Slitherine

I thought about throwing this question into the other Support Rank Shooting thread - but thought better of it, so here goes:

I think I am correct that in certain terrain (Forest & Plantations) you can only shoot in a single rank.
This may be a very silly question but my assumption is that therefore there can be no Supporting Rank shooting in these terrain types, in either the Impact or Melee phases.
So a 3rd rank of supporting LF or MF normally capable of delivering supporting rank shooting in the open cannot shoot in this terrain, so cannot provide support.
Similarly a 2nd rank of MF bows (or crossbows or Longbows) cannot shoot so cannot provide Support Rank shooting. Obviously if the 2nd rank are able to fight hand to hand they will have to do so rather than shoot (so in the case of a MF LB units which is also swordsmen the 2nd rank can fight in melee but cannot shoot in support of the front rank).
If you have a mixed unit MF light spears (& bows) in the front rank and MF bows in 2nd rank, again I am assuming that the 2nd rank cannot shoot in either the impact or melee phase.

Am I correct with this and making a meal out of it or is there something I'm missing?

Cheers

Mark

Where only the front rank can shoot the rear ranks cannot support shoot

The rule wording is "Troops inside can only shoot in 1 rank"

That 1 rank is not necessarily the front rank.

So 1st rank spear, second rank bow could shoot from the second rank, for example.

That might be what the authors intended, but I'm not sure.

I would assume that the problem is shooting arrows at a high arc in trees. I have always played that only the front rank is capable of shooting. This would be a better wording but probably wasn't that obvious when first written.

I am pretty sure we have clarified before that you cannot support shoot in terrain where only 1 rank shoots. Should have said only FRONT rank shoots really.

Si

This has been clarified in the FAQs.

Pete

Many thanks all - that was my 'logical' thinking - but in the past my 'logic' has not necessarily been that of the rules writers
So it looks like I'll be hunting those pesty longbowmen in woods in future
Cheers

Mark