Questions ABOUT MECH INFANTRY

Hi

1. Yes Mechanized Infantry have the ability to move 2 spaces. For instance it can move through a friendly territory then onto a hostile territory, but in order to blitz from one hostile territory to the next, it requires a tank
1a. Yes it doesn’t require a tank to move, unless it’s blitzing.
1b. Yes

2. Yes, because the territory has been captured and it’s under your control. since you’re not attacking the neutral territory, you’re just “acquiring” the territory it doesn’t fall under the same category as blitzing.

@Minor:

Hi

1. Yes Mechanized Infantry have the ability to move 2 spaces. For instance it can move through a friendly territory then onto a hostile territory, but in order to blitz from one hostile territory to the next, it requires a tank
1a. Yes it doesn’t require a tank to move, unless it’s blitzing.
1b. Yes

2. Yes, because the territory has been captured and it’s under your control. since you’re not attacking the neutral territory, you’re just “acquiring” the territory it doesn’t fall under the same category as blitzing.

I appreciate Bruce posting this question as it came up in our game… and would appreciate even more on of the board moderators addressing this issue. It goes deeper than simply the mech infantry question. But in Minor Threat’s response to question 1a he makes a statement that I cannot find supported in ANY rule book, errata, or FAQ … that a mech infantry can move 2 spaces without being pair with a tank. I hope Bruce and Minor Threat are right, because this would certainly make the Mech Inf a more valuable unit. And from a practical standpoint, I don’t understand why a Mech Inf ever needs a tank to move 2 spaces… is it mechanized or not, and what does the tank have to do with it?

But, to a clarification and question that has bugged me for some time…

From 1940s rules…
_Tanks can “blitz” by moving through an unoccupied hostile territory as the first part of a two-space move that can end in a friendly or hostile territory. This complete move must occur during the Combat Move phase.[/i}

And…
{i}A mechanized infantry unit must normally stop when it enters an enemy controlled territory. However, when moving [b]along with a tank, it can enter an unoccupied enemy controlled territory as the first part of a two-space move that can end in a friendly or hostile territory. This complete move must occur during the Combat Move phase._

It is common practice in Revised, Anniversary and 1940s scenarios for tanks to move 2 spaces during both combat and non-combat phases. And it is a very common practice for attacking tanks to move through a friendly territory on the way to a battle. The most egregious example of this is the infamous “can opener” tactic that I have both used and been victimized by in AA50/1941 scenario, whereby Italy takes a front Russian territory and the Germans (before the Russians can close the gap) move through this occupied territory in a blitz with a column of tanks to sack Russia. Technically, this appears to be a violation of the rule as stated above, since the first territory encountered is not “hostile”. In addition, 2 space moves with armor (and in 1940s games including mech inf) during the non-combat phase are so common place that no one (that I know of) ever raises this issue. However, the rules do not address this issue (2 space non-combat moves) anywhere that I can find.

Is this a case of a rule simply being ignored or the interpretation being extended to generally include simply all moves by armored and mechanized units? I have played dozens of games on these boards, and have actively participated in the generous interpretation of this rule, but I just wondered why I haven’t seen anyone object. The rules seem pretty clear. But their application is anything but.

Seond part… in Bruce and I’s current game the issue of a mech inf moving 2 spaces was raised. There was no “accompanying tank” … I raised the issue, but Bruce disagreed (graciously, I might add … which I appreciated). IMHO the rules do not allow the mech inf to move 2 spaces without a tank present during combat, which is how the move was originally posted. The outcome of the combat was not affected, and so now our question is whether he can move the mech inf during non-combat the same two spaces. Again, IMHO the rules do not allow the mech inf to move 2 spaces during non-combat without a tank present (if it’s in the rules, I can’t find it). And if we’re being nitpicky about it, I have seen no rules, errata or FAQs that say a tank or mech inf can ever move 2 spaces during non-combat – but everybody does it, all the time.

