Berserk/Mol/Covering squad in CC questions

[J P]

I have a berserk squad that will charge and enter a hex containing 2 G.O. squads, a leader and a broken enemy squad during my next movement phase and have a few questions:

Question 1) I have MOL capability and (assuming he doesnt die..) can i roll for MOL in the advance fire phase for the berserker?

Question 2) If I survive until CC how would the mechanics work: for arguments sake lets say he attacks the broken squad both G.O. squads and the leader. So it would be 4-16 (they are '5' fp squads) and I need DR '3' for the miracle kill. does that mean if i roll DR '4' the broken squad would die anyway?

Qestion 3) How exactly does the "covering squad" concept work: are covering squads still able to fight in CC or are they merely there to protect the broken squad?

 

[Bret Hildebran]

Question 1) I have MOL capability and (assuming he doesnt die..) can i roll for MOL in the advance fire phase for the berserker?

I presume so - unless the MOL rules say you have to be good order, a berserker should be able to use 'em.

Question 2) If I survive until CC how would the mechanics work: for arguments sake lets say he attacks the broken squad both G.O. squads and the leader. So it would be 4-16 (they are '5' fp squads) and I need DR '3' for the miracle kill. does that mean if i roll DR '4' the broken squad would die anyway?

You'd have a 1:4 vs. the entire stack with a -2 vs. just the brokie. A 3 is only a K vs. the stack, but would kill the brokie outright (as would a 4 while a 5 would K the broken unit).

Although it's worth noting that the broken unit will just rout away normally & thus not be around for the CC in the case you're discussing. About the only situation I can think of precluding that would be if it was night, the brokie wouldn't have to rout - other than that, he's routing in the rout phase & thus not around for CC.

Qestion 3) How exactly does the "covering squad" concept work: are covering squads still able to fight in CC or are they merely there to protect the broken squad?

Covering Squad only applies to units withdrawing from melee so it wouldn't apply until a melee existed and the broken unit was attempting to withdraw from melee. Broken units can't withdraw from CC. Presuming a melee, covering squads can both attack normally and apply their modifier to protect a witdrawing unit...

 

[klasmalmstrom]

I presume so - unless the MOL rules say you have to be good order, a berserker should be able to use 'em.

The rules say "Any Personnel unit" so it the Berserker can try for it.

About the only situation I can think of precluding that would be if it was night, the brokie wouldn't have to rout - other than that, he's routing in the rout phase & thus not around for CC.

I thought that broken units have to rout (Low Crawl) at Night if they can, but aren't elimnated for FTR if they can't rout legally.

 

[J P]

Thanks guys, its not a night scenario but the broke guy has routed once and is not adjacent to any of my men so i am hoping he doesn't rally.

 

[Bret Hildebran]

I thought that broken units have to rout (Low Crawl) at Night if they can, but aren't elimnated for FTR if they can't rout legally.

Ended up re-reading routing at night since the question came up playing the small VotG night scenario last night. The rules just state that you can't rout normally & must low crawl, but there's no requirement brokies must rout away from ADJACENT enemy units at night. Just that they're not eliminated for failure to rout.

So a (perhaps somewhat foolish) brokie could stay in the hex with a berserker at night if they so desired for the CC, but would have to withdraw from melee if things progressed that far. Guess in a VC location where the berserking player needed an elimination the brokies' defense strength could be useful perhaps...

 

[klasmalmstrom]

Ended up re-reading routing at night since the question came up playing the small VotG night scenario last night. The rules just state that you can't rout normally & must low crawl, but there's no requirement brokies must rout away from ADJACENT enemy units at night. Just that they're not eliminated for failure to rout.

I found an old Q&A that I posted in another thread that stated that units are never forced to rout at night.
The problem that I have with E1.54 is that it just says "A broken unit does not rout normally at night, but instead, always uses Low Crawl and is never eliminated for Failure to Rout."

That doesn't really (IMO) say that you a free from the obligation to rout if you can rout away.
E1.54 would benefit from a clarification IMO.
Somehting like the red text below perhaps:

1.54 ROUTING: A broken unit does not rout normally at night, but instead, always uses Low Crawl and is never eliminated for Failure to Rout and is never forced to rout.

 

[Bret Hildebran]

Agreed it certainly could be stated more overtly as you suggest.

But...Given the rule never says "MUST rout" and there are no repercussions for not routing given the "...never eliminated for Failure to Rout" I think you get there by reading between the lines. Essentially I think it's reasonable that the Q&A says that, but it's also reasonable that someone felt the Q&A needed to be asked...