Qa

From Vassal

The Devil's Cauldron

Q & A

Movement

What is the effect of a stream bridge on movement?

Units in column may cross the stream using the bridge and just pay the normal Road movement rate when they cross that hexside. The bridge cannot be used by units not in column, Infantry units must pay +2MP and tracked and wheeled units may not cross.

Can a unit activated by a parent formation chit move adjacent to a suppressed enemy unit?

Sure - the rule is can't enter a FZ - not can't move adjacent to an enemy...important rule there. A suppressed unit does not have a Fire Zone. You could also move adjacent to Mortar or Artillery units.

What units do not have Fire Zones?

  • Suppressed Units.
  • Units with no Fire Rating. (A fire Rating of 0 is still a fire rating!)

Mortars and Artillery (green and orange colored firepower boxes) now have firezones. These fire zones have a maximum range of 3 hexes (regardless of the actual range on the counter). This now allows these guns to op fire if allowed under all conditions of normal op fire. If a orange boxes artillery unit fires as direct or op fire, it fires as a yellow colored FP unit and the range modifier does apply with 3 hexes being considered as their maximum range for direct fire/op fire. Mortars still fire as green units.

There is never a barrage placed for direct or op fire.

Can Infantry be transported by the British 'Recce' unit like a tank?

Yes.

Do you have to be following a road into a hex to take advantage of the road rate?

Sure do.

Can reinforcements start in Column? Mounted?

Unless there are specific rules in the scenario notes to the contrary, reinforcements may start in any configuration you prefer - Column, not in column, mounted on organic transport, infantry mounted on tanks, whatever.

Does it cost double to leave Column at night?

Yes, any Terrain related movement costs are doubled. It still only costs 1 MP to enter column, 1 Cohesion Hit to leave column, or half your movement allowance to dismount.

Direct Fire

Can a unit Direct or Opportunity Fire when in Column?

Yes, but with a -1FP modifier as noted on the column counter. A Unit in Column has the same attributes as when not in column, except at -1FP and +2 Defence.

Does a 1 hex range unit use the 1 hex or Last hex range modifier?

1 hex.

Should mortars receive the same benefit as other HE when firing at targets in woods?

Yes, TEC in VASSAL mod updated in next release.

German Airpower Firepower is red. What line of the CRT do you use?

Pink - Small Arms Fire. Counter FP will be changed to Pink in next release of the VASSAL module to remove confusion.

Close Assault

May a unit enter a hex containing enemy units, but not Assault them? What if they are supressed?

No, all enemy unit must be dislodged from a hex before you can enter it, unless you Close Assault them.

What is the 'All Infantry (Not Engineers') bonus?

All infantry units, but not Engineers, get a +1FP bonus in the three Close Assault rounds. This bonus applies to both Attacking and Defending units.

Do Terrain Modifiers apply at all during Close Assault?

The Attackers get any applicable terrain bonus during the initial Opportunity Fire round. During the 3 Close Assault rounds, the defenders get the normal terrain advantage while the attackers get no terrain advantage. (i.e. when the Defenders fire, do not apply FP modifier for the hex the attacking units are in).

Can a Supressed unit retreat from Close Assault?

No, supressed units can do NOTHING except rally or defend against Close Combat with a -2FP penalty.

What are the restrictions on retreating from Close Assault?

  • Cannot retreat into prohibited terrain.
  • Cannot retreat into an enemy occupied hex.
  • Cannot retreat into the hex the enemy Assault was launched from.

What happens to a unit with no Movement Allowance that is forced to retreat?

It surrenders (i.e. it is eliminated).

So what happens to suppressed defenders if the attacker charges and the defender fails the TQC? Are they eliminated/surrender?

Yep - if all defenders in the hex are suppressed of course and they don't pay a Direct command or pass a TQC...

All put their hands up and go to that great counter tray in the sky.

What happens if an attacking unit is suppressed?

It takes no further part in the assault and returns to the hex the assault was launched from.

Can Mortars and Artillery fire during Close Combat rounds?

New Assault rules for 'Guns':

Delete the "guns can't ever assault" rule and the -2 penalty for guns in assault. All guns may now assault. In assaults, their FP is considered pink (small arms) and their FP values are always the same value regardless of the actual FP box color or actual FP value. All 2 step guns have a pink FP value of "2" in assaults, all 1 step guns have a pink FP value of 1. 2 step guns units are NOT allowed to roll for Company Bonus as may other units.

