Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Pendraken Rules! => Blitzkrieg Commander IV => Topic started by: Amra on 25 January 2021, 01:41:11 AM

Title: Second game questions
Post by: Amra on 25 January 2021, 01:41:11 AM
Hi All ,
Another enjoyable game ,another bunch of random questions!

(1)Off table scheduled arty drops on defences, what happens ? Are minefields affected?

(2)Infantry in buildings, what is the firing range both to hit them and for them to shoot ?

(3)Recce units are shot at , do they have any special rules or are they just hit on a 4 in the open ?

(4)Barrage & concentrated arty, does a single unit firing just use concentrated? How do we know which it is for scheduled strikes?

(5)When does an FAO delay a scheduled strike? Because it's the first thing of a move , would the FAO have to have delayed it the turn before ?

Thanks everyone, stay safe and get your painting done in lockdown ,something we in Melbourne know all about :)
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: richafricanus on 25 January 2021, 06:43:34 AM
As part of the same game, if I can add a couple of questions to the above:

6. Visibility of dug in guns once they fire - are they as visible to enemy as anyone in the open?
7. Are there any conventions/ rules about picking targets for firing?  Can I fire one tank at a time and then decide my next target after seeing the result of the 1st shot, etc?
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: Big Insect on 25 January 2021, 08:05:34 AM
Quote from: Amra on 25 January 2021, 01:41:11 AM
Hi All ,
Another enjoyable game ,another bunch of random questions!
(1)Off table scheduled arty drops on defences, what happens ? Are minefields affected?
(2)Infantry in buildings, what is the firing range both to hit them and for them to shoot ?
(3)Recce units are shot at , do they have any special rules or are they just hit on a 4 in the open ?
(4)Barrage & concentrated arty, does a single unit firing just use concentrated? How do we know which it is for scheduled strikes?
(5)When does an FAO delay a scheduled strike? Because it's the first thing of a move , would the FAO have to have delayed it the turn before ?
Thanks everyone, stay safe and get your painting done in lockdown ,something we in Melbourne know all about :)

Answers below:
(1) - > no, the mines are not activated - a few might be in reality but not enough to clear the mine field - even back in WW1 the use of artillery to cut wire and clear minefields was pretty poor even with the massive weight of shells being dropped. Engineering and mine clearing units are best against minefields  :)
(2) - > there is no firing range to hit - it is the visibility that is key. If you cannot see or spot them you cannot hit them. Infantry in cover - especially BUAs or fortifications are very difficult to hit
(3) - > Recce are hit on a 6 at all times - cover makes them more difficult to acquire (spot)
(4) - > for scheduled strikes you must use a Barrage - because a concentration must be targeted on a single enemy unit. With targeted fire it is your choice - a single gun can drop a barrage or a concentration  
(5) - > If you choose to try and delay the scheduled strike you are breaking the order of play - so you use the appropriate FAO (ideally the one nearest the target) and follow the sequence as outlined. If that FAO is successful and delays the strike, you can continue using that FAO to order in other off-table artillery as usual. Just treat this as if they are your 1st commanded order. NB it is therefore best to activate all other scheduled strikes before the one you intend to attempt to delay or abort

Hope that helps?
Mark
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: fred. on 25 January 2021, 08:17:27 AM
Quote from: richafricanus on 25 January 2021, 06:43:34 AM
As part of the same game, if I can add a couple of questions to the above:

6. Visibility of dug in guns once they fire - are they as visible to enemy as anyone in the open?
7. Are there any conventions/ rules about picking targets for firing?  Can I fire one tank at a time and then decide my next target after seeing the result of the 1st shot, etc?

Both below answers are from memory:

6) we treat them as visible once they fire

7) We allocate all shots from a formation before rolling dice
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: Big Insect on 25 January 2021, 08:26:03 AM
Quote from: richafricanus on 25 January 2021, 06:43:34 AM
As part of the same game, if I can add a couple of questions to the above:

6. Visibility of dug in guns once they fire - are they as visible to enemy as anyone in the open?
7. Are there any conventions/ rules about picking targets for firing?  Can I fire one tank at a time and then decide my next target after seeing the result of the 1st shot, etc?

See below:

(6) - It depends whether you were playing the 'Hide' rule previously? So if the guns were dug-in but 'hidden' they become a potential target once they have fired - however, as they are in defences they are still harder to acquire than they would be if out in the open. But they are visible once they fire.

(7) - yes - you must nominate all shots from all units being commanded to shoot in a single order - this avoids the issue of 'pick & choose'  :D So if I have 4 Shermans facing 2 Tiger tanks - you need to nominate all the shots from all 4 Shermans - e.g. 2 on 1 Tiger, 2 on the other - or all 4 Shermans @ 1 Tiger etc.etc.etc. - you can change target in a following successful order.
This can be a bit laborious in a massed tank battle situation but you soon get the hang of it.
As fred has said - allocate before rolling dice is the best approach.

Cheers
Mark
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 25 January 2021, 08:45:20 AM
Mark - thought that recce were one harder to hit - not always a 6 ?
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: Big Insect on 25 January 2021, 08:56:30 AM
Page 29 in rules - you are correct Ian (that comes from me not looking at my book before I answer!)

""A Recce unit always counts as one cover class better v enemy direct fire, but receives no benefit v indirect fire."  ... "Recce units cannot be targeted for Airstrikes and/or requested off-table Artillery support."

So in most cases a 5 to hit (in the open)
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: Amra on 25 January 2021, 01:52:55 PM
Fantastic, thanks all
While you're there :) , if I'm using flank deployment do I put my command down in the sector at the start of the game ? So my opponent knows it's coming,just not what & when ?
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 25 January 2021, 02:44:44 PM
Yes thats is correct
Title: Re: Second game questions
Post by: richafricanus on 25 January 2021, 07:16:12 PM
Thanks for all the quick responses.  A couple of questions for clarity:

On Q2 regarding troops in buildings (high area terrain) it says LOS is between 5-10cm (depending on troop profile) "through, in or out" of the terrain.  So does that mean if troops are lining the edge of such terrain, they can only see 5-10cm out and so can only fire that far?

Regarding Q6, on p60 it says that hidden formations that open fire are automatically located so I'm not sure what you mean about them being harder to acquire?