Motion Status Attempts

Captain Stirling wiped a smear of sweat from his brow as he scanned the hedgerow through his binoculars from the commander’s hatch of his Cromwell. The morning fog was lifting just enough to reveal the glint of sun off steel…there, across the orchard, a Panzer IV nosed through a gap in the hedgerows. Stirling’s breath caught. “Bloody ‘ell, they’re on the move,” he muttered, then dropped into the turret. “Driver, engine on, now!” The Cromwell’s Rolls-Royce kicked to life with a deep, throaty growl. “Traverse left…quickly now!” Stirling braced himself as the tank vibrated beneath him, adrenaline replacing the morning’s tea. They’d have to be faster than Jerry this time.

Few things in Advanced Squad Leader get the pulse racing like the sight of an enemy AFV charging into view. The temptation to react is strong…but doing so means understanding the nuance of a Motion Status Attempt (D2.401). MSAs bring a new layer of tactical decision-making into the game, representing a player’s split-second chance to react to a rapidly appearing target.

Historically, such moments defined tank-versus-tank combat and combine arms actions. On the Eastern Front, Soviet and German crews often engaged each other on the move, with only seconds to decide whether to halt and fire or maintain momentum and risk exposure. Allied tankers in the Normandy bocage learned the hard way that failing to react to enemy movement could mean the loss of assets. The MSA rule in ASL distills that moment of real-world tension into a simple die roll, capturing both the opportunity and the danger of acting under pressure.

Yet despite their dramatic flair, MSAs are often underused. The Academy breaks down when and how to declare a Motion Status Attempt, what’s at stake, and how savvy players can turn it into a game-changing survival tactic.

What Is a Motion Status Attempt?

A MSA is a special die roll a vehicle (it doesn’t have to just be an AFV) may make during the Defensive Fire Phase (but only during First Fire) to go into Motion in certain circumstances, gaining several key advantages that I’ll list later. This can occur when an enemy unit enters the vehicle’s Line of Sight (LOS) from outside its LOS and spends Movement Points (MP) while in it.

According to rule D2.401 (3.3.2.1 in Starter Kit), a MSA is a free action (i.e., it costs no MP or game action) and can significantly impact both survivability and combat positioning.

When Can You Attempt Motion Status?

There are four key requirements for attempting a Motion Status:

1. 1. An enemy (ground) unit moves from out of a vehicle’s LOS into its LOS.
   2. That enemy unit must spend at least one MP/MF while in the vehicle’s LOS.
   3. The vehicle must be Mobile (i.e., not bogged, immobilized, mired, or Abandoned, Shocked or Stunned, see D.7 for details).
   4. The vehicle cannot currently be marked First/Final/Intensive Fired.

Note: You may only make one MSA, regardless of success/failure, per vehicle per Defensive (First) Fire Phase, even if multiple units enter LOS.

Why Attempt a Motion Status?

There are several reasons why a player would (should!) choose to make a MSA for a vehicle coming under threat:

1. 1. Free VCA/TCA change: You can pivot your vehicle (Vehicle Covered Arc or Turret Covered Arc) to face the threat.
   2. Avoid Point Blank Range (C6.2 Case L): Motion vehicles cannot be targeted with the -1/-2 TK DRM modifier. Make it harder for enemy tanks to move behind you and shoot up your tailpipe!
   3. Harder to hit: Motion targets incur a +2 TH DRM (C6.1 Case J), making them harder to hit.
   4. Less susceptible to infantry CC attacks, +2 CC DRM against vehicles in Motion.
   5. It won’t trigger Defensive Fire because no MP are expended!

But there is a downside! At the beginning of your next PFPh your vehicle will be marked with a Motion counter. Any such vehicle cannot Prep Fire. Choose wisely.

Tip: You can even attempt a MSA while already marked with a Motion counter (if it’s in place prior to entering your opponent’s MPh), solely to get the free VCA/TCA change. But remember, you can only make one attempt.

MSA Mechanics

To perform a Motion Status Attempt:

1. 1. The enemy unit must enter your unit’s LOS from outside its LOS.
   2. You must declare the attempt after at least 1 MP/MF is expended. The more MP/MF spent in the vehicle’s LOS, the better the chances.
   3. Roll one die (dr).
   4. If the roll is less than or equal to the number of MP/MF the enemy expended in your LOS, you succeed. Thus, if the enemy unit spends 6 MP/MF in your LOS, the MSA is automatic!

On success:

1. 1. Place a Motion counter on the vehicle.
   2. Execute a free covered arc change (either turret and/or vehicle, depending on the AFV and circumstances).

On failure:

1. 1. Nothing; the attempt is just lost. There is no penalty, not even Concealment loss! The only downside is that the vehicle can’t make another MSA that turn. So, choose wisely.

Infantry and Motion Status?

Yep, it’s not just for enemy vehicles! D2.401 states: “A Motion status attempt may be declared during the MPh of an enemy ground unit by any DEFENDING Mobile vehicle which makes a Motion attempt dr ≤ the number of MF/MP expended in its LOS by that unit during its MPh.”

If infantry enters LOS, consider a MSA, especially if it’s packing a LATW or is closing in for CC.

Reverse MSA?

There’s a little bit of discussion about this. Can you declare reverse Motion after a successful MSA? The rules don’t explicitly say one way or the other, but by implication and assumption, it seems like it would be perfectly legal. So I posed the question to Perry Cocke of MMP. While his answers aren’t “official” rules, most people abide by his Q&A responses.

