Flank charge and reaction

[Strategos69]

I will post some images to see the situation and ask you how it should be solved. This was the imitial position:



The cavalry decide to charge in the flank. I think it is a legal charge. They should be displayed in this position.



Now the question: the hoplites behind, can they interact? If the cavalry was forced to push bases they will contact with the interceptors; if the cavalry had to conform to their enemies flank, they will be inside ZoI.





In the melee phase, would the cavalry discover its flank to the hoplites (even if it cannot be a flank charge).

[rbodleyscott]

As shown, it is not a flank charge because the first part of the enemy BG contacted is the front corner. Also the intercept must go straight forward, and would not be possible if blocked by the friends.

In order to make a legal flank charge, the cavalry would have to wheel so that they hit the side edge of the enemy BG without hitting a front corner first. That being the case, the rear BG would be likely to be able to intercept.

However, as the cavalry start their move within 1 MU of the enemy they are not allowed to wheel into the flank - so in fact there is no way that they can make a legal flank charge from the position shown.

The charge as shown in your diagram is correct, and counts as a normal frontal charge. If there is no intercept by the rear BG, the cavalry will conform to the front enemy BG in the manouvre phase by wheeling/pivoting back so that they are parallel to their front.

[sagji]

An interception can not include a change of formation, and can only include a wheel to avoid being charged in the flank by the intercepted BG. The intercepting BG MUST cross the path of the charge, I don't think this includes stepping forward and it definitely doesn't include stepping forward that only happens as a result of the interception.

If the LH had been 1mm forward, or had charged in first, then they would have blocked the left cavalry which would have been able to drop behind the others, this would then have been a legal flank charge.

[Strategos69]

Thanks, noted. I can't remember exactly (the diagram is not very good) but when we played it seemed to be a clearer flank charge: there was no room to contact the front corner as the light foot were there, but with the photos I think that maybe we were very eager to try flank charge rules to see how they worked (our first game). It seemed odd also that when conforming, the chargers were clearly in the ZoI.

As the sequence is: 0) Test CMT 1) move interceptors 2) move the chargers - we wondered while playing if the chargers should be forced to push forth in order to contact the interceptors. It seems that there is no logic, but in this case, depending the way in which you charged you could avoid the interceptors (it was about 1mm as you said). Both comments have been very useful.

[hammy]

Your charging BG was definitely in a possition where it could make a legal flank charge but without the LF in the way the charge would not have counted as a flank charge because it would have hit the front corner. The LF in the way would force your charging BG to drop a file back to make room and the charge would be a real flank charge.

The intercetion part is much easier. Interceptions can only be made by BGs that are not being charged (you were OK on this one) and where the chargers will cross the zone of interception or in this case 2MU directly in front of the BG wanting to intercept (in your example it looks like the charge goes nowhere near the ZOI of the rear BG.

Where an interception charge crosses the path of a charge the chargers must contact the interceping BG and if appropriate step forwards.

If you have a situation like this:

Code: Select all

   III

TTT

 CCC

Where I are the interceptors and are more than their interception move behind the target of the charge T then I cannot intercept even though if it moved forwards its interception distance it would put it in a possition where the chargers C would step forwards into them. This is because the charge of C does not cross the ZoI of I.

If I was nearer T such that it could intercept past BG T then the interceptors could move past T forcing C to hit them as well at the initial target.

[sagji]

Thanks, noted. I can't remember exactly (the diagram is not very good) but when we played it seemed to be a clearer flank charge: there was no room to contact the front corner as the light foot were there, but with the photos I think that maybe we were very eager to try flank charge rules to see how they worked (our first game). It seemed odd also that when conforming, the chargers were clearly in the ZoI.

As the sequence is: 0) Test CMT 1) move interceptors 2) move the chargers - we wondered while playing if the chargers should be forced to push forth in order to contact the interceptors. It seems that there is no logic, but in this case, depending the way in which you charged you could avoid the interceptors (it was about 1mm as you said). Both comments have been very useful.

The diagram shows the front edge of the cav touching the corner of the enemy. The first bullet on p56 requires that a flank or rear charge must first contact; a side or rear edge, or a rear corner.
If the LF are preventing the left cavalry's path then they contract behind the others and the charge is a valid flank charge - with one base each.