This post explains Opportunity Fire.
Opportunity fire is a powerful means of controlling the battlefield as it allows units to fire in an Enemy Command Pulse.
Note: You cannot use opportunity fire during your own Command Pulse – you have to activate the unit before it can fire.
Units Eligible to Use Opportunity Fire
A unit is eligible to use opportunity fire providing it doesn’t have a fire marker or is suppressed. The unit must also be present on the table. Therefore off-table artillery cannot use opportunity fire. The unit must also have LOS to the target.
A Fire Marker is placed next to the unit when it uses opportunity fire.
Targets That Trigger Opportunity Fire
An enemy unit that fires or moves in LOS triggers opportunity fire.
Opportunity Fire Against a Firing Target
When your opponent says that one of his units is firing but not moving, you may use opportunity fire against it. You must declare this before your opponent rolls his AT Dice. You cannot wait to see what the effects of his fire are – your fire occurs simultaneously with his. For convenience, let your opponent roll his dice first, but don’t apply the results until after you’ve fired back.
You may then use opportunity fire against the firing enemy unit with any of your eligible units. You choose a unit and conduct its fire before deciding whether any more of your units are going to fire. You can keep selecting units and firing until you decide to stop or you run out of units that can fire.
Opportunity Fire Against A Moving Target
When your opponent moves a unit that is within or enters LOS of one of your units you can request that he halts the unit’s movement while you fire at it. A unit that is suppressed by your fire halts where it is – it cannot advance any further. Measure any Forced Back results from where it was halted. A unit that is not suppressed completes its move after all opportunity fire has been resolved. In the event of the unit entering the LOS of another of your units, this unit may also use opportunity fire.
For example, Max is moving three Panther tanks towards three American 75mm M4s. Tom decides to use opportunity fire against all the German tanks when they enter effective range at 14”. One Panther is suppressed and stops moving immediately. The second is suppressed and also takes a Disruption Point. It halts and is forced back 6+1D”. The third Panther doesn’t get hit and completes its move 6” away from the Americans. As two of the German tanks are suppressed, only one can now fire.
Image of Tiger I from Bundesarchiv, Bild 101III-Groenert-019-23A / Grönert / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Rules for Battle 1
The rules needed to play the first battle are now complete. Battle 1 will be posted following a summary of the rules so far.
Next Post
The Rules Summary for Battle 1.
