WWII Micro Armour: The Game - Questions

General Retreat · Post by **General Retreat** » Sun May 08, 2011 7:02 am

Just acquired the book WWII Micro Armour: The Game. Sold on it enough that I'm mounting everything on one-inch steel plates and redoing GHQ terrain hexes to work better. Couple things in the rules aren't clear to me

:

Indirect Artillery fire must be plotted but author doesn't (appear to) say how. I can't picture placing the inch square "impact" markers on the board the turn before. Opponent will simply steer clear.

Line of Sight on the Terrain Effects Chart says some block line of sight and most make sense. But Woods? Unless a unit in the woods fires, how is it ever sighted?

Rough terrain blocks line of sight for personnel but not others. That's even hazier.

Any clarification out there?

dougeagle · Post by **dougeagle** » Mon May 09, 2011 9:42 pm

It's been awhile since I've played the GHQ WW2 rules, but I will try to answer as much as I can.

Indirect Artillery fire must be plotted but author doesn't (appear to) say how. I can't picture placing the inch square "impact" markers on the board the turn before. Opponent will simply steer clear. ;P

At the very back of the rulebook, there is a page that has the artillery plotting charts...or just use paper and write it down. Remember too that the Indirect Fire must be plotted before the turn it arrives. So if you want to have artillery to land in turn 4, you must plot it in turn 3. If you look at the Sequence of Play, you will see that 'Movement' is taken place after all fire and plotting. Read the Example of Play on pages 110- 112, it helped me.

Line of Sight on the Terrain Effects Chart says some block line of sight and most make sense. But Woods? Unless a unit in the woods fires, how is it ever sighted? Rolling Eyes Rough terrain blocks line of sight for personnel but not others. That's even hazier.

Good question. Page 6- rule 6.1.5 and 6.1.6 discuss this as well. Being that Woods are classed as closed terrain, spotting would only be good to 10 inches, unless the stand in the woods fires, then it is spotted either way. I also have a house rule when concerning woods.
"In an attempt at spotting enemy stands in woods, the spotting stand must be within spotting range for closed terrain which is 10 inches. The spotting stand must be stationary for one full turn in order to spot the enemy stand in the tree line. If the spotting stand is a recon stand, it may attempt to locate the enemy stand, as long as it is within the spotting distance...10 inches and does not have to remain stationary for a full turn. From there, the recon stand can call for direct fire from friendly units nearby, as long as they are within firing range, have LOS and passed cohesion."

Hope those help out...if not, ask again and I will try to help out as much as possible...

General Retreat · Post by **General Retreat** » Wed May 11, 2011 6:29 am

Thanks for replying. I still think Fernandes had some notion of woods and rough terrain blocking line of sight but didn't express it sufficiently. So we have to work it out ourselves. I like your rule for woods. Rough terrain, too, I guess.

Artillery plots: I think I'll use a hex map I print from Word. I make a hex grid with just forward and back slashes and underlines! Then some spare hexes to pinpoint the target. All this behind a screen.

There's another oversight in the book on page 131 (terrain effects chart): the range effect omits between 1 inch and 2-5 inches, between 2-5" and 6-10", etc. Guess I'll understand 2-5" to mean greater than 1 inch up to 5 inches.

Is range measured from center to center? I seem to remember reading that somewhere but can't find now. If so, a range of 1 inch means the bases are touching. How do you read/play it?

dougeagle · Post by **dougeagle** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:04 am

There's another oversight in the book on page 131 (terrain effects chart): the range effect omits between 1 inch and 2-5 inches, between 2-5" and 6-10", etc. Guess I'll understand 2-5" to mean greater than 1 inch up to 5 inches.

-1" or less is just that...less than an inch. Anything greater than 1 inch you would use the 2- 5" range band, greater than 5" use the 6- 10" range band and so on. At least that's how I've done that.

Is range measured from center to center? I seem to remember reading that somewhere but can't find now. If so, a range of 1 inch means the bases are touching. How do you read/play it?

Yes it is...goes for spotting as well...center to center as well as if both stands are touching, they are 100 yards range...thus you would use the -1" range band on the Range effects chart. Page 5 rule6.1- Line of Sight and page 7 rule 7.3- Facing and Range covers it.

Thanks for replying. I sitll think Fernandes had some notion of woods and rough terrain blocking line of sight but didn't express it sufficiently. So we have to work it out ourselves. I like your rule for woods. Rough terrain, too, I guess

No problem actually...I don't mind helping out. The GHQ WW2 rules was the first set of WW2 rules I purchased. Before that was Fistful of Tow's 2, so it took a bit of reading and playing to get a hang of the GHQ rules...which I might are simple and fun.

piersyf · Post by **piersyf** » Wed May 11, 2011 3:41 pm

Hey all. Here's a free website for printing hex paper if it helps any...
http://www.incompetech.com/graphpaper/hexagonal/

Also, as to units in woods being impossible to spot, there are documented cases of just that. Apart from my own experiences of almost walking into vehicles (admittedly at night), the book Troop Leader (Bill Bellamy) tells a story of how his Cromwell was camouflaged at the edge of a woods so well that even in broad daylight 2 US paratroopers walked within a few yards of the tank and didn't see it. When the paras stopped for a smoke and one asked the other for a light, Bellamy's driver couldn't resist and tossed a book of matches that landed between the two men. The paras looked at each other then quickly looked around. Bellamy, thinking things could get nasty, called out "It's OK, we're British." The paras were so impressed by the cam job they brought a case of rations to them.

