Thanks, that's really helpful.

The notes refer to shoot and charge ability of the Murakami, but this is not listed in the troop abilities. Should it be, or is it supposed to be a free ability.

We also wondered that, and couldn't find the rule. Been playing that whoever deployed first moves first, but invader moving first does make it a more interesting choice.

Thanks Simon, a tricky issue as you say. Look forward to the official clarification, and in the meantime we'll go with a liberal interpretation of what can support then.

I've read it carefully several times. My issue is with 3.4 "or be in such a position that aligning would have resulted in the above situation". What aligns? the supporting column, the column being supported, the UG that contains both of them, the enemy in contact ?. The most obvious reading would be that it's the supporting column, but then we hit the problem that aligning as defined in 9.5B doesn't allowing lining up in a supporting position. If it's the column being supported, then actually aligning that has differing results depending or whether or not supported and supporting files are in the same UG.

I think it's played such that B can count as an overlap in diagram 2, but if so I'd like to have a consistent rules interpretation to allow it. If it isn't allowed it seems to allow some gamey deliberately being mis-aligned.

A few questions about what counts and what doesn't. Please see the attached diagram.

i) In diagram 1 both A and B are in contact with E. Only one can fight of course but it seems intuitively sensible that the other could at least be a supporting file. However, assuming that "next to" in paragraph I1 at the top of page 146 means that two files need to be touching for one to count as supporting, then neither can support the other. Is this correct.  It would also seem that blue cannot align as it would mean bumping one of his UGs out of combat.

ii) In diagram 2 if A and B are in the same UG then it seems obvious that B can be a supporting file by pretending the combat is aligned. However, if they're in different UGs and blue was to actually align A to E then obviously B would not be in a supporting position. If they are in different UGs and blue does not align the combat, can B count as a supporting file for A.

iii) If A were aligned to E then B would be in a position to be a supporting file. I assume it cannot count as such because it is not "next to" A. Is this correct.

iv) Diagram 4 doesn't matter unless I'm wrong about 3.

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