Slitherine

Can LT expand once in combat, or are they limited to their original 3-4 wide formation by the "formations" rule?

When a LT shoots to the side, the shooting bases count their side edge as the front. Does this mean they get 3 bases firing (on a 60mm frontage) ?

Does each base or each file or the whole unit choose its own choice of firing edge and hence target priority ?

Tim,

Don't know about 2 and 3, which are stonkingly good questions.

However where you ask 'Can LT expand once in combat, or are they limited to their original 3-4 wide formation by the "formations" rule?', I believe that P97 answers that in the bullet that starts 'Subject to the restrictions above':

'Tercios and mixed foot battle groups may be able to shift sideways instead.'

Regards
Tim

In my opinion,

To your 1st point I don't think that they can expand in close combat neither can any other pike shot formations unless in a single column.
To your 2nd point yes, but I would play 2 in the front rank and 1 in the 2nd.
To your 3rd point I would say 1st 2 ranks front is front, if nothing to the front then shoot to the side.

This is just my opinion and assumption of intent in the rules.

I just wanted this one to get to the top of the pile again as none of the talking heads have answered Tim's points yet. The point about Tercios firing to the side I had already noticed and was eagerly awaiting a reply. I cannot believe that this has not come up in Beta testing!

kadeshuk wrote:I just wanted this one to get to the top of the pile again as none of the talking heads have answered Tim's points yet. The point about Tercios firing to the side I had already noticed and was eagerly awaiting a reply.

It is all covered in the rules.

Tercios cannot expand beyond their normal formation width, because that would be an illegal formation. As per the formation rules and the "feeding more bases into an existing close combat" rules.

LT shooting to the side:

"Tercio shot shooting to their flank treat the shooting file as their front rank".

Thus 3 bases shooting on a 1.5 base frontage. Exactly the same number of dice per base frontage as to the front.

Target priority as per the target priority rules: "A base which can shoot from more than one edge must shoot at whichever possible target has highest priority"

LT shooting to the side:

"Tercio shot shooting to their flank treat the shooting file as their front rank".

Thus 3 bases shooting on a 1.5 base frontage. Exactly the same number of dice per base frontage as to the front.

Richard my reading of this means,

Only ever 1 die to the side in a late Tercio

unless with musket at short range where 2 is possible.

As a frontage of 1.5 base widths only allows 1 base in the front and 1 base in the rear.

The third base is lost, however an Early Tercio could shoot with 3 or 4 bases to the side depending on the number of shot types in the file.

donkiesrus2003 wrote:

rbodleyscott wrote:LT shooting to the side:

"Tercio shot shooting to their flank treat the shooting file as their front rank".

Thus 3 bases shooting on a 1.5 base frontage. Exactly the same number of dice per base frontage as to the front.

Richard my reading of this means,

Only ever 1 die to the side in a late Tercio

unless with musket at short range where 2 is possible.

As a frontage of 1.5 base widths only allows 1 base in the front and 1 base in the rear.

The third base is lost, however an Early Tercio could shoot with 3 or 4 bases to the side depending on the number of shot types in the file.

I understand your logic, but your interpretation is based on the unwarranted assumption that the rules require the shot sleeve to behave as if the bases were physically turned sideways to shoot. They don't.

The file counts as the front rank when shooting to the flank, each base treats its side edge as its front edge (see P.108, Arc of Fire). The file counts as the front rank, there are thus 3 bases in the "front rank", each counting its side edge as its front edge, thus 3 bases can shoot. At close range that means 3 dice.

This is the intent of the rule, and it is what the rules say.

Another one for the FAQ, however, if people are having difficulty with it.

Thanks for that , Richard. I didn't extrapolate the flank firing from the wording of the rules, so I do think that it should be in the FAQs.

Thanks for the clarification Richard.