Everyone knows how skirmishing works. You state your TUG will skirmish , and after shooting ( or not if charged in the flank/rear) you roll for VMD and you end up facing the charger
I have no problem with the process
But strange things can happen if you trap an enemy TUG between 2 of your tugs. You charge it from the rear side , it states it skirmishes but cannot move as sandwiched . So it just turns towards the opponent and avoid a flank/rear charge that becomes a frontal charge . Good cavalry units can so avoid damage and even beat poorer enemy that have trapped them.
I accept it but wonder if the skirmishing rule should not include a minimum one or two MU distance move to be able to do it. So if trapped, it remains trapped
What is you feeling ?
Charge the trapped unit with both of the trapping units. One of them will get it in the rear.
ideal solution if both are good units but with loose combat shy ?
My point is that without even moving the target manoeuvres and just face the chargers for "free" without any penalty if the +1 to the enemy for having shot. Small price to avoid a rear charge . If it can move away why not but if it is trapped and does not have even a few millimetres to move ..that bothers me
If you use combat shy troops to carry out traps then perhaps you should expect the trap not to work. It sounds like it could be an exert from a historical account "the trap was set but the *** legion flinched from combat and so the enemy was able to turn and face their other foes". Shows how historical MeG is ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: daveparish on February 28, 2025, 07:54:14 AM
If you use combat shy troops to carry out traps then perhaps you should expect the trap not to work.
Well, quite. Use the right tools for the job and all that.
Logically the problem with the current situations is that if all skirmish capable mounted are essentially always capable of turning to face any charge (unless they are already in combat) why aren't other troops who are just as fast/maneuverable?
Martin
Because it would not match what we know of battlefield behaviour.
I think it would, perhaps, match it better if troops capable of evading had to end facing away from an enemy who charged their flank or rear (ie they had to evade, not skirmish).
Martin
Quote from: nikgaukroger on February 28, 2025, 08:24:15 AM
Quote from: daveparish on February 28, 2025, 07:54:14 AM
If you use combat shy troops to carry out traps then perhaps you should expect the trap not to work.
Well, quite. Use the right tools for the job and all that.
Unfait criticism my friend :D . You use the tools you have and some armies do not have an armada of shock TUGS . I wonder about the fact that a mounted UG can just turn 180° freely without even having to move if trapped and so use cheaply a costly M10 move to avoid being outflanked .
But the rules are written that way I agree .
I wonder if the skirmishers should not at least have to be able to move 1 MU forward to be able to turn ?
So less glosiours TUGS such as enevn common bowmen could be used as an anvil to blok the way out
From a realism perspective I don't see an issue. Skirmishing cavalry would have been in a fairly open, dynamic formation and would be expecting to stay mobile and react to their enemy's moves. Their combat doctrine is based on avoiding contact with the enemy. And since they don't rely on being in any particular formation they have a lot of leeway to act individually. So there's no particular reason they couldn't see a threat coming from an unexpected direction and then turn to avoid it if possible or otherwise turn to face it. It wouldn't be as effective as an intentionally coordinated charge, but that's already reflected by the -1 penalty in the charge combat for evading.
QuoteLogically the problem with the current situations is that if all skirmish capable mounted are essentially always capable of turning to face any charge (unless they are already in combat) why aren't other troops who are just as fast/maneuverable?
Other cavalry can't do it for the same reason they can't skirmish in the first place, it just wasn't part of their combat doctrine. A body of lancers aren't expecting to turn as a group and respond to an incoming threat. In fact the opposite, they're so ready to launch a charge they have to be commanded not to! But a skilled commander can redirect their charge to an unexpected direction represented by a counter charge. But that's more difficult and takes a bit more time.