FoG2 Manual: obsolete parts?

[kronenblatt]

I just discovered the awesome FoG2 and is reading up on rules, units, tactics, advice. Inter alia from the manual.

Given that the manual was published for v1.0 (I assume) in 2017/18, which rules presented in the manual can now be considered obsolete and which rules apply instead?

[Athos1660]

Read the very-nicely done manual. Most rules still apply.
Then read the patch notes accessible from the game.

[kronenblatt]

Read the very-nicely done manual. Most rules still apply.
Then read the patch notes accessible from the game.

I've already read the manual twice. That's why I'm interested in which important rules in there that have changed.

But thanks for the advice on looking into the patch notes. Will do that too.

And meanwhile if anyone else know about rules in the manual that have changed, please write here. Thanks!

[Mord]

Section 12.1.1. Change: “if a unit is in the ZOC of multiple enemy units, the game will decide which one it must move away from – prioritizing primary ZOCers” to “If a unit is in the ZOC of multiple enemy units, its movement is restricted by all of these.”

Change: Close Order Warbands and troops of “Below Average” (or “Somewhat Disheartened”) or worse quality are excluded from the +1 Cohesion Test modifier for being Heavy Foot.

Correction: Pike units cease to be rated as Shock troops once the entire back rank of models has been lost. This means that they once they have suffered 25% losses, they no longer follow up enemy that fall back from them.


• Slings can now shoot overhead from higher ground.

• Addition to Impact POA Chart: Lancers: (in open terrain only) +50 POA vs steady, noncharging Pikemen, Offensive Spearmen or Defensive Spearmen.

• Addition to Melee POA Chart: Mounted Swordsmen: +50 POA if Cataphracts vs steady Pike, Offensive Spearmen or Defensive Spearmen unless these are defending an obstacle.



• Change: Unless they are in Rough or Difficult terrain, or defending an obstacle, Light Foot will now always evade non-light troops.

• Change: Light Foot can only charge non-light troops if the latter are in Rough or Difficult terrain.



• Manual change: Impact POA chart. Heavy Weapon. +100 POA vs any (unless the infantry are charging mounted shock troops).

• Manual change: Impact POA chart. Heavy Chariots in open terrain have +150 POA vs any troops except elephants, light foot, light horse or steady foot who are pike, offensive spearmen or defensive spearmen.

• Manual clarification: Units with 50% Light Spear, Lancers, Heavy Weapon or Defensive Spearmen capability get full POA effect from these at Impact as if 100% of the unit had the capability. In melee, however, 50% Swordsmen, Heavy Weapon or Defensive Spearmen get 50% of the full POA.



• Manual correction: Melee POA chart. Heavy and Scythed chariots both have +100 POA vs any troops except elephants, light foot, light horse or steady foot who are pike, offensive spearmen or defending an obstacle.

• Manual correction: Irrigation ditches give +25 POA in Impact and Melee combat to foot defenders if the unit is not missile troops vs mounted and so does not qualify for +100 POA for “Protection”.

• Manual addition: Shooting POA chart: Massed non-combat bowmen with unbroken enemy combat troops within 2 squares of them and not facing away from them get -70 POA shooting modifier.



• Manual Clarification: If a unit evades and is caught by the chargers, this automatically counts as a rear attack, and causes a cohesion drop even though the unit is not already in close combat. (Unless the evaders are non-light troops being charged by light troops). If the unit is then charged by another unit, it cannot evade again. However, this second charge does not automatically count as a rear attack, so won't cause the cohesion to drop unless it was a legal flank/rear attack using the normal rules for that. If it does count as a legal flank/rear attack it will cause a cohesion drop even though the unit is not already in close combat. (Unless the previous evaders are non-light troops being charged by light troops).


• Manual Clarification: Setting Rain or Snow for a scenario in the Editor gives a -50 POA modifier to all shooting except by javelins.

• Manual clarification: A unit disordered or severely disordered by terrain loses that disorder as soon as it completely leaves the adverse terrain square. (i.e. the unit is now in an open terrain square.)


Mord.

[kronenblatt]

Section 12.1.1. Change: “if a unit is in the ZOC of multiple enemy units, the game will decide which one it must move away from – prioritizing primary ZOCers” to “If a unit is in the ZOC of multiple enemy units, its movement is restricted by all of these.”

Change: Close Order Warbands and troops of “Below Average” (or “Somewhat Disheartened”) or worse quality are excluded from the +1 Cohesion Test modifier for being Heavy Foot.

Correction: Pike units cease to be rated as Shock troops once the entire back rank of models has been lost. This means that they once they have suffered 25% losses, they no longer follow up enemy that fall back from them.


