Scheduled Art, FAO, Registered Point and Deviation

Started by Zypheria, 12 March 2021, 11:02:02 AM

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Zypheria

12 March 2021, 11:02:02 AM Last Edit: 12 March 2021, 11:05:29 AM by Zypheria
Hello there my generalfeldmarschalls!

This Saturday I have a big game (5000 German points Vs 10000 Soviet points) with several friends to recreate one of the several Bragattion clashes, and as it seems I have become the german CO with the responsibility of planning the forces to use , it's deployment and the general strategy, aaaaand as I love to surprise my enemies with all those small rules and rules exceptions to squeeze the game,  I have been checking the rulebook and some questions have assault me.

Artillery scheduled strikes should be planned before game, registering the target point of the attack, such a forest, the top of a hill or a crossroad, which will be know as "Registered Target"  ( pag 16 Scheduled Strikes).

When requesting artillery support with a FAO, and if I have LOS to it, I can target an enemy unit (no commands units) or a Registered Target (pag 47 Types of Artilley Support)

Literally from the rulebook - Scheduled Artilley support hits the aiming point automatically, as does artilley firing against a Registered Target. However, requested artilley is inaccurate, so you must test for deviation [...] (Pag 48 Resolving Artilley Support)


And here comes my questions. Let's say I have 3 guns battery (A') with a scheduled strike against the top of a hill in third turn.  But in turn 1 my enemy place their forces over that hill, and as result I want to use my FAO to request an artillery strike using a 2 guns battery (B') against the top of that hill.

Can my FAO use the Registered Target from battery A' when using battery B' to strike the hill with an artillery attack?

Will battery B' attack deviate because it's a requested artilley, or as I'm firing against a Registered Target it will strike without diviation?

If it doesn't deviate, a nebelwerfer attack against the same Registered Target will deviate as it is subject to the Innacurate rule?

If battery A' after their scheduled strike in turn 3, is used by a FAO to attack some units in turn 4 (normal procedure), can the FAO in turn 5 call in it again against the Registered Target without deviaton?

As the Ambush rule allows to combine it with a Scheduled Strike (but without specifying turn), count the Ambush Point as a Registed Target to use it to call in artilley strikes with a FAO before and after the Ambush is triggered?


Thanks in advance!

Big Insect

Quote from: Zypheria on 12 March 2021, 11:02:02 AM
Hello there my generalfeldmarschalls!

And here comes my questions. Let's say I have 3 guns battery (A') with a scheduled strike against the top of a hill in third turn.  But in turn 1 my enemy place their forces over that hill, and as result I want to use my FAO to request an artillery strike using a 2 guns battery (B') against the top of that hill.

Can my FAO use the Registered Target from battery A' when using battery B' to strike the hill with an artillery attack?

Will battery B' attack deviate because it's a requested artillery, or as I'm firing against a Registered Target it will strike without deviation?

If it doesn't deviate, a nebelwerfer attack against the same Registered Target will deviate as it is subject to the Innacurate rule?

If battery A' after their scheduled strike in turn 3, is used by a FAO to attack some units in turn 4 (normal procedure), can the FAO in turn 5 call in it again against the Registered Target without deviaton?

As the Ambush rule allows to combine it with a Scheduled Strike (but without specifying turn), count the Ambush Point as a Registed Target to use it to call in artilley strikes with a FAO before and after the Ambush is triggered?


Thanks in advance!

OK - there are a number of questions above and answers below:

1). The Scheduled Strike will always hit the Registered Target - with no deviation (but see 4 below).

2). Ordered strikes are always subject to deviation - except if they are using the Registered Target as their point of aim.

3). Off-table guns can only fire (in any capacity) once per game turn - see last sentence bottom of Page 47

4). Whilst not specifically covered - I would rule that any tubes (artillery or rockets) that are classified as 'Inaccurate' will always be inaccurate - even if included in a Scheduled Strike - as it is the weapon that is technically inaccurate, rather than them being subject to a command error inaccuracy

5). Artillery assets can be switched between Scheduled and FAO directed in different turns - there is no restriction - other than the fact that they can only fire once per turn

6). In the specific questions:
Can my FAO use the Registered Target from battery A' when using battery B' to strike the hill with an artillery attack?
Will battery B' attack deviate because it's a requested artillery, or as I'm firing against a Registered Target it will strike without deviation?

Yes - 'B' can use the Registered Target (for A)
No - 'B' will not deviate (unless Inaccurate) if it is using the Registered Target point

However, as the scheduled strike is for Game Turn 3 - you cannot use it in Game Turn 1 - you have to order any assets to fire on the Registered Target Point - but any assets can use the Registered Target as their point of aim and will hit without deviation if the command order is successful.
You can order battery 'A' and battery 'B' separately or combine them, but will take appropriate command penalties either for the numbers of guns firing or repeat orders (which applies to off-table guns even if they are different groups of guns - which is different for on-table units). 

7). As the Ambush rule allows to combine it with a Scheduled Strike (but without specifying turn), count the Ambush Point as a Registered Target to use it to call in artillery strikes with a FAO before and after the Ambush is triggered?
Simple answer is Yes.

Hope that clears things up?
Cheers
Mark
'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

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