SHOBDON:COCKPIT OF HISTORY (11) Inter Table Fire and Movement

With our usual three tables, each measuring 6ft x 8ft, the Spring Big Game 2019 presents the distinct challenge of inter-table fire and movement. The Shobdon scenario practically demands inter-table movement, e.g. the Anglicans or Communists could well move from their starting points on the "west" and "east" tables respectively to attempt to capture Shobdon Court or Shobdon Village on the "central" table, and HMG's trucks (and possibly aircraft) will have to move between tables to achieve their objectives.

So, here are some guidelines on inter-table fire and movement for all ground troops:

(a). Players can move and fire from one table to another using ordinary movement distances/firing ranges and ignoring "the space between the tables". Watch your flanks!

(b). Save as below, Players can only move and/or fire by use of their Initiative Cards in the usual way. Initiative Cards must be drawn from the table upon which the player's Platoon Commander is actually standing.

(c). A player that has moved his Platoon Commander onto a "new table" must draw Initiative Cards from that new table on the next "turn" (i.e. the next time Initiative Cards are shuffled and distributed on the "new table").

(d). A player that has moved his Commander onto a "new table" and drawn Initiative Cards from that new table may use such cards as necessary to withdraw the remainder of his troops from his "former table" and advance them to new table. This may mean that such movement is slightly "out of synch" with the "former table", but such is forgiveable as it relates only to withdrawal.

(e). Save as below, a player that has moved some of his Platoon onto a "new table", but has yet to move his Commander onto such "new table" can do nothing active with his Platoon on the "new table" for want of Initiative Cards. See (b) above. 

(f). Notwithstanding the above, a player that has moved some of his Platoon onto a "new table" and finds them either fired upon or subject to melee (or otherwise attacked) may return fire/engage in the melee without an Initiative Card drawn from the "new table", but simply simultaneously with his attacker. "New entrants" without initiative cards are not therefore completely at the mercy of "old hands" on any particular table. 

Generally, the Umpires would like players to be able to move from one table to another with a minimum of fuss and with as much "reality" as possible. The guidelines/rules above should therefore be borne in mind, but can be enhanced by lots of forewarning to the relevant table and "the VBCW spirit" being deployed in the cause of realism and fair play!