Slitherine

As a club, we may have well been using incorrect casualty base removal for mixed type units, so having re-read the rule, I wanted to check that I now have it right.
The rule on long range artillery is clear and easily understood; using the example of a standard 4 shot & 2 pike formation; in melee combat 1st stand loss is owners choice of type from those stands engaged, with subsequent losses keeping the proportion rule , so 2nd stand also owners choice.
In shooting, where the opposing units do not involve long range artillery and are parallel and roughly equidistant, the 1st stand lost is again owners choice etc. Where the lines are at an angle to one another, then the first stand loss must be the closest rangewise to the shooters, and using this example almost certainly a shot stand, with subsequent losses being owners choice ( though if truth be told I am still a little unsure whether this is so, or whether the 2nd loss would also have to be shot). Could someone either confirm or correct, please?

kadeshuk wrote:As a club, we may have well been using incorrect casualty base removal for mixed type units, so having re-read the rule, I wanted to check that I now have it right.
The rule on long range artillery is clear and easily understood; using the example of a standard 4 shot & 2 pike formation; in melee combat 1st stand loss is owners choice of type from those stands engaged, with subsequent losses keeping the proportion rule , so 2nd stand also owners choice.
In shooting, where the opposing units do not involve long range artillery and are parallel and roughly equidistant, the 1st stand lost is again owners choice etc. Where the lines are at an angle to one another, then the first stand loss must be the closest rangewise to the shooters, and using this example almost certainly a shot stand, with subsequent losses being owners choice ( though if truth be told I am still a little unsure whether this is so, or whether the 2nd loss would also have to be shot). Could someone either confirm or correct, please?

I have used Pike and then shot base?

..and that is the rule that we were using; until yesterday. I thought it a fine rule which covered all eventualities. However, if you look at pages 150 and 151 on Base Removal, it seems to apply only to long range shooting by artillery only. The part that specifically covers shooting (non artillery only) is page 151, first bullet point (OTHER SHOOTING) with further confusing reference to page 151, column 2, PROPORTIONAL LOSS RULE.

and still confused, along with 15 others......

Shooting: The nearest base to the shooters that obeys the proportional loss rule.

So if the target BG and shooting BG are at an angle , usually the first base lost from the BG will be a shot base, because it is likely to be the nearest, and as the battle group is at full strength, the proportional loss rules does not yet apply. However, the next base lost must obey the proportional loss rule, so must be a pike base - the nearest pike base to the shooters.

Simples.

The pike and shot proportion for later pike and shot ECW for example is 2 shot per 1 pike (guess which period we play)
so you try to keep the proportions the same after removing casualties.
Artillery will take a pike first, then you have to lose 2 shot stands, after which point you are auto broke so now you are just a permanent router and losses really don't make any difference any more anyway.
For shooting likely it will be a shot stand that will be closest, then you lose a pike then it will be another shot stand and once again you are likely running for the hills.

Try to keep in mind the ratio of shot to pike before casualties were removed then try to keep that proportion as best you can as you remove stands.