UNIT INITIATIVE IN COMBAT
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Basics
The first step in any non-ranged combat (including ranged combat between Capital Ship class units, by exception) is to determine which unit gets to "shoot"
first ! The determination of a unit's
effective (i.e.,
combat-specific) initiative rating takes into account the following factors:
a) The unit's
listed initiative rating;
b)
Special unit combinations and circumstances (e.g., Rugged Defense);
c) The
hex terrain being contested, if any (i.e., the hex the
defending unit is on);
At the
end of this
intermediate stage, the unit's
base initiative rating emerges.
d) The unit's
current Experience Level;
e) Air attack on an
Air Defense class unit; and,
f) A
pseudo-random factor.
At the
end of this
final stage, the unit's
effective initiative rating emerges.
It is
extremely important to internalize the following fact; the "attacker" is the unit which
initiates combat during its
own half-turn and
not necessarily the unit that eventually gets to "shoot" first. Consequently, the "defender" is the unit that is the
target of the initiated attack
irrespective of which unit eventually gets to "shoot" first.
Listed Initiative Rating
There is
no "mystery" here. A unit's Listed Initiative Rating is prominently displayed on its Unit (Statistical) Information Screen.
Special Unit Combinations and Combat Circumstances
1) If an Anti-Tank class unit "attacks" a "defending" Tank or Recon class unit, the units' Listed Initiative Ratings are
modified as follows:
The Anti-Tank class unit now sports a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of ZERO (0);
The Tank or Recon class unit now sports a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of NINETY NINE (99).
2) If an Ordinary Rugged Defense occurs, the
"attacker" ends up sporting a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of ZERO (0).
3) If a Sudden Collision (i.e., Special Rugged Defense, Surprise Contact or Out of the Sun) event occurs, the
moving unit ends up sporting a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of ZERO (0).
4) Barring Surprise Contact events, when two Capital Ship class units are involved in combat:
The "attacker" ends up sporting a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of NINETY NINE (99).
The "defender" ends up sporting a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of ZERO (0).
5) Barring Surprise Contact events, when a Submarine class unit is involved in combat:
The "attacker" ends up sporting a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of NINETY NINE (99).
The "defender" ends up sporting a
modified Listed Initiative Rating of ZERO (0).
Terrain Impact
The hex terrain upon which the "defender" is situated may further
lower a unit's (possibly already) Modified Listed Initiative Rating. This is usually referred to as the Terrain Initiative Cap (TIC) effect.
Code: Select all
Terrain Type Initiative Cap Value
City, Mountain 1
Swamp 2
Forest, Bocage, Fortification 3
Rough, Port Facility 5
All Other Terrain Types 99
Note: A precise definition for "City" is: Port, Embarkation or Non-Naval City.
If a unit's (possibly already) Modified Listed Initiative Rating is
greater than the relevant TIC value, the said unit's initiative rating is now
set to equal the relevant TIC value itself.
At this
intermediate stage, the unit's
base initiative rating emerges.
Current Experience Level Impact
A unit's
current Experience Level may further
additively modify a unit's hitherto computed Base Initiative Rating. This is usually referred to as the Experience Initiative Bonus (EIB) effect.
Code: Select all
Unit Experience Initiative Bonus
No Stars 0
1 to 2 Stars +1
3 to 4 Stars +2
All 5 Stars +3
Special Case: Air Attack on an Air Defense Class Unit
When an air unit
directly "attacks" a "defending" Air defense class unit (
not an Anti-Aircraft class unit)
both "attacker"
and "defender"
automatically assume
identical, notional, modified Base Initiative ratings to the
exclusion of all other considerations.
Pseudo-Random Variation
Finally, the pseudo-random outcome of a 3-sided probabilistic die (d3) is
added onto the unit's (possibly already) Modified Base Initiative Rating. Die outcomes 0, 1 and 2 are considered to be equiprobable.
At the
end of this
final stage, the unit's
effective initiative rating emerges.
Grand Comparison
The "attacker's" and "defender's"
effective initiative ratings are now compared. The unit with the highest rating gets to "shoot"
first. If the units' ratings are
identical, the units get to "shoot" at one another
simultaneously.