J168 - Katyusha's Embrace question

[MajorDomo]

J168 - Katyusha's Embrace

Russian gets 200+ mm rocket OBA.

However, I am not sure how many Fire Missions the Russians get with this battery.

C1.9 ROCKET OBA says "Rocket OBA never receives more than one Fire Mission per battery." However, SSR 5 calls for Plentiful Ammunition and one Pre-Registered hex which would increase the number of black chits in a draw pile by two. Also SSR 5 calls for the first chit draw to be automatically black. This would indicate the Rocket OBA to be treated as any other artillery module with the possibility of more than one Fire Mission.

Couldn't find any errata on J168, what do you think.

Rich

 

[jrv]

J168 - Katyusha's Embrace

Russian gets 200+ mm rocket OBA.

However, I am not sure how many Fire Missions the Russians get with this battery.

C1.9 ROCKET OBA says "Rocket OBA never receives more than one Fire Mission per battery." However, SSR 5 calls for Plentiful Ammunition and one Pre-Registered hex which would increase the number of black chits in a draw pile by two. Also SSR 5 calls for the first chit draw to be automatically black. This would indicate the Rocket OBA to be treated as any other artillery module with the possibility of more than one Fire Mission.

Couldn't find any errata on J168, what do you think.

Having extra black chits would affect the odds for any additional chit draw and/or for later draws if the additional chit draw was red and/or if the original placement of the AR was out of LOS resulting in mission cancellation, so it would not be entirely without purpose to add more chits to the pile. I would say that without a SSR stating otherwise, the module gets one mission.

JR

 

[Chas Argent]

JR, as ever, hits it out of the park.

 

[MajorDomo]

Thanks,

Rich

 

[BraveDave]

Having extra black chits would affect the odds for any additional chit draw and/or for later draws if the additional chit draw was red and/or if the original placement of the AR was out of LOS resulting in mission cancellation, so it would not be entirely without purpose to add more chits to the pile. I would say that without a SSR stating otherwise, the module gets one mission.

JR

Since with Rocket OBA the AR is not converted to an SR but immediately to an FFE and, as you say, the fire mission is cancelled, do you get any more chances or is that the only one?

 

[jrv]

Since with Rocket OBA the AR is not converted to an SR but immediately to an FFE and, as you say, the fire mission is cancelled, do you get any more chances or is that the only one?

Looking that up, Rocket OBA gets only one "Fire Mission", and per C1.7 "A Fire Mission consists of the entire time between Battery Access chit drawings which a FFE is on board." So according to C1.7 you have to get a FFE down. However C1.3 does say the current Fire Mission is canceled if there is no LOS to the AR and C1.21 says the Fire Mission is also canceled on the second chit draw, so I'm not sure. You can still use the extra black chits for an extra chit draw.

JR

 

[mgmasl]

Cancelled before to be completed?
I mean a FFE need to be placed to be considered completed

 

[klasmalmstrom]

Cancelled before to be completed?

Yes, cancellation after completion seems unnecessary.

C1.3 seems clear:
"Having established (or maintained) Radio Contact during that phase, and if he has Battery Access, the player may continue his radio action in that phase by placing an AR counter on any hex containing a Location that is in his Observer’s LOS which he wishes to be the target of an OBA attack. LOS is then checked from the Observer to the AR’s hex; if no such LOS exists to any non-Aerial Location therein, that AR is removed, that Observer’s OBA actions are considered finished for the current phase, and at the opponent’s option that current Fire Mission is Cancelled...."

So with a Rocket OBA module, one better be sure the initial AR is placed in a hex that the Observer has LOS to.

 

[PaKman]

Klas,

I need to disagree with you here. In order for the Fire Mission to be cancelled, a FFE needs to be onboard as per C1.7. The C1.3 red text that you quote apply to the case where a FFE:2 is onboard, you try to correct it by placing an AR which is not in LOS, then the Fire Mission gets cancelled (at opponent's option). This can never happen with Rocket OBA though because Correction is NA.

If you place your initial AR out of LOS, or draw an extra red chit, Battery Access is lost but you still have one Fire Mission to go. The Russians then need to try again in German turn 1, this time by drawing for Battery Access (with good chances at getting a black chit).

Maybe it is actually a good idea to lose Battery Access initially on purpose, and let the threat hover over the Germans' head for the first couple of turns... and maybe it isn't

PaKman

 

[Will Fleming]

Rocket OBA can be corrected?

 

[jrv]

Rocket OBA can be corrected?

Not if you want to live. But you can talk about it behind its back.

JR

 

[Eagle4ty]

Klas,

I need to disagree with you here. In order for the Fire Mission to be cancelled, a FFE needs to be onboard as per C1.7. The C1.3 red text that you quote apply to the case where a FFE:2 is onboard, you try to correct it by placing an AR which is not in LOS, then the Fire Mission gets cancelled (at opponent's option). This can never happen with Rocket OBA though because Correction is NA.

If you place your initial AR out of LOS, or draw an extra red chit, Battery Access is lost but you still have one Fire Mission to go. The Russians then need to try again in German turn 1, this time by drawing for Battery Access (with good chances at getting a black chit).

Maybe it is actually a good idea to lose Battery Access initially on purpose, and let the threat hover over the Germans' head for the first couple of turns... and maybe it isn't

PaKman

A good reason to almost never accept the use of the Pleva OBA rule, especially if you're the Russians!