Conformation into contact

[titanu]

In the picture above I have two LH units facing up the board. One has brown bases and the other sand bases. The latter has charged the enemy to their front. The picture is after impact combat has been resolved. The enemy unit in combat and the unit next to it are parallel. The other enemy unit was also parallel but has turned 90 degrees.
Now if I conform with the enemy I will push my other unit sideways into contact with the front of the enemy unit. They would not shift if this is 'blocked by enemy' but in this instance they are not blocked.

[petedalby]

Life would be so much easier if we didn't have conforming wouldn't it.

As you say, the conform happens - no reason it shouldn't.

Page 82 covers moving into contact with enemy BGs. This situation is not covered. I think I would allow the conform and shift but no melee combat for the 2 BGs now pushed together until the impact phase when the enemy could charge your BG in the flank and you could choose to evade.

But you could just as easily argue that the 2 BGs pushed together should fight. And as it is your movement phase you could turn to that flank and initiate the melee.

[titanu]

Thanks Pete. We played it that I did not conform and he shagged all three BGs anyway

[dave_r]

I would argue that the conform does not occur. In order to conform, the friendly unit must be shifted sideways.

It is not possible for this unit to shift sideways as that would make contact with the enemy to the flank, which is not permitted. Therefore this conformation is blocked by enemy

[titanu]

It is not possible for this unit to shift sideways as that would make contact with the enemy to the flank, which is not permitted. Therefore this conformation is blocked by enemy

I would argue that it is not blocked as the move can be made. Why do you say it is not permitted

[dave_r]

It is not possible for this unit to shift sideways as that would make contact with the enemy to the flank, which is not permitted. Therefore this conformation is blocked by enemy

I would argue that it is not blocked as the move can be made. Why do you say it is not permitted

Pg 82 - helpfully titled "Moving into contact with enemy battle groups".

It states "Battle groups can move into contact with enemy battle groups in the manoeuvre phase, but only to join an existing melee in an overlap position only."

As you are not moving into an overlap position (also defined on page 82) then this contact is not permissible. And to quote pg 82 further "Any other contact must wait until the next impact phase and is initiated by charging". Presumably in this scenario a fairly nasty flank charge.

[zoltan]

It's hard to see precisely from the photo but it might be possible for the BGs to line up/shift without contacting the left hand any BG salivating at the prospect of a flank charge next move. Looks like there could be half a nat's todger of room. You'd need to lay a straight edge or get out the theodolite.

[dave_r]

It's hard to see precisely from the photo but it might be possible for the BGs to line up/shift without contacting the left hand any BG salivating at the prospect of a flank charge next move. Looks like there could be half a nat's todger of room. You'd need to lay a straight edge or get out the theodolite.

Probably one of those things that's declared just in case somebody bashes the table. Given the following comment "Now if I conform with the enemy I will push my other unit sideways into contact with the front of the enemy unit." I'm assuming they should be flush so conforming would put them in contact.