Slitherine

I had a unit of front rank heavy weapons, rear rank bow on the table last night, and the question arose of what would happen if one of the heavy weapons died, and the bow took over as a front rank figure.

Would this unit then have to test to charge for having partial shooting troops in the front rank ?


Cheers

does it not have to test anyway for being MF with bow?

It has to test to charge if front rank are bow armed, unless charging skirmishers IIRC, so good question

Oh right. So I'd imagine it has to test in those circumstances. The front rank is bow armed, ableit only partially.

I think the literal rules say front ranked armed with bow.

So if front rank is HW, 2nd rank bow. They can charge.

If they change formation or take loss so 1 base of front rank is bow armed apparently that changes the units options unless some author says the units intent matters.

Plan B being...shrink to 2 ranks wide, and have the archer go into a 3 deep I suppose.

Or even better, don't get bloody shot up. Although in my latter game last night, some armoured spearmen suffered 5 hits from 7 shots from some mean dice wielding archers.. SOmedays it don't pay to be armoured instead of protected it seems.

On a related issue, what happens if all the heavy foot are lost? Does it become a MF battle group. This happened to us a couple of weeks ago. The rout distance was important. I feel it is still a mixed BG, loss of bases not changing its status. Other opinions welcome.

If there's only MF left they are MF IMO. Its like a mixed lancer Bow BG. Once the lancers are dead what's left can evade.

If there's only MF left they are MF IMO. Its like a mixed lancer Bow BG. Once the lancers are dead what's left can evade.

FWIW I'd agree - and it keeps it simple - they are what you see.