Classic combat engine rule question

[comradekev]

A situation has come up for which I'd like to have your feedback.

The rules clearly state that a transport cannot both load AND unload after being in combat, but it appears there's a way to read the rules that allows the net effect. It's probably easiest to give an example.

I'll use the classic board in the example, but the same situation could exist in all the standard A&A combat engine games.

Suppose there's a trn in the UK home waters along with other warships at the start of UK's turn and that the UK owns and has units in Western Europe. Also suppose that the German navy in the Baltic Sea still exists.

According to the rules, the trn is not allowed to go into the Baltic Sea with the other warships, conduct combat, and then load a unit from Western Europe and unload it into Karelia.

Similarly, I would think that the trn would not be allowed to load a unit from Western Europe, conduct combat in the Baltic, and unload in Karelia.

But due to the way the reinforcement rules are written, the net effect could be achieved. The trn could stay OUT of the Baltic combat, then during its Non-Combat movement, move to the Baltic, load from Western Europe, and unload in Karelia. Technically, the trn was not involved in the combat and it seems that this move would be allowed.

Personally, I'm of the mind that this violates the spirit of the rule and shouldn't be allowed.

What would your interpretation be?

Thanks in advance!
Kev

[Krieghund]

Actually, in your example the transport would be able to load a unit from Western Europe, conduct combat in the Baltic, and unload in Karelia, as long as the loading occurred in the UK sea zone before moving into the Baltic sea zone. This would be allowed because the transport loaded before conducting combat and unloaded after doing so.

A better example might be loading a unit from Eastern Europe and unloading in Western Europe. This would not be allowed, since the transport would have to conduct combat before loading.

Your example of the transport staying out of combat, then moving, loading and unloading during non-combat movement is also legal, even in my example, assuming the UK forces are successful in eliminating the German ones. The difference is that the transport has allowed other units to "clear the way" for it to conduct its operations in safety. What the UK player gives up for this is the ability to use the transport as a possible casualty in the battle if things don't go well. He or she also gives up the possibility of an amphibious assault, since the troop movement is happening in non-combat movement.

And that leads us to the spirit of the rule. I believe the spirit of this rule is not really to prevent the kind of non-combat movement that you're talking about, although it can in the right circumstances, per my example above. What it's really trying to prevent is the clearing of a sea zone of enemy units while simultaneously conducting combat amphibious operations in the area. This would circumvent the rule that you can't load units in an enemy-occupied sea zone by allowing you to move transports in, clear the sea zone of enemy units, then load and unload for an amphibious assault. This is a much bigger deal than moving troops between friendly territories during the same turn that you clear a sea zone.

[comradekev]

Thanks again!