Frédéric BEY  - Nov 19, 2005 4:06 am (#4058 Total: 4069)  
"What have the French people contributed to world history? In 
my view, it is not the Revolution of 1789, but the spirit of 
chivalry." - Dai Sijie 
	 
7 Years War

Here are Jean-Claude Bésida answers :

Thank you for your patience. Here are the answers to your question.

Q : The set-up calls for the fortress of Schweidnitz in 1022 but it has
been missed off the map. 

A : Sorry : an Austrian troll stormed Schweidnitz perfidiously during
the printing process. Consider the hex as rough terrain. Lower the fort
control requirement for Silesia to 5 forts instead of 6 ( rule 13.2).
Setup troops there - they will camp in the wilderness and not in
barracks. 

Q : Are the two Austrian 5-4 infantry a mistake - should they be 3-4s ? 

A : Typo. New counters will be available in VV next issue. Wied and
Macquire are 3-4/1-4. 

Q: Do you need a commander to undertake Interception? 

A :Yes 

Q :If you had several stacks adjacent to an intercepted enemy stack
could they all take part in the battle? - or only if they each
successfully intercepted? 

A: If one stack intercepts successfully, all the adjacent stack can join
the fray. 

Q: What happens if you attack in a single battle with several stacks
adding up to more than 5 units. Must the additional units retreat if the
battle is lost? 

A : Only the units that actually tool part in the battle (5 max) must
advance after combat (if the battle is won) or retreat (if it is lost). 

Q: Can stacks without a commander attack? 

A : No. The omission of a commander is deliberate for the Swedes. They
are a mere nuisance without offensive capabilities, but they must be
dealt with. 

Q : How would you operate the rule about retreats being via the "3 hexes
opposite" when attacked by multiple attacking stacks? 

A : Priority choices for the first hex of retreat in such a case (in
that order). 1/ A hex not in an enemy ZoC. 2/ One of the 3 hexes
opposite to the strongest enemy stack (sum of the combat points). 

Q : If totally surrounded can you retreat through enemy hexes? 

A : No. Defender Eliminated. 

Q : In the supply example presumably Reichenberg is not really a "source
of supply" for the Prussians. It must itself have a line of supply to
Magdebourg or Berlin - if I have understood 10.3 correctly. 

A : You understood crrectly the rule. A controlled city or fort must
trace a LoS (of unlimited length) to Berlin or Magdebg to act as as u
supply source. 

Q :If a stack is besieging a fortress and then is itself attacked by a
relieving force from outside the fortress can the troops inside the
fortress join the attack of those outside? If yes and they lose, can the
troops attacking out of the fortress "retreat" inside the fortress
rather than have to leave the hex? 

A :Yes. Yes. 

Q : Do you use the victory point track in the 1756 scenario? Presumably
no, because the special victory conditons of the scenario replace those
of the long scenario. 

A : No. The 1756 scenario has its own victory conditions. 

Q: What happens to the Saxon units in the 1756 scenario if Prussia gains
control of Saxony? Are they removed from play or can they continue in
Austrian employ? 

A : They serve under Austrian command. 

Q: My earlier question remains - can a force consisting only of infantry
really inflict no losses on an enemy force consisting only of cavalry? I
played that the rules on prohibited types of target units do not apply
if there is nothing else to target. 

A: Seems logical. You are right. 

Q: Was it deliberate that terrain have no effect on combat, or an
omission? 

A : It is a design decision. Terrain already affects the use of Light
Troops (rough and mountain), the ZoCs and possibility to retreat (rivers
and marshes), supply (roads, cities and mountain passes). Forts effects
combat through the automatic play of the 'Good position' stratagem.
Mountain passes paly a role in the Tempest stratagem. 

Q :Presumably the 6 result (-) on "Esquives and Interceptions" is a
misprint. It should be a successful result should it not? 

A : Right. 

Q : Can only Austrian light troops be used for the modifier in "Esquive"
(following 9.2), or all nation's light troops? 

A : Only Austrian. 

Q: Am I right in thinking that the only time that Light troops actually
appear on the map is through a "Patrol" action? 

A : In the other actions, they appear briefly in the hex but are removed
quickly. 

Q: Presumably they can then be attacked conventionally (as well as
automatically cleared away by an enemy light troop patrol) but cannot
move, and can take 2 step losses like other troops? 

A: Right. 

Q : If they are attacked and take losses do they still reappear the next
turn? That would be a little inconsistent with the delay of 2 turns
incurred when lost in other light troop actions. 

A : No. They reappear 2 turns later. 

Q : If my interpretaion of light troops is correct then the 5 on the
counter is not a movement rate (because they do not really "move", but a
radius of placement from the commanded stack that brings them into play.

A : You can consider it this way. But, well, they actually move but
without being restricted by terrain and ennemy troops. For this purpose
you may consider them more or less as 18th century Stukas 

Q :Can a commander that has used all of his activations for the turn
still place light troops? 

A : Yes. 

Q :Presumably you cannot place light troops during administrative march?

A : You can not. 

Q : Presumably you can only place light troops during your own movement
parts of the operations segments? 

A : No. In fact, it is advised to block dangerous enemy stacks while
they move in mountain passes. 

Q: the Prussian Bevern and Puttkamer detachments are 1-3s unlike all
other detachments which are 1-4s. 

A : Typo. They are 1-4s. 

Q:the Austrian Beck light troop is 1-4 on the front but 1-5 on the back.
Which is correct? - 1-4 could make sense because this has a Grenzer foot
soldier on it. If it is 1-4 then that presumably means that this light
troop counter can only carry out operations at 4 hex range, unlike all
the others. 

A: These are foot soldiers. Hence their radius of 4. 

Q : Is the whole besieged stack out of supply if not in an ultimate
"supply source" e.g Magdebourg for the Prussians?Or, is the whole
besieged stack in supply even if not in a supply source? Or, can you
supply 3 points of combat value in a besieged fortress even though it is
not a supply source, but must count those above that limit as
unsupplied. 

A : You guess correctly. Supply in besieged forts : An isolated fort can
supply by itself 3 Combat points (eg the garrison plus one reduced
combat unit). Combat points in excess are eliminated. 

Q : If a detachment is eliminated does that count as a victory point
lost? (or is it like a garrison?) 

A : detachments are combat units. Their elimination count for the VPs. 

Q: Can a garrison fight outside a fortress in the fortress hex
("accepter le combat") or must it be inside the fortress? 

A: Yes. The garrison can join a battle that takes place in its hex
(choice of the owning player). 

Thank you for your kind comment, Mike and congratulations to your son ! 

Jean-Claude