See here (https://mortem-et-gloriam.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3779.0).
Change "Files hit in flank by a frontal charge, only fight and are fought once. Calculate claims as if file was hit on its front edge."
This change amends and clarifies rule (6:K page 84).
The player with two or more files may choose which file it fights with as normal.
The purpose of this rule is to provide no incentive for a player to deliberately choose to hit the flank of an enemy UG in a frontal charge instead of the front edge.
(I hope this explanation makes sense! It is simpler than the current rule.)
There was a drawing in the rules where gallic were saturating a pike unit. There was impact on front and on the side (with the side impact being considered frontal in terms of factor calculation).
Does it mean we cannot saturate anymore?
OK, what abt the gallic infantry arriving on the right side (same diagram)?
There are 2 impacts (one frontal and one on the side)
You mean there will be a single fight??
That single fight will be up to the gallic player (either fight with the one on the side with only 2 ranks of pike or fight against the one in front with 4 ranks of pike)?
Am I correct?
Thanks
Sorry, my earlier reply was based upon misreading the diagram on page 85. Lets start again!
The cavalry on the left are completing a flank charge. The rules for this have not changed.
The infantry on the right are completing a frontal charge that contacts the flank edge. This is now treated as if they had contacted the front edge of the pike TUG. The Gallic player can choose to fight with either the file that has contacted the front edge, or the file that has contacted the flank. Either way, it is treated as a frontal fight - 4 ranks of pike vs the 3 ranks of Gauls.
In the following melee phase, the pike are treated as fighting the Gauls to their front and the Gauls to their flank become a supporting file (that does not downgrade its colour).
Apologies for any confusion I have caused.
Richard
No worries and thx for the explanation.
Additional question:
The pike is already fighting against a frontal opponent.
The following turn the gallic DC on the right of the diagram is charging and hit a flank edge of the pike.
The charge is considered frontal.
The gallic DC will be fighting as if in front against the whole file. Correct?
Quote from: Rino on September 01, 2025, 06:02:00 PMAdditional question:
The pike is already fighting against a frontal opponent.
The following turn the gallic DC on the right of the diagram is charging and hit a flank edge of the pike.
The charge is considered frontal.
The gallic DC will be fighting as if in front against the whole file. Correct?
Correct.
Not sure it will help and it will be most confusing after all those years playing it the " regular" way
Quote from: lionheartrjc on September 01, 2025, 04:51:56 PMSorry, my earlier reply was based upon misreading the diagram on page 85. Lets start again!
The cavalry on the left are completing a flank charge. The rules for this have not changed.
The infantry on the right are completing a frontal charge that contacts the flank edge. This is now treated as if they had contacted the front edge of the pike TUG. The Gallic player can choose to fight with either the file that has contacted the front edge, or the file that has contacted the flank. Either way, it is treated as a frontal fight - 4 ranks of pike vs the 3 ranks of Gauls.
In the following melee phase, the pike are treated as fighting the Gauls to their front and the Gauls to their flank become a supporting file (that does not downgrade its colour).
Apologies for any confusion I have caused.
Richard
Why not make it simpler? once the front base is touched the charging side base is stopped and does not move or pressforward in the flank. simply stays in overlap
To me the proposal does not make sens as it is counterintuitive . I never had problems before so why is it a problem now ? why is that change needed ?
Because as it stands players can and do execute cheesy de-facto flank attacks.
Although in the situations being covered they do not get flank charge/contact bonuses.
However, as you say the point is to remove some cheesy moves which are also a frequent cause of umpire calls in my experience and cause delays whilst people work out how to exploit things.
Quote from: nikgaukroger on September 03, 2025, 04:57:43 PMAlthough in the situations being covered they do not get flank charge/contact bonuses.
However, as you say the point is to remove some cheesy moves which are also a frequent cause of umpire calls in my experience and cause delays whilst people work out how to exploit things.
Exactly.
Additional question
The pike is fighting frontally gallic unit A
One turn later Gallic B hit the pike on the flank but frontally.
At the melee time GALLIC b act as a supporting file, correct?
Question 1:
If gallic A expand you can have 2 supporting files against the pike? (one from gallic A and one from gallic B)
Question 2:
If gallic B is a supporting file only the unit can move away next movement?
Question 3:
Only one file of gallic B is supporting file, other files are not engaged and can charge, correct?
