Flank charge

[turenne]

During the last battle against Waldorf i had 2 flank charges with royalist cavalry. One was against musketeers and the other against a pike and shot unit in melee against one of my pike and shot unit. The first charge saw the musketeers loosing one level of organisation but not the second one. Is there anything in the rules to explain that ?

[w_michael]

There are a few qualifiers for the cohesion level drop, but only one seems to apply here: 9.4.5 "Charges by units that start their (whole) move behind the flank of a unit count as flank/rear attacks." For normal movement it is tested at the start of the movement phase. For pursuit it is judged at the start of the pursuit. I don't think the following applied in your case, but there is 12.2: Moreover, a unit cannot drop cohesion twice in the same turn from shooting, nor from impact close combat, nor continuing close combat."

[Waldorf]

My recollection is that the one that failed did not *start*from the flank. I have never been sure, but in my experience it does depend on the angle of approach, and the rule cited above seems to cover that.

[Waldorf]

...there is also of course the fact that God is on the side of the just!

[deadtorius]

I have had a similar experience where I charged into the rear of a pike and shot unit that was in an enclosed field with Cavaliers, and the foot did not drop a cohesion level. In fact I lost the combat. During that same battle I had a pike and shot unit rear charge an enemy pike and shot unit and it did drop cohesion. Not sure about the rules but looked to me like mounted don't cause an auto cohesion loss for foot if they are not in the open.

[rbodleyscott]

I have had a similar experience where I charged into the rear of a pike and shot unit that was in an enclosed field with Cavaliers, and the foot did not drop a cohesion level. In fact I lost the combat. During that same battle I had a pike and shot unit rear charge an enemy pike and shot unit and it did drop cohesion. Not sure about the rules but looked to me like mounted don't cause an auto cohesion loss for foot if they are not in the open.

Hedges protect foot (but not horse) against flank/rear charges. See manual, section 14.6.2.

Note. however, that (also as per the manual) troops in an enclosed field square that is adjacent to a road/partial field square do not get protection from the hedge along the road because it is not on the edge of the square they are in.