Acquisition Issues.

Tim Niesen

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
1,209
Reaction score
146
Country
llUnited States
Today, we had issues about acquisition of targets. We argued that one could change from area fire to direct fire, and retain the acquisition bonus. Also, we broke the units in a church steeple. They routed to the ground floor. Can we still fire with the area acquisition marker upon the hex despite not having a LOS to the units on the ground floor. Tim
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,597
Reaction score
5,557
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
Hi Tim, if I understood your approximative wording, here is my hopefully useful answer:
Area Target Type (which must be used by mortars which attack using indirect fire, but ATT may be used by a Gun using direct fire) can be switched to ITT or VTT, when firing at a target in LOS in the hex.
You cannot fire on a unit which moved out of LOS, unless firing with a mortar and if it hits a target in LOS in the hex which is the hardest to hit.
 

Tim Niesen

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
1,209
Reaction score
146
Country
llUnited States
We were firing at units with Guns not mortars, using area target type. My ally wanted to switch to direct fire with his 105 American Lend-Lease 105 howitzer, keeping the two acquisitions already attained by the area target type. Steve vehemently objected. The other was a 76* gun, firing at the steeple. So no to maintain area fire acquisition on the acquired hex there. Tim
 

Vinnie

See Dummies in the index
Joined
Feb 9, 2005
Messages
17,427
Reaction score
3,365
Location
Aberdeen , Scotland
Country
llUnited Kingdom
You can switch between the two types as you fire. You can't do that without firing.
You can "fire to acquire" at an empty location. It would have no effect on units outside of line of sight though. A game mechanic, like a miss from a 500lb bomb.
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,597
Reaction score
5,557
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
We were firing at units with Guns not mortars, using area target type. My ally wanted to switch to direct fire with his 105 American Lend-Lease 105 howitzer, keeping the two acquisitions already attained by the area target type. Steve vehemently objected. The other was a 76* gun, firing at the steeple. So no to maintain area fire acquisition on the acquired hex there. Tim
The 76* could maintain acquisition : the acq counter remains in the last in LOS Location the target was in, if ITT.
If ATT, acquisition remains vs. the hex and could be used (and even bracketing to ITT) vs. a unit which becomes in LOS of the Gun.
 

Philippe D.

Elder Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
2,132
Reaction score
1,393
Location
Bordeaux
Country
llFrance
Acquisition type (1/2" or 5/8") can be changed only when firing, but this can be done freely (i.e., both ways). The main difference is that VTT/ITT (1/2") acquisition can follow a moving unit, while ATT (5/8") cannot. ATT Acquisition designates a whole hex, too.
 

Tim Niesen

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
1,209
Reaction score
146
Country
llUnited States
Okay, Thanks. In this case Steve wins the argument. We have better things to do with our 76* than to maintain acquisition on the Steeple just in case he returns to it. On the other hand, he loses the argument about changing from one type of acquisition to another. Tim
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,597
Reaction score
5,557
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
Direct Fire is not a target type. Terminology means a lot in ASL.
Indeed.
But Tim doesn't own the rulebook - or has been lending it long term to one of his friends.
We often ask him to use the precise ASL language - or even to refer to the paragraph numbers of the rulebook he is asking questions about - but it seems that, either he simply cannot note down questions while he has access to the rulebook, or he prefers a form of oral culture.
In the end, he gives people additional work, as they have to guess what rule or element of the game he is referring to.
And a lot of time is lost by the correction of wrong guesses or even the pedagogical process to get him use the correct vocabulary of the game system.
I try to answer at the best to Tim's questions, as I don't expect any additional effort to use the proper vocabulary.
But, from an objective point of view, he is not trying to alleviate the burden of interpretation and research from the people who try to answer him.
That's life.
 

Tim Niesen

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
1,209
Reaction score
146
Country
llUnited States
Robin is correct. I had lent my rulebook to the place where I play. I now have it back now, but I was writing on the bus homeward bound. And my ally refuses to post. Too thin skinned. Alas. It's too bad. His prose is not only far better than my own, but also far more concise. Tim
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,597
Reaction score
5,557
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
Tim, you should purchase the pocket rulebook.
You can carry it everywhere and it is cheaper than the full size rulebook.
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,597
Reaction score
5,557
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
Yes, quite handy with LFT's Rat Pocket Charts.

The term in the rulebook for switching acquisition is, I believe, "bracketing".
Indeed.
6.52 BRACKETING: Acquisition DRM gained on one target/Target-Type can be transferred to another target/Target-Type when the firer announces a shot at-that-new-target/using-that-new-Target-Type, provided the target Location (or hex, if using the Area Target Type) remains the same during the transfer [EXC: Area Acquisition cannot be transferred to another Target Type and used vs a concealed unit (6.57), nor can a mortar transfer its Area Acquisition to another Target Type at all].
 
Top