The Commander Series Forum

Game situation - I have a battalion of infantry advancing across open country with a cross-attached squadron of Shermans. My infantry spot an enemy anti-tank gun and are within 20cm of their HQ who has a 3" mortar on tap. I roll my command dice and succeed, I want the infantry/tanks to continue to move and the mortar to fire on the anti-tank gun. My opponent calls opportunity fire on the moving tanks.

Which is resolved first, the opportunity fire or my mortar fire?

The opp fire - best to fire the mortar first, that way you aren't offering any moving targets until after the mortars have fired

Your comment 'has a 3" mortar on tap' had me puzzled because Pete recently explained that you can't have a unit ordered to do nothing. Therefore, if you don't start with a target in sight you won't be able to include the mortar in the group of units being ordered.
However, I've given this some thought and wondered if the way that you did this was to include the mortar as part of the group of units being ordered and then ordered it to deploy (as in change face rather than get ready to move) each command roll until you can spot something and then fire as normal on the next command roll?

Pete, your 'opp fire' bit at the beginning of the answer also puzzles me (I'm easily puzzled as you can tell). From the question it seems the anti-tank gun is spotted by the moving units as part of one order and then the command succeeds with another command roll to order units to move and the mortar to fire. Unless the ATG used its opportunity to fire at a unit during the first move order, it has to wait for a unit to move or fire in the second order before it gets to opportunity fire and therefore it can be targeted by the mortar first and the player can then choose whether to actually move any of the units depending on whether the ATG was knocked out or suppressed.
I could be wrong but that's how we've been playing it

Oh if the ATG is hidden, no you can't fire the mortar at it, but then the question is null and void as you won't be firing the mortar with the same order that the units moved.

I think that explains it

Pete,

I think the example was based on the ATG not being visbile to the units on their first order or two and then it became visible, maybe the units moved over a hill but were still within 20cm of the command unit and so could be fired at with another order.
And I've realised how your first answer works as I think you were assuming the units could see the ATG to start with and thus the player would probably be wise to fire his mortars before moving the units.
As for when does opportunity fire takes place, I believe it would happen after all the firing has taken place or after the target unit has moved and before the next. For example, a player could choose to fire some units, receive some opportunity fire against those, move one or more units, receiving opportunity fire against those individually, then perhaps fire some more units, but not at enemy units that have just revealed themselves by using opportunity fire as they were not visible when the order was issued, and maybe then move other units.
It's not always just fire everything and then move everything ... at least I hope not

OK, from this "My infantry spot an enemy anti-tank gun and are within 20cm of their HQ who has a 3" mortar on tap."

The ATG has been located.

Then: " I roll my command dice and succeed, I want the infantry/tanks to continue to move and the mortar to fire on the anti-tank gun."

Now the movement and firing can happen in any order the player likes, so the mortar can fire, then the infantry/tanks move. Opp fire will be against the infantry/tanks AFTER the mortar has fired if the player choose to fire the mortar BEFORE moving the other units.

"My opponent calls opportunity fire on the moving tanks."

Go for it, unless it was suppressed by the mortar fire!

Very good, solved my issue and pointed out a few possibilities I hadn't thought of!

In my case I should have said, "right, I've passed my command roll and want to start this formation off with the mortar firing, then I'll move the rest".

Glad it helped