Roadblocks and Road Vertices

commissar1969

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The Roadblock rules state: 29.1 A roadblock is a Fortification counter that may be set up only prior to the start of play and only in a road or runway Location, with the roadblock's arrow pointing to the road—or runway—hexside obstructed.

But what if the Road exits the hex through a vertex, as in the case of 17B5 (see illustration below)? See the "3 o'clock" vertex of that hex. How can I block it with a Roadblock? Do I need 2 Roadblocks? Is it not blockable at all?

17561

Thanks in advance,

Commie
 
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Sparafucil3

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The Roadblock rules state: 29.1 A roadblock is a Fortification counter that may be set up only prior to the start of play and only in a road or runway Location, with the roadblock's arrow pointing to the road—or runway—hexside obstructed.

But what if the Road exits the hex through a vertex, as in the case of 17B5 (see illustration below)? See the "3 o'clock" vertex of that hex. How can I block it with a Roadblock? Do I need 2 Roadblocks? Is it not blockable at all?

View attachment 17561

Thanks in advance,

Commie
It definitely wouldn't block both Locations. As I recall, there is Q&A which says the road only exists in one Location and not both. The artwork is such that the boards "match". As such, I don't think you could place a Road Block in both Locations. -- jim
 

commissar1969

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It definitely wouldn't block both Locations. As I recall, there is Q&A which says the road only exists in one Location and not both. The artwork is such that the boards "match". As such, I don't think you could place a Road Block in both Locations. -- jim
Thanks for the response. I checked the Q&A and I can't find the one you're referring to (which doesn't mean it doesn't exist - I just can't find it is all).
 

Sparafucil3

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Thanks for the response. I checked the Q&A and I can't find the one you're referring to (which doesn't mean it doesn't exist - I just can't find it is all).
I looked for it too. There is one Q&A (search for A5/A6) which sort of speaks to it by talking about open paying Open Ground costs. In any case, if the road exists in both Locations, it would take at least two Road Blocks. And even as such, I am not sure you could legally place a Road Block there absent some Q&A clarifying it for us. -- jim
 

ScottRomanowski

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I may have found the "only one" reference you mentioned Jim: A2.51 says offboard hexes with a coordinate of 5 are road hexes.
As Jim mentioned, http://www.klasm.com/ASL/ErrataQA/QA/GS Perry Sez.pdf has two Q&A for "A5/A6" but neither applies here. I'm surprised too, but I guess the situations where you could set a roadblock in hexes like A5/A6 are rare.
 

commissar1969

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I may have found the "only one" reference you mentioned Jim: A2.51 says offboard hexes with a coordinate of 5 are road hexes.
As Jim mentioned, http://www.klasm.com/ASL/ErrataQA/QA/GS Perry Sez.pdf has two Q&A for "A5/A6" but neither applies here. I'm surprised too, but I guess the situations where you could set a roadblock in hexes like A5/A6 are rare.
The most similar thing, of course, are Narrow Streets (B31.141). And with Narrow Streets, it explicitly says you can do it by pointing the Roadblock to the vertex. So strange it doesn't address this case.

17569
 

ScottRomanowski

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I think it's an artifact of geomorphism. As Jim wrote, maps have to match regardless of orientation. Many of the maps were done decades before narrow streets were designed. One side-effect of being able to block both B5/A5 and B5/A6 with one roadblock is that it gives the defender two wall hexides, making it tougher to flank and easier to defend behind.
There are other problems if you allow non-narrow-road-vertex-pointing roadblocks if two hexsides are crossed by the same road like A5/A6. Consider part of board 20:
17573
It takes two roadblocks to block D3/E3 and D3/E4. But if I make the road wider it would only take one if roadblocks could point at vertexes.

17575
Now the same road crosses D3/E3 and D3/E4, and if a change for A5/A6 is implemented, I could place one roadblock at D3/E3/E4 blocking both D3/E3 and D3/E4.

We're probably better off with the rules as they are, and trusting that, if a scenario were only winnable if you could block both A5/A6 roads with one roadblock, it would have shown up in playtesting and the scenario revised.
 

klasmalmstrom

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But what if the Road exits the hex through a vertex, as in the case of 17B5 (see illustration below)? See the "3 o'clock" vertex of that hex. How can I block it with a Roadblock? Do I need 2 Roadblocks? Is it not blockable at all?

View attachment 17561
I think both A5 and A6 are road hexes. So it you want to block access from B5, I believe you need two roadblocks.
 
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