Reconnaissance - Q2

[AJ at the Bank]

A couple of queries on Reconnoitre Action (p31) for clarification please -

(1) Reconnoitre :
Third paragraph - "Only one type of terrain and one terrain feature can be reconnoitred per game turn, per Reece Unit."
Q  : Can you help with some examples please?
E.g. (A) - Can a single (Flexible Doctrine) Reece unit Reconnoitre Field Defences in a 25cm diameter area (per p11 Field Defences are classified as a type of terrain) ...and ...Reconnoitre a village BAU in another separate 25cm diameter area (as the village is a terrain feature)? Or is there always just one area Reconnoitred please?
E.g. ( - Does the Reconnoitre of Field Defences in an 25cm diameter area - and then choosing the Pathfinding option....mean that all Anti-tank, wire and minefields may now be treated as Open Terrain for movement purposes in the rest of the game please?

Q : Are dummy minefields revealed as such when Reconnoitred please?

(2) Pathfinding :  "If successful, the Reece unit reports the information over to a friendly Command Unit nearby (assuming that the Command Unit has not benefitted from another Reece activity this turn)."
Q: Is this a Command Unit of the Player's choice irrelevant of proximity ...Or... the nearest Command Unit to the Reece Unit? Under either option is it irrelevant whether the Reece is in same formation or not please?

(3) Spotting Concealed Troops :  "...and reports back to friendly units nearby."
Q: Does this mean that the enemy unit is no longer concealed to all units in the player's Battlegroup ...Or...just to those within the Reece unit's formation ...Or ...something else please?


Thanks for your help on this! No experience (or interest) in FWC or CWC rules - so dont know if based on something else - sorry.
A

[AJ at the Bank]

Apologies - scratch (3) ....just seen that Its all friendly units under the command of that Command Unit that get the benefits.
Presume this includes the Reece and the Command Unit itself too?
Thanks
Adam

[Big Insect]

1). A classic example is a small village in a clearing in a wood - the wood and the BUA are treated as separate terrain features for Path finding. The Recce (player) makes a choice as to which is reconnoitered first. Or, there are trenches in a wood .. the recce can choose to reconnoiter the trenches (see who's in it) or the wood (see what else is about) in a single reconnoiter action, not both.
However, the Recce can only make 1 Pathfinding action in a game turn anyway. So your example cannot happen as the 2 separate 25mm templates areas will be reconnoitered on separate game turns.
It does not mean that field defenses or fortifications are treated as Open Terrain. They still behave as field defenses or fortifications.

Remember - to conduct a reconnoiter action, the area must be within a specific terrain feature. So hidden minefields out in open terrain cannot be spotted by a pathfinder action (& dummy minefields cannot be identified as dummies if they are not in a specific terrain piece). This is a rules mechanism to stop blanket path finding activities across the table.

2). It depends if you are playing Fixed Formations or not. If Fixed - any Commander within the formation can benefit (as long as they have not benefited from any other Recce action this game turn). Not other Commanders. If not fixed it is the nearest Commander (that has not previously benefited from a Recce action).

3). All units in the formation gain the benefit. If the Recce is within the formation, it benefits.

4). Yes. Once an area is successfully reconnoitered it is 'visible' to the entire Battlegroup.

[AJ at the Bank]

Thanks Mark

Oh wow - I didn't understand the rules at all then!

If I get what you are saying here ....
(1) One Reece unit can only Reconnoitre a single terrain Feature that is within a single type of base Terrain, per game turn (or is a single type of base Terrain irrelevant)?
(2) The type of base Terrain that the terrain Feature can be on may be any type - except for Impassable Terrain (per list on p11) or Deep Wet Terrain (p11)?
(3) The single terrain Feature must be from this list ? -
  Single Feature of either Low Area Terrain, High Area Terrain or High Ground? E.g. 1 hill, 1 field, 1 wood, 1 BUA etc
 
If a Pathfinder action is successfully chosen - the Reece unit reports Pathfinder Info to a Command unit (CO or HQ) - resulting in all units under that command, being able to treat the Feature as Open Terrain for Movement purposes for the rest of the game?
Note 1 : The base terrain is not treated as Open Terrain for Movement (e.g. if Reconnoitering a wood on a hill ..the Reconnoitred area of the wood Feature is then treated as Open Terrain.. but any hill Terrain within the area is not
Note 2 : Linear terrain (walls, fences, hedges) and Wire obstacles within the Feature's Reconnoitred area, are then counted as Open Terrain for Movement - but other Field Defences and Fortifactions (p11) are not
Note 3 : Unmarked or dummy minfields are revealed as Marked an Dummy for the rest of the game

Thanks Mark!