The Commander Series Forum

Today a situation happened which I've never encountered before.

A recce unit spotted a unit via the recce roll which was completely out of LoS of the Recce unit and FAO. The player picked to allow an Artillery Strike against that unit.Fair enough. However, next turn the player wanted to attack the same unit with artillery again, while still out of LOS to the FAO and the Recce had not repeated it's roll. Now, the target unit hadn't moved, and since the previous attack had hit the target I couldn't really see why further artillery bombardment was not possible.

What should have happened per the rules? I suspect that the answer is that artillery can only be called in per successful recce roll per turn?

I'd agree with you. The rational is that the targeted unit has taken cover in the "micro-terrain" that is not represented on table - and thus broken LOS.

IanS

Ian, I agree with the rationale in that sense, but I find it difficult to reconcile with lack of LoS in the first place to spot the unit, and then the known ability for artillery to be dropped on a position where LoS from FAO to impact zone is not possible to assess damage, but fire was certainly possible and occurred on Grid Refs. (exactly what happens with scheduled fire).

Hmmmm...
I think you can simply rationalize based upon the Rules.

Non-Scheduled Fire may only come from an FAO with a line of sight to a target. That target may either be registered before the game ( for later Scheduled Fire ) or a visible unit. All on p26.

Use of Recce communication negates the need for an FAO to have LOS to an enemy unit being targeted by Artillery support on the command phase of the turn in which the Recce successfully communicated. Page 10.

If there is no successful Reece communication in the turn the artillery is ordered...then the FAO must have LOS as usual. The previously targeted unit could not be a target this turn - but could possibly be caught in the fire-zone of Scheduled artillery fire planned before the game starts.

Sound ok?

Sounds OK to me!

OK, seems my understanding of the rules is fine then. I just don't grasp why artillery can be called in with no LoS sometimes, and not at others.

Thanks, i shall go away and mull this over.

Obviously you can justify however you think is best....
I think the Reece is meant to do a good enough job, getting info on the position of the nearest enemy unit, to be able to act as eyes for the FAO.

This type of info is enough to convince the FAO the target is worth/can be fired at. Just like he thinks it's worth preparing a firing plan for Scheduled fire upon receipt of intel at the beginning of the game.

Bear in mind also that anyone with access to a radio could by 44 control artillery.

IanS