[ASLML] Assault Engineers - 8-3-8's

[Bruce Probst]

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 09:49:18 -0700, "Sam Belcher" <sambelcher at cablespeed.com>
wrote:

>The rule book, both V1 and V2, states that 8-3-8's are not automatically
>considered Assault Engineers but need some designation to make them such. 
>
>So two questions arise...
>
>1. What is needed? Scenario B "Tractor Works" has a group of Germans that
>the OB labels as "Company A, Assault Engineer Battalion 50". But there is no
>SSR defining them as Assault Engineers. Are they? (I think yes.) 

No.  "Assault Engineer", in game terms, is a modifier (defined in H1.22) that
can be applied (potentially) to any Elite squad.  It has a different "game"
meaning than the OB designation of "Assault Engineer" (which merely defines
how the owning side intended those units to be committed in actual combat).
No unit type has those abilities "automatically", hence you need an SSR of
some sort.  OB means nothing in this case -- just as an OB-defined paratroop
unit doesn't automatically invoke the paradrop rules.

>2. Is there ANYWHERE except H1.21 that states that "Assault Engineers" get
>+2 to their smoke exponent? There are a LOT of rules in chapter H that apply
>only to DYO scenarios. One could argue that the +2 smoke exponent is also
>only applicable to DYO where you "purchased" the units at extra cost to get
>the smoke, DCs and FT that come with them. 

You mean H1.22.  No, that's where the rules for Assault Engineers are defined
-- which is *why* you need an SSR invoking H1.22 for those rules to be
applicable in a non-DYO scenario (see above).  (Similarly, Sappers are only in
play when H1.23 is specifically invoked.)

For an example of a scenario with such an SSR, see G11 "Pegasus Bridge".  Note
also that several of the "Streets Of Fire" scenarios define certain units as
being "Assault Engineers" for CCV purposes only -- i.e., so they get the
favourable DRM (but don't get extra SMOKE).

Compare also the 8-3-8s that are Assault Engineers by CG SSR in the RB CGs
(German RG Chart, footnote e) but are ordinary 8-3-8s in, say, RB5 "The Last
Bid" (because CG SSRs don't apply to normal scenarios).

There are no Assault Engineers (in game terms) in Scenario B.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce Probst              bprobst at netspace.net.au
Melbourne, Australia      MSTie #72759
"Joel, you magnificent bastard!  I read your menu!"
ASL FAQ              http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/mantis/ASLFAQ