"COVER" and PBEM LOS

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by coltom

Andy...thanks for your reply...in regards to those moving tanks...if you specify overwatch fire with a unit that has no chance to penetrate the tank's armor at any point during it's move, will it fire (thereby giving you a sighting) ? Say you have good vis (40-50 hexes) how would you set up a unit to cover an open flank ? Also for defensive purposes is it 'better' for a tank to be on the top (flat) of a hill or on the lower slope ? Which gives a better chance for 'hull down' ?

The tank might fire, if it had an HE round it thinks has a chance to de-track the target (e.g an ISU-122 or stug with short 75 maybe?). Or if the enemy were accompanied by trucks or thin skin APC etc.

Or - just scatter some scouts/inf-at about your flanks of the defence, with range set to 1 as spotters and perhaps ambushers. Also advance them in the first few turns maybe, if there is a decent observation point a few hexes in front of the deployment zone out in "no-mans land". (Undetected scouts in his rear is a wonderful thing to have in any game in any case - esp. if they have a radio and can call arty observed ).

Hull down (more turret hits than hull, target is adjudged a bit smaller) is obtained if the target is higher than the firer, or dug-in. If the firer is higher than the target, then you start getting top armour shots. The slope of the hex is ignored (AFAIR), so a flat hilltop is fine to defend on.

Andy