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:43 pm

piersyf wrote:... the book Troop Leader (Bill Bellamy) tells a story of how his Cromwell was camouflaged at the edge of a woods so well that even in broad daylight 2 US paratroopers walked within a few yards of the tank and didn't see it ...

Great story. I love first-person anecdotes like that!

I gamed with a cav scout guy years ago, who related how he got the drop on a pair of hunting helos in a field excersize -- I can't recall if thjey were Cobras or Apaches. He was in a two-man covered hide, and the 'copters stopped right over him. His claim of killing a 'copter with his M203 was denied by the referees, but after he showed a picture his buddy took of him caressing the skids of one of the 'copters as it hovered 6 feet above him, the air jockies bought the next round at the bar.

General Retreat · Post by **General Retreat** » Thu May 12, 2011 6:07 am

Thanks, guys! Yeh 7.3.2 & 7.3.3 explain it, but I couldn't find it again in a quick reading. But in re-reading the rules, I noticed I had misunderstood suppressed and disordered. I thought a unit is (always) suppressed before it's disordered and can't remove suppression without removing disorder first. This could prove impossible before a game ends. Now I understand a unit can go to D without being in S or (S) and can remove S before D.

Now, to

the front!

8ball · Post by **8ball** » Tue May 17, 2011 9:16 am

I actually exchanged emails with the author about artillery plotting. He told me that artillery should be plotted by measuring the two axis from one corner of the board. In other words, 21" along one edge, and 33" along the other, and plot where they intersect on the map.

General Retreat · Post by **General Retreat** » Wed May 18, 2011 6:33 am

Thanks for that since we can't ask anymore.

I have questions about moving units. Personnel (mostly infantry) lose half their defense value (generally 6 down to 3) when moving. This makes sense for "soft" targets, standing up and losing the benefits of cover. So when are they moving? If only in the movement phase, the "penalty" rarely applies since artillery and standard fire phases are past. As soon as a movement posture has been assigned to the group/individual? Even if it doesn't actually move that turn? Makes more sense but not spelled out.

Firing: All bases firing at one stand are marked out (somehow). If the target is eliminated before all have fired, have they still "shot their bolt"? That is, they cannot now join some others in firing at another base. That's my understanding but can't find it.

Dale

dougeagle · Post by **dougeagle** » Thu May 19, 2011 12:28 am

I have questions about moving units. Personnel (mostly infantry) lose half their defense value (generally 6 down to 3) when moving. This makes sense for "soft" targets, standing up and losing the benefits of cover. So when are they moving? If only in the movement phase, the "penalty" rarely applies since artillery and standard fire phases are past. As soon as a movement posture has been assigned to the group/individual? Even if it doesn't actually move that turn? Makes more sense but not spelled out.

Not quite sure what you're getting at here. Are you asking about the infantry defense rating when they are not moving and are classed as soft or hard like armoured vehicles?

Firing: All bases firing at one stand are marked out (somehow). If the target is eliminated before all have fired, have they still "shot their bolt"? That is, they cannot now join some others in firing at another base. That's my understanding but can't find it.

What happens with this situation is all stands fire at the designated target, then consult the Combat Results Table for ALL hits. Basically, all stands fire at that one stand and all hits are dealt with. Page 111, Phase 4- Standard Fire, 3rd paragraph

Hopefully that points you in the right direction

General Retreat · Post by **General Retreat** » Thu May 19, 2011 5:36 am

When an infantry base moves, its defense value is cut in half, generally 6 down to 3. When does movement start? The relevant phases in order are:

2. Posture Determination: decide to move
3. Artillery bombardment
4. Firing
5. Artillery Plot
6. Actual movement

If infantry are considered to be moving only in Phase 6, they will only experience the movement penalty if subject to opportunity fire. Is that everyone's understanding? Hardly seems worth having such a rule if that's the case.

microgeorge · Post by **microgeorge** » Thu May 19, 2011 6:18 am

Infantry are assumed to be in the movement posture at the end of the posture phase if so designated. They are therefore more vulnerable during the artillery fire and standard fire phases.

dougeagle · Post by **dougeagle** » Thu May 19, 2011 6:22 am

microgeorge wrote:Infantry are assumed to be in the movement posture at the end of the posture phase if so designated. They are therefore more vulnerable during the artillery fire and standard fire phases.

Micrgeorge is correct. When you designate a stand for movement posture, they are starting their movement. Only in the Movement Phase do they actually move. So therefore, in their movement posture, their defense goes from 6 to3.

General Retreat · Post by **General Retreat** » Thu May 19, 2011 6:38 am

Well, thanks again, men! I'll go with it!

Sven · Post by **Sven** » Thu May 19, 2011 2:03 pm

Microgeorge is quite correct. Having gamed with John Fernandes I can tell you in my experience he generally plotted things in the manner of:
3 inches east along the road from the crossroads.
or
1 inch towards my artillery from the forward building

and other such methods. He occasionally used grid plots, but for off the cuff firing it was as above. I believe this is based on his experiences in 'Nam where he had occasion to play artillery officer amongst other experiences besides his main role as intelligence ** CENSORED ** & planning. From personal experience I can tell you he as very good at it back then - very thorough, very insightful, very accurate.

Hope that helps,
Sven