Thanks for comments, replies, direction to FAQs, errata, etc.

The unit descriptions of mechanized infantry and tanks, on pages 25 and 26 of the Rulebook, indicate that they have a movement value of “2”.  The combat movement rules on page 13 and noncombat movement rules on page 21 state that a land or sea unit may move a number of spaces up to its movement value.

The combat movement rules also state that a land unit must end its movement when it encounters a hostile territory.  However, an exception is made for blitzing tanks.  Blitzing is described as moving through an unoccupied hostile territory and then into either a friendly or hostile territory.  The unit description of mechanized infantry indicates that a mechanized infantry may also blitz, but only when paired with a tank.

From all of this, it is indicated that a mechanized infantry unit may move two spaces in either combat or noncombat movement.  However, in combat movement it must stop when it enters a hostile territory, unless that territory is unoccupied and the mechanized infantry is paired with a tank.

I think the confusion lies in the use and understanding of the term “blitzing”.

To “Blitz” (ie: Blitzkrieg) means to capture an unoccupied enemy territory and then continue on to the next enemy territory in the same combat move.

If a mech inf moves into an enemy territory WITH a tank it can continue on to the next territory as it is “Blitzing” with the tank.  If it is not paired with a tank the mech infantry cannot Blitz and therefore must stop.

However, during non combat movement you are not entering enemy territories and therefore can move 2 full spaces (assuming both spaces are friendly), regardless of the pairing of tank/mech inf as you are not blitzing, you are simply moving the full 2 spaces allowed with no enemy hindrance.

well, the real example given was to use the second move in noncom to occupy a friendly neutral, provided its first move was through a friendly zone.  I haven’t seen any refutation of that point, so it must stand.

Mec move 2 spaces all the time, anytime.

If it was a TANK in question in Egypt, YES it could activate Iraq just as well.  Thus the Mec can too.

The only restriction a Mec has is that it can’t BLITZ.

IE  a Mechanized Infantry can do everything at 2 movement all the time, with the limited exception that it cannot move 2 if entering a hostile territory first, without a tank present.

@Rorschach:

I think the confusion lies in the use and understanding of the term “blitzing”.

To “Blitz” (ie: Blitzkrieg) means to capture an unoccupied enemy territory and then continue on to the next enemy territory in the same combat move.

Indeed.  I have observed a tendency for many people to use “blitz” to refer to any two space move by a land unit.  However, the rules are pretty clear that the term refers only to the above circumstance.

@JimmyHat:

well, the real example given was to use the second move in noncom to occupy a friendly neutral, provided its first move was through a friendly zone.  I haven’t seen any refutation of that point, so it must stand.

It’s perfectly legal.  The only restriction on land units moving into a friendly neutral in noncombat movement is that the units stop after entering the territory.  This prohibits a tank or mechanized infantry from moving into a friendly neutral as the first space of a two-space move, but not the second space.

thanks all. much clearer now…

good discussion there.
a follow up question…
in the combat move, mec(s) need to be accompanied by a tank in order to move through a hostile unoccupied territory into the next territory.
the question is whether the mec(s) need to goes where the tanks goes in the 2nd territory?

say 1mec 1tnk Poland blitz through E.Poland. the tank is going into Belarus. can the mec goes to W.Ukraine?  :-)

@TITANS:

good discussion there.
a follow up question…
in the combat move, mec(s) need to be accompanied by a tank in order to move through a hostile unoccupied territory into the next territory.
the question is whether the mec(s) need to goes where the tanks goes in the 2nd territory?

say 1mec 1tnk Poland blitz through E.Poland. the tank is going into Belarus. can the mec goes to W.Ukraine?  :-)

Yes, the mech must follow the tank in order to complete the blitz.  You can’t split them after the first territory.

thanks. you are right.
Quote from AAP40 rule book page 13 “In addition, one mechanized infantry unit can move along with each blitzing tank.”
the mec and tnk must be paired and move to same destination as a pair.