Version 94

[Colonel Kilgore]

While Martin's been busy sculpting and painting Greeks, I've been combing through version 94 of the draft PBI rules.

Questions to follow below.

Simon

[Colonel Kilgore]

Tanks with guns in sponsons (e.g. Lee/Grant; Char B).

Can one choose whether to shoot with the paid-for turreted gun (no "out of arc" disadvantage) or use the hull gun (possibly with a disadvantage) for each turn and/or shot?

How is the sponson gun arc defined, as it should probably be different from that of a "fire ahead" tank destroyer that is implied in the illustrations on page 96? Should we rotate the "S" in the two assault gun shooting arc diagrams anti-clockwise by 45 degrees in such cases?

Simon

ANSWER
Treat it as an assault gun for simplicity.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Towed guns are typically treated when targeted either (when deployed) as a foot base or (when hit hitched up) as a softskin transport. But often the "towed guns" term is used for both.

Is it worth defining the two possible states of a towed gun and using one or other term throughout? We could for example have "deployed towed gun" and "gun being towed".

Simon

ANSWER
New terms.  "Gun moving".  "Gun deployed".  That should work?

[Colonel Kilgore]

What is the logic behind removing all light damage markers after an assault? This at first appears counter-intuitive (i.e. launch yourself into a fight to fix your vehicle) and might merit a "designer's notes" kind of explanation.

Simon

ANSWER
An assault situation galvanises men. Do or die.

[Colonel Kilgore]

If I've read things correctly (and this is the area I'm struggling with most), a light mortar can be rather more dangerous than a tank HE shot.

The former inflicts 2D6 of damage on each infantry base within a square, whereas the tank can at best (if it has an HE of 3, which is quite rare) inflict a total of 3 hits on 3 separate bases.

Have I read this correctly? If so, can we include the rationale for it, please?

Simon

ANSWER
A light mortar gets 2D6 per target base. Thus, it is better when there are lots of bases in the square. The light mortar needs 6 to hit which gives 1/3 chance of getting a hit (2 tries at 6 with 2D6) . The target base will usually save on either 2,3,4,5,6 (in cover or taking cover) or 3,4,5,6 (in partial and moving).
The gun HE once a hit is achieved needs 3,4,5,6 to save. The two hits are guaranteed once the big shot is successful.

A typical(?) HE.  Average tank shoots twice.  Target foot in a building.  Needs 10,11,12 to hit (1/6 probability. Better if closer/veteran).
To kill needs1,2. 

Tank. Overall 2 gun shots. 1/3 prob of hits,1/3 prob of no save= 1/9 prob of kill.
Light mortar. One shot. 2/3 prob of hitting square. 1/3 prob of hit. Assume 3 target bases. = 1/9 kill in closed, 2/9 kill in partial.

Light mortar same effect as tank at 3 base occupied building. Better than tank at foot bases in partial.
This is fine.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Foot hit by off-table HE: I remember this coming up in one of our PBI days - saves are stated to be "normal saves but no short-range modifiers". This is ambiguous, as "normal saves" could be taken to be either those from foot shooting (basic save of 4, 5, 6; benefits if PC or in cover) or the standard "save on a 3, 4, 5, 6" from on-table HE.

I think it's the latter, but in that case why exclude short-range modifiers?

Can you please confirm, Martin?

Simon

ANSWER
It is the same as being hit by small shooting.  This means most save on 2,3,4,5,6 if in cover but only save on 4,5,6 in the open. This makes HE very dangerous if in the open but not so much if in cover.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Off-table HE (page 101) allows occupants of destroyed transports to save on a 4,5,6. What does the "non-attributed" qualifier mean?

Simon

ANSWER
Target can choose who dies.

[Colonel Kilgore]

When adjudicating who has won a fight (page 105) towed guns count as two casualties if they fail to save.

Presumably these are guns still being towed, since any deployed gun that receives a hit is killed instantly, with no opportunity to save?

