terrain edge

bawawa · Post by **bawawa** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 5:34 pm

may a dragoon BG or something similar (let's say light troop) adapt his front rank to match the edge of a terrain if the edge is not a straight line ? I mean if you have 4 dragoons bases, I suppose in real life they hide themselves at the wood border, but if we maintain a legal formation and the terrain is a 10 MU diameter wood...some bases are outside and/or some are out of line of sight for shooting etc.
Am I wrong ? Did I miss something in the rules ?
Thank you
Friendly

Blathergut · Post by **Blathergut** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:38 pm

BGs must maintain rectangular formation (except for rear-most rank).

Stay back in a mu or reduce frontage.

deadtorius · Post by **deadtorius** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:24 am

Perhaps you should keep that in mind when you make terrain, try to keep it somewhat straight so you can line troops up along its edge. The rules don't allow for you to bend the line at all so its got to keep a straight frontage. Sometimes being able to hide in stuff has a down side

nickdives · Post by **nickdives** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:54 am

I think that common sense should prevail. In pointed competition games then terrain should be modelled to ensure that the edges are straight and allow for legal deployment. Should one be playing a historical game with terrain modelled in such a way that a unit would have to be deployed along an uneven edge then this should be allowed, bearing in miond that often it may mean a whole unit could not fire/fight in the same direction. Not totally in keeping with the rules just remember the difference between a competition game and a historical refight.

expendablecinc · Post by **expendablecinc** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:20 am

nickdives wrote:I think that common sense should prevail. In pointed competition games then terrain should be modelled to ensure that the edges are straight and allow for legal deployment. Should one be playing a historical game with terrain modelled in such a way that a unit would have to be deployed along an uneven edge then this should be allowed, bearing in miond that often it may mean a whole unit could not fire/fight in the same direction. Not totally in keeping with the rules just remember the difference between a competition game and a historical refight.

At the scale we are talking having a ziggy zaggy line where some are able to shoot and others are not woudl be reflected on table as having one of your bases behind the others (ie too deep in teh woods to shoot). if you were curved around a circular terrain piece it only leads to troubles uless you come to some sort of house rule. which is the rear for evades? which direction do they shoot? when attacked how doe conforms occur? lots of other potential points of unintended contention.

nickdives · Post by **nickdives** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:12 am

It could but then the full length of coverage would not be there for melee. It is a subject that rules lawyers and pedants could have hours of fun debate which is why the phase "common sense" is used. If this means having a unit conform to a dog leg or uneven terrain then what is the problem, as long as both sides agree with the outcome. Admittedly there are plenty of players who are as flexible as Warsaw Pact Military Doctrine, so it is probably best to play against people who are a little more open to discussion and the odd house rule.

If you are playing in a competition or pointed game then there should be no question of conforming to terrain etc.

hazelbark · Post by **hazelbark** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 4:00 pm

I agree with the common sense approach.

But since the bases are as representational as the terrain, one could equally argue I think.

Let's say you have an obstacle 3.5 bases wide. That is historically modelled.

Historically the troops wouldn't be in the open. THey would be held back and their would be less fire. You could argue. Common sense they wouldn't fail to use the .5 base width. So which do you do? use the terrrain or the bases as the deciding point?

The simplest answer whether a scenario, friendly, competition is to when the person takes up the positon, both players agree on the intent of how it is to be used. Then no hard feelings.

deadtorius · Post by **deadtorius** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 11:35 pm

Under the rules if you are half in and half out then you are outside the terrain and do not get the advantage of cover, so as was said before it would be represented by putting the half out base back behind and thus you get less shooting but have a reserve to fill the gap if someone up front dies.