Q: Can a Stopped vehicle, during its DFF, declare to be in reverse Motion after a successful Motion Status Attempt?
A: Yes.

So, there you go. In some rare circumstances you may want to declare reverse Motion after a successful MSA.

Note: This does not apply to Starter Kit since there’s no Reverse Movement in that ruleset.

Rules Used

• D2.401: Governs Motion Status Attempts rules (SK: 3.3.2.1).
• D.7: Clarifies when a vehicle is considered Mobile (SK: 2.0).
• C6.1 Case J: Motion TH DRM (SK: QRDC).
• C6.3 Case L: Covers Point Blank Fire and the PBF DRM (SK: QRDC).

Summary

Example

• It’s the German player’s turn. Between two patches of woods, an American Sherman lies in wait, out of LOS, and Stopped (Figure 1). Because it’s not in Motion, it’s particularly vulnerable to sudden close-range attacks…especially from behind.
• On the other side of the woods, threat awaits: A Panzer IV with the speed and firepower to outflank and pose a serious risk to the up-armored Sherman.

This sets the stage for a tactical cat-and-mouse moment, where choices and use of the Motion Status rules become crucial. The Sherman is ripe for ambush, and Motion Status Attempt was put into the rules to give especially vulnerable vehicles a fighting chance in situations like this.¹

Panzer IV Moves

• It’s the German MPh, and the Panzer IV attempts a flanking maneuver. It carefully skirts around the woods (not in LOS initially) and positions itself two hexes behind the Sherman. This is within Point Blank Fire (PBF) range, which normally gives a -1 TK DRM at a range of 2 hexes (C6.3 Case L).

• In doing so, it enters the Sherman’s LOS (in H4) and let’s assume it expends 4 Movement Points (MP) during its time in LOS.

This movement (entering the Sherman’s LOS and spending MP in its LOS) triggers the opportunity for the Sherman to declare a MSA.

MSA Declared

• As soon as the Panzer becomes visible, the Sherman’s owner may declare a Motion Status Attempt, or wait for it to expend more MP to increase its chance of success.

• The Sherman rolls one die to determine whether the attempt succeeds.

• In this example, the required number is based on how many MP the Panzer IV spent in LOS. Since we assumed that number is 4, a die roll of 4 or less will be successful.

Note: If the Pz IV had spent 6 MP in the Sherman’s LOS, the MSA would be automatic!

• The Sherman rolls a 4…just what it needed. The Motion Status Attempt is successful. What does that mean?

• It is now treated as a Motion target, even though it hasn’t spent any MP.

• As a Motion target:

  • Any attacking unit isn’t eligible for the Point Blank Fire TK DRM (attacker loses -1 bonus).

  • It’s harder to hit due to “Motion” To Hit DRM.

• The Sherman now gets a free Vehicle Covered Arc (VCA) and/or Turret Covered Arc (TCA) change.

• In this case, it pivots its VCA to G5/H5 to face the Panzer, bringing its frontal armor to bear (Figure 2).

• A Motion counter is placed on the Sherman to show it is now in a “Non-Stopped” state (Figure 3).

• What was just moments ago a vulnerable, rear-facing tank now has its frontal armor toward the enemy, is harder to hit, and denies the attacker the point-blank advantage.

• Let’s not be too hasty. The German squad in E4 is still a threat, and if it moves into the Sherman’s LOS it will not be able to make another MSA to change its CA. But it’s now in Motion and may be able to reverse move its next MPh (na in Starter Kit) out of Dodge to fight another day.

 Tactical Impact: Without the Motion attempt, the Panzer would likely get a devastating rear shot at point-blank range (either as Bounding Fire and/or in the next fire phase)—a near-certain kill against the Sherman. Instead, the Sherman now has a fighting chance.

Debriefing

The Motion Status Attempt may seem like a small rule buried in Chapter D, but its impact on the battlefield is anything but minor. It captures one of the most compelling aspects of Advanced Squad Leader: the razor-thin line between survival and destruction, decided in a single die roll. With a successful MSA, a vulnerable vehicle can instantly shift from stationary target to survivor…turning the tables on a flanking attacker, denying Point Blank bonuses, and gaining critical repositioning through a free CA change.

Historically, this reflects the real-time decisions made by tank commanders under fire, whether on the Eastern Front or in the hedgerows of Normandy. These moments of motion, of instinctive reaction under pressure, are exactly what the MSA rule captures.

For players, MSAs reward anticipation, situational awareness, and tactical flexibility. There’s no downside to trying. And while success isn’t always guaranteed, the opportunity is always worth taking. In the end, Motion Status Attempts embody what makes ASL so thrilling: the mix of realism, timing, and tension that turns a well-placed tank and a smart reaction into a story worth telling. So, when that enemy unit pops into view…don’t just watch. React!

Academy Out!

GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!!

Footnotes:

¹ Chapter D, Footnote 3. 2.401 MOTION STATUS: The ability to declare Motion status during the opponent’s MPh addresses the issue of a fast defender which is forced to sit and watch while a slower but more heavily armed AFV moves next to it before firing. In reality, the lightly armed vehicle would use its speed to move away as soon as an enemy AFV was observed. While this rule does not prevent the ATTACKER from using the turn sequence to artificially cut down the range to such a would-be fleeing target, it does negate some of those advantages by putting the vehicle in Motion, thereby making it not subject to the Point Blank Range To Hit DRM (Case L) and increasing its chances of escape by allowing it to move in its MPh without first expending a MP to start/change VCA.

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