Reconnaissance - Q3

[AJ at the Bank]

3 queries on Reconnaissance Movement please (p29) -

(1) Are the mulitple moves (up to 3) meant apply to aerial Reece units please (e.g. US Grasshopper; UK Auster; German Storch etc)?
If lucky enough to get 3 moves ...thats movement of 300cm!

PS: What happened to flying FAOs - gone?

(2) All Reece movement occurs in the Command phase?

(3) Per final Movement paragraph :  "Aerial Recce units can be targeted by enemy AA using Opportunity Fire, however if an air strike is launched, this will always take priority over enemy aerial Recce units as targets."
How does this work in practice please? Scheduled phase is first - but attracts no AA fire. Requested air strikes can be called in anytime during the Command phase and Reece movement can occur at any time before CO movement at end of Command Phase.
Does this in effect means that a player has to order all Requested air strikes before aerial Reece movement please?

Help v much appreciated.
A

[Big Insect]

1). Yes ... that could mean a 300cm move
No idea what has happened to flying FAOs  They seem to have disappeared from the lists - I'll look into that

2). Page 29 - it can move at any time in the game turn, but must move ahead of the CO. However, if you intend to move your Recce you make your distance roll in the Initiative phase. NB: it can help to place a small dice with the number of moves available to a recce next to the unit after you have made the roll. It acts as a reminder.

3). No. It just means that if your enemy is subject to an Air strike (a Commanded Order) and your Aerial Recce has not yet moved they must target the Air Strike - not hold back to hit the Aerial Recce. Obviously, this is a tricky one as there are so many variables - including AA range, LoF etc.  Also you might not know if an airstrike is actually going to occur. So you might get a situation where an Aerial Recce moves in the Initiative phase and the opposing player wants to shoot at it with AA. At that point the active player must declare if they are going to attempt to bring in an airstrike or not. The principle is to try and avoid a situation where the active player is using their aerial Recce to draw out all the opposing players AA, which means that none is available to defend against a future air strike. An alternative option was considered to allow AA to shoot at Aerial Recce but also at other Airstrikes as well, but that just blew the Aerial Recce out of the air in most games. So this option was elected the best approach. It's a priority fire issue.
 

[AJ at the Bank]

Thanks Mark - very helpful.

Useful clarification that Reece movement can happen in the Initiative Phase (per your example below) - 
I was confused with the Reece Summary Table on p32 - which seems to indicate that movement takes place in Command Phase.
Thanks again for confirmation

[Big Insect]

Technically Recce can move at any time in a Game Turn - they are also Independent units so can move in the Initiative phase or the Command phase - but also can make an Evade move (see page 31).
It is just important that at the start of the game turn you clarify and designate what actions your recce units are going to undertake this game turn.
Are they going to move (in which case roll a d;6 and place it next to the unit having indicated if it is moving 1x, 2x or 3x its normal move distance) or is it going to under some other reconnaissance or communication action etc..
Many players will also roll a communication dice at this time and leave that by the side of the recce unit as well. It helps to not forget them.

[Big Insect]

CORRECTION

Sorry AJ - I need to re-clarify what I've said here.

Recce cannot move in the Initiative phase unless they are being Assaulted and choose to Evade.
So with the Aerial Recce that is an impossibility.
They must move in the Command phase otherwise, but before the CO makes its move (& the game turn ends).

Sorry to build up your hopes.

(Note to self ... only answer 3 questions a day or your brain goes into melt-down)     

[AJ at the Bank]

Great - this all makes sense Mark.
Closed!