Wargaming | Crossfire | Musing
Defining "Within a Stand Width" of Buildings in Crossfire

I've been playing a few Crossfire games in heavily built up areas - the most recent being Carabanchel. As a result of these games I've come to believe there is a gap in the rules regarding "base width" in the context of buildings. I'll explore a few situations to highlight the gap and what I think the rules actually say and in some cases how we play it. But it is quite confusing and I'd appreciate some comments from other players.  

Situation 1: Close Assault from outside

I've included this situation, and its variants, because it covers much that is clear from the rules. In contrast to latter situations.

This situation has the Red player - with a Platoon Commander (R) and a Squad (R1) - attempting to close combat a Blue platoon in a couple of adjacent building sectors. The specific target of the close assault is a building sector with a sole blue stand (11) that happens to be a SMG squad. In the adjacent building sector is the blue Platoon Commander (1) and another Squad (12).

It all starts as R1 attempts to reach the wall. What we know is that:

• Situation 1a: Being a SMG stand, squad 11 can conduct reactive fire with 4d6 when the attacking stand (R1) gets to within 1/4" of the wall. 
• Situation 1b: R1 is in contact, hence can close combat, when it reaches the wall. When the close combat is resolved then the red Platoon Commander (R) can assist the assaulting stand (R1).
• Situation 1c: If any other stand is suppressed before the close combat is resolved then R1 is pushed back one stand width.

But there is a question here:

• In Situation 1b, if the close combat is resolved. can the blue Platoon Commander (1) assist the defending stand (11) from the neighbouring building sector? Given "all and only those [defending] Squads occupying the Structure are involved in the combat" (CF8.4 Structures: Buildings and Hardpoints, p. 15) the defending PC probably can't help from next door. Interestingly this restriction doesn't apply to attackers.

Situation 2: Close assaulting HMG

The next situation has a Red Squad (R2) close assaulting a Blue HMG (MG) in a building sector. In the adjacent building sector is a Blue Squad (21).

Same question here:

• In Situation 2, can the blue squad (21) assist the defending HMG stand (MG) from the neighbouring building sector? Given "all and only those [defending] Squads occupying the Structure are involved in the combat" (CF8.4 Structures: Buildings and Hardpoints, p. 15) the rifle squad probably can't help from next door.

Situation 3: PC outside building - Rally and Group Move

Situation 3 has a Blue platoon in and around a two sector building. The Platoon Commander (3) is outside the building. Two Blue Squads (32 and 33) are in one building sector and the final Blue Squad (31) is in an adjacent building sector.

The question here is:

• In Situation 3, can the Platoon Commander (3), who is outside the building, rally any of the sub-ordinate squads that are inside the building? If you apply the literal stand width then the answer is no. But I don't think a literal interpretation makes sense given for shooting all stands are considered in the centre of the building sector and close contact is at the wall. We have habitually allowed commanders to sneak next to a building, without entering the building, to rally the occupants. So we would have allowed PC 3 to rally squads 32 and 33 in the immediately adjacent building sector but not to rally squad 31 next door.
• In Situation 3, if the blue player elects to group move with stand 32 as the group leader, which other stands can move as part of the group?  I'd say the stand (33) in the same building sector is a safe bet. But what about the PC (3) outside, or the stand (31) in the neighbouring building sector?

Situation 4: PC inside building - Rally and Group Move

The next one is similar to situation 3. But in this case the PC is inside one of the building sectors and one of the squads is outside.

Same sort of questions:

• In Situation 4, can the Platoon Commander (4) rally any of the sub-ordinate squads? The sub-ordinate stand in the same building sector seems a safe bet, but what about the stand (41) in the building sector next door, or the stand (43) immediately outside the building? 
• In Situation 4, if the blue player elects to group move with stand 42 as the group leader, which other stands can move as part of the group?  I'd say the PC (4) in the same building sector is a safe bet. But what about the other two stands (41, 43)?

Situation 5: Close Assault in building but PC outside

The final situation has a Blue platoon assaulting inside a two sector building. The twist is that the Blue Platoon Commander (5) is outside the building and the attacking squads (51, 52) are inside, along with the target Red squad (R5).

The question here is:

• In Situation 5, can the blue Platoon Commander (5), who is outside the building, assist the two sub-ordinate squads (51, 52) as they close assault the red squad in the neighbouring building sector?  In the same way as rallying we've allowed this. 

Crossfire References

These are the various rules that seem relevant.

CF2.3 Commanders (p.2)

"When assisting a subordinate Squad in Close Combat, Rallying, or crossing Barbed Wire, a Commander must be within 1 stand width (1-1/4" say) to his Squads; just 'eyeball' the distance."

CF4.4.1 Buildings (Structures), Subsection Building Direct Fire (p. 6)

"All occupants fire out of a Building using the Building's center point as the firing point. Squads using Direct Fire shoot at a specific occupying Squad and target the Building's center point."

CF6.8 Submachineguns (SMGs) (p. 12)

"If attacked in Close Combat, a SMG Squad rolls 4 Dice normally when firing upon the attacking Squad at 'point blank' range, i.e. just short of contact (1/4")." 

CF8.1 Pins, Suppressions and Initiative Rolls (p. 14)

"If an attacking Squad enters Close Combat, and a subsequent attacking Squad is Suppressed, any attacking Squads currently in Close Combat are backed-off 1-stand width."

CF8.2 Close Combat Involvement (p. 14)

"A Commander within 1 stand distance of a subordinate attacking Squad may be included at the attacking player's option."

"A Commander or FO within 1 Stand of a subordinate Target Squad may be included at the defending player's option". 

CF8.4 Structures: Buildings and Hardpoints (p. 15)

"All and only those Squads occupying the Structure are involved in the combat. Each attacking Squad that contacts the Structure is involved; Squads attacking a Structure from the open must contact the Structure directly from any side."

"Attacking Commanders within 1 stand of an involved Squad may assist as per above." 

 

 

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