The primary purpose of this effort is to is to come to a rules agreement in a pending night scenario (COI Scenario A) with Peter Belford. This also serves to illustrate the value of an unofficial SLQ 5th edition rulebook I am creating. The rules numbering system is retained although it would benefit by introducing star shells early. Some clarification would best be included in another rules section (i.e concealment) but I am limited as this is the first rules section created.
Bill Thomson
12/30/97 Black Original SQL4th rules text Dark Green Original SQL4th
descriptive text Dark Blue Original SQL4th example
text Magenta Rule inclusion based on
Corresponding Q/A from Roland Gettliffe's
compliation Gray Unofficial Rule inclusion
based on collaboration of interpretational issues (Chabot,
Mantizas, Thomson, Yngve) Appended Red Corresponding Q/A from
Roland Gettliffe's compliation Bold Black Discussion and collaboration of
interpretation issues (Chabot, Mantizas, Thomson,
Yngve)
49. NIGHT RULES -
Night actions were common throughout World War II. Knowing how to take advantage of a bright moon and available cloud cover became an important weapon in every SQUAD LEADER'S battle to survive.
49.1 During night scenarios units may fire only if the target is in both the firing units' LOS and within the Night Visibility Range of the firer for that player turn (Exceptions: 49.2, 49.7).
49.101 Night Visibility Range apply only to those units that have moved. Units that have not moved, although in the NVR, can not be fired upon unless illuminated by starshell or 49.2 (Q/A 49.11).
49.11 The Night Visibility Range for the entire game turn is determined at the end of the first Rally Phase of each Game Turn by rolling two dice. The resulting number is the inclusive number of hexes away from an observer that moving units can be seen (barring LOS obstacles) for the balance of that game turn.
49.12 The rolled Night Visibility Range is always increased by 3 when attempting to observe moving vehicles.
Example: If a 7 is rolled then any moving infantry unit 7 or less hexes (any moving vehicle 10 or less hexes) away from an observer would be seen provided LOS was not blocked.
49.2 Units which have fired during the same or immediately preceding player turn may give away their location to opposing units with a clear LOS by gun flashes. Such units are subject to fire even if beyond the Night Visibility Range of the firing unit. However, fire beyond the Night Visibility Range is halved as Area Fire.
49.21 Close combat hexes are subject to fire similar to hexes generating gun flashes.
49.22 Hexes generating gun flashes are subject to fire. Should the responsible units vacate this hex, they cannot be fired as in their new location based solely upon such gun flashes in their previous location.
49.23 Ordinance firing against fire flashes outside NVR must add +2 DRM unless in an illuminated hex. If hit, AP is resolved at full effect, HE is Areas fire if the target is concealed. COI+: Ordinance firing IFE against fire flashes do so at AREA fire.
49.24 Adjacent units cannot be fired upon unless they have moved within within the night visibility range of the adjacent unit (49.1); are illuminated by a starshell (49.7), are detected by fire flashes (49.2).
49.25 AFVs may only overrun units illuminated by a starshell or hexes which generated fire flashes. Overruns vs concealed units under illumination or unconcealed units not under illumination are resolved as Area fire. Should a AFV move through an enemy unit which is not illuminated or in a hex where it generated fire flashed, the AFV moved through with no overrun occurring unless such unit performed an immobilization attempt while adjacent or other defensive fire activity.
49.3 Concealment counters in night scenarios are not removed due to the presence of adjacent enemy units unless in an illuminated hex. Concealment counters remain in place and effect even during the first player turn of night Close Combat situations.
49.31 HIP units do not lose there HIP status due to an adjacent unit unless in an illuminated hex.
49.32 A unit under a concealment counter during a night scenario fired upon while moving in open terrain is subject to the -2 DRM for moving in the open (Q/A 49.1; {COI4-69})
49.33 In a Close Combat situation, the contents of a concealed stack are revealed to compute the odds for the CC attacks. The concealment counter's only function is to halve the attack factor of the non-concealed combatants. The concealment counter is removed at the end of the first player turn of close combat. (Q/A 49.1;{COI4-69})
49.4 During night scenarios "?" counters are removed if a unit under the ? fires or moves into an illuminated hex in the LOS of an unbroken enemy unit. Mere movement during night scenarios does not remove the Concealment counter. Even an entire stack of Concealment counters can be moved, but if effectively fired on by an enemy unit, or if moved into an illuminated hex in the LOS of an enemy unit all the ? counters involved are permanently removed.
49.41 Units lose "?" markers only when they "move" into illuminated hexes. Units that didn't move or fire and was not in an illuminated hex would remain concealed unless fired on resulting in a M result [or better]. Q/A 49.1;{OAF})
49.42 Entrenching attempts, makes smoke, makes rally attempt, pivots, attempting removal of obstacles, etc. counts as movement for purposes of losing concealment counters.
49.43 Should a stack of moving concealed units eligible to retain concealment split up during movement/advance, each daughter stack is receives a concealment.
49.5 "Real" units may always "grow" another Concealment counter at the end of their player turn provided they have neither moved, fired, been fired upon resulting in a Morale Check, or been in Close Combat during the just completed player turn. Such placement is not limited to woods or building hexes or by the presence of adjacent enemy units as it is during daylight scenarios (25.3).
49.51 HIP units that elect to move and are not in an illuminated hex immediately gain one concealment counter (unless splitting up per 49.43) prior to movement.
49.6 At the end of the Rally Phase if opposing units are within the LOS and the Night Visibility Range of an unbroken leader that leader may place a starshell within 5 hexes of its own position. The starshell counter is removed after the following Close Combat Phase. Firing a starshell has no detrimental effect on a leader's fire or leadership abilities.
49.61 A CE armor leader with leadership modifiers may fire a starshell; an armor CE counter depicting a tank commander may not. (Q/A 49.6 & 76.:{COI4 69}{COD105})
49.7 A starshell illuminates the entire mapboard area within 3 hexes of the starshell counter as if it were a daylight scenario. Units outside the illuminated area with an unlocked LOS may still fire into the illuminated area with no additional penalty.
49.71 Burning terrain (i.e. buildings, woods, wheatfields, etc.) and burning wrecks has a zone of illumination within 2 hexes of the burning feature. (Q/A 49.& 67.5; {COI4-69}{COD105}).
49.72 An concealed/HIP unit illuminated by a starshell loses its concealment counter if it is in the LOS of an enemy unit which could see it in a daylight scenario, i.e., in an open ground hex where it wouldn't be entitled to concealment. COD+: Note that under the Bypass Movement rules (106.6) a concealment counter is not automatically lost to an adjacent unit thus a concealed unit in woods or buildings would not automatically lose its concealment. (Q/A: 25.4 & 49.7;{COD-104})
49.8 Unlike daylight scenarios, routing units may cross open ground terrain in the LOS of enemy units, unless the hex in question is illuminated by a starshell.
49.9 When using OBA during night scenarios, Both the Artillery request/Blue spotting round must be placed within the night visibility range. (Q/A 46.13 & 49.1 & 46.23; {OAF})
49.91 Should the corrected RSR fall outside the night visibility range of the spotter, the RSR is removed.