Opportunity Fire - Standard/Optional Rule

[Starman]

Catching up with YouTube and saw a comment about op fire.

Suggestion

If a unit only spends one hex in LoS of a unit taking Op Fire then it should be allowed to complete its action in that hex before being subject to the fire so that a move/fire or move/unload is not subject to fire until after the fire or unload. The unit moving has planned its action and won't be hanging about whereas the OP fire unit will need to asses and then fire.

 

[Keith Tracton]

Hi! Ooh I wish I had seen the comment so I could reply. Did I miss it? Do you have a URL, please?

In any case I would try and persuade the commentator No plan survives contact withe the enemy, I believe. ;-) The scenario I see is that, planning notwithstanding, until those units moving "one hex" physically move into the LoS of the enemy, they are unable to make the actual final assessment they themselves need to know where to move, or where to fire, or whether it is safe to dismount. But...knowing your units are in LOS because players have an overview of the map is not the same thing as the counter-platoon-commander rounding the woods into the open - plan or no - only to find his flanking tanks (within his counter) exploding and not knowing where the fire is coming from. ;-)

Alas, I feel that such an exception would be problematic. What we have is the converse of the basic LOS axiom, that if you can see him, he can see you: if the enemy does not automatically see your units when they round the woods (i.e. moving into LOS, for example), allowing the OpFire, then your units do not automatically see him - so who fires/dismounts first? Much simpler giving the LOS benefit to the defender, and making the attacker take the risk, which I feel is as it should be. Attackers take the risks, defenders respond. In this game, the risk is coming in to LOS. If you survive that, you get to fire or unload.

 

[Starman]

The comment was about firing on an attacker who had just appeared e.g. over the brow of a hill and fired.

The above was my suggestion in response. If the defender was already aware of the attacker they have time to shoot first e.g. been in their LoS previously that turn.

In many of these situations it's a planned attack with minimum exposure designed to get the first shots in/unload. It seems more than reasonable that they would fire/unload before other units could react, granted not every time but more often than not.

A generalisation such as attackers take the risk is just not true and risk depends on the tactical situation, battlefield intelligence, training, alertness...Often defenders are more at risk by holding known or obvious strategic positions, that's a disadvantage tactically only offset by improved defence.

Units specifically train to aggressively get the drop, as attackers, so themewise I do not agree with you. The defenders will be vigilant but there will still be a delay for them to assess the enemy and select the appropriate response.


The solution is to apply a penalty on the op fire and/or allow a simultaneous fire with casualties taken after all firing.