General de Brigade

[agent_pumpkin]

:

Ok we've played our first couple of games and have not quite sussed everything out.

Firstly is states in the turn example (p18) that the assaulting combat group fires then closes for combat upon its target - yet it clearly states later on that close combat groups cannot fire first! Also why would they stop short of thier attack when they reach close range? Can close assault be done from close range and not need to be in base to base contact?

When does defensive fire take place? While a potential target moves or after its moved and fired?

We belive that infantry caught in the open should be easeir to hit etc at effective and even close range. Does anybody play any house rule for this?

Can anybody shed some light on the dim few?

[DCRBrown]

AP,

I think you are confusing the different combat group types and who may close assault.

Any infantry unit once activated as part of a standard infantry combat group may fire, then move and move into close assault (ie.base to base contact with the enemy), if it has enough movement to do so.
You do not have to form an Infantry Assault Combat Group soley for the purpose of close assaulting.

Units forming an Infantry Assault Combat Group are treated differently - this combat group is more akin to your Russian tactics or even human wave assaults. These combat groups have the advantage of permitting more units to move but they have a restriction that they may not fire before movement. (Because they are all being pushed forward into the charge by those kindly commisar types, so no time for any proper coordinated fire prior to movement!)
Secondly they do not have to stop once they reach close range - they have the option to halt the "charge" once within close range. So if you wish to close assult and you have the available movement - get stuck in!

Defensive Fire takes place during the opponents Command Orders phase when he is moving his units. See p33 - 9.3.
(If a player is tracking a moving unit I think it is still permissable to fire at the unit if it reaches the end of its move.)

DB

[agent_pumpkin]

ahh that makes a lot more sense now!

many thanks!