Splitting Fire: Close or Closest???

[Blathergut]

When having to split fire between multiple targets, does "every target in the closest range band" mean:

a) Close/Medium/Long Range, if there are 2 enemy units in my Medium band, and none in the Close band, I must split mny dice between the two

or

b) Close only, i.e., only if 2 enemy units are in my Close band do I have to split my dice between them...the 2 enemy in the Medium band example above, one could be ignored and the other take all dice.

[panda2]

I've always taken it to be a). It has never occured to me that it could be b) until you suggested it!

Andy D

[panda2]

Having re-checked, the rules, since they were to hand, I'm now more convinced that "the closest range band" does not mean "close range", although I'd admit there is nothing absolutely decisive in the rules that I can see. Nevertheless, as well as the use of the phrase on p.52, it is also used on p.51 where we are told that:

"Artillery will always direct all their fire at targets within the closest range band."

If "the closest range band" is taken to mean "close range" in this context, it would mean that artillery could ignore medium range targets entirely and fire at long range targets, which I'm sure is not intended. It would also be difficult to see what this rule would add to the requirement in the next bullet that:

"A unit must allocate maximum dice at close range before any are allocated to a medium range target."

On the other hand if "the closest range band" is taken to mean the nearest range band in which there are targets, the need for seperate bullet points makes sense, since artillery wouldn't be fully covered by the second bullet point since they could, unlike other units, have long range targets (as well as close and medium range).

However, if I'm wrong, it's worth noting that the last bullet on p.52 would still require that:

"The unit most central to the target area must receive at least as many dice as any other target"

So it wouldn't be a compleat free for all, although it might produce some interesting results for artillery with long range and medium range targets.

Andy D

[Blathergut]

Thanks for the detail in the reply. I think you are correct. It was just one of those moments where brain wasn't completely sure. It is this sort of help by players who are helping very much to keeping this all going I think at times.

[terrys]

Units must fire the maximum number of dice at a target within the closest range band. If not all dice are fired then there MAY be some left pver that can be fired at a longer range band. Allocating dice to the most central target only applies in range bands that have dice available.

There are 4 situations that need to be considered when checking for fire at different range bands:
1) A small unit in tactical formation can only fire its dice at the closest range band.
2) A Large unit in tactical formation may fire at 2 range bands if only a single base has an enemy to its front. It fires as a small unit at the closest range band, and fires at the longer range band with the remaining dice (the difference in dice between a small and a large unit, 1 dice for infantry and 2 dice for artillery).
3) A small infantry unit in extended line – may fire as a half-unit at a close range target and also at a target at medium range if the close range target is only in front of one half of the firing unit. The dice available at long range will be halved (rounded up) but will be additionally reduced by the number of dice which the unit allocates as support dice.
4) A large unit in extended line – may also fire at targets at different ranges using a similar calculation. Work out the proportion of dice firing at close range, and proportionately reduce the number of dice available at long range.
In most cases the number of dice remaining at the longer range will only be 1 or 2.

[LeslieMitchell]

That make sense thanks Terry

[Blathergut]

Thanks for the response!

[Blathergut]

moved here