That said, the "Vehicle saves if hit in assault" section on page 108 states that hits are never placed on transports or towed guns. Which appears to contradict page 105?

Simon

ANSWER
This is very confusing.
We need simplicity.
I suggest that towed guns count as foot base weapon team ( ie -1 in fight) whether moving or deployed.
This also means they only count as 1 dead if killed.

AC and tanks still cont as 2 kills.

[Colonel Kilgore]

The table on page 18 appears ambiguous in terms of the number and composition of "extra" bases in support platoons.

With the newly-defined (?) maximum of 7 bases, I understand that such a platoon could take just 2 MMGs or mortars and thus top up the total to 7 bases with up to 4 infantry bases (i.e. not just 2 foot bases, as in the current version of the rules). Do I have that right?

If so, how many of these 4 bases could be SMG or LMG? The note at the bottom of the table refers to the second base being either, but I believe this to be in the context of the former limit of just 2 extra bases.

Simon

ANSWER
For simplicity let us say that all support platoons can be made up to 7 bases with rifles bases only. Get rid of any other options.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Page 21: mortar bases or the mortar PC must be able to see the target. Does this mean that a normal infantry PC cannot spot for light mortars?

Simon

ANSWER
The only PC that can spot is the PC of a support platoon.  This PC can only spot for medium mortars.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Page 21: medium mortars need to set up before being able to shoot. At the start of a game, can the defender's mortars be deemed already set up? Can the attacker's too?

Simon

ANSWER
Defender can have any or all weapons set up.
Attacker can have no weapons set up.

[Colonel Kilgore]

How many Panzerfäuste can a late war German player take, and on what basis?

Page 25 states a maximum of 4 per platoon, on the basis of up to 1 per rifle, SMG or AR base - which I think is correct.

However, the table on page 11 states "one per rifle base" (up to the same limit of 4 / platoon).

Simon

ANSWER
Each platoon can buy up to 4.
They can only be shot by SMG, rifle or assault rifle bases.
Only 1 per turn per square may be shot. This applies to opportunity shooting too.
e.g . A square containing 3 German rifle bases can shoot 1 pzfauste in their turn.  One of the bases(even the same one)  could move to a different square and shoot a second time. Another of the bases could move to a further new square ad shoot a  third time.

This means that  riflemen can scatter and shoot but not shoot them all from a single square.
This also prevents a passing tanks suffering 4 pzfst opportunity shots.
The limit of 4 should also encourage players to use them  carefully.


 

[Colonel Kilgore]

We have a turn sequence of 10 steps (e.g. page 70). However, "remove foot platoon" has been added to the Company Commander's step 2.

Is it worth breaking out the foot platoon removal into its own step, so that it's not forgotten in the heat of the battle?

Simon
ANSWER
I think it is rare enough to be given minor mention.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Rotational symmetry explanation to define line of sight (page 79).

I do understand what rotational symmetry is, but I still really don't follow the explanation of how this helps define line of sight to a target. Nor do I understand the reference to the extremity of the shooter's arc in this context.

I do understand a "straight line between square centres, as long as the line is not interrupted by a corner of blocking terrain on both sides of it, or crosses any blocking terrain" type of explanation.

Is this me being thick?

Simon

ANSWER
The rational symmetry was an attempt at an all encompassing elegance. It has failed.  The line of sight is from shooter centre to target centre . If on that line any second corner of building, hill,wood  are touched the shot stops.
This will lead to all sorts of arguments about who can see what. I need to go away and think how to simplify this.

[Colonel Kilgore]

Page 65 says that any pair, trio or more of vehicles or guns (same type) in the same square allow for an AP re-roll, even if not from the same unit.

However, page 90 explicitly states that the vehicles or deployed guns must be from the same unit.

Which is it, please?

Simon

ANSWER
err..
When two or more tanks/towed guns/transports/AC from the SAME unit are in the SAME Square their AP is determined by  the usual 2D6 but they all share that same result. This 2D6 may be re-rolled (a benefit of being together).