Turretless AFV

WAYCOOL

Recruit
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
Messages
15
Reaction score
12
Country
llUnited States
Turretless vehicles firing outside their CA (unless I misread the rules entirely) pay a + 3 To Hit DRM. If they literally don't have a turret, does this represent the tankers turning the entire tank to track their target? If so, why doesn't the system include a change of vehicle facing as part of the options for a defending vehicle?
 

bendizoid

Official ***** Dickweed
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
Messages
4,630
Reaction score
3,244
Location
Viet Nam
Country
llUnited States
Turretless vehicles firing outside their CA (unless I misread the rules entirely) pay a + 3 To Hit DRM. If they literally don't have a turret, does this represent the tankers turning the entire tank to track their target? If so, why doesn't the system include a change of vehicle facing as part of the options for a defending vehicle?
It does
 

Robin Reeve

The Swiss Moron
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Messages
19,597
Reaction score
5,557
Location
St-Légier
First name
Robin
Country
llSwitzerland
If so, why doesn't the system include a change of vehicle facing as part of the options for a defending vehicle?
It does.
The vehicle changes its VCA so that it includes its target.
 

Jazz

Inactive
Joined
Feb 3, 2003
Messages
12,188
Reaction score
2,739
Location
The Empty Quarter
Country
llLithuania
It does. A turretless AFV changes VCA using the same game mechanics and at the same points in play that a turreted AFV changes TCA. Indeed, turreted AFV can change VCA the same way.
 
Last edited:

Philippe D.

Elder Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
2,132
Reaction score
1,393
Location
Bordeaux
Country
llFrance
That's one of the semi-advanced rules of ASL tank battles: each weapon on your AFV is a potential VCA change opportunity. Extremely useful during the opponent's MPh when facing multiple threats and you're trying to keep your better profile facing the right direction. Not sure how historical this is; it's not clear to me how having a turret-mounted MG would help you turn to face an opponent; but there it is.
 

Philippe D.

Elder Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2016
Messages
2,132
Reaction score
1,393
Location
Bordeaux
Country
llFrance
Yes of course it is! It's just that since I am faaaar more knowledgeable on the game than on the realities of WW2 warfare, I'm always careful to specify that I'm talking about the tactics of the game and not military tactics.
 

Tuomo

Keeper of the Funk
Joined
Feb 10, 2003
Messages
4,652
Reaction score
5,537
Location
Rock Bottom
Country
llUnited States
I guess it's a combination of D5.1, D5.11, and D1.33. The latter says "All bow-mounted weapons fall into this category. " (meaning NT-type weapons). Whereas D1.83 says AAMGs are neither bow- nor turret-mounted for D3.51 purposes, and D3.51 is where they talk about Case A TH DRMs.

Yeah, I thought for sure there was a more-direct reference.
 

Eagle4ty

Forum Guru
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
6,913
Reaction score
5,094
Location
Eau Claire, Wi
Country
llUnited States
That's one of the semi-advanced rules of ASL tank battles: each weapon on your AFV is a potential VCA change opportunity. Extremely useful during the opponent's MPh when facing multiple threats and you're trying to keep your better profile facing the right direction. Not sure how historical this is; it's not clear to me how having a turret-mounted MG would help you turn to face an opponent; but there it is.
As a game mechanic it works well to replicate a standard tank (or SP anti-tank) tactic. Having been a tank commander a looooong time ago it was common practice to swing your turret (i.e. Main Gun) towards the next most deadly target after eliminating a present target even if it was to potentially engage it with your coax or reload the MA for the next engagement (think of the time between the facing change and your next shot as the time to reload and bringing a new target to bear using the non-fired coax MG as the reason for the CA change-even if to only fire a ranging shot that would have negligible game effects). If the coax had fired at the previous target, it approximates the time the gunner would be fixed on it to engage that target and would thus be unable to traverse towards a new target in a timely manner.
 
Top