Assault into Anti-Tank Ditch Hexes

[dwbennett]

Per the Core Rule 7.4, the movement cost for an Infantry unit to enter an AT Ditch hex is 1 MP plus the cost of the terrain to enter. The Counter TEC for NaW: Desert Heat states that the Movement Cost is 3 MP for Soft Targets and 4 MP for Hard Targets.

Per Core Rule 5.4, for Infantry assault only, each infantry unit that enters an enemy hex must pay +1 MF to enter the hex.

Using the combination of the NaWDH TEC and the requirement of and the additional cos of 1 MP to perform an assault, infantry units will never be able to assult a unit in an AT Ditch counter hex since Infantry units only have a 3 MF. I read and read the rules and I can not find anything to contradict this. Maybe there is but I haven't found it yet.

And if there isn't, well, I call BS.

I'm playing NaWDH, Scenario: No Time To Be Disorganized with the Solo Assistant and the Brits as the AEO. Somehow I got a German Pioneer unit into the Brits defensive line at full strength. Then the Brits 3" mortar whacked the unit pretty hard with two unsaved hits. Ouch! The Brit infantry unit next to the Pioneer unit (and on an AT Ditch Counter) ended up trying an Oppourtunity Fire against another Pioneer platoon and failed ending up with a Ops Compete marker. In the units next activation, the Pioneer unit had a great Morale Check roll and removed the Disruption setting up an assault into the Brit unit hex. Saying to hell with the rules as written, the Pioneer unit moved in and assualted. The Pioneers attack roll was two hits and the Brits counterattack roll was one hit. The Brits ended up disrupted, reduced and retreating into an adjacent hex. The Pioneer unit ended up Disrupted but in possession of the hex. That was one heck of a job by a reduced Pioneer platoon.

Anyway, if someone can call my attention to the relevant rules that allows an infantry unit to assault in this situation, please do.

Until, then I'm going to use a AT Ditch movement cost for soft target as 2 to enter the hex. If you read the Core rules, AT Ditch counters can be placed in Clear, Clear/Raod, and Clear/Hill hexes. The only problem for a Soft Target entering a AT Ditch for an assault, would be from from a lower elevation up into a hill AT Ditch hex which would put the MP needed back up to 4; 1 to go uphill, 1 to enter the clear hex, 1 to enter the AT Ditch counter hex and 1 to perform the assault. Am I correct?

Thanks and take care,

 

[Sean Druelinger]

Any unit may always move at least 1 mp. So you can assault a unit in an anti tank ditch.

thank you

 

[Sean Druelinger]

Further clarification
You cannot run across multiple hexes and negotiate defensive obstacles in the same turn is what I am saying. You can get adjacent to the obstacle and next turn enter the hex because all units can at least move 1 hex into any hex.

 

[dwbennett]

Further clarification
You cannot run across multiple hexes and negotiate defensive obstacles in the same turn is what I am saying. You can get adjacent to the obstacle and next turn enter the hex because all units can at least move 1 hex into any hex.

Right, Sean, that's what I've been assuming all along. What you are discribing is exactly what I ended up doing when I realized all the MP added up for the assault to more than the unit had. I managed to move the Pioneer into the hex next to the assualt point and, with a whole lot of luck, made the assault. And the Pioneer unit was promptly eliminated two turns later from a counter attack using the same method; move next to and then assault.

Thanks much and take care,

 

[Stéphane Tanguay]

Any unit may always move at least 1 mp. So you can assault a unit in an anti tank ditch.

yes, I was looking for a similar rule in the rulebook but could not find it

 

[dwbennett]

yes, I was looking for a similar rule in the rulebook but could not find it

Same here, Stèphane. I darn near read the rules cover to cover but couldn't find anything. So common sense took over. So far I haven't found any cliff hexes in NaW like there are in LnL Tactica which restrict movement so an assault up a hillside in NaW, as I was talking above, is still allowed because of the minimum 1 hex movement allowance.