Consider the attached Eastern Front situation....a KV1 has wandered itself into the fire area of 3 different German AT units.(Image attached)
(To be fair ... they would have not all been visible in limiting terrain using our Double Blind...so...there is that...)
The German participants in our little vignette: A-- a 222 recon AC with a 0AT at 4hexes... B-- a 37mm AT gun with a 2AT at the same 4hexes C-- a PzIIIG with a 3AT at it's 5hexes....
Clearly to get any kind of good odds on the KV1 Crossfire is highly recommended....
Since all the units are separated, they cannot activate at one time---thus it's going to take 3 activations....
Say it's beginning of the Turn and MIRACulously the Germans roll and get 3 activations--...so...the shooting begins...
A takes a shot--- and that would be a -5....now...
...FIRST QUESTION.... Confirm, even though there is NO CHANCE of a hit--it can take a shot--setting up the first Crossfire shot? C then takes a shot... it would be a 3+2=5AT on the KV1 at this point.....Assume it is not successful with either shot....Desperation rises in the German camp... SECOND QUESTION....
At this point with the 3rd Activation--- B would like to shoot---is it a 2AT or a 4AT??
4AT because the KV1 was attacked by C...and considering ONLY that, the 37mm would get Crossfire... or
2AT because the first shot in this turn's ambush came from A, and it went through the same hexside that B would as well????....
Thinking about this, and wanting to progress the game, we agreed that the "Tank would react to face the first fire...thus only C gets crossfire, B is confronted with the
Full armor of 5, not a reduced inferior side or rear"....thus the tank platoon is NOT spinning around to face each shot--it responds to the first shot, and that sets the Crossfire for
That turn...Thus the B unit fires at only 2AT...
HOW do those who care decide this? Does this align with how others have/would resolve it, did we miss something or has anyone some other rationale to offer giving B a 4AT?
*One might make the case that given it's a platoon, some vehicles would turn to face the C threat
--thus exposing their soft behinds to the vagrancies of B...(as yet unknown perhaps...)...
(10-01-2026, 07:14 PM)cjsiam Wrote: ...FIRST QUESTION.... Confirm, even though there is NO CHANCE of a hit--it can take a shot--setting up the first Crossfire shot? C then takes a shot... it would be a 3+2=5AT on the KV1 at this point.....Assume it is not successful with either shot....Desperation rises in the German camp...
Yes, it sets up the crossfire. This is specifically stated in the third paragraph of the crossfire rule.
(10-01-2026, 07:14 PM)cjsiam Wrote: SECOND QUESTION....
At this point with the 3rd Activation--- B would like to shoot---is it a 2AT or a 4AT??
4AT because the KV1 was attacked by C...and considering ONLY that, the 37mm would get Crossfire... or
2AT because the first shot in this turn's ambush came from A, and it went through the same hexside that B would as well????....
AT gun B would not get the crossfire bonus because, as you note, the shot goes through the same hexside as the first shot. The rule says that " the second and/or subsequent Anti-Tank attack must be traced through an actual non-adjacent hex..."
(10-01-2026, 07:14 PM)cjsiam Wrote: Thinking about this, and wanting to progress the game, we agreed that the "Tank would react to face the first fire...thus only C gets crossfire, B is confronted with the
Full armor of 5, not a reduced inferior side or rear"....thus the tank platoon is NOT spinning around to face each shot--it responds to the first shot, and that sets the Crossfire for
That turn...Thus the B unit fires at only 2AT...
HOW do those who care decide this? Does this align with how others have/would resolve it, did we miss something or has anyone some other rationale to offer giving B a 4AT?
*One might make the case that given it's a platoon, some vehicles would turn to face the C threat
--thus exposing their soft behinds to the vagrancies of B...(as yet unknown perhaps...)...
Be careful, we don't want to make this into ASL. (Or A Platoon L in this case?)
... More and more, people around the world are coming to realize that the world is flat!
This seems straightforward to me. I would say, yes & yes.
Unit C has setup a crossfire for Unit B's wimpy 37mm AT guns at a range of 800 meters (4 clear hexes). Unit B would fire with +2 added to its AT fire factor of 2, for a shot at 4AT. A hit on the KV-1 platoon would be scored on a 2D6 of 12 or 11.
(10-02-2026, 09:03 AM)treadasaurusrex Wrote: This seems straightforward to me. I would say, yes & yes.
Unit C has setup a crossfire for Unit B's wimpy 37mm AT guns at a range of 800 meters (4 clear hexes). Unit B would fire with +2 added to its AT fire factor of 2, for a shot at 4AT. A hit on the KV-1 platoon would be scored on a 2D6 of 12 or 11.
Except that Craig said unit A setup the crossifre. Thus unit C gets 2 shots with the crossfire bonus, thus 2 chances to hit with a 10 or more. The AT gun will lie low (if it's smart).
... More and more, people around the world are coming to realize that the world is flat!
Indeed, that's certainly one way of interpreting a poorly-written & unrealistic rule.
IMHO, the crossfire should remain active and in-place for the duration of the game turn, and apply to any AT shot coming at the same target from the correct angle that does not pass through the hex adjacent to the initial setup shot.
Oh well . . . unfamiliarity with real anti-tank combat, leads to this kind of confused rule making. Here's to this being corrected & illustrated clearly early in the 5th edition PR rules.
not sure how one improves on "after the first Anti-Tank attack against the vehicle this turn".....
*The first attack sets the initial fire through hexside. Period.
*ANY further Anti-Tank attacks THAT TURN that wish Crossfire must pass through hexsides NON-ADJACENT TO initial fire Hexside....
Rules as Written(RAW)....
NOW-- HOUSE rules might envision something else...but the above would be the RAW.
Personally, I could see either way....
1) RAW -- we're not trying to play ASL....it's a 15min period with activity, enemy fire---so First fire, tanks face....
OR
2) There are 4-5 tanks, not a single tank, in each of these platoon/Zuge
....first fire gets tanks facings..deals with the full armor at base AT
....any following Fire from flanks gets responded to by some portion of the Platoon facing, meaning they might face and change the AT for the 3rd B attack ...
so there are targets showing vulnerable Side/Rear to BOTH Hexside options for future shots that turn....
RAW is what's Written...
Something like the second option need to be agreed to.....it's a House Rule situation.
....but, what do I know....
