H.Q. Units in Transport Vehicle

[Ian]

Can someone tell me if a Forward Artillery/Air Observer can call in the barrage/attack when mounted in an open topped or soft skinned vehicle?

If he can can he still do so if the vehicle has advanced? or if the vehicle has run?

Page 147 does say officers/HQ units aboard transports work as normal so I’m guessing its OK…..but call it in after the vehicle has run???

Ian

[Stuart Harrison]

From the FAQ:

“Page 147 “The special abilities of officers and other HQ units
mounted on transports work as normal, as long as they are being
transported in soft-skinned or open-topped armoured transports.” Does
this mean that an observer in an open-topped or soft-skinned transport
can call air strikes and artillery barrages?

No, they cannot do that because you would need to
issue a Fire order to the observer, and you cannot do that
on transported models. That sentence allows the use of
passive abilities, which do not require specific orders, like
a medic’s area of effect, or the ability of an observer to spot
for indirect-firing units.”

[Ian]

Hi Stuart,

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply. That makes sense.

 

regards

Ian

[Eric T Holmes]

Umm … Stuart, you’ve neglected the fact that in the German Army an SdKfz 253 was an artillery spotting vehicle and there were some radio equipped versions of the SdKfz 251 that were used as artillery spotting vehicles.  Let’s face it, all  you’re talking about is a “moving, rolling” foxhole when it comes to a vehicle carrying a forward observer.

Also, there was a great distinction between American artillery spotting and “European Army” artillery spotting … the term is Time on Target and the Americans used a single command center for all artillery.  I think the rules have some stuff very backwards when it comes to off  board artillery and on board artillery which includes the use of mortars.

YMMV

Roll Sixes!

[Stuart Harrison]

@ Eric – I didn’t write the rules, I only quoted them.

Bolt Action doesn’t currently include rules for artillery (or air, for that matter) observation vehicles, which would most likely result in the vehicle itself having that ability rather than carrying passengers and allowing them to use their ability from that vehicle.  If the rules were aiming to be a simulation, there would be very little representation of artillery on the board except for AT and objectives.

[Author]

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