Slitherine

If I form a battle line, let's say with a unit of longbow in 2nd rank, with a unit of heavy foot in the front rank...When fighting the enemy, does this battle line function as one unit or two? Does the second rank unit of bows shoot in impact? If I lose the combat and get disrupted...do BOTH units get disrupted? If I attach a commander, does he bolster BOTH units?

Or am I making this far more difficult than it is? Both units act as separate units, and only maneuver as one?

(My friend and I have only played partial games 3 times, and are still getting our heads around the rules.)

One last question on BG count; How many BG's in an average 25mm army of 650 points? My current English list is sitting at 10 BG's.

Henry the fifth
King of England
King of France

A Battle Line is temporary. Battle Groups (BG) are permanent, at least until they are destroyed.

Battle lines allow BG to move more easily under a single general, but they are seperate entities for everything else

10 BG at 650 points is'nt too bad. IMO

Look at the starter lists if you want some idea of a typical 600 point army. This should give some idea what to expect at 650 pts (roughly, add a BG to starter list armies).

david53 wrote:10 BG at 650 points is'nt too bad. IMO

It is a fair number at 650 points.

The Libyan army I used the other month had 13 but then it was all undrilled and unprotected.

I believe that Dave Allen managed 20 BGs in a Late Republican army at 650 points but a lot of them were small or tiny.

hammy wrote:I believe that Dave Allen managed 20 BGs in a Late Republican army at 650 points but a lot of them were small or tiny.

And Rubbish

Another question if I may. I like the look of the mounted "lighter" men at arms from the later medieval German list. I'm taking it as an all around medium/heavy cavalry unit to give my list a minor bit of mobility. Anyway...am I correct that I do not need to purchase an allied commander with the unit? I know that the English commanders would not be able to affect this German unit for movement, bolstering etc...but could it be sent with an English commander and another English cavalry unit on a flank march?

Thanks!

Henry the fifth
King of England and France

Anyway...am I correct that I do not need to purchase an allied commander with the unit?

Sadly not - no. If a BG comes from an allied contingent, you must have an allied commander.

And the answer to your next question is possibly. Theoretically a flank march can have mixed troops as you describe - but since all must arrive within the command radius of their commander it makes it pratically impossible.

Aha. Then the German knights are out...and the English Hobilars are back in.

Henry the fifth
King of England and France

HenryTheFifth wrote:If I form a battle line, let's say with a unit of longbow in 2nd rank, with a unit of heavy foot in the front rank...When fighting the enemy, does this battle line function as one unit or two? Does the second rank unit of bows shoot in impact? If I lose the combat and get disrupted...do BOTH units get disrupted? If I attach a commander, does he bolster BOTH units?

Your battle line would be able to move 'as one', but as the worst possible type. This means that if you had to do any tests etc to do a manouver, then you would test as the worst one. Battle lines only really affect manouver. In combat you have two units so your second rank wouldn't shoot. Worse, in the melee phase your front rank heavy foot would only roll 1 dice instead of two, as the second rank wouldn't even fight.

HenryTheFifth wrote:Another question if I may. I like the look of the mounted "lighter" men at arms from the later medieval German list. I'm taking it as an all around medium/heavy cavalry unit to give my list a minor bit of mobility. Anyway...am I correct that I do not need to purchase an allied commander with the unit? I know that the English commanders would not be able to affect this German unit for movement, bolstering etc...but could it be sent with an English commander and another English cavalry unit on a flank march?

Thanks!

Henry the fifth
King of England and France

The German ally is only available in 1339-1340, so there are no "lighter MAA" available at all. One could make the argument that if it's 1339 you should be using a German ally from OoF, probably Fuedal Germans. But they only get the usual knights, spears, and crossbows.