Soviet tank-riders

[Fred Brannan]

Tank riders dismount when their tank is shot at by any weapon in range. If the tank is destroyed by enemy fire do the riders take casualties/pins as per normal transport rules?

[Master Chief]

It shouldn’t be the case because they have already dismounted. The transport rules on page 116 refer to units still onboard at the time the vehicle is destroyed.

Pg116: If a transport vehicle is destroyed, each unit onboard suffers D6 hits – roll this number of hits against each unit, apply damage and remove casualties as normal. After this is resolved, any survivors are immediately forced to dismount (see below).

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Master Chief.

[Fred Brannan]

How would the riders be ‘already dismounted’? If an 88 hits a T-34 with riders and kills it the riders dismount. Technically, we resolve the loss of the vehicle after dismounting the foot troops but they were on board when the killing hit struck. Tank riders are a different case but are they really that much different?

[Master Chief]

Tank Riders: A tank rider unit can mount onto or dismount from a tank counting it as a transport for these purposes. Once mounted the unit is replaced by a few tank rider models placed on the tank itself. One unit of tank riders can ride upon one tank. As with other transported units the tank riders cannot be targeted whilst they ride upon their tank; however, unlike with other transported troops, tank riders must immediately disembark if the tank they are riding upon is shot at.

“Shot at” does not mean you need to complete resolving the “shot”. Once the tank is declared a target it is being “shot at”. That’s my interpretation anyway.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Master Chief.

[Eric T Holmes]

I think this rule is trying to give the “tank rider” unit a benefit that most transported units don’t get, namely, a quick exit stage left. While I agree that most units that are carried by any real world transport would suffer an injury, it looks like the game mechanics win out for the tank riders and not any other transported unit. Just ask that Recon Captain in “Bridge Too Far” if he had a chance when his jeep was hit by an AT round…or was it a mine? Either way, Bolt Action game mechanics aren’t supposed to be realistic, just “Hollywood.”

[Master Chief]

Yes I agree. Perhaps something to be amended could be

As Unlike with other transported units the tank riders cannot can be targeted whilst they ride upon their tank.

This is because they are not protected like sitting in an armoured halftrack.

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