Ambush markers

irondog068 · Post by **irondog068** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:36 am

I may have missed this but here is a quick question
Can you put out ambush markers even though you do not have any units in ambush? Kind of like the inflatable tanks used to confuse the Germans before Overlord?

Thanks,
Irondog

stecal · Post by **stecal** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:53 am

yes

pg 143. " Alternately the marker can be left blank as a dummy marker to confuse the enemy"

irondog068 · Post by **irondog068** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:03 am

Great!
If I put some 15mm Ninjas on them do you think it owuld give it away that they are fake

Blathergut · Post by **Blathergut** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:34 am

Ambushes have to be the least used thing in FoG AM as far as all the games we've had here. The terrain so rarely ends up in an "ambushy" spot.

irondog068 · Post by **irondog068** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:14 pm

I can always roll for flank marches that do never arrive. You just for practice in not forgetting anything in the game

Legionbuilder · Post by **Legionbuilder** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:58 am

I can always roll for flank marches that do never arrive. You just for practice in not forgetting anything in the game

[/quote]

Like in Chicago

We pay taxes for airports that never get built

hazelbark · Post by **hazelbark** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:04 am

Blathergut wrote:Ambushes have to be the least used thing in FoG AM as far as all the games we've had here. The terrain so rarely ends up in an "ambushy" spot.

They weren't that common on a battlefield scale either historically.

I'd wager I put markers out 1 in 5 games.

probably 1/2 those 1 in 10 its a LF designed to slow someone moving through near flank.

About 1 in 40 games I have a really nasty ambush that is effective. Someone like you walks up and thinks its nothing and then its like the Tiger scene in Apocalypse Now.

Blathergut · Post by **Blathergut** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:21 am

timmy1 · Post by **timmy1** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:25 pm

I always put down ambush markers if the terrain falls to make my opponent think. Tend to use it with things like Poor LF Slings just to keep them safe but once in a while it is something nasty.

peteratjet · Post by **peteratjet** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:59 am

Bear in mind that any opponent who can count will know exactly how many battlegroups are not deployed on the table at the start. Placing three dummies while rolling for a phantom flank march really shouldn't fool anybody. Otherwise, the question then becomes "where are they?" Also, "what are they?"

marty · Post by **marty** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:42 am

My last ambush was 10 elements of heavily armoured knights. I suspect my opponent knew there was something afoot as he is not an idiot but it was worth it anyway!

Martin

Polkovnik · Post by **Polkovnik** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:03 pm

peteratjet wrote:Bear in mind that any opponent who can count will know exactly how many battlegroups are not deployed on the table at the start.

Yes but there are certain army sizes (eg 11 BGs) where you cannot tell if there is an ambush or not.

peteratjet wrote: Placing three dummies while rolling for a phantom flank march really shouldn't fool anybody.

You can place dummy ambush markers but you cannot roll for a fake flank march.

ShrubMiK · Post by **ShrubMiK** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:45 pm

And even if your opponent knows *something* is in ambush...
a) He may not know what it is. Springing something tasty out of what is considered inappropriate terrain on turn one can be a battle winner if the opponent has deployed without sufficient caution.
b) Even if he knows what it is, it could perhaps be in one of several spots. Again, if the opponent guesses wrong at deployment it could lead to trouble.

Had an amusing game the other week where my Gepids had their only 2 armoured lancer BGs in a forest, near the table centreline, aiming to shove them through a narrow gap between a marsh and a steep hill on his side of the table before he could respond. Contrariwise, I assumed his two ambush markers behind the steep hill would be auxilia or LF. Turned out it was his best 2 BGs - one of cataphracts, one of armoured cavalry.

philqw78 · Post by **philqw78** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:53 pm

ShrubMiK wrote:Had an amusing game the other week where my Gepids had their only 2 armoured lancer BGs in a forest, near the table centreline, aiming to shove them through a narrow gap between a marsh and a steep hill on his side of the table before he could respond. Contrariwise, I assumed his two ambush markers behind the steep hill would be auxilia or LF. Turned out it was his best 2 BGs - one of cataphracts, one of armoured cavalry.

You had obviously both been taking something stronger than tea at deployment.

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 4:37 pm

irondog068 wrote:I can always roll for flank marches that do never arrive.

If you mean rolling for non-existent flank-marchers, you can't. Or at least you can't tell your opponent you are rolling for a flank march if no flank march exists. That would be what is known in the trade as cheating. The rules do not allow "dummy flank marches".

dave_r · Post by **dave_r** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:06 pm

rbodleyscott wrote:
irondog068 wrote:I can always roll for flank marches that do never arrive.
If you mean rolling for non-existent flank-marchers, you can't. Or at least you can't tell your opponent you are rolling for a flank march if no flank march exists. That would be what is known in the trade as cheating. The rules do not allow "dummy flank marches".

Could be wrong, but I think he means whenever he flank marches it never arrives

timmy1 · Post by **timmy1** » Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:53 pm

[quote="dave_r"]Could be wrong[/quote]

:)