Spotting, Recon and Intel - Printable Version +- Forums (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards) +-- Forum: The Firing Line (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Squad Battles (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards/forumdisplay.php?fid=13) +--- Thread: Spotting, Recon and Intel (/showthread.php?tid=73015)

Spotting, Recon and Intel - Mowgli - 12-19-2019 A short write up of recon related aspects in Squad Battles:   REVEALING UNITS   To determine base LOS, use the S hotkey.   If within the base LOS of any enemy unit, a unit is revealed to the opponent at the start of the next turn/phase if any of the following applies:    the unit is in open terrain the unit is an infantry unit in terrain with a height of 1m but not in ground mode the unit is a vehicle unit   In addition, if within base LOS of an enemy unit, any unit is revealed IMMEDIATELY in these circumstances: the unit fires the unit moves INTO a hex that is within base LOS of the enemy [a yet unrevealed unit stays revealed if it moves from a hex (in which it was concealed) within the enemy’s LOS into a hex not within the enemy’s LOS] the unit does something suspicious in its current hex (rally, load/unload, use detection object) the unit is revealed by a special detection item (see manual, p. 49-50)   NOTE: Once revealed, units stay revealed unless the enemy’s base LOS to the unit is cut. So, for example, you cannot crawl into an ambush position that is already within sight of the opponent.     INFO ON REVEALED UNITS   The information you get on a revealed enemy unit depends on whether the enemy unit is currently positioned in terrain that offers concealment (terrain height 2+m) or not (0-1m terrain height).   terrain height 0-1m ·        Exact number of men ·        all weapon types available in the unit (but not their actual number) ·        unit status (disrupted, pinned, demoralized) ·        you get accurate information on any casualties you inflict ·        dropped weapons are visible   terrain height 2m+ ·        approximate number of men (X, 1X, 2X, etc.) ·        Unless the unit has previously been spotted, only those weapons who have actually fired are visible for the opponent. (Note that when a unit moves into a concealed hex within LOS of the enemy, then all weapons are revealed.) ·        unit status (disrupted, pinned, demoralized) ·        you don’t see any casualties you might be inflicting on the opponent (no casualty marker pops up when you fire on a unit in 2+m terrain) ·        dropped weapons are not visible   NOTE: Unfortunately, river beds and gullies do not count as 2m+ height terrain for concealment purposes. REVEALING DEFENSIVE WORKS ·        Unless they’re within a 2m height terrain hex, defensive works are spotted at the start of the next turn/phase if they're within base LOS of the enemy. ·        Additionally, defensive works are immediately revealed if any unit in them is revealed. TRACERS/EFFECTIVENESS  The number of tracers that a unit fires indicates the relative effectiveness of the unit’s fire (4 tracers = 100%, 1 tracer = 25%).   RECON BY FIRE Note that you can fire at any hex within a unit’s LOS (or even not in LOS, if you have indirect fire weapons). There is no need to have spotted an opponent. However, any fire against yet unspotted units is only half as effective (*0.5) LIGHTS/ILLUMINATION AND SPECIAL DETECTION DEVICES wip Illumination rounds/flares (7 hexes, illuminated): When you fire an illumination round at a hex, that hex and a radius of 1 hex around it (total 7 hexes) will be illuminated for one full turn (Note you can see which hexes are illuminated: view/shade/illuminated hexes). Any units whose LOS to the illuminated hexes is otherwise not blocked (by terrain) will get a normal LOS on the illuminated hexes. As you would expect, illumination is one-sided. Units in the dark can see the illuminated hexes, but not vice versa: units in the light cannot see into the dark. NOTE: Units in the dark that fire on you are not revealed. You will be able to see their tracers though (so you can tell their exact hex). IR searchlights (10 hexes, IR-illuminated): You can fire IR searchlights at any hex within the range of the searchlight and within your theoretical LOS (not blocked by terrain, only by the lack of daylight). Note that the shot is treated as an indirect fire shot, so it scatters (up to 1 hex + 1 hex per 10 hexes distance) It's not entirely clear to me what happens then: The shot seems to affect a total of 10 hexes 1) I suppose that spotting checks are conducted against all the affected hexes (manual p.49). Any enemies you may spot will vanish after that turn (you need to spot them again next turn). 