Slitherine

I want to confirm my understanding of impact combat over multiple turns:

Turn 1 - Protected lance cavalry charge protected HI with heavy weapon in open terrain. Lance Cavalry get +1 for lance. HI have no POA, so lancers stay with the +1 and HI roll at -1. HI survive the impact without being disrupted or fragmented. On the HI portion of the turn, the HI fights a mele combat and gets +1 POA for heavy weapon. If the lancers count as swordsmen as well, they also get +1 POA, eliminating the POA from the HI heavy weapon. For this example, both survive again without disruption.

Turn 2 - Lancers and HI fight it out again on the lancers part of the turn, again with no disruption. On the HI part of the turn, in order to help the HI, another friendly HI with heavy weapon charges the lancers. Even though the lancers have remained in mele on turn 1, this counts as an impact for just the new HI BG and for the lancers. The lancers get the +1 for lance and the new HI rolls at -1. Then, the separate mele is resolved between the lancers and the original HI BG it charged.

I think this is correct but seems odd that the lancers would get the +1 against the new HI BG when they did not really charge. If all of the charges took place on turn 1, then I could understand that both lancers charging original HI and second HI charge would be considered simultaneous. On a subsequent turn, such a cgarge would not seem to be simultaneous. Perhaps the combat mechanism will not allow any other way to resolve these more complex charges and counter-charges?

Well, you definately understand the mechanism correctly, that is how it works....
As for a historical/and or design justification... hmmmm....

I guess back in the day when units had 1500 men, the idea was that a bg wasnt a distinct unit but a formation of sorts , with not all sub formations necasarily commited to the same action ie a squadron up front meleeing and maybe one or two in the rear uncommited that could "counter charge" a new assailant etc...
Now with units being discreetly 300 men, it is harder to "abstract it", although a bg is still meant to be a formation of sorts....

I guess you could argue some rear rankers , flankers were able to face the charging HI and conduct a small counter charge....

One thing though, if you charge the units flank, i believe there is a compbat bonus for that 9lancer loses a die?), since the lancer will be commited to melee in another direction, ie it it is locked in so to speak....

I can't find anything on reducing the number of attacks the lancers would receive for a flank attack in the attack section or the combat mechanism section. Could it be somewhere else?

Another problem is that second attack by the new HI BG would be met with the WHOLE strength of the receiving lancer BG, even though, presumably, part of its strength would be occupied with the first HI BG it charged.

mceochaidh wrote:I can't find anything on reducing the number of attacks the lancers would receive for a flank attack in the attack section or the combat mechanism section. Could it be somewhere else?

Another problem is that second attack by the new HI BG would be met with the WHOLE strength of the receiving lancer BG, even though, presumably, part of its strength would be occupied with the first HI BG it charged.

Hmm, I assumed it would be under that section too... I'll poke around for when i have access to fog

EDIt: Its not , appears only flank modifier for melee combat!


Well what you say makes sense , unless you really stress the abstraction. Sure, ALL the lancers cant meet the second wave of charging HI, however, nor can ALL the HI charge and make contact with the lancers either

It makes more sense on the TT where your not restricted to a 4 base unit so you can end up with extra bases sitting out there not in melee or even if they are all in melee you could assume your rear rank is the one that is counter charging or something like that.
As for the PC game it copies the TT combat rules with the exception of actually assigning a specific number of men to each unit, and a few new POA's and combat mechanisms to try and work out the hex restrictions you don't get on the TT.
Perhaps it is not meant to make sense