Quote from: Rino on September 04, 2025, 04:05:18 PMAdditional question
The pike is fighting frontally gallic unit A
One turn later Gallic B hit the pike on the flank but frontally.
At the melee time GALLIC b act as a supporting file, correct?
Question 1:
If gallic A expand you can have 2 supporting files against the pike? (one from gallic A and one from gallic B)
Question 2:
If gallic B is a supporting file only the unit can move away next movement?
Question 3:
Only one file of gallic B is supporting file, other files are not engaged and can charge, correct?
Q1: You can only have one supporting file on one flank. If both files are in a position to qualify as the supporting flank (rare but not impossible), then the owning player can choose which file is the supporting file.
Q2: Yes.
Q3: They can charge up to 1BW.
None of these three answers have altered because of the rule change.
Richard
This just makes the end of the line less vulnerable and penalises careful play while rewarding sloppy play or least stopping sloppy play being punished
Quote from: lionheartrjc on September 01, 2025, 04:51:56 PMIn the following melee phase, the pike are treated as fighting the Gauls to their front and the Gauls to their flank become a supporting file (that does not downgrade its colour).
Richard
why? previously, the first two ranks of pike would have fought the gallic base to its front, the 3rd and 4th back ranks would have fought the frontal charge that hit its side edge? or can they also alternatively fight all 4 would have fought/supported the frontal base with no dice thrown to the not-a-flank contact, as per the cavalry charge on the other side of the diagram. I'm not understanding how this amendment wording creates this overlap effect?
how can gallic B be a supporting file? its not '3.3. If beyond the fight, have its front within 1BW of the line of fighting.'
and
'Question 2:
If gallic B is a supporting file only the unit can move away next movement?' - 'Yes'
how? it can neither wheel, the enemy pike blocks it. Nor step backwards, unless drilled
and presumably if the pike break the gauls to the front, they pursue as normal and the Gallic B unit is left in place behind it as it was counting as only an overlap?
Quote from: tarnowski1 on September 14, 2025, 04:46:26 PMhow can gallic B be a supporting file? its not '3.3. If beyond the fight, have its front within 1BW of the line of fighting.'
A nice point - on the diagram on page 85 the Gallic unit hitting the side is doing so at a point more than 1BW ahead of those contacting the front edge and so cannot quality as a supporting file where they are.
They would need to be allowed to align for combat into a supporting file position to contribute - the usual up to (but not including) 1 BW would suffice but the aligning rules would need to be tweaked to cover it (I think; I'm not great on aligning).
Or you simplify the rule and if the file is next to the frontally engaged file, it is a supporting file. Less cheesy, less headaches, simplicity .
"Next to" is wonderfully vague.
I do suppose you understand my meaning well enough to write it in a better english
Quote from: nikgaukroger on September 14, 2025, 05:10:39 PMThey would need to be allowed to align for combat into a supporting file position to contribute - the usual up to (but not including) 1 BW would suffice but the aligning rules would need to be tweaked to cover it (I think; I'm not great on aligning).
They already are
page 74 6.C:5.1 3rd sentence
"Front rank bases in contact with an enemy flank but not as a valid flank charge may ignore the 1BW restriction to align with the front edge of a file contacted if all other restrictions are obeyed".
Richard
Told you I wasn't good on aligning :o
Good to see it already covered :)
Quote from: lionheartrjc on September 15, 2025, 12:06:41 PMThey already are
page 74 6.C:5.1 3rd sentence
"Front rank bases in contact with an enemy flank but not as a valid flank charge may ignore the 1BW restriction to align with the front edge of a file contacted if all other restrictions are obeyed".
Richard
However, this would not allow conforming into a supporting file position in the example per diagram as it requires aligning to the front edge which is not possible as there is a unit in that position.
Quote from: nikgaukroger on September 16, 2025, 08:09:11 AMQuote from: lionheartrjc on September 15, 2025, 12:06:41 PMThey already are
page 74 6.C:5.1 3rd sentence
"Front rank bases in contact with an enemy flank but not as a valid flank charge may ignore the 1BW restriction to align with the front edge of a file contacted if all other restrictions are obeyed".
Richard
However, this would not allow conforming into a supporting file position in the example per diagram as it requires aligning to the front edge which is not possible as there is a unit in that position.
Aligning to the front edge doesn't mean you have to contact the front edge. Corner to corner contact is still aligned.
Richard
Ah, I was reading it as "to" when it says "with" - continuing my great run of being a bit rubbish with aligning :P