Rules question - how does terrain effect work for combat?

[jjdenver]

Hi,

I thought that I understood this but a friend in a PBEM game asked me about this and now I'm doubting my understanding.

Terrain effects include a negative modifier to combat value. Tanks for example I think get a negative modifier from mountain terrain.

Given that hex A is mountain and hex B is clear.

For each below situation, does tank get mountain negative combat modifier applied?

Situation 1)
- tank in hex A
- enemy in hex B
- tank attacks enemy

Situation 2)
- tank in hex A
- enemy in hex B
enemy attacks tank

Situation 3)
- enemy in hex A
- tank in hex B
- tank attacks enemy

Situation 4)
- enemy in hex A
- tank in hex B
- enemy attacks tank

Thanks!

[JyriErik]

Best way to find out would be to do a hotseat game, move armour to adjacent clear and mountain hexes and put an infantry that's next to both & see what happens.

As I understand the terrain rules, I would say that the following happens.
1)no modifier
2)modifier
3)modifier
4)no modifier

Jyri

[joerock22]

Best way to find out would be to do a hotseat game, move armour to adjacent clear and mountain hexes and put an infantry that's next to both & see what happens.

As I understand the terrain rules, I would say that the following happens.
1)no modifier
2)modifier
3)modifier
4)no modifier

Jyri

I believe those answers are correct. The attacker's hex doesn't matter; only the defender's hex affects terrain combat penalties. This makes sense because the attacker is, for all intents and purposes, entering the defender's hex to attack him. Hexes are many miles wide, so the only way for a ground unit to attack is to close with the enemy. This isn't well represented in the game, but I think that's what's happening.

[jjdenver]

Best way to find out would be to do a hotseat game, move armour to adjacent clear and mountain hexes and put an infantry that's next to both & see what happens.

As I understand the terrain rules, I would say that the following happens.
1)no modifier
2)modifier
3)modifier
4)no modifier

Jyri

Hm - I was hoping for a more definitive answer but thanks for the post. I'd be happy to fire up a hotseat game to try it but what method could be used to prove the accuracy of these answers? Combat losses from an attack involve a random element so a determination can't be made just from combat results. Is there some other way to be sure of what's happening by playing a hotseat game that I'm not aware of?

Thanks

[joerock22]

Hm - I was hoping for a more definitive answer but thanks for the post. I'd be happy to fire up a hotseat game to try it but what method could be used to prove the accuracy of these answers? Combat losses from an attack involve a random element so a determination can't be made just from combat results. Is there some other way to be sure of what's happening by playing a hotseat game that I'm not aware of?

Thanks

Here's how you see all the combat modifiers before engaging in combat. Move your unit adjacent to the enemy and then hover your mouse over the enemy without clicking. You should see something like the following:



Now look at the center of the consol, between the information for attacker and defender. There you will see all the combat modifiers for this particular battle. The top one (the arrow) signals that the attack is being made across a river, incurring a 30% penalty on the attacker. The middle one (the three wavy lines) is for terrain. The defender was in a city, so the attacker gets another 20% penalty for that. The bottom one (the shovel) shows that the defender is entrenched and therefore the attacker incurs another 20% penalty. You can see why the odds for the attacker are only 2:3. Hope this sheds some light on how you can actually see all the combat modifiers as you're playing the game.

[jjdenver]

Hi Joe,

I still don't see how we can see effects that occur for the defender when they fire back at the attacker? Am I missing it?

[joerock22]

Hi Joe,

I still don't see how we can see effects that occur for the defender when they fire back at the attacker? Am I missing it?

No, the combat display doesn't show defender terrain effects. But you can see everything you need by clicking on the defender or a hex of the type the defender is on. Just look at the four icons in the bottom left-hand corner of the above display. From left to right the icons are for: movement, vehicle movement penalty, attack penalty, armour penalty, air attack, and surviveability.

So the rough hex shown above carries an terrain penalty of 15% on the attacker and an armour penalty of 30% applied to any armour units fighting in the battle, including the defender. It can be helpful to just take a look around the map and figure out which hexes give heavy armour penalties and which hexes assess no penalty or only light penalties. Remember that the only time you get a terrain penalty on the defender is when you have an armour defending in non-clear terrain.