2) Any of your units that have some IR capability may target any of the IR-affected hexes (usually, you're not allowed to fire beyond max. visibility), however, any fire into hexes that are exclusively IR-illuminated may scatter up to 1 hex. NOTE: IR searchlights are also used in opportunity fire (against targets within theoretical LOS). So, when you see your IR-searchlight opportunity-fire, you know that there's something out there in the bush! NOTE: Your opponent can always see the impact animation of the IR searchlight, so he also knows against which hexes you're trying to spot. The unit that fires the IR searchlight, however, stays concealed.  Ordinary searchlights (10 hexes, illuminated): They work similarly to IR searchlights: you can fire them at any hex within your theoretical LOS and within range of the searchlights, the shot is treated like an indirect weapon, i.e. it may scatter, and it will affect an area of 10 hexes. Also, an illumination marker is placed for each shot. The affected area is illuminated for 1 full turn (see above illumination rounds/flares). Note that the fire animation as well as the illumination markers are visible to the enemy. NV sights (7 hexes, spotting check): wip More systeamtical attempt to describe illumination devices: illumination round: illuminates target area (varibale size, weapon dependent --> check the "Exp radius" of the ammunition) for 1 full turn, shot scatters (it is typically fired by mortars...), firing unit is not revealed, concealed units in target area stay concealed, animation visible for the opponent, consumes illumination allowance ordinary searchlight: illuminates target area (10 hexes) for 1 full turn, shot scatters (up to 1hex+1hex per 10 hexes distance), firing unit is revealed, concealed units in target area stay concealed, animation is visible for the opponent, consumes illumination allowance IR searchlights: IR-affects target area (10 hexes) for 1 full (?) turn, CHANCE to spot unconcealed enemy units in target area, shot scatters (as above), firing unit is not revealed, concealed units in target area stay concealed, animation visible for the opponent, may opportunity-fire; any unit with some IR capablity (or NV sights, it seems...) may fire at any IR-affected hex, but the shots will be indirect (scatter), does NOT consume illumination allowance NV sights: affects a target area (7 hexes), shot scatters (as above), firing unit is not revealed, concealed units in target area may be spotted (?, I suppose that this is why the weapon is marked with #), animation is visible for the opponent, does NOT consume illumination allowance; [who can fire on the spotted units?] RE: Spotting, Recon and Intel - Mowgli - 09-04-2020 I find illumination rather difficult to understand. E.g. in the WWI scenario "Picking the Pear" (1918-Hamel-01), if I have my Aussies fire a starshell, then german units in ground mode in hexes with trenches in non-clear terrain stay concealed (can be identified by using the sniper's binos). Those in trenches with clear terrain become fully visible (trenches by themselves do not provide any additonal concealment!). By contrast, the starshell immediately reveals my own concealed Aussie units (ground mode in 1m brushes, fire on hold, no movement, outside the ordinary 3 hexes visibility range) to the Germans. So it seems as if illumination rounds in this scneario completely lift the concealment of the Aussies, while that of the Germans stays active? I've also tested it the other way round, with the Germans firing the star shells. RE: Spotting, Recon and Intel - Xerxes77 - 02-21-2021 Hey Mogwli, Thank you for this writeup, it's very useful. Now I know why some unconcealed units show damage under fire and other do not, I hadn't thought of checking the terrain height! One small fix-- according to the user manual, terrain with a height of 1m does allow for concealment provided the unit is "on ground". On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that contrary to what the manual says the number of tracers shown DOES take into account the unit's status; i.e. once a unit gets disrupted the amount of tracers will drop from 4 to 2. We should probably start a wiki to get a one-stop "living doc" with all the additions/corrections to the manual