• Slings can now shoot overhead from higher ground.

• Addition to Impact POA Chart: Lancers: (in open terrain only) +50 POA vs steady, noncharging Pikemen, Offensive Spearmen or Defensive Spearmen.

• Addition to Melee POA Chart: Mounted Swordsmen: +50 POA if Cataphracts vs steady Pike, Offensive Spearmen or Defensive Spearmen unless these are defending an obstacle.



• Change: Unless they are in Rough or Difficult terrain, or defending an obstacle, Light Foot will now always evade non-light troops.

• Change: Light Foot can only charge non-light troops if the latter are in Rough or Difficult terrain.



• Manual change: Impact POA chart. Heavy Weapon. +100 POA vs any (unless the infantry are charging mounted shock troops).

• Manual change: Impact POA chart. Heavy Chariots in open terrain have +150 POA vs any troops except elephants, light foot, light horse or steady foot who are pike, offensive spearmen or defensive spearmen.

• Manual clarification: Units with 50% Light Spear, Lancers, Heavy Weapon or Defensive Spearmen capability get full POA effect from these at Impact as if 100% of the unit had the capability. In melee, however, 50% Swordsmen, Heavy Weapon or Defensive Spearmen get 50% of the full POA.



• Manual correction: Melee POA chart. Heavy and Scythed chariots both have +100 POA vs any troops except elephants, light foot, light horse or steady foot who are pike, offensive spearmen or defending an obstacle.

• Manual correction: Irrigation ditches give +25 POA in Impact and Melee combat to foot defenders if the unit is not missile troops vs mounted and so does not qualify for +100 POA for “Protection”.

• Manual addition: Shooting POA chart: Massed non-combat bowmen with unbroken enemy combat troops within 2 squares of them and not facing away from them get -70 POA shooting modifier.



• Manual Clarification: If a unit evades and is caught by the chargers, this automatically counts as a rear attack, and causes a cohesion drop even though the unit is not already in close combat. (Unless the evaders are non-light troops being charged by light troops). If the unit is then charged by another unit, it cannot evade again. However, this second charge does not automatically count as a rear attack, so won't cause the cohesion to drop unless it was a legal flank/rear attack using the normal rules for that. If it does count as a legal flank/rear attack it will cause a cohesion drop even though the unit is not already in close combat. (Unless the previous evaders are non-light troops being charged by light troops).


• Manual Clarification: Setting Rain or Snow for a scenario in the Editor gives a -50 POA modifier to all shooting except by javelins.

• Manual clarification: A unit disordered or severely disordered by terrain loses that disorder as soon as it completely leaves the adverse terrain square. (i.e. the unit is now in an open terrain square.)


Mord.

Excellent Mord, exactly what I was after: many thanks! Highly appreciated!

[kronenblatt]

I also assembled the patch notes/change logs (up to and including 1.5.28) to the versions that I could find (ignoring betas), pdf can be found HERE.

[Mord]

You're welcome. Glad it helped.

Mord.

[rs2excelsior]

There’s also been a change to how heavy weapons work. They used to just negate any armor advantage completely and had no effect if the heavy weapon unit also had the same or better armor, I think. Now they give a small PoA bonus and negate a portion of enemy armor, regardless of the HW unit’s relative armor.

[kronenblatt]

There’s also been a change to how heavy weapons work. They used to just negate any armor advantage completely and had no effect if the heavy weapon unit also had the same or better armor, I think. Now they give a small PoA bonus and negate a portion of enemy armor, regardless of the HW unit’s relative armor.

Thanks! Is it this one, from 1.5.23, you're thinking of ?

Heavy Weapon: Now cancels only the first 50 POA of enemy armour advantage. As
previously, units with less than 100% HW remove only the equivalent proportion of the
enemy armour advantage, but this is now explicitly stated in the detailed unit information
panel (CTRL-LEFT click).
(The effect of the above is that 100% HW units will still cancel all armour advantage vs
Armoured or less well-protected units, but more heavily armoured enemy will retain some
armour advantage if the HW troops are significantly less well armoured.)

Heavy Weapon: Armoured or better-protected troops with Heavy Weapon get an extra +10
POA in melee vs all troops except elephants.

[rs2excelsior]

Yep, that’s the change I was thinking of.

[kronenblatt]

Read the very-nicely done manual. Most rules still apply.
Then read the patch notes accessible from the game.

Ah, Athos! Now I'm back at my computer and understand what you meant with the usefulness of the patch notes: ALL historical patch notes are in there as well! Thanks!