Rules Questions

[Nat]

Then I’d say its 1D6 not 2D6, as 7+ is the average for 2D6… so you would be losing a guy pretty regularly (think it’d be something like a 60% chance….)

[Nick]

Do people use house rules for artillery crew placement. It seems a bit stiff that a almost 200 pt. 88mm can realistically be wiped out by a 50 pt. mortar in 1 turn. We are using a single dot for center of artillery piece. Should it be regular type base which would push 2″ min distance out of reach of a 2″ template getting everyone. We are thinking of letting a couple guys be outside 2″ range on larger crews but 1″ from a crew member. Than if inside guys get knocked out they use an advance order to get to gun. Any thoughts or house rules people use.
Thanks
Nick

[Stuart Harrison]

“Should it be regular type base which would push 2″ min distance out of reach of a 2″ template getting everyone.”

There’s an incorrect interpretation in there – a 2″ template won’t get everyone within 2″ of the breech. Remember templates are diameter, not radius. It would take a 4″ template to hit everyone assuming you have enough crew to cover the full arc from one side to the other.

“We are using a single dot for center of artillery piece. Should it be regular type base which would push 2″ min distance out of reach of a 2″ template getting everyone. ” – you are doing it correctly measuring from the centre.
Measurement is stated as from the centre of the gun, further defined down to the breech in brackets – any base, barrel, trails etc are irrelevant to the formation requirement unless you house rule a variation.

[Fred Brannan]

A medium howitzer is a ‘fixed’ weapon. If it uses an advance order to turn in place and shoot may it also fire indirect?

[Yuriy]

it turns out that way

[Stuart Harrison]

@ Fred Brannan, nothing I can see in either the fixed “rotate and fire” provision or the indirect rules preventing you using the advance with indirect – the only prohibition specific to indirect is that you can’t use it from ambush.

[Joakim Nyberg]

Hi guys!

Got a question about transports.. someone told me that inex transport leaves directly the field when he dropped of the troops.
A regular transport stays but only if there is friendly units closer rather than foes.
And Veteran transport stays until they are dead..
So I thouht that I could use them as a mobile lmg/mmg team after the troops got out.

But I can’t find that rule about them staying in the rulebook.
My friend lying again? haha

[Stuart Harrison]

Your friend is incorrect or using a house rule as if it’s an actual rule (rather than presenting it as an option to discuss).

The actual rule is p114, Transport Vehicles, Role of Transports, second para – “To represent this, all empty transports that end the turn closer to an enemy unit of any kind than from a friendly unit, aside from other empty transports, are automatically removed from the battle and count as destroyed.”

As you can see, experience level doesn’t enter into it. As written it applies to all empty transports with no additional detriment for inexperienced or immunity to the rule for veterans.

[Joakim Nyberg]

@Stuart Harrison

Yeah probably.. yes that’s the only thing I find in the rulebook. Even looked in the errata. Soo frustrating.
Thanks buddy 😀

Now I’m gonna rub it in his face

[JohnHotson]

Query regarding Artillery,

Having just returned to Bolt Action after a Break for Cruel Seas, the following questions arose:

1)Germans advance, suspect enemy may be in building. Can they a)choose a floor and fire direct HE, if they hit the building and enemy are on that floor do those troops get hit as well as building potentially being destroyed. B)fire indirect, hopefully hit building with HE shell, shell and damage as per page 125.

2)Enemy “hidden” in trench. Can my troops (mortar) choose to fire indirect at the trench needing a 6 to hit. If successful, enemy take hits and pins, but do not count as having been zeroed in hence no 2+, although they no longer count as hidden (p131)

[David]

Hi everyone,I’m reposting this in the hope of general position.
How does everyone generally deal with an artillery barrage miscalculation roll of 1 where the 3d6 scatters off the board? This came up in discussions the other day, and I could not find an answer in the Rulebook.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by David.

[Stuart Harrison]

“1)Germans advance, suspect enemy may be in building. Can they a)choose a floor and fire direct HE, if they hit the building and enemy are on that floor do those troops get hit as well as building potentially being destroyed. B)fire indirect, hopefully hit building with HE shell, shell and damage as per page 125.”

If a unit is in the building, you have to shoot as per HE Weapons Against Buildings, p124-125. You are drawing LOS to that floor but the only unit based modifier ignored is cover, you are still shooting at the unit on that floor (see errata for confirmation). The enemy troops are the target, not a secondary consideration that gets “hit as well”. Bringing down the building is the secondary possibility.

The only time you are actually targetting the building is in the case of empty buildings, p126.

“2)Enemy “hidden” in trench. Can my troops (mortar) choose to fire indirect at the trench needing a 6 to hit. If successful, enemy take hits and pins, but do not count as having been zeroed in hence no 2+, although they no longer count as hidden (p131)”

Correct for the first part. Being hidden in Bolt Action doesn’t prevent you being shot if if you could be shot at without hidden, it just increases the cover modifier.

I would disagree with the second – your shot removed hidden by scoring a hit, the shooting unit/spotter saw the impact (pretty much the whole reason you’re no longer hidden) and would be calling for a repeat or ending fire mission. If it had been a miss, they wouldn’t benefit from the +1 next turn (because they’re still hidden), but it wasn’t a miss…

[Felix]

@ JohnHotson:
hmm, i may be mistaken, but for 2) i thought when shooting an indirect weapon at a hidden unit you never range in or spot them. I understood that even if your indirect round hit them, you dont actually ‘know’ you hit something and will next turn again try to hit on unmodified 6+.

interesting question.

A followup that came to mind: your first activation was shooting at a hidden unit, missing. then your friendly unit X runs into range and spots the target during the same turn. Does the indirect that fired at a no-longer-hidden unit this turn now count as ranging in or only next turn?

[Stuart Harrison]

“I understood that even if your indirect round hit them, you dont actually ‘know’ you hit something and will next turn again try to hit on unmodified 6+.” – that’s not what the rule says. Any hit other than from a prep bombardment removes hidden – “An enemy unit scores a hit on the hidden unit (other than preparatory bombardment)”. Nothing about indirect fire not counting. As soon as you score a hit it’s no longer a hidden unit.

[Felix]

Thank you Stuart!

I was lazy and didnt pull up the rules, thank you for clarifying that. what you say makes sense and rings a bell.

and im pretty sure my second part question is nonsense too. i would argue the ranging in starts when the gun fires, and cant happen posthumously after someone else spotted the target. so you miss – you remain at 6 for next turn. your buddy spots first and you miss – you go down to 5.

[Author]

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