We had a brilliant game of TW last night. However, even though we have played several games of FoF and TW before, a question arose about one of the most basic rules!:

IU declares a rapid move (and no fire) and NIU wins a reaction to shoot at it about 4" along its path. The shots bounce off IU's armour. Now, can IU return fire AND complete its declared rapid move (at minus 1") or does it have to choose one or the other?

Also, could IU choose to change its path after being shot to find cover against potentially being shot at later (by someone else or next turn etc.)?

Cheers

To quote page 44, under REACTION AFTERMATH:



If the IU survives the Reactions against it, it must move as far as it can towards the destination it indicated when it Activated.

Hope this helps!

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Shawn Carpenter
Game Designer, Ambush Alley Games

"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

Thanks Shawn

My confusion was more about whether the IU could return fire given that they had not intended to shoot originally. If they were just going to move, can they now return fire AND complete their move (with a penalty) or or do they have to choose between returning fire OR completing the original movement?

Any unit that's engaged in fire can return fire in Round of Fire (assuming they've got FP dice left, they're not Irregulars who have already fired, etc.) - so, YES, these guys could fire and then finish their declared movement. The resulting FP & movement penalty represent them being slowed down by the pause to return fire and being rushed to fire at the next unit they engage.

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Shawn Carpenter
Game Designer, Ambush Alley Games

"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

If the moving unit chooses to return fire in a "round of fire", does it automatically fire last in that round of fire? In other words, does the successful reaction test to interrupt the movement of the initiative unit count also as the reaction test for who fires first in the round of fire?

I'd play this situation as follows:

if the IU wins the reaction test, they could choose to:
1) compete their movement...then get fired upon (if LOF is still valid), OR
2) fire first...and hope that the NIU gets wiped out or fails morale (otherwise, the IU will take fire)

- Jim

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I could agree with you...but then we'd BOTH be wrong.

Forgive my ignorance, I am new to the game and the "round of fire" concept is my main stumbling block at the moment. It seems that whatever the initiative unit's declared action is, it is still allowed to return fire any time it is fired upon, in a round of fire, and I am not sure if you have to perform a separate reaction test each and ever round of fire.

Say, for example, my IU moves out of a defilade position (no LOS to enemy) and moves briefly across open ground, to end its move in another defilade position. The enemy unit gets to react as it crosses the open ground. If it fails its reaction test, the IU will reach the other defilade position safely and no firing from either side will occur. If it passes its reaction test however, the MG team has managed to squeeze off some shots at the moving unit.

At this point, I would think the IU would be allowed to return fire in a "round of fire", which would mean a second reaction test to see who fires first. In this way, differences in troop quality in the round of fire are fairly represented (e.g. the lightning reflexes of an SAS Sabre Team being able to suppress the MG before it could fire more than a few rounds, compared to the MG getting to hose a lesser quality unit with led before they are able to return fire).

Is this interpretation correct - i.e. a "round of fire" is like a little micro-moment in the action, requiring a separate reaction test from the one that interrupted movement in order to determine who fires first?

Who fires first in the Round of Fire is determined by the initial Reaction Test.


Iniative Unit "A" declares he's making a move that will take him past a gap in a wall. Non-Initiative Unit "X" declares he'll react by firing at A as it passes by the gap.

A Reaction Test is made.

Possible Outcome 1: A wins the Reaction. A can complete its move, clearing the gap before X is able to put effective fire through it (or lighting X up before it crosses the gap, however you want to look at it). A can complete its move. IF A wants to fire back, a round of fire is resolved with A going first. (A won the Reaction Test).

Possible Outcome 2: X wins the Reaction. X hits A as it is in the gap. A round of fire is resolved. X fires first because X won the Reaction Test. If A survives the round of fire, it can complete its move (assuming it's able to based on Morale results, movement remaining, etc.).


Hope this helps!

_________________
Shawn Carpenter
Game Designer, Ambush Alley Games

"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

A can always elect not to fire back in the round of fire though, right? Even in Possible Outcome 2? (say, because he wants to keep his full movement allowance)

Correct!

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Shawn Carpenter
Game Designer, Ambush Alley Games

"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

I think I'm 99% there now, thanks.

So...

If unit X wins the reaction...
- Unit A takes fire from X at the gap.
- If unit A wants to, it can return fire at the gap (losing a firepower die and 1 inch of movement).
- If unit A is still mobile and has enough movement left (possibly 1 inch less than before) it may continue to its destination.

If A wins the reaction...
- Unit A can avoid the fire from X altogether and just complete its move, or...
- Unit A can fire first in a round of fire with X at the gap (losing a firepower die and 1 inch of movement).
- - If unit X is still able to, it may now fire at A.
- - If unit A is still mobile and has enough movement left (1 inch less than before) it may continue to its destination.

I think that covers every eventuality!

[edit]

Or does it?

Let's change this example slightly and say that A is dashing across open ground to some cover in LOS of X, where it intends to fire on X at the end of its move. X's reaction is to fire on A before it reaches cover. Is it possible for A to fire twice now - once in the open in response to X's fire, and then again once it reaches cover? This would of course allow X to return fire, thus firing twice as well.

From my understanding a unit can fire multiple times during its activation (suffering modifiers to movement and FP accordingly) unless that unit is an Irregular unit, in which case it can only fire once during a turn (weather as part of its activation or as a part of a reaction).

Therefore, if an Irregular unit takes fire and returns it during a Round of Fire ... and then subsequently is fire upon again (by another IU), it cannot return fire but must grit its teeth and take it.

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'Viv'

Broadcasting at http://www.youtube.com/rubbishinrubbishout
Laying down dice at the Battle Bunker Gaming Club http://www.battlebunker.com/forums.php

If unit A says, "I'm going to shoot at Unit B!" and unit B says, "I'm going to shoot back!", that's just an ordinary round of fire. Do the Reaction Test and, resolve the round of fire, and you're done.

If Unit B says, "I'm going to shoot back at Unit A, but I'm going to shoot at them as they move across open ground and before they can reach cover," the Reaction Test determines not only who shoots first, but who gets to choose where the fire occurs. If A wins, he gets to cover and fires before B can get effective fire on him. If B wins, A gets hit in the open and returns fire from there.

It's still just one round of fire, though, because A is fulfilling his declaration - he's moving and firing at unit B.

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Shawn Carpenter
Game Designer, Ambush Alley Games

"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

This is correct. And if a Unit C were involved in our example, Unit A would react to him in the same way described (assuming A was a Regular unit) and suffer fire and movement penalties fore each time he shot after the first.

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Shawn Carpenter
Game Designer, Ambush Alley Games

"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."

A very illuminating answer! I think I get it now. Thanks for being so helpful.