[ASLML] A14.1

[Bruce Probst]

On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 01:11:43 +0100, "Janusz Maxe" <janusz.maxe at unf.se>
wrote:

>"Any such DR that can yield no game result other than a SAN is not made (EXC: the DR required for an attack negated by blocked LOS is made)."
>
>So what is a "game result"? I've always understood that this meant "broken units don't roll for PTC", and "shot's miscalculated and turning out to be a 2+5 don't roll".
>But now I'm not so sure any more. How about a roll that wil only place a counter to be removed again (like PTC during AFPh against a unit that has already fired, and is out of all possible CC, or a shot to check LOS)?

No, those examples are still "game results".  The possibility of the PTC
triggering a Sniper attack is very much built into the game, even if an
actual "Pin" result is not likely to alter the flow of play.

Similarly, a shot to check LOS has a very important "game result" -- it
determines whether LOS actually exists.  More importantly, it was the choice
of the firer to make the attack, and he has to wear the risks of taking that
choice.

No, "no game results" are situations when nothing will change regardless of
which way the dice fall -- as you say, broken units don't get pinned
(normally), so you don't roll their PTC.  An already-pinned unit can't get
pinned again, so you don't roll PTC for them, either.

On the other hand, if you make an *attack* that has no chance of success,
that is your problem as the attacker (because you didn't examine the odds
closely enough before you rolled the dice), and that can indeed trigger a
Sniper.  That's why low-odds shots are often referred to as "Sniper bait".

Maybe this explains it better: any DR that you would normally be *forced* to
make (e.g., a PTC result), that can have no possible effect on the target
unit (e.g., because it's already pinned, or broken, or otherwise immune to
PTC), are not rolled.

Since attacks are not normally *forced*, they don't get this "Sniper
immunity", even if the odds of getting a result are so bad that nothing can
happen to the target.

Does that help?

----------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Probst              bprobst at netspace.net.au
Melbourne, Australia      MSTie #72759
"A planet where apes evolved from men?"
ASL FAQ              http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/mantis/ASLFAQ