RB Russian cloaking release

[Simon62]

Hi,

we are playing RB on VASL and came across a strange situation - the Russian player has purchased units for the scenario to setup in reserve and has set them up using cloaking counters according to the rules.

One of the conditions the rules state to release cloaking counters, prior to which the rules state that they can perform no actions whatsoever, are that an enemy unit must be within 3 hexes and in LOS.

We have a situation where a spotter for a mortar is within 3 hexes and in LOS of an enemy unit, however, the mortar it is spotting for is 4 hexes and out of LOS (in a roofless factory hex) away and under a cloaking counter - in this instance can the Spotter and Mortar be placed on board and fire? - we have allowed the mortar to be uncloaked and fired but not sure if this is correct

Regards

Simon

 

[Eagle4ty]

I would say no as you may designate the Spotter at any time but until the Mortar has been released from Reserve Status he (the spotter) is just another infantry unit waiting to get the word.

 

[apbills]

The last sentence of the b) Reserve paragraph states "...In general, the counter(s) represented by a Reserve Cloaking counter (if any) is considered not to exist until it appears on the map, except as noted below:" and I don't see "Spotter" in the list of exceptions. Effectively the "spotter" is not a spotter, it doesn't exist until it is on the map. Given the mortar is also non-existent, the "Spotter" has no mortar to spot for either, so it could not be designated a spotter to begin with.