In addition, all "0" strength units, regardless of type, always have an FP of "0" in all assaults regardless of the strength present on the counter or of unit type.

Guns with no Movement Allowance may not initiate Close Assault, only defend.

Can you Charge in every round of Close Assault?

Yes, you can charge in any round of the Close Assault as long as you pass the Charge TQC. Remember, every Close Assault round you Charge, you do not get to Fire. You may choose to not charge in an earlier round and then charge in a later round.

If my Infantry passes the Assault Armor TQC, I don't have to roll any more TQC's for that assault, right?

Oops, that was left over from an earlier version of the rules. Remove that. You need to make every TQC called for, for every round (Company Bonus, Charge, S? and results) in addition to the initial TQC needed to attack Armor in the first place.

Can a Suppressed unit get Company Bonus to Defend an Assault?

Yes, that is the only time Company Bonus applies to a Suppressed Unit.

Is there an Opportunity Fire trigger when a unit advances into a hex after a successful assault?

No, the only units that get an Op Fire chance during an Assault are the defending units get the chance to Op Fire prior to the three Close Combat Rounds. If the Assaulting units dislodge the defenders, they MUST advance into the assaulted hex and are not subject to any further Op Fire.

Can you concentrate the fire of your Assaulting units on a single defending unit during a Close Combat round?

Yes, but all units in the assaulted hex get to fire back.


Activations

Can units in a stack combine first and second activations to move or assault?

I have a stack of 3 units, one of them has a Cohesion hit. Have just drawn the formation activation. Can i Activate the unit with cohesion hit and rally it, then use a second action to activate it again and combine with the other two counters in the stack to Close Assault an adjacent enemy unit?

Sure...The sequencing is a little tricky when you have stacks that are moving or assaulting. In a formation activation, this would cost you 1 direct command (for the immediate second action from the rallied unit. Oh, no fz on the unit I assume? Can't rally to remove a cohesion in an enemy FZ).

Sequencing with a formation activation would be, rally, spend a DC for a second activation to assault - the other 2 also can activate and assault (and you could do an immediate second activation with either or both of the other two - which is first is up to you).

If it was under a DivAct, you would need to spend 3 direct commands to do this. Rally with the first unit. Pass, pass with the other two, and then spend 3 DCs to assault with the stack.

Can you activate a stack of units together to try to IP?

IPs are unit specific - how would activating a stack help each unit? Oh, maybe you mean for Op Fire? Nope, only things you do as a stack allows units to activate together are Movement or assault.

I would prefer to keep special rules to a mimimum so as it is now, one unit attempts to build at a time.

Leaders

Does every leader in the Division get the Free move at the end of a Division Activation?

After a Formation activation, only the formation leader gets the free move.
After a Division activation, every leader in the division gets the free move.
Leader's may only move during a DC activation by moving with activated units they where stacked with at the start of the activation.

Rallying

Can you rally from a Supression Hit at night in an enemy FZ?

You can always rally from a suppression hit regardless of conditions - FZ or not, day or night...

Air Drops

May the British start in Column mode after an Airdrop?

No, after an Airdrop, units will not be in column unless specifically stated in the Scenario rules.

What airdrop modifiers do an enemy unit inside a DZ/LZ generate?

+1 for being inside the DZ/LZ plus an additional +1 for having a FZ on a DZ/LZ (taking into account the maximum modifier per DZ/LZ for non-flak unit FZ's of +2)

Line of Sight

Does a hex with a Raised Railroad block all LOS that crosses any part of the entire hex?

Yes, for LOS purposes, blocking terrain fills the entire hex.



Scenario One

What is the result if the British player scores exactly 15 points?

German win.

If I Close Assault the Stadtcommandant unit and eliminate it before it has a chance to blow the bridge, how does that effect the bridge blowing roll?

Still rolls and still needs a 6 or less (the big game does it a little differently).

Scenario Two

Is a unit with a FZ on two different DZ/LZ's worth 2VP's?

Yes, within the limits of a maximum of 2VP's per DZ/LZ for Non-flak units with FZ's on a DZ/LZ.

Can American units F/2/508 and G/3/508 activate if they come under fire from a non-adjacent unit?

Yes. They may activate if either an enemy unit moves adjacent to them, or the are fired upon.