Slitherine

The diagram in the "Field of Glory V2 Ancients - UK Umpire Classifications", under "Feeding More Bases into an Existing Melee" seems to suggest that this is acceptable. If so, is it due to the fact that the back rank bases, although counted for melee, were not "in contact" with enemy?

The diagram shows a BG of Knights - so the back rank does not contribute to the melee and is free to expand. In your example all bases are fighting so may not be moved. Page 79 - 4th bullet

So, Mac, cavalry can't do it because the front two ranks fight. Knights only fight in one rank. So if you change your example to be two battle groups of 6 knights on either side then yes, you can expand out to fight the Light foot.

This is particularly glorious when it happens as your knights, even if there's an overlapping file of LF too, will have two dice against two and will be hitting on threes whereas the LF are hitting on 5s and are often worse quality. So, overall, your knights will probably do more hits than they receive comfortably so will not be losing cohesion and bases - whereas the enemy knights may well be taking a pasting from yours. Even better, the LF can't break off combat and usually die quickly.

Don't get light skirmish troops tangled up in a close quarters fight against tough guys!

THis situation came up in a game:
P are protected pike in melee with unprotected bow.

The pike player wanted to feed in the 3rd rank of the overlapping file to match the bowmen's overlap.

His argument was that this base was not contributing a POA because the net POA did not change if the base was removed.
The bowmen player said that 3 ranks of pike give you a POA that 2 ranks don't, so it was contributing a POA and it was the better armour that wasn't contributing a POA.

Could he feed in or not?

Could he feed in or not?

I don't believe so - no.

Quite simply they are contributing a POA by being a 3 rank file of pike. Unfortunately it is the armour POA which is not being counted as there is only 1 armour class difference. I can see the logic for your opponent's point though. Had they started 2 deep they would still be a POA up for their armour.

As usual - I am sure others will disagree.

Not this time

Not this time

There's still time.