Nighttime Blaze, Orchards and Shadows

[JimWhite]

I'm thinking there would be Shadows in F50, F48, G48, H47, I48 and J48 unless Orchards don't qualify (per E1.941) as Obstacles for this purpose.

If they do qualify...what about F49 and J49?

 

[Eagle4ty]

My take (JMO) on this is that the Orchards are not Terrain Obstacles (A6.2) but a Terrain Hindrance at ground level and therefore would not create a shadow at same level. However since the orchards in the gully hexes occur at both levels I believe there would be shadows IN all gully hexes [EXC: units claiming crest status].

 

[Justiciar]

See the EX: at E1.94...it even says 2 hexes there and mentions orchard in the EX.

 

[fzmann]

Not at my computer right now, but wouldn’t VASL’s nighttime GUI provide guidance?

 

[Justiciar]

Not at my computer right now, but wouldn’t VASL’s nighttime GUI provide guidance?

From a Luddite that is a clever hack...not that I trust the Borg, but nice hack.

 

[Eagle4ty]

See the EX: at E1.94...it even says 2 hexes there and mentions orchard in the EX.

Not what it says at all in regards to the question. It simply states a burning orchard has a 2-hex illumination range and does not address shadows at all.

 

[Justiciar]

Yes, my bad.

Break.

The illumination zone is nonetheless as established by that EX, and as the OP suggests, and so the shadows would thus go from there...orchard is listed as Obstacle on the Chap. B divider depending on the season. So then default to the date of scenario it seems...

 

[Eagle4ty]

Yes, my bad.

Break.

The illumination zone is nonetheless as established by that EX, and as the OP suggests, and so the shadows would thus go from there...orchard is listed as Obstacle on the Chap. B divider depending on the season. So then default to the date of scenario it seems...

I agree, it can be both a hindrance and an obstacle as per B14.21 it presents only a hindrance at ground level from a same level viewer/firer while being an obstacle to a LOS a higher elevation [EXC: Out of season orchard]. I guess it would depend on what level you consider the fire (blaze) to be at if it would create a total shadow effect for terrain beyond it. I would assume it would be just like any LOS drawn through an Orchard hex; At a ground level view there would be no shadow a view from a higher elevation may be another matter..

 

[BattleSchool]

I'm thinking there would be Shadows in F50, F48, G48, H47, I48 and J48 unless Orchards don't qualify (per E1.941) as Obstacles for this purpose.

View attachment 11230

If I'm not mistaken, the blaze in H49 is at level 0. Therefore, I agree that the building in G50 would create a shadow in F50.

If they do qualify...what about F49 and J49?

My gut says no shadow in J49.

F49 is interesting. I think that units with Crest Status would be illuminated. At the same time, I think that units IN the gully would be in shadow because the (in-season) orchard in G49 would be treated as an obstacle (B14.2) for the purposes of E1.941.

E1.941 SHADOWS: Terrain obstacles of ≥ one level within the Illuminated Zone of a Blaze cause quasi-Blind Hexes in the sense that the obstacle blocks the Illumination of those hexes. Any such LOS obstacle in a Blaze's Illuminated Zone therefore creates a non-illuminated hex(es) behind it, just as if each Blaze counter were instead a viewing unit whose LOS to those hexes was blocked by that obstacle.

The Q&A below is a bit ambiguous. I agree with the answer if the blaze in the question is located at the upper level only (of what I take to be a two-story building in the EX). Otherwise, I don't see why an orchard would block illumination to hexes at the same base level as the orchard. I also think that the answer applies only to an in-season orchard. Good question by the way.

E1.94 Fires
Q. If an orchard is adjacent to a two level building blaze, is a shadow created?

A. Shadows would be created.