I believe the intention is that if a vehicle changes its CA in the PFPh, it is marked with a Prep marker and thus ineligible to move.
I believe you. In fact I've been playing it what you'd call "correctly" -- but how do I win an argument with a rules lawyer who insists on verbatim? Honestly this is a bit dismaying I was hoping you'd point me to some rule I'd overlooked... I'm used to being told: screw whatever you think 'intention' is, just read the words alone... but here that doesn't work. ? A3.1 and 3.2 are pretty clear. Prep fire markers are for units that fired. Units (that can move at all) can move in the Mph if they haven't fired, been marked opp fire, or TI labored in the prep phase. Very hard to see how any of that includes making a free TCA/VCA.
Here's my take-away: "An AFV which is is eligible to fire without IF may make an TCA/VCA in lieu of firing and is marked with a fire marker appropriate to the phase" I do wish the RB included something to that effect.
I believe the intention is that if a vehicle is ineligible to change CA in its current situation (also including bogged, immobilized), D3.12 does not allow it to do so.
Good. I'm with you. The 180 degree immobilized bypass narrow-street reversal sleaze shall be strangled in the crib! Die! thing of evil!
The MPh is not a fire phase [index], so you can't change CA at its end using D3.12. The (friendly) DFPh is a fire phase, so a friendly unit could change CA at its end. As a friendly vehicle could not fire in the enemy PFPh or DFPh, it could not change CA in both the PFPh and the DFPh of the same player turn; it is not eligible to fire in one of them.
Yeah I checked the index. I feel like someone (you?) has pointed out to me that for some rule circumstances the Mph/Dph can be considered a sort of long two-part phase, which is why I was asking if the DFPh was in some sense the end of the Mph. Ok, that sounds crazy.
I'm pretty sure I've had free VCA/TCAs played against me a variety of incorrect (as well as correct) ways. I've been in a rules murk about it and have settled for doing things conservatively. It seems conservative is correct here. I think for once the murk wasn't entirely of my own creation.--Pyth
JR