Berserk ENEMY units don't DFF/FF?

[DVexile]

S8.61 FIRST FIRE VS NON-VEHICULAR TARGETS: Each Good Order Activated ENEMY unit/Weapon...

S8.62 FINAL FIRE: A Good Order Activated ENEMY unit...

Near as I can tell the way the rules are written a berserk ENEMY unit will not shoot at anything during the FRIENDLY MPh/DFPh. Is that correct? Seems a bit like an unnecessary handicap of the ENEMY AI. Am I missing something?

There is this:

S8.613 FINAL PROTECTIVE FIRE: An ENEMY unit eligible for FPF vs an ADJACENT...

which doesn't qualify with Good Order but A8.31 says FPF is only available to units already marked FF which by S8.61 and S8.62 a berserk ENEMY unit could never be marked with. So it still seems like a berserk ENEMY is just suppose to blithely let FRIENDLY units run around in front of it...

(And of course being SASL I could always have house rule that lets berserk ENEMY FF/SFF/FPF and there won't be anyone to argue with me about it...)

 

[ScottRomanowski]

I think you found a place where the rules writers overlooked berserk units. I think it should say "unbroken", not "Good Order". I can't recall having a berserk ENEMY unit, but if I had had one, I'm sure I would have had it First Fire/SFF/FPF.

Have you thought of submitting a question to MMP? I'm sure they'd agree that it should say "unbroken" instead of GO.

 

[DVexile]

Thanks Scott!

I think they probably meant to allow berserk units to DFF/SFF/FPF but they were probably trying to make it clear the panicked units can't. That's probably why they didn't use "unbroken", but as you say they likely overlooked that Good Order doesn't include berserk.

I have, through some oddity of my dice, had two ENEMY units go berserk in the first three turns of my very first SASL mission! One during FRIENDLY PFPh, which led to this question, and shortly thereafter one during ENEMY DFPh (unit was actually already broken and then HoB on its MC, yay) for which I assumed it would certainly fire in AFPh.

I'm playing it as if berserk do DFF/SFF/FPF because I agree it seems like this was probably an oversight by the designers.

Good idea on asking MMP, if anything else it might get a change or clarification if they ever get around to putting Chapter S into the eASLRB.

Thanks again for replying.

 

[DVexile]

Lol... Just to share... And now ENEMY RE 41 just occurred... So third berserk ENEMY unit in this game...

I do have to say, those that say SASL is a good way to force you to look up rules are right. My FRIENDLY RE gave me OBA that I don't know how to use and sent in the leader with the radio on a motorcycle (which I've not used before but simpler than an AFV). Boards with choked LOS so I'm thinking I'll just not use that OBA this game.

 

[ScottRomanowski]

The OBA Flowchart is everyone's friend. It's so much easier to follow than the text in C1.

 

[ScottRomanowski]

panicked units can't.

I didn't think of panicked. Thank you. So it should be "unbroken, non-panicked", not GO.

 

[timelegend]

The rules state a Berserk Unit must move toward the closest KEU in its MPH so it can't prep fire, but I don't see why it can't use FF, SFF, and FPF

 

[DVexile]

The rules state a Berserk Unit must move toward the closest KEU in its MPH so it can't prep fire, but I don't see why it can't use FF, SFF, and FPF

This thread was specifically about SASL rules. In regular ASL there is no question, Berserk can always FF, SFF and DFF. A boo-boo in the wording makes it appear that in SASL the ENEMY can’t, but that’s probably not as intended. Maybe SASL 3.0 will fix it!

 

[daniel zucker]

With SASL Remember, you should do what is best for the ENEMY units. If that means using FF,SFF and DFF then DO IT!!!!!
It is in the Rules. I've pointed this out before NRBH but I know it's in there. It's the "get out of jail Free" card of SASL. Off hand I think it's in the intro to Chap S.

 

[johnl]

From the Chapter S intro:

Several times during a Mission, a player is instructed to act on behalf of the ENEMY "in its best interest" (such as in 5.3, 6.316, and 9.31). As an Optional "House Rule" players may wish to substitute a Random dr to resolve any or all of these situations to further randomize ENEMY decision-making if they find the system becoming too predictable.

 

[daniel zucker]

yahhh that's the ticket