Phalanx in Rough

Pikeaddict · Post by **Pikeaddict** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:11 am

A question of terrain arose in our game from yesterday :

A phalanx charged a roman legion in the open. After conforming, the 3rd and 4th rank of the phalanx were in rough.
We chose to say that the 4th rank was not counting as in was not in the open.
Even if the first 2 ranks were in the open, as the 3rd was in the the rough, we considered it disordered. Not that it changed anything considering the dice (only 2) but the swordman POA could then be applied by the legion...

Did we play it the right way ?

Jerome

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:23 am

I believe that as the 4th rank was not in Open Terrain it could not contribute its PoA to the melee - so I agree with your conclusion there.

However, as the Pikemen in combat were still Steady (this being a cohesion state IIRC) the legionarii would not count their Swordsmen PoA.

hammy · Post by **hammy** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:27 am

IIRC (and I will check) dissordered pike or spear are not steady.

In this case though the pike would be steady as the dissorder only affects the rear ranks that are in the terrain.

I hope that's right.

terrys · Post by **terrys** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:40 am

I believe that as the 4th rank was not in Open Terrain it could not contribute its PoA to the melee - so I agree with your conclusion there.

However, as the Pikemen in combat were still Steady (this being a cohesion state IIRC) the legionarii would not count their Swordsmen PoA.

I disagree......

Troops who are in terrain that causes disorder:
1) Do not count as steady
2) -1 on complex move tests
3) Lose 1 dice per 3 for shooting and close combat
4) No cohesion test penalty.

So in the situation described - the file with their rear 2 ranks in rough terrain get their POA for being in 3 ranks but do not get their POA for the 4th rank. The legionarii get their sword POA.

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:43 am

Checked - Steady is the cohesion state when you are not disrupted, etc, however, if you are disordered or worse you also do not count as steady.

As disorder only counts for bases in terrain I think as Hammy said the pikes would count as steady and no Swordsmen would apply as the pikemen they are facing are steady.

nikgaukroger · Post by **nikgaukroger** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:46 am

terrys wrote:
So in the situation described - the file with their rear 2 ranks in rough terrain get their POA for being in 3 ranks but do not get their POA for the 4th rank. The legionarii get their sword POA.

How so the last part?

The pikemen in contact are steady - the base is not in the disordering terrain - so how do the legionarii get their Swordsmen? It does not say there have to be x number of steady ranks of pikemen to deprive them of this just that they are facing steady pikemen.

terrys · Post by **terrys** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:48 am

How so the last part?

Because I screwed up!

The base that the legionarii is fighting is not in the rough - an therefore not disordered. In which case the legionarii do not get their POA - I stand corrected!