[TW2013] Hasty ambush

[Michael Lewis]

I'm not really understanding hasty ambush. How can it be an ambush when you know the enemy is already there?

Does this simulate real life?

[Medic]

In real life ambushes come in two types: hasty and prepared.

Prepared ambush is one you have time to set up properly, at a spot you expect or know the enemy to roll through.

Hasty ambush is one you set up in a hurry when you spot the enemy before they spot you. It is far less organized - sometimes to the point of the ambushing side hitting the dirt at the nearest proper spot that provides a decent firing position.

[Sanjuro]

The movie "Kelly's Heroes" has a great example of a hasty ambush; the team are crossing open ground when an enemy unit approaches along the adjacent road. They quickly take position behind whatever cover is available, then launch their attack.

[Michael Lewis]

Yeah, but it states in the rules of TW2013 that you can set a hasty ambush between pauses. This is after you had contact and know where the enemy is. That's what I don't understand.

[Bullet Magnet]

OK, in the 2013 rules, is "contact" defined as "you see the enemy" or does it mean they've seen you as well?

If it's just you seeing them, then it seems to me you should be able to make some preparations, like this hasty ambush.

Of course, if they see you as well, things are different. However, if I was running the game, I'd have to consider the terrain the group is in. If there's plenty of cover (trees, bushes, etc) the group could hide, and even if the enemy know they are "in those trees", they won't necessarily know WHICH trees have soldiers behind them. Though obviously, you're not gonna hit them with surprise, assuming the enemy decide to engage.

[cavtroop]

Reading this, on page 143, it seems to me the intent is that during the pause rather than reset your weapons, reload, use a radio, etc, you take a few moments to conceal yourself and take aim at potential enemy locations/last known locations, etc. This is what would give you the plus to initiative it's talking about.

So rather than taking the time during the pause to do other things, you're on 'overwatch' - it probably would have been better called that than a 'hasty ambush' but I think that's the intention there.

EDIT; Im not sure about what I wrote above, thats more the 'keep watch' action I think. Perhaps the 'Hasty Ambush' is more of a 'move to new position, then set up' versus 'keep watch'.