Starshell placed by Mortars WT

[MCabido]

20.3 states: "Onboard Mortars (WTs only) can also place Starshells (pending Nationality Capability), but a GO Leader or Scout must use their impulse to call-in the fire. The Leader/Scout can place a Starshell marker in any hex within THREE hexes of his hex or in any hex in his LOS under a Fired marker that is also within range of the Mortar (no roll is made).

I'm not sure I understand the sentence "pending Nationality Capability" here. As I could understand, using a Leader to direct the Mortar WT would automatically place the starshell (no roll is made). Can a Mortars WT place a starshell by itself (without a Leader directing the fire) in a hex with a Fired marker? If so, no roll is made too? If I take the sentence literally, the "but" conditions the starshell placement to the direction of a GO Leader, so that a WT wouldn't be able to do it by itself. Is that so?

 

[MCabido]

I have read some comments that suggest that there must be a leader for a WT to fire a starshell and it is automatic (no roll), but those are from 2015/2016. Anyway, it seems consistent with the rules above.

 

[Stéphane Tanguay]

The "pending National Capability" means that if a nationality does not have any Starshell capability, its WT (as well as its leader/scout of course) cannot fire Starshell. Beyond that, yes, success is automatic (no roll is made, as stated in the rules), but a leader/scout is "used" for it. The WT cannot place it on itself.

 

[MCabido]

Got it. Thanks Stéphane.