Re: DS2 Mortar Teams

You wrote: 

>So, if I have an infantry platoon that incorporates a FIST (FIre 
Support Team) >and a mortar team (along with rifle & attendant others, 
of course), and the >FIST is successful in calling the shot right for 
the mortar team, that unit's >direct fire will include an artillery 
bombardment, as per the arty rules?

I would think so.  Not that you'd often attach mortars that low.  I 
usually parcel them out a pair to a company, plus another half-dozen if 
a full batallion is on-board.

>Does all of this happen in the same activation?  Should there be a 
bonus for >the designator and artillery element being in the same unit? 
 What about a >modular vehicle that has designation capability for it's 
own integral >artillery weapons?  Would that designate & fire on the 
same activation?

If you're firing over open sights, I'm likely to treat it all exactally 
same as direct fire.

>Should it even have to roll to 'call in' artillery that is in the same
>vehicle?

Uhh. . . here's where I house-rule in my artillery.  So far I've been 
using only organic artillery, and I don't roll for it.	I mean, if it's 
a mortar platoon out of the 3rd Mechanized Batallion, and the Commander 
of the 3rd Mechanized Batallion calls in a fire mission, what's the LT 
commanding the platoon going to do?  Say, "Sorry, sir, but we're on 
break.	Union rules."  I think the Dutch have unionized troops (or is 
that Danes?  One of those odd European countries) but that's pushing 
it.  Attached artillery in direct support of the echelon on the table 
(IOW, if you've got a BN HQ on the board and the artillery is in direct 
support of this BN) your odds are pretty good--gotta roll a 1 to muff 
it.  And General Support artillery requires a 3+ to come in.  I mean, 
artillery is pretty good stuff--if in 15 minutes you can't get it, 
there is something horribly wrong.  Pre-plotted fire missions would 
come in on schedule all the time, and TRPs give a +1 to die roll.  If 
you make it exactally, then it comes in, but not in next activation, 
but activation after (thus giving your opponent 2 chances to move out 
of beaten zone).

John M. Atkinson