Spotters, Artillery/Mortars and Order Tests

[Mark Prichard]

I understand that Spotters share a dice with whatever unit they are spotting for whether artillery or a mortar squad. What happens in situations where both the spotter and the artillery/mortar have pins? Do they share an order test and accumulate the pins or do you do two separate individual order tests one for the spotter and one for the mortar?

[Stuart Harrison]

They are two separate units as far as pins go (“treated entirely separately in other respects – as if they were two units” and pins are not one of the respects mentioned).

When firing, the shooting unit is the one to take a test if required. They are only using the spotter’s LOS, it is not a case of the spotter being issued an order and calling in fire like the air and artillery observers in the HQ section.

The only time pins on the spotter makes a difference is if you’re trying to move him (highly unlikely he’ll ever accumulate enough pins for the automatic rout rules to take effect).

[Nat]

Related question – spotters are purchased for 10 points.. am I right in assumuing that they are the same level (ie reg /vet etc) as the gun you purchase them with? And that they are unarmed? (important because then they cant fight in close combat either)

[Stuart Harrison]

Same level as the rest of the crew as nothing else is stated, and you can’t buy members of a unit at different experience levels (p153, Force Selection, Force Selection Rules, No Mixed Quality).

While he can’t initiate an assault, there is nothing stopping him from defending himself in close quarters – as nothing is specifically stated about being unarmed (units with unarmed models have it specifically stated in their special rules, (ie: Soviet Shtrafbat Squad), or having a specific weapon to grant special rules like assault, he would be covered by the general rule of fighting with one attack in close quarters.

[Nat]

aha… (s)he has a pocket knife with which to defend him/her self with

:p

-Female pronoun included due to Soviet Russia!

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