Field of Movement in battle

[beserko]

I have played most of the battlles and made some for myself but on thing I can't seem to grasp is movement.
I could explain it better with screen shots but escentially it this .....

The lines meet!

My Romans are surging through, My reserves are in place to take advantage of the holes (I used to be a fullback)

BUT ... The open squares of my reserve units often don't include the breakthrough hexes.

Now I know about field of influence and what not but why can't I take advantage of my stratagy. Thats the purpose of a reserve.

I have said this before and I'll say it again, I like a paper manual(they help me sleep better!). This online,ondisk scheme does not do it for me. I'm probly missing something in the movement rules.

Regards from chilly Boston

[batesmotel]

BGs can only advance into contact with enemy through their front two hex sides. Take a look at the description of front, flank and rear in the on line help. So while you can essentially face and move in other directions when not moving into contact, you are restricted in terms of moving into contact with enemy to moving within the wedge defined by the two front hexsides of the BG when it begins movement. You also seem to be limited in terms of engaging enemy that can be contacted within this wedge to first having to engage enemy units whose front hex side you would be moving adjacent to. This will allow one enemy unit to frequently protect what would otherwise be a rear hex for another enemy unit. I think there may be additional factors that further prioritize which units you can actually initiate impact combat against when moving within the forward wedge but haven't figured those out completely.

Chris

[deadtorius]

Basically if you can't charge it you can't move next to it. This becomes very apparent with lights who can get a lot of movement but you will see blank hexes adjacent to enemy not in the front arc of the lights at the beginning of the move. Since you likely have friends blocking a direct charge path to an enemy adjacent to the hole you are referring to your facing would stop you from charging into that opening. Unfortunately you can't just move on past an enemy unit in an adjacent hex, if you are adjacent you have to go into melee with it which requires a charge.
Hopefully that helps out your concern from your description.

[beserko]

Ok, here are some examples







The last one really puzzles me?

[Blathergut]

I think it's like dead. said:

a) LF can't move adj. to enemy.
b) the horse can't move adj./charge since it's not in front arc

c)...I don't get why the MF can't charge!

[batesmotel]

I think it's like dead. said:

a) LF can't move adj. to enemy.
b) the horse can't move adj./charge since it's not in front arc

c)...I don't get why the MF can't charge!

The MF already moved and hence is shaded. Took me a minute to figure that out. The cavalry with the darker blue circle around it is the active unit and what is blocked for that makes sense despite the black arrows incorrectly being for the MF. (I had to look twice to figure it out so thought it worthwhile explaining.)

Chris

[deadtorius]

The one MF in the first pic is shaded and has moved but the other one which is highlighted should be able to charge but for some reason is being blocked. Unless there is something going on that has been cut off from the pic I think it should have been able to charge the right hand cav unit. The other cav unit is not in its front and could not be charged.
You really have to get used to the whole facing issue especially with undrilled troops as their front facing you can't change once you move them and often seem to end up facing in a direction you don't want them to after they move.

The front arc is the two hex sides the unit is facing and that is the only arc they can charge into. It took me a while to get a handle on what was the front arc of the units in the game too. Now I can tell which way they are facing and usually which way I need my troops facing to set up those charges for the next turn.

[deeter]

My guess is the MF is fragged, but not showing it in the picture.

Deeter

[deadtorius]

That would make sense too.
Fragged troops cannot charge but can be charged so they would not be able to move adjacent to an enemy unit.