Wounded in bypass of a fortified building

[jyoung]

I have a stack of three squads and leader in a building, all berserk, adjacent to another enemy-occupied fortified building on ground level (in smoke), with more enemy on the first floor of that hex (not fortified). The level 1 units are the closest known enemy units that the berserkers can legally reach, with the shortest MF route being via bypass of the fortified location into a stairwell in the next hex, then up the stairwell and back to the adjacent hex on level 1. This was on the assumption that bypass of the occupied hex was legal due to the berserk status allowing entry of an enemy hex.
While in bypass (for 2 MF due to the smoke) the stack is fired at from multiple sources, one squad carrying a LMG fails two MC to disappear, and the leader is wounded, leaving him with 1 MF remaining. At this point he does not have enough MF to move to any adjacent hex, cannot remain in bypass, and cannot end up in the bypassed building as it is fortified and occupied. We played that the LMG ends up in the fortified building, and the leader was returned to his starting hex. Any thoughts on how this should have been played?

 

[apbills]

Check A12.151. I think that all the beserkers would be returned since once the Leader is wounded and can not exit the location, concealment is lost, so the fortified status would force everyone back.
note I said “think” as I will need to ponder more.

 

[EagleIV]

I don't think Berserk units can bypass an fortified building occupied by a squad equivalent of KEU, they would have to find another route to the adjacent upper level location.
If the Berserk leader wounds and the units are concealed, A12.151 kicks in just for the leader (per the end of A15.43 the leader and squads will split up), the other units would continue the charge upstairs.

 

[klasmalmstrom]

Sounds to me like the enemy units in the Fortified Building Location is the closest Known enemy units - and it is those that must be "charged".

15.43 CHARGE: At the start of the MPh, each non-Melee berserk unit must charge the nearest (in hexes not MF) Known enemy unit in its LOS and must (if it has sufficient MF) enter its Location [EXC: pillbox (B30.4); Fortified Building (B23.922)] during that MPh in an attempt to destroy it in CC....

23.922 ENTRY: Infantry may not enter a Fortified Building Location during any phase if an unpinned, Good Order, armed enemy squad (or its equivalent) is inside [EXC: Breach; 23.9221]. A berserk unit must remain in the adjacent hex attacking it in its AFPh/DFPh until the occupants have been pinned, broken, or Reduced sufficiently to allow it to enter (or until another enemy unit becomes adjacent to it, in which case the berserk unit must charge this new unit).


I.e., a berserk unit does not disregard Known enemy units in Fortified Building Locations - even though they might not be able to enter the Location.

 

[apbills]

My assumption was the units in the Fortified Location were concealed (i.e., not KEU), since that is the only way the berserkers could ignore and bypass them. I may be mistaken on this assumption, and then as Klas points out, if KEU in the Fortified building ground level, the Berserkers would need to just stay in their Location and "charge" the Fortified building, which given they are in a building themselves gives them nice cover with a 10 morale, so not really a bad thing.

Assuming the ground level was concealed, once the leader is wounded and can no longer leave the Location, per A12.151, the concealed units in the Fortified Location would need to undergo detection, revealing at least one unit. That would place the Berserkers in a Location with at least one KEU, and since they are in bypass of the Fortified Location, all would need to be returned to the last Location.

 

[jyoung]

The units in the fortified building location were not concealed, but since berserk units can enter an enemy occupied hex (in the charge) we assumed they would be able to bypass the fortified location. Looks like we multiply malfed the playing of this. Thanks for all the answers everyone.