Shock Troop Charge

[Agis]

Hello there.

We've recently decided to give FoG a go here in our sleepy little German town and we've all have read the rules once or twice and as carefully as possible (sigh*), trying to get the hang of them. Still, with some rules we are very uncertain. One of them created so much discussion last night, that I thought I'd post our question here and see what the experts say. Before I proceed, let me mention, that a search of the forum was fruitless, therefore I do apologize if this has been asked and resolved before.

We had a Later Seleucid Phalanx positioned before a Light Horse unit's flank. The distance was 1/2 a MU further that the allowed movement distance for the Phalanx, therefore 3.5 inches, and the Phalanx would have been eligible to charge the flank, as the Skirmishers were riding away and had nearly passed the Phalanx. Now on page 58 of the English FoG rulebook it states in parenthesis, that if the enemy is capable of evading, which this Light Horse is, charge distance should be considered 2 MUs longer that usual, as this would be the maximum variable move distance that could be added. Now, we are unsure where and when this would be applied.

1. Always? Only with Shock Troops charging without orders (Pikemen fall under this category but they had not tested)? Only with Shock Troops charging "normally"?

2. In this specific case, would it have affected the movement rate of these Pikemen?

3.And, should we have had a Foot BG instead of cavalry, would these 2 extra MUs mean that the pikemen would have had to test for charge without orders?

Kind regards and a big thank you in advance for your replies,

A.

[Robert241167]

Hi there.

Any unit can only declare a charge against units within reach of its normal movement over that terrain.

If the unit is within reach then it can charge and that charge can go up or down up to 2 MU's depending on the variable move roll.

Rob

[Agis]

Thank you for your reply, Rob. Ok, so it is as described by the rules later on. The parenthesis on page 58 makes it read as if the 2 MU are a constant addition to the whole charge situation. Not necessarily an increase in actual movement, but a theoretical increase in the charging range. Therefore a Shock Troop BG would have a charging range of x (= it's normal movement) + 2 MU.

Ok, I guess we are just reading it the wrong way. Thank you.

[rbodleyscott]

The bit about the extra 2 MUs only applies to the section on when shock troops do not have to test not to charge. (This is not obvious because of a formatting error in the printed version).

See

http://www.fieldofglory.com/file/FAQ_ver5.01_GER.pdf

or

http://www.fieldofglory.com/file/FAQ_ver5.01.pdf

[Agis]

A FAQ! Of course. I should have looked for one really. Thank you for the reply and the link!

[ravenflight]

We've recently decided to give FoG a go here in our sleepy little German town

Ahh, a German Peasant... I have many in my Post Viking Scandanavians... good troops.

Don't worry, stick around long enough and you'll become a German Noble .

Welcome to the list and the game.

[RobKhan]

From the FAQ

"Do shock troops have to test not to charge enemy who are outside their normal charge reach but within charge
reach + 2 MUs
No. (The paragraph in brackets on P.58 only applies to situations where they may be exempt from testing)."

Yesterday in a game we had real trouble with the bracketed para. on page 58. Now having read the FAQ it is clear that only the standard move distance of the shock troops or less is the trigger to have to CMT to not charge.

What I am baffled with now is the purpose of this paragraph at all. If it is "exempt from testing", then the shock troops are not performing a charge in the turn and this paragraph is completely redundant.

In any context this paragraph is confusing anyway..... or am I missing something?(please, no references to my lobotomy)

RobKhan

[rogerg]

The paragraph is an extra exemption from testing. For example, consider shock foot faced by light foot in front of enemy cavalry. The shock foot would normally have to test not to charge the enemy light foot. However, because the light foot can evade through their own cavalry, the charging shock troops might reach the enemy cavalry when they chase the evaders. As shock foot are exempt from testing to charge enemy mounted, they need not test even if the only way they could make contact would be by getting a VMD of +2.

[deadtorius]

I blame the light foot for all this confusion......hiding their horses so the shock troops don't have to test, dastardly behaviour!!
Of course what is worse is when the blasted shock have to charge LF and the blighters stay put and then win the impact

[RobKhan]

Hi Rogerq..

So it would have been a lot simpler to write..... If the target BG is capable of evading, the charge distance for the exemption from doing a CMT includes the maximum VMD of +2MU.

Is this what it really is trying to tell us?

Thanks


RobKhan

[rogerg]

"So it would have been a lot simpler to write..... If the target BG is capable of evading, the charge distance for the exemption from doing a CMT includes the maximum VMD of +2MU."

It all depends who is reading it. What one person finds clear, another doesn't.