Observing A Target That Is Firing

When using the Observation Table for Aimed Fire this question came up during our group's first game of BGK.   "What conditions need to be met for a target to qualify as 'firing'?"

Any advice on how to interpret 'firing' would be appreciated!

Any unit that fired last turn, or in Ambush fire this turn, using either aimed fire, suppressive fire or indirect artillery fire. We use markers to indicate a unit that has fired.

One source of confusion is where a unit attempts to use aimed fire, but fails its spotting roll(s) so it is technically firing but in reality not. I understand that the rule is that if it tries to fire then it counts as firing for spotting.

We treat unsuccesfull spotting rolls as "non firing". But it is open to interpretation, and, most important, to how you micromanage things.

I think "Fired" is meant to be if the unit actually fired their weapons. I can't imagine how two failed spotting actions would count as having fired at the enemy...

Thanks to all for the info!  Fired last turn (or in Ambush Fire this turn) makes sense.  I favour unsuccessful spotting rolls to be treated as 'non-firing'.  

Would you still consider an enemy unit as 'firing' that performed a Fire & Manoeuvre order in the last turn, provided that after it fired the unit moved away from the location it fired from (eg. Shoot & Scoot)?  

Cheers!

I would still consider it as fired. The unit would still receive a beneficial roll of obscure firing if moving into cover unless the order is intervened with ambush fire. That I think would be closest to interpreting the event, although not quite the order in which it occurred. A bit of give and take allows both players to participate in the narrative.

I would say that if it went bang, it fired. If it didn't go bang, it didn't fire. Other noises allowed.

Thanks to all for the replies.  Much appreciated!

How does this apply to mortars as they do have a bang but not much of a visual cue? If in direct line of sight would they be picked up on so easily?

I haven't thought much about it, however if it came up in a game i'd go with the following.

Troop quality determines whether you had a guy squeeze off a round. Inexperienced troops would be more likely to fire away than an elite battle hardened squad who's learned from experience what's at stake.

Inexperienced guys gave away their position on a 4+
Regular a 5+
Elite a 6 (just because elite troops hose the plan up too)

In the interests of adding needless complications, how would you treat an observation target that had fired out of sight of the observer, but then moved into their view?

Clearly they have, strictly speaking, fired. But how would that help the observer if their firing was all out of their line of sight?

I suppose you introduce all sorts of house rules to deal with these complications or you keep it simple. I will always opt for the latter. So I would assume a unit firing either before or after movement would give their position away and be 'potentially' tracked: the observation chart still accounts for units in different states and cover. LOS would take precedence. You can't spot anything in the first place if there is no LOS.

If it fired last turn... it counts as firing.

That is all.