tercio enfilade

deadtorius · Post by **deadtorius** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:50 am

Havent actually run into this one yet but it had popped into my mind recently so thought I would put it out there so if it does happen I have an answer.
If a Tercio has its side facing enemy artillery does it count as an enfilade?
My personal thoughts are no since you can't flank charge them, and you already get a + for arty shooting at them. They are pretty much a big bulky square formation so not sure it should get any worse for them.
Other opinions??

quackstheking · Post by **quackstheking** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:50 am

They are in enfiladed as they are shooting from the side.

However it's academic really as the artillery can only get one + POA for the target being either in 3 ranks,or being a tercio or being in enfilade. The artillery don't get an extra POA for each cause.

I would assume this POA is given to represent the artillery shooting at a dense target and each possible reason for the POA represents this.

Don

MarkSieber · Post by **MarkSieber** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:10 pm

The way the definitions are worded I don't believe the tercio is enfiladed, but as Don says, it's academic.

P 172 "Enfilade: Artillery shooting at a target from a position where, if the artillery were battle troops in charge range, it could deliver a lethal flank charge."

P 79 "Early tercios never count as being charged in the flank or rear. Later tercios never count as being charged in flank."

If battle troops could not deliver a flank charge from that aspect, artillery could not be in a position to enfilade a tercio from the flank.

gibby · Post by **gibby** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:57 pm

As you say, this is academic, however I would say you could deliver a flank charge on a Tercio, just not one that counts.
That the main intent of enfilade by artillery is the juicier target of a side on shot and the description given was just a way to work out if that shot was side on not whether the receiving unit counts as charged in the flank or not.

cheers
Jim

timmy1 · Post by **timmy1** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:17 pm

Mark's understanding is mine.

Mark, one minor point, while flank charges are usually lethal, I think the actual wording is "it could deliver a legal flank charge"...

quackstheking · Post by **quackstheking** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:38 pm

Whilst this is all purely academic, I'm sure the intent is to illustrate that the artillery has a base behind the line of the front of the target unit and is therefore firing down the line of the densest part of the unit - not to illustrate that they could actually be charged in the flank. It would seem incongruous that shooting down the flank line of a standard P&S is more effective than shooting down the line of a tercio!!!

Don

rbodleyscott · Post by **rbodleyscott** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:00 am

quackstheking wrote:It would seem incongruous that shooting down the flank line of a standard P&S is more effective than shooting down the line of a tercio!!!

It would be if it was.