Order of operations: Advanced battle token placement mechanics question(s)

[tvremote84]

How do directed kill tokens interact with damage tokens that I place on my opponent if there is more than one target for the directed kill? EX. An attacker is using blitz. The attack consists of 1 panzer, some plane, a panzergrenadier and a wirblewind. The defender uses an observation post, a 25 pounder (via forward observer) and a 17 pounder. During the battle phase the defender uses the 17 pounder and the 25 pounder twice, giving him 2 damage tokens he controls and a tank kill token. Obviously, the tank kill token will be placed by the attack and the two damage will be placed by the defender, but who places first?
Follow up: Does this depend on who is attacking/defending?

I've been playing since October and I still can't figure this out. There are other similar situations with quirks like this, so if anyone else has a question/solution to a question feel free to post here.

[MeinKrieg]

The controllable damgage (two damage tokens by 25-pounder) is placed first so that you can't abuse the Obs post .

[tvremote84]

How would that prevent obs post abuse? If the controllable damage was placed first, you could place one damage on the panzergrenadier and the wirblewind, thereby forcing the directed tank damage onto the panzer.

I ask this because I've been getting into a lot of these types of situations with my arty deck and my NQ deck. It seems like the directed damage would be placed first, then the controlled damage, but sometimes it seems like the opposite happens, so I'm asking how the game decides, and if its based on who is attacking/defending.

[quicksabre]

Attacker places all damage tokens he controls first, then defender does the same. Type of damage does not matter.

So say the german attacker has an 81mm mortar and a panzergrenedier, while the soviet defender has a 120mm mortar and an smg. axis attacker places the controlled hit from his 81mm on his opponent and the two hits from the smg on his own units. Then the comintern player places the kill from the panzergrenedier and the controlled kill from the 120mm.

[tvremote84]

Thanks, thats helpful to know. So it does indeed matter a lot who is attacking and defending. Obs post, as it turns out, is better on the offense. Or at least, its more versatile. Very interesting.

[quicksabre]

Depends on the situation, generally. In the example I gave the attacker can take advantage of the system a bit by forcing his kill by placing damage on the other, and preventing two kills by spreading the smg damage. But there are many times when it is better to be the defender - for example, if you have an infantry plus a mortar that does damage of your choice, as attacker you have to assign the damage to your opponent first, and he can react by placing the second damage on a different unit, preventing the kill. But if you are the defender in that situation, you get to see where the attacker puts the damage from your infantry, and can then put the second damage on that unit, essentially giving you a kill.
In another example, if you attack w/ prep bomb and 105mm your opponent can just damage the unit you have already pinned. But if you have that combo in defense (via FO), you can see where they damage and then apply the pin afterward.