Question after game

[JFAS]

Good day to all

I was reading the book and on page 30 I came across something that struck me.

“Infantry in the open who are neither in square nor behind an obstacle must take a cohesion test if being assaulted by cavalry. The owning player must choose whether or not to form square and the infantry always ends in the formation chosen even if the test is failed.”

WHY ?????????

Does this not defeat the purpose of cavalry trying to catch foot not in square in the open.

John

[JFAS]

my question is does the defender get the advantages of square even if he fails the test


John

[stecal]

yes, he always forms square (or stays in the formation he was in if that was his choice) Depending on the result of the CT it may be a disordered square however. If the cav start within 2" they cannot form square.

[deadtorius]

And disordered will lower his dice for shooting then correct?

[Blathergut]

And disordered will lower his dice for shooting then correct?

-1 per 3 if disordered....1 per 2 if wavering


Haven't played a game yet, but it sure sounds bloody!!!!!

[BrettPT]

If the cav start within 2" they cannot form square.

Actually, unless I have missed something, you can still form an 'emergency' square if the cavalry start their charge from within 2MU.
The difference is that infantry, who are not initially in square, automatically drop a cohesion level when charged by cavalry from 2MU (see the CT table on page 69).

So the sequence is:

1. Cavalry within 2MU declare a charge.

2. If the infantry start wavering, they take a Cohesion Test for wavering troops being charged.

3 The infantry drop a cohesion level automatically as a result of the assault being from short range.

4. The infantry commander decides whether he wants to stand and shoot, or instead form square. If he elects to form square, the unit is placed into square formation.

5. The infantry now take their normal cohesion test for being charged while not initially in square, regards of what option they chose in (4) above.

6. If the infantry elected to stand and shoot instead of forming square, then they now do so.

You can see that fresh infantry charged by cavalry witin 2MU will be disordered at best, possibly wavering if they also fail their CT for not being in square.

Moral of the story = don't let cavalry get within 2MU of you.

Luckily, if cavalry move up to 2MU in it's own movement phase, you will get a chance before their next assault phase to have a short range blast at them in your turn. Even if you fail to disorder or drive the cavalry back with this volley, your infantry still gets a chance in its movement phase following shooting to either voluntarily form square, or to pull back 1/2 move extending the range to beyond 2MU. Either move would require a successful CMT to pull off (the formation change to square because you are changing formation within 2MU of enemy).

Cheers
Brett

[deadtorius]

I must be missing a page some where, I have not seen any mention of cavalry preventing infantry from forming a square, its not in the assault section. It says that infantry can choose to stand and shoot or form square, if they fail the cmt they still form square.
Page references would be handy on this one

[Blathergut]

I must be missing a page some where, I have not seen any mention of cavalry preventing infantry from forming a square, its not in the assault section. It says that infantry can choose to stand and shoot or form square, if they fail the cmt they still form square.
Page references would be handy on this one

Cavalry don't prevent infantry from forming square. On the Cohesion Chart, below the 'form square' line, is a note: 'inf. drop an additional automatic cohesion level if charged by cavalry from within 2MU". So, if that situation happens, you drop one level automatically (inf.), then test cohesion to form emergency square...if you fail that test...you drop another level but you do get to form your square if you want to.

[deadtorius]

Thats where it was, silly me looking for it in the rules ... so there is no emergency square for being within 2 Mu, you either say you want to form square or you take your chances and shoot it out. better hope your dice are loaded or your troops are marksmen if you want to stand and take that charge in line. Which will be harder since the cav will force you to lose cohesion for not being in line to begin with

[Chasseur]

Hi,

Except in pursuit. p.66 "Enemy units contacted during the 1st half of a pursuit move cannot make a reaction move, nor may they fire."

So if infantry were contaacted in the 1st half of a pursuit move, they could not form emergency square. Understandable as the assaulters may suddenly appear out of a cloud of black smoke and behind fleeing friendly troops from the first unit caused to have an outcome move.
The second unit assaulted cannot form square and cannot defensive fire.

But given that they are "not allowed to make a reaction move" do they still have a Cohesion Test to see if they drop a Cohesion level in their enforced "stand and not fire"?

Amazingly, this actually came up in a game today at club. We assumed that the test was still taken, but maybe it happens so fast that they do not have time to panic - they are fighting for their lives before they had time to think about the assaulting unit?

Cheers,
John Shaw
www.nwa.org.au

[terrys]

But given that they are "not allowed to make a reaction move" do they still have a Cohesion Test to see if they drop a Cohesion level in their enforced "stand and not fire"?

If contact during the first half of a pursuit they cannot form square and cannot shoot. They do not take the CMT for being charged.
The reason we do this is that its difficut enough for the infantry to survive the cavalry charge without dropping a cohesion level, and we don't want to deter people from having units in reserve in a second line.... Given that the front of the cavalry (intactical formation) is already 60mm beyond the enemy unit if it passes through, to be safe, the reserve unit woud have to be another 4MU beyond that - which then places them outside rear support range.

[Chasseur]

Thanks Terry,

Sounds good to me.

Cheers,
John Shaw