OBA smoke

[plloyd1010]

Rule 9.3 states that up to 3 off-board batteries may combine in one fire mission.For high explosive, that makes sense. But could 3 batteries have a combined smoke mission? If they do, would they be required to place smoke in the same hex? Would they each be able to place individual smoke counters as desired? Onboard artillery/mortars, activated together, are not required to place smoke in the same hexes.

This came in a game, though not one of mine. It raises the question of what the spotter would be able to coordinate. I can see the oprions breaking 4 ways.

1. OBA missions are confined to a single hex, regardless if they are fire or smoke missions.
   
2. Multi-battery OBA smoke missions may be placed any hexes on the board, provided the placement hexes are visible to the designated spotter.
   
3. Multi-battery OBA smoke missions may be placed any where on the board, provided that the placement hexes are visible to a spotter.
   
4. Multi-battery OBA smoke missions may be placed any where on the board, provided the placement hexes are visible to the designated spotter and are contiguous. (i.e. each placement hex is adjacent to another where there is more than on battery firing)
   

Now on to the poll.

[Blackcloud6]

The answer is in the summery of concepts on Page 2: "Direct and Bombardment Fire: The firing player indicates the target hex, adds up the fire strength of the firing units..."

Note it says target hex not hexes.

[plloyd1010]

The answer is in the summery of concepts on Page 2: "Direct and Bombardment Fire: The firing player indicates the target hex, adds up the fire strength of the firing units..."

Note it says target hex not hexes.

That's not quite what it says in the smoke rules. It says, "For each unit or artillery increment firing, the active
player designates a spotted target hex within range ..."

[Grognard Gunny]

Since the last option listed in the voting set up represents not only a realistic use of "smoke" but also a good option for the use of "smoke". Giving units a "wall of smoke" to maneuver behind, so to speak. This is more like how it was used.

GG

[BigJimSlade]

OBA smoke fire mission should be treated the same as a normal OBA HE fire mission, unless you are planning on rewriting or working on version 5 of the rules

[plloyd1010]

OBA smoke fire mission should be treated the same as a normal OBA HE fire mission, unless you are planning on rewriting or working on version 5 of the rules

To everyone who says this read the smoke and illumination section on page 40 of the rule book, or read the smoke and illumination section of the 4th Edition Optional rules at Avalanche Press.

You can have your opinion, and I do too, but there is a rule.

[BigJimSlade]

What the fuck are you talking about, smoke fire missions only effect one hex, that is what I was referring to.

Procedure: For each unit or artillery increment firing, the active player designates a spotted target hex within range and rolls two dice. On a result of 5 or more the firing player places either a Smoke marker or an Illumination marker in the target hex.

[plloyd1010]

How many increments can fire in an activation? My guess is 3.

[cjsiam]

How many increments can fire in an activation? My guess is 3.

Well---that actually is a Can of worms I just discovered....
A) That is NOT what the rule says....

9.3 says OBA can only COMBINE 3......

I see NOTHING that says you can't ACTIVATE more than that #, just only 3 
can be combined to fire at ONE hex....

NOTICE ALSO----
9.4 ProcedureFor each hex being bombarded, the active player totals the bombardment fire strengths of all units bombarding the hex. 

IT says "for each hex", i.e., the number can be >1....

Think about the onboard corollary--I have 7 Artillery pieces in a hex formation with officer on the middle hex...
He can Activate ALL of them to fire....he can combine into a Single Fire Attack only his Combat factor, BUT
The remainder of the Activated Arty combat units should "Follow the Procedure"..... 

B) Say I have Two Mortars, onboard, which cannot be combined---can they both fire at same hex
separately?...in the same way multiple individual units can DF at such a target? (all must be allocated before rolls, me thinks)....(except for OF)...

This lends credence to the Activation of multiple OBA for Smoke, and them targeting individual hexes.....

C) COULD IT BE? that we all have mis-interpreted, extended the intent, of 9.3 with "only 3 OBA can combine" to misunderstand it to mean that ONLY 3
can fire at one time? and that ONLY combined fire is allowed (when clearly 9.4 Procedure talks about "for each hex being bombarded...") with OBA??
As that is NOT what it says....3.14 about Off-Map Art says "One or more..."

This would very much change the utility of OBA....firing at multiple hexes at the same time...and support the multi-hex smoke....

I am unsettled....
cj

[cjsiam]

The answer is in the summery of concepts on Page 2: "Direct and Bombardment Fire: The firing player indicates the target hex, adds up the fire strength of the firing units..."

Note it says target hex not hexes.

I'll see your Page 2, and raise you a 9.4 Bombardment fire PROCEDURE
"For each hex being bombarded, the active player totals the bombardment fire strengths of all units bombarding the hex. He then finds the column on the Bombardment Table which either equals or does not exceed the total fire value of all units bombarding that hex this segment, and applies any column modifiers (7.5). He then rolls two dice and cross-references the result with the column arrived at, and applies the combat results (if any) to ALL units in the target hex."

I does not say "For the target hex" or for the singular attack....it says FOR EACH HEX by the current ACTIVE PLAYER.....

I am not pleased by it either---meaning we've missed or misunderstood a mechanic?? that is pretty vital...
and the new "perspective" holds up to scrutiny as well within the context of the remainder of the rules...
Perhaps we just have read/understood it incorrectly???

I'm asking as I cannot find something in the rules that says ONLY ONE HEX MAY BE ATTACKED in a Bombardment Activation....anyone??
cj