CL50 Questions and Answers
Q: I am confused by the Close Assault rule (L5.3) which requires the attacker to enter the hex (if all enemy units were eliminated) but then says that “If there is an improved battle position, the unit may enter if the owning player so elects.” So is he required to enter the hex or what? Does anyone “own” an improved battle position? Is it destroyed if the attacker captures it? Or does he have the option to do so?
A: Entry to the hex is mandatory; enter into the battle position (i.e., jumping into the foxholes) is not mandatory. When the attacking player moves into the hex he can choose to move into, and thus benefit from, the improved fighting positions he has captured. He is not required to do so, although he still must move into the hex. You might believe that it is silly not to occupy the defensive works and so gain the defense bonus against enemy fire, but when you capture the hex you need to be thinking about your next move, and leaving the battle position costs you a hex of movement (L7.24b). The attacker may want his infantry unit to move its full three hexes on the next turn and either be willing to chance enemy fire, or perhaps no enemy unit is able to fire on that hex so why waste lose a movement point to exit the position the next time he moves?
Q: Regarding (L8.42) which says: “In terms of SFB, every damage result equals four points of internal damage.” Does that mean that four points of Marine damage is one box on the SSD, or that one point of Marine damage is four boxes of the SSD?
A: It means that if your ground unit scores a “damaged” result on the Marines combat table, this translates into four points of internal damage on the SFB SSD. Note also the line “Every damage result on a ship eliminates one of its weapons” so one of those four points would destroy a weapon. However, the combat table gives a totally different rule which is just wrong.