Spotted units

[Montana Grizz]

Is it true that once any unit fires, it is automatically spotted by your opponent? Even something like an artillery piece that would otherwise be dozens of hexes outside your opponents range of visability?

If you can spot an opponents unit, can that opponent always spot you?

If I were to click on a hex and then the field glasses and I could not spot an opponents unit from that hex; then would it be safe to assume that if I were to move to that location, my opponent could not spot me?


Thanks,

Pat

[Hawk Kriegsman]

[McIvan]

Quote:
If you can spot an opponents unit, can that opponent always spot you?


I will disagree slightly with Hawk. If the enemy has just moved into your line of sight, they cannot see you at all, unless you (a) shoot at them or (b) move. Both of those events blow your concealment 100% of the time when you are in line of sight.

So, for all of the move they first come into sight, and for all of your following move (shoot/moving excepted), they can't see you.

At the start of their next turn, they will make a spotting roll to see all of your units within their line of sight. That roll depends on unit size, distance, and cover, to get a number between 1 and 10 which is rolled against with a ten sided random die...ie it works in increments of 10%, with a 10% chance to spot being the minimum.

Now, if the enemy has five units all with line of sight to your unit, they get five rolls to spot it. Even at the lowest spotting chance of 10%, they are still 1-(.9 to the power of 5) likely to see your unit....works out to a 61% chance you'll be spotted.

Concealment thus doesn't work very well...in real life I don't think troops in a wood would be spotted until they opened fire. in CS a half doz enemy units will spot you in a turn, maybe two.

But, if there is only one or two enemy units in view, and your unit is in cover, there is actually quite a good chance your unit might remain undetected.

However, because you can't tell whether or not you will be spotted in the enemies turn, I always assume my troops will become visible.

The best solution, when on defence, is either to kill what hoves into view, thus there is nothing to do spotting rolls at the start of next turn, OR take a shot and then retreat a hex or two into territory that is out of sight, do the same thing next turn, the turn after that, ad naseum, until your opponent sobs in frustration and gives up.

Getting long distance LOS to start uncovering hidden enemy units and/or their retreat paths is, or should be, a key part of an attackers strategy.

I hope this is helpful to you.

[Huib Versloot]

[Hawk Kriegsman]

[McIvan]

Thanks Hawk! You learn something new every day.......two things new, in this case.