How to fire star shells

[Herr Straße Laufer]

Game Manual
Pages 72 and 73

5.23.2 Star Shells
In a Night scenario, both sides will usually be allotted a number of Star Shells. The number allotted to each side, if any, is listed in the Unit below “Smoke”. The number of Star Shells available to the phasing side is also displayed in the Status (to the right of the number of Smoke rounds available). If Fog of War is in effect, the number of Star Shells available for the opposing side is shown as a question mark (?).
A unit with an Attack Factor > 0 and at least 20 Action Points can attempt to fire a Star Shell during its Turn. Each attempt to fire a Star Shell costs 20 APs, regardless of success. Each attempt to fire a Star Shell has a 40% chance of success (this is decreased to 20% if the unit attempting to fire the Star Shell is Disrupted). Additionally, if a Leader is selected with a friendly unit trying to fire a Star Shell, he will improve that unit’s chance of successfully firing a Star Shell (a number equal to five times the Leader’s Command Rating is added to the base success rate). If used thusly, the Leader also has 20 APs deducted for each Star Shell attempt he is used for (whether successful or not). A Leader by himself cannot fire a Star Shell; he must be selected with an eligible friendly unit.
A Star Shell can be fired by selecting an eligible unit, ensuring that the program is in Fire Mode and, while depressing the Alt and Shift keys, right clicking in the target hex.
The range from the firing unit that a Star Shell can be fired is two hexes — unless the firing unit is using Indirect Fire, in which case it equals half (fractions rounded up) of the unit’s maximum range. Also, a Star Shell fired from an Indirect Fire unit is not delayed a Game Turn (unlike normal fire from such a unit). Once fired, the Star Shell has a 40% chance of landing in the intended target hex; otherwise, it will land in one of the six hexes adjacent to the intended target hex.
A Star Shell illuminates its hex and the six adjacent hexes. An illuminated hex is considered to be “in the LOS” of all units that would have a Line of Sight to it in a Daytime scenario (exception: An illuminated hex cannot be spotted or Direct Fired on beyond the scenario’s visibility limit). Illuminated hexes do not display the night-darkened pattern. Note that a just-placed Star Shell will not automatically reveal hidden enemy units in its illumination zone. Instead, it sheds enough light such that any unit that enters a location in its illumination zone is revealed if it is in Line of Sight of an enemy unit (taking into consideration the maximum visibility due to current weather conditions set for that scenario).
A Star Shell is removed at the start of the friendly Player Turn following the Game Turn in which it was placed.
________________________________



RR