Rear Support, Side Support, Air Support

[TheGrayMouser]

Can someone explain concisely how support works in game?
I understand having using units adjacent, and or in the rear provide "support" ( i think by reducing the enemies dice)
What i am not 100% sure is what exact criteria are needed to get support form each unit
for example, i often have a unit in melee with friends touching on 3 hexes and no "support" overlay comes up
the manual is somewhat ambiguous...
(also, support only counts in melee, not impact , correct?)

[Xiggy]

Near as I can tell if all the bases are Meleeing the same target, then they mutually support each other. If you have someone other than light behind a foot , you get a cohesion +1 I think for those tests.

[TheGrayMouser]

Near as I can tell if all the bases are Meleeing the same target, then they mutually support each other. If you have someone other than light behind a foot , you get a cohesion +1 I think for those tests.

This is all I could find in the Manual:

Modify the number of attacks for supporting battle groups

"A supporting battle group is:

Not attacking or being attacked in the current combat.
Not routing.
Adjacent to a battle group that is attacking or being attacked in the current combat.
Each adjacent supporting enemy battle group reduces a battle groups attacks by one"

In a battle line situation though this implies that only rear rank units would provide support as everyone in the front would automatically be "stuck" in melee combat w at least one enemy unit....

Hmm I wonder if this has anything to do with the phenominon that I Posted a long time ago... Often units that are adjacent to multiple enemy units during the melee phaze , sometimes have a choice on whom they melee, and sometimes they are only allowed to melee a specific unit... This is even when they are in te middle of a battle line and ther is no logical conclusion when/why they are limited.....
I definalely think there is some hardcoded thing going on that is undocumented...

[Morbio]

In a battle line situation though this implies that only rear rank units would provide support as everyone in the front would automatically be "stuck" in melee combat w at least one enemy unit....

It could be that units to the side could also provide support, particularly if they are at the end of the battle line. Although I agree that mostly support is likely to come from the rear.

Just from a logic perspective I struggle to understand why a unit behind a unit provides support. I can understand that a unit alongside may distract the enemy so that part of the enemy force is holding to defend against a potential attack from the supporting unit (thus reducing the number of attacks on the main unit). But what help does a unit completely separated from the enemy give?

[TheGrayMouser]

In a battle line situation though this implies that only rear rank units would provide support as everyone in the front would automatically be "stuck" in melee combat w at least one enemy unit....

It could be that units to the side could also provide support, particularly if they are at the end of the battle line. Although I agree that mostly support is likely to come from the rear.

Just from a logic perspective I struggle to understand why a unit behind a unit provides support. I can understand that a unit alongside may distract the enemy so that part of the enemy force is holding to defend against a potential attack from the supporting unit (thus reducing the number of attacks on the main unit). But what help does a unit completely separated from the enemy give?

I agree, rear support should not provide a direct benefit in reducing the defenders dice, however I guess it could provide moral support in terms of a cohesion test bonus for the attacker...
I wish this was better doumented as it is clearly a very important aspect of the game.... Rear support is not doucmented at all but many players have stated that it is part of the mechanics....

[batesmotel]

There are two unrelated types of support.

1) Support for cohesion tests provides a +1 modifier if the BG testing has a friendly non-skirmisher BG adjacent to one of its rear hex sides.

2) Support for melee is provided by friendly BGs adjacent to the BG being attacked in melee. It is not entirely clear to me what other restrictions apply in terms of whether they are explicitly fighting (i.e. have an arrow) another enemy BG. There have been some reports of BGs which are currently not adjacent to the enemy BG but which were earlier in the turn, providing support in melee anyway. I suspect this is actually a bug but Slitherine has never really explained whether it is or is not in their view.

Chris

[TheGrayMouser]

There are two unrelated types of support.

1) Support for cohesion tests provides a +1 modifier if the BG testing has a friendly non-skirmisher BG adjacent to one of its rear hex sides.

2) Support for melee is provided by friendly BGs adjacent to the BG being attacked in melee. It is not entirely clear to me what other restrictions apply in terms of whether they are explicitly fighting (i.e. have an arrow) another enemy BG. There have been some reports of BGs which are currently not adjacent to the enemy BG but which were earlier in the turn, providing support in melee anyway. I suspect this is actually a bug but Slitherine has never really explained whether it is or is not in their view.

Chris

Thanks for the response.... i wonder if the problem is the overlay isnt lining up with the actual in game results making it confusing (much like the phantom support that routed units sometimes give)