Response fire

[Big Insect]

Good idea! :-)

Okay, let's say it is the Command Phase.  Attacking we have a Soviet MR infantry stand and an MG stand and a BTR60 stand.  The Soviet player makes his command roll and commences a close assault against a defending Bundeswehr infantry stand. The Soviet player indicates he will move his MR infantry stand into contact with the German infantry, the Soviet MG stand and the BTR60 stand will support the assault.

Within 10cm of the German infantry stand is a friendly Jeep-MG stand.

The German player says he will undertake "shooting during an assault" as per the rules on page 43. Am I correct that the German infantry stand and the Jeep-MG stand can each fire at the Soviet infantry stand, and the Soviet MG stand and at the Soviet BTR60 stand?
(>No & Yes    - as the Jeep-MG has been declared to be supporting the assaulted unit, it can fire at all enemy units - the Soviet infantry and all of its supporting unit - however the German infantry and the Soviet infantry can only fire at each other - as they are not supporting units).

And that all this firing occurs before the Soviet infantry stand gets into contact for the assault? (> Yes - that is correct- so the outcome of the assault will affect all the supporting units - Soviet & German)
Let's say the German fire is ineffectual in this case. 
I then move the Soviet infantry stand into contact with the German infantry stand? (> Correct, even if the Soviet infantry are suppressed, they still move into contact and fight the assault)
At the end of the command phase we fight the close assault. 
At this time, can the German player say the Jeep-MG is not going to support the German infantry stand in the assault?
(> No - once declared as being a supporting unit, these units are all affected by the outcome of that assault, so must remain as supporting unit. Also, as a supporting unit, the Jeep-MG cannot Opportunity Fire later in that Game Turn, as that is specifically prohibited).

Thanks for your patience!
> Not at all - I can now see where you are coming from 
> One point to be aware of is that unlike the assaulting unit, which continues into close assault (unless it is KO'd) even if it becomes suppressed, all supporting units that are suppressed due to enemy support fire, can no longer support the close assault. Reading the rules on P43, this is not specifically stated to be the case as it is assumed that the general rules on Suppression (Page 39) applies, unless there is a special exemption (as is the case with the assaulting unit).

Assaults are complex and can (I have been told) appear counter-intuitive as a mechanism, however as is often the case with the Commander series, it is the end result we are focused on 
Thanks for posting this
Cheers
Mark
NB: just to be clear, in a situation where you have multiple assaults going on - if any unit is the initiator of an assault or the target of that assault, neither can support other units in their assaults. Units actively involved in an assault will be focused on that assault and nothing else.

[dylan]

Thanks so much.

I wasn't clear that "shooting during an assault" automatically makes you a supporting unit for the purposes of the actual close assault.  Now that is clarified I will be much more careful about when I elect to shoot.

And I wrongly thought the unit being assaulted could fire at the assaulter and all his supporting units. (so in a situation where the defender is on his lonesome, he can only fire at the assaulter, and any supporting attacking units get off free).

[Big Insect]

Thanks so much.

I wasn't clear that "shooting during an assault" automatically makes you a supporting unit for the purposes of the actual close assault.  Now that is clarified I will be much more careful about when I elect to shoot.

And I wrongly thought the unit being assaulted could fire at the assaulter and all his supporting units. (so in a situation where the defender is on his lonesome, he can only fire at the assaulter, and any supporting attacking units get off free).

Correct. By default to assaulting unit and the unit being assaulted are not supporting units - as they are the assaulter and the target. They will primarily be focused on each other.

Likewise, a unit assaulting on its own doesn't get to shoot at the defenders supporting units.

Cheers
Mark

[dylan]

I didn't think any of the assaulting units/their supports got to fire at all?  Isn't that in the rules?

[Big Insect]

I didn't think any of the assaulting units/their supports got to fire at all?  Isn't that in the rules?

Wherever did you get that idea from dylan?