Prussian jaeger can engage in long range fire as this mimics the light infantry skirmisher ability to move closer, fire and then slip back behind cover.

I'll add this word to the definitions

Infantry regiment : 4 bases of infantry (each base represents about 450 men)
Skirmisher regiment: 3 bases of infantry

Infantry Shooting exceptions
Prussian infantry regiments does not perform any 'long range' shooting.
Reservist Skirmisher shooting at strength fires with 1 dice hitting on 6's Regular Skirmisher shooting at strength fires with 2 dice hitting on 6's Professional Skirmisher shooting at strength fires with 2 dice hitting on 5 & 6's

Still unclear on two points:

1. In the second example, a French unit is wishing to move into a square adjacent to the enemy. It only wishes to move into this square as it is in the process of building up an attack. It takes a withering fire test as its first action, fails but makes the move it wanted to make anyway as it is now adjacent to the enemy. During the enemy turn this French unit is now able to use its chassepots during its defensive fire move. In its following turn the French unit takes a withering fire test to assault and does so if it passes. If it fails it is stuck - that, I assume, is the risk of building up a close assault from an adjacent square.

2. I am still unclear about skirmishers. Does a Prussian jaeger unit fire like a French chasseur unit  or does it have no long range fire just like a Prussian infantry unit. If the latter is the case then the skirmisher fire table only applies to French troops, but then I don't really see what function the jaegers have in the game.

Quote1. In the second example, a French unit is wishing to move into a square adjacent to the enemy. It only wishes to move into this square as it is in the process of building up an attack. It takes a withering fire test as its first action, fails but makes the move it wanted to make anyway as it is now adjacent to the enemy. During the enemy turn this French unit is now able to use its chassepots during its defensive fire move. In its following turn the French unit takes a withering fire test to assault and does so if it passes. If it fails it is stuck - that, I assume, is the risk of building up a close assault from an adjacent square.

Yes, this is correct. Infantry have 2 MP , so in the first French turn when the unit moves into an adjacent square but fails its WF test it uses 2MP to move (and has to move if it has the points)... so it is then spent for that turn
It can then shoot in the subsequent Prussian turn. In its next turn and tries to assault. It has one attempt  at assaulting (not linked to MP as such). It it fails then it doesn't count as assaulting. It does count as a unit in the square not assaulting though (so some use).

Quote2. I am still unclear about skirmishers. Does a Prussian jaeger unit fire like a French chasseur unit  or does it have no long range fire just like a Prussian infantry unit. If the latter is the case then the skirmisher fire table only applies to French troops, but then I don't really see what function the jaegers have in the game.   

We have been treating Jaegers as skirmishers. All skirmishers fire as we are differentiating between Skirmishers and Infantry regiment in the definitions.

Their type reflects their armament as well as élan. So Bavarian with Podewils or Prussian Landwehr Jager would be classified as Reservist.

If you don't feel this is right you can treat then as as armed with Chassepot or Werder (and pay the extra cost) and treat them a non-Prussian infantry

The answers to both questions were what I suspected but was not 100% sure of. Thanks for clarifying. In the next game this is exactly how we will play those aspects.