[ASLML] Bounding First Fire/Gun Duel

[Andrea]

Dear listers,
first of all I would thank all who participated in this discussion and tried
to help. In the end I think I agree with Bruce Bakken's interpretation that
each MP spent should be declared independently (and, consequently,
Attacker/Defender actions based on that MP expenditure).
This seems to me correct also in the light of any action that might coincide
with an MP expenditure (for example a TCA change).
If an AFV enters a hex at 5MP cost AND also changes its TCA I do not think
it would be correct to assume that the TCA changes only on the 5th MP (or
only on the first MP). Assume the following situation: a Motion tank is
presenting its Rear target facing (both VCA and TCA) to an enemy Gun; in its
MPh it enters a hex that costs more than one MP. We all know that a 1MP
expenditure is enough to change the TCA (at least not in Woods/Building).
The tank could enter the hex (for 5MP total), swinging its turret on the 1st
MP (or the second, or whatever it chooses).
This may be important for example when facing an enemy HIP Gun: tank enters
a hex requiring 5MP. A HIP Gun pops up and DFF on the first MP expended; the
tank is currently presenting a rear facing. Gun misses but keeps ROF. It
seems to me natural that on the second MP (in the 5 MP expenditure) the tank
could swing the turret to present at least a more favorable TCA for any
incoming additional shot. In the same situation, if the tank were in a Woods
hex, the TCA could have changed only on the third MP (declaration of TCA
change was made on the 2nd MP and it "costs" 2MP to change TCA in Woods); in
this case the Gun could attempt to fire a second shot before the TCA
actually changes.
This seems to me in line with the "interactive" nature of movement,
defensive first fire and bounding first fire.
At the same time I agree that the whole procedure is a bit cumbersome since
the attacker should pause on each MP expended. Let's not think what this
would mean when playing in VASL during a PBeM match...
Reviewing my question then, I'd say that if a defender declares a DFF attack
on the 3rd MP the Attacker can no more declare a BFF attack on the 2nd MP
(invoking a Gun Duel). That second MP has gone forever since no action was
declared at that time.

There could also be a much more simplicistic way to handle the whole
situation: we could assume that all actions coincide with the last MP spent.
The fact that more than one MP was expended only allows the
defender/attacker to fire more than once (ROF permitting). By the way this
is how it is normally handled vs infantry targets, when all fire takes
effect after an action is performed regardless of the MF costs required by
that action. This is easily done with infantry because the DRM does not
change as MF are expended. With vehicles it is different because we must
also factor the various C/J subcases based on MP expenditure in the LOS of
the firer/target. Thing that leads to the more complicated
interpretation....

Andrea Fantozzi from Italy