Keils

Started by IanN, September 02, 2022, 12:32:10 PM

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IanN

Last night saw the first Italian Wars game at the club. Pre-Trastamara Spanish vs French. Both side had big pike blocks, Swiss for the French and Landsknechts for the Spanish. At some point a unit of French Gendames crashed into the flank of the Landsknecht  - no panic because have paid for keil and that means 'they are adept at fighting to flanks.
So we calculate the factors - which for the Landknechts was a big fat zero (from clarries ... "bases fight to flank as if they were turned to face, but only one rank deep; therefore gaining no rank factors but negating +'s to the enemy) : single rank pikes = 0.
The French Gendarmes were calculated as Super (+1), Charging Lancer (+2) (the French player arguing that the Landsknecht were not standing to receive or facing at the time the charge contacted?), and Dev Charge (+1) as above. French on Red&White, Landsknecht on blank. Three bases of pike evaporated.
The post game review was positive except for the attack on the flank of the keil. Factors were challenged. The 'argument'  into two camps .... the keil characteristic implies the pike turn hence the mounted lose CL and DevCh bonuses - or - the opposite.
The addendum that "bases fight to flank as if they were turned to face" does not clarify this.

For the rules experts .. what is the correct interpretation and factors.
Many thanks

badhabum

Just a small thing : the gendarmes did have + 1 for SUP but are you sure the keil did charge during the same phase  ..unless the pike unit did charge it is considered standing and receive  even if charged in the flank or the rear it did not move or try to move .

So the gendarmes would have faced standing pike and lost all CL and Dc factors for a net +1 for SUP .

nikgaukroger

Unless the foot have declared a charge (as Jacques says), countercharge or intercept they are clearly standing to receive - IMO the intention is clear (and there is, IIRC, a clarry which points to this as well).

And anyway, the bases hit counts "as if" having turned and do not actually turn so if you really want to go down that route they still haven't moved.
"The Roman Empire was not murdered and nor did it die a natural death; it accidentally committed suicide."