Advanced Sequence Of Play seems to be useful to look at, in this situation.
8.11B states about hip going "?". Its the first step of the CCPh in a given location.
Then, you have to go to 8.14B for prisoner(s) declaring an escape attempt (passing the NTC).
Would you have to go back from 8.14 to 8.11 again?
cheers
As you note, it's Location specific. Once you step through 8.11B in a Location, I'd argue that you can't return to 8.11B for
that Location. Granted, there could be an EXC, but I don't think it was anticipated when the rules were drafted. That said, I believe that the HIP unit has the
option of being placed on board concealed during Step 8.11B. Either way, the presence of this unit, HIP or otherwise, presents additional problems should the prisoner eliminate its Guard.
For the sake of argument, let's agree that a prisoner which passes its NTC qualifies as an "enemy unit" for the purposes of A11.19. Let's also agree that this change of status is retroactive, forcing any hidden units to be placed immediately on board concealed. Fair enough. Close Combat between Guard and prisoner eliminates the Guard. What is the status of the "prisoner" at this point?
According to A20.55, escape is only successful if there are "no enemy units in the same Location (other than prisoners)." (This also begs the question as to whether an
unarmed enemy unit such as a truck would prevent escape.)
Has the prisoner escaped? If not, can it rearm as per A20.551? If so, does the rearmed unit have freedom of action? Or must it eliminate the previously hidden unit in order to escape, before it can gain freedom of action? For example, if the HIP unit retained concealment, is the former prisoner free to leave the Location during the MPh or APh?
Let's look at it another way. If the prisoner in the OP's example was a leader, it clearly would
not be rearmed per A20.551, because it would
not have escaped due to the presence of an enemy unit in its Location. Therefore it could
not leave the Location. Nor could it use an Inherent SW such as a PF or MOL, because it remains unarmed.
So, is
escape a precondition of rearming, or not? (Note that A20.551 is a subset of the rules for escape.) If not, is
escape a precondition for "freedom of action?"
Unless a Melee exists in the Location, prisoners must pass a NTC before they can attack their Guard. This attack can only occur during the CCPh and only if the Guard is broken. Once a Melee exists within the Location, prisoners may, during the CCPh, attack without passing a NTC and even if the Guard is not broken. Prisoners must eliminate their Guard before they can attack any other units in that Location unless they attack their Guard and other units in the same Location as part of the same CC attack. Once Melee exists with a Guard, prisoners may attempt Withdrawal from Melee (
11.2) in a subsequent CCPh. Prisoner CC attacks are sequential in that the prisoners may make all of their CC attacks before they can be attacked in turn by the survivors and any other enemy units in that Location.
Escape is successful only if there are no enemy units in the same Location (other than prisoners) or by successful Withdrawal from Melee or Infiltration (
11.22), in which case the former prisoner unit has freedom of action thereafter until recaptured.
Escaped SMC are always Armed. One attacking Unarmed friendly unit of equal or smaller size is rearmed immediately for each armed enemy unit it eliminated/captured in CC (or by any other means if no other enemy unit is currently in the same Location), but the unarmed unit is replaced with a Green or Conscript squad/HS of its size and nationality (complete with any inherent SW).