[Rules] 5.63 Limbering and Unlimbering

[Hugmenot]

Are mortars subject to this rule?

Mortars are defined as Personnel Unit under Rule 1.2. As Rule 5.63 refers to Weapon Units specifically, I am uncertain whether flipping a mortar unit to its limbered or unlimbered side cost its whole activation.

The house rule I have been using is 81mm mortars can be flipped as their first action in their activation and then fire or move as part of the same activation. My assumption here is that small mortars can be set up/dismantled very quickly but that is just that, an assumption.

[broadsword]

But what puzzles me is: If the game intended it to be that easy for mortars to limber and unlimber, then why have limbered and unlimbered sides to the counter with different movement rates in the first place? Seems to me that either limbering really means something and costs something for a mortar unit, or a mortar is just another personnel unit and limbering really doesn't mean anything except whether you'd like to move it 1 point or 2 points (and who wouldn't rather move it 2 points?)

[vince hughes]

From the Old Q+A document Unofficial Players Guide: "Components-Mortars/Limbering" page 2

Mortars can do one of three things :

Move / Flip / Fire

Flip is a move action of course, but 'flipping' takes the whole turn.

[plloyd1010]

All tactical wargames have a couple glitches with crossover units, mortars in PG make a good example of the phenomena. We (my group) decided to play like like this after much experimenting.

1. Mortars may load/limber as weapon units, as an option. (Because some heavy mortars are towed unit.)
   
2. Mortars, with a movement point available, may load as personnel on a personnel carrier, immediately becoming limbered in the process. (ie: it takes time to set them up again.)
   
3. Mortars, with movement available, my limber/unlimber at a cost of 1 MP. ((We feel, and partly agree with Tankdude, that mortars are easier to setup and take down than other weapons)
   

As a corollary to this, we added movement costs (for the transport) to load and unload limbered weapons.

[campsawyer]

Mortars, with movement available, my limber/unlimber at a cost of 1 MP. ((We feel, and partly agree with Tankdude, that mortars are easier to setup and take down than other weapons)

Peter, I am a little confused with this item. If they unlimber with 1MP that means that they are moving and activate with a move action. So they would not be able to unlimber and fire in the same turn. I could see this with limbering so they still have one MP 1 to move.

[plloyd1010]

I don't recall where they, or any other weapon unit, was able to do so. Mortars are a hybrid unit, not a true personnel unit. (Unless you can find other personnel units that limber & unlimber.)

The only rules I recall about limbering and unlimbering say that it takes the entire activation. Doug M. also said it took an entire activation to load an limbered weapon unit. I asked, he answered, we did something else.

Any way, an unlimbered medium mortar would not be able to limber and move. Limbering would use its 1 MP. We feel that mortars should be more flexible than "normal" weapons units, but less so than heavy weapons personnel. We like the balance we finally found.