Area fire attacks everyone?

igycrctl

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During the movement phase, I was very careful to assault move three squads, each one individually, into a hex that was in LOS of an enemy SW mortar. After the 3 squads made it I finally assault move my leader into the same hex. At that point my opponent fires the mortar, claiming that since it is area fire, it hits everyone in the hex. I say: “During movement phase, only the moving unit is impacted.” Who is correct?
Obviously, if he waited until DFPh, he can attack everyone, but without FFMO.
 

Binchois

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You are correct. Only the moving unit is impacted. Period.

Also A8.1: "...Once another unit begins movement or the MPh is declared over, previously moved units are no longer subject to Defensive First Fire attack." and especially C3.33:

C3.33 AREA TARGET TYPE: The Area Target Type must be used at all times by mortars and whenever ordnance [EXC: LATW] attempts to fire SMOKE; otherwise it may be selected when firing HE (but not AP/HEAT HE Equivalency; 8.31). All (including friendly) non-Aerial units in the target hex can be hit (even by WP), except for those immune as per 3.4...​

C3.4 MULTIPLE TARGETS: A hit obtained on any TH Table affects only the target hex and, depending on the Target-Type/applicable-DRM, not necessarily all the occupants of that hex. Not all enemy (and Melee) potential targets in a hex/Location are always hit/affected, because some of them might be immune due to qualifying for TH/Effects DRM not applicable to others, being out of the firer's LOS, being too close (2.6) to be hit or in a Location immune to a hit, being non-moving during Defensive First Fire, etc. Hence one shot can result in a combination of hits/misses and varying subsequent effects. See also A7.4.​
 

igycrctl

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You are correct. Only the moving unit is impacted. Period.

Also A8.1: "...Once another unit begins movement or the MPh is declared over, previously moved units are no longer subject to Defensive First Fire attack." and especially C3.33:

C3.33 AREA TARGET TYPE: The Area Target Type must be used at all times by mortars and whenever ordnance [EXC: LATW] attempts to fire SMOKE; otherwise it may be selected when firing HE (but not AP/HEAT HE Equivalency; 8.31). All (including friendly) non-Aerial units in the target hex can be hit (even by WP), except for those immune as per 3.4...​

C3.4 MULTIPLE TARGETS: A hit obtained on any TH Table affects only the target hex and, depending on the Target-Type/applicable-DRM, not necessarily all the occupants of that hex. Not all enemy (and Melee) potential targets in a hex/Location are always hit/affected, because some of them might be immune due to qualifying for TH/Effects DRM not applicable to others, being out of the firer's LOS, being too close (2.6) to be hit or in a Location immune to a hit, being non-moving during Defensive First Fire, etc. Hence one shot can result in a combination of hits/misses and varying subsequent effects. See also A7.4.​
Yes, another friend referred me to A7.4, which seems to make this clear. Thanks.
 

von Marwitz

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Even if he managed to KIA your Leader with the MTR, the non-moving units would not be affected by a LLMC. During the MPh, LLMC/LLTC only affect the units the Leader is moving together with.

If it were the Defensive (Final) Fire Phase and no unit would have been hit and only the Leader KIA'ed, then all units would be potentially affected by LLMC.

von Marwitz
 

Jacometti

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During the movement phase, I was very careful to assault move three squads, each one individually, into a hex that was in LOS of an enemy SW mortar. After the 3 squads made it I finally assault move my leader into the same hex. At that point my opponent fires the mortar, claiming that since it is area fire, it hits everyone in the hex. I say: “During movement phase, only the moving unit is impacted.” Who is correct?
Obviously, if he waited until DFPh, he can attack everyone, but without FFMO.
Your opponent had a classic case of SIDRR - Self Interest Driven Rules Recollection.

It is a common weakness and can only be cured by thorough rules reading and playing opponents whose rules knowledge is better than one's own.
 
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