Slitherine

I understand that wheeling a division is like the whole division is one big block and the wheel is determined by the unit furthest out, the units closer to the pivot point wheeling less.

What I'm stupid about is how to do it as a practical matter -- short of cutting out a paper rectangle the size of the division, any practical advice on how to visualize this so as to wheel accurately? Even looking at the example in the book I'm having a hard time imaging how I'd actually work it out.

For FoG AM I made up small measuring rods (but very narrow), measured off in base widths. You place the end on the corner of the base pivoting, and that way, you wheel it out and you can measure exactly because you can see where the far base will move to. No accidental sliding or twisting.

I mean wheeling a division, though. The concern is if the unit on the outside edge of the division's wheel is in the second line of the division. It has me a bit confused how I will do it on the tabletop.

I'm also a little worried about how I'm going to get all the units in the division to keep their position relative to each other when the division wheels. Not sure how to do that, so any practical advice appreciated!

Easiest solution would be to never wheel them in a division in the first place.
Now as easy as that may be it is also probably not a practical solution so you might need a nice long straight edge the width of your division. Use it to measure the farthest units move. Leave it in place and measure the distance to the next unit in the division. Move the outside guy. Measure the distance between the next one in and whoever is beside it, move the second unit in from the outside and make sure it ends up the same distance from the first one you moved. Keep measuring and moving until they are all moved. Should help keep the spacing the same and they all end up on the same wheel line.

Or as I said at first, just don't wheel in a division which would still be the easiest solution

Use wheeling sticks ie 40mm rods, and to be honest not had a problum with wheeling its like wheeling a BL a long one mind but no of my opponents complained.

String.

Thread.

Thanks, that's giving me ideas! Maybe a lockable tape measure extended to the front of the division, then a measuring rod moves within that arc?

Pretty much the idea, you really just need a long enough straight edge to show where your division front should end up.

The new "Regimental Fire & Fury" included a "wheel template" at the back of the book which can also be down-loaded from here:
http://fireandfury.com/rffsupport/rff_w ... mplate.pdf

It should be fairly easy to make a similar template for either 40mm & 60mm wide basing.

John Mc

Looks like it mirrors how difficult it may have been to perform a huge great wheel back in the 17th C, especially when the field was full of smoke and noise etc!

I doubt those big wheels were all that accurate any way, as the troops would get jogged out of line and then you would likely stop and redress ranks when the wheel was complete. If you see some of the Tied knot footage there is a lot of smoke on the battle field once things get going alright. No wonder those poor officers got lost and tried to join enemy units.

Question as to how one wheels (or even moves) a division when all of its component units are not facing in the same direction (i.e. some units are "kinked" relative to one another). It would seem at first glance that such movement would be impossible because there would be no way for the units to remain in "exactly the same positions relative to each other" after the move. This would effectively require units within a division to face in the same direction. Is that the intended effect?

I believe so. I think they all have to move the same direction so not sure you can be facing in all sorts of odd directions although kinks in individual battle groups from previous wheels should not stop division moves.

Matt, in the Beta rules there was a diagram on wheeling a division but it did not cover your kinky case. It did not make it to the main rules. I think the key part is 'relative to each other'.

If you think about it as a line marking the front of a division wheeling 12 degrees anti clockwise, all you do is pick a point on a corner of the kinky line make that parallel to the line marking the front of the division, mark a line perpendicular to that point and keeping everything else relative swing it round. A little trig. and you will be able to ensure that the angle of kink remains the same relative to the original front and away you go.

Alternately you could just make it simple and say 'This would effectively require units within a division to face in the same direction'.

:)

timmy1 wrote:Matt, in the Beta rules there was a diagram on wheeling a division but it did not cover your kinky case. It did not make it to the main rules. I think the key part is 'relative to each other'.

If you think about it as a line marking the front of a division wheeling 12 degrees anti clockwise, all you do is pick a point on a corner of the kinky line make that parallel to the line marking the front of the division, mark a line perpendicular to that point and keeping everything else relative swing it round. A little trig. and you will be able to ensure that the angle of kink remains the same relative to the original front and away you go.

Alternately you could just make it simple and say 'This would effectively require units within a division to face in the same direction'.

Hmmm... I'm not quite visualizing how this would work. It would seem to me that moving all of the components of a kinked division so that they all end in "exactly" the same relative position would necessarily require some double wheels (wheel to line up with the direction of the division's march, forward move, 2nd wheel to line back up with the original facing). As double wheels are prohibited in divisional moves, this would appear to be illegal. It would be nice to get an official ruling on this one, as we seem to have a situation where the literal rules contradict the intent of the rules.

iversonjm wrote:Hmmm... I'm not quite visualizing how this would work. It would seem to me that moving all of the components of a kinked division so that they all end in "exactly" the same relative position would necessarily require some double wheels (wheel to line up with the direction of the division's march, forward move, 2nd wheel to line back up with the original facing). As double wheels are prohibited in divisional moves, this would appear to be illegal. It would be nice to get an official ruling on this one, as we seem to have a situation where the literal rules contradict the intent of the rules.

Matt is correct. The effect of the rules is that all BGs moving as a division have to start facing in the same direction. This is as intended. I agree that it would have been good for us to have stated this explicitly, but it does follow from the rules as written.

One for the FAQ I guess.

rbodleyscott wrote:

iversonjm wrote:Hmmm... I'm not quite visualizing how this would work. It would seem to me that moving all of the components of a kinked division so that they all end in "exactly" the same relative position would necessarily require some double wheels (wheel to line up with the direction of the division's march, forward move, 2nd wheel to line back up with the original facing). As double wheels are prohibited in divisional moves, this would appear to be illegal. It would be nice to get an official ruling on this one, as we seem to have a situation where the literal rules contradict the intent of the rules.

Matt is correct. The effect of the rules is that all BGs moving as a division have to start facing in the same direction. This is as intended. I agree that it would have been good for us to have stated this explicitly, but it does follow from the rules as written.

One for the FAQ I guess.

Thanks!