support from the back

[MesaDon]

Since I have never played the TT version I am getting more confused about units in second rank supporting the front ranks. Is this placing other unit behind units? Are these not indivdual units but including in the certain units? Am I going crazy? Is the sky falling?

[TheGrayMouser]

Rear support: a unit gets a cohesion modifier when it needs to test

(from the manual)

+1 if There are adjacent friends other than light foot or light horse in their rear


This is different from combat support when you have friendly units not engaged in melee adjacent to a unit that is, if they are able to provide support the enemy BG loses combat dice...

[CheerfullyInsane]

There are two kinds of rear-rank support, which is probably the grounds for the confusion.

Basically, there are units with missile-troops embedded in the BG itself.
Usually medieval armies with front ranks of spears, and supporting crossbows though other variations exist.
They act like normal dual-weapon units (meaning they use missile weapons at range, and melee weapons in close-combat), except they get bonus-dice for their 'rear-rank support' when charged, just as other missile-armed MF.
The exact number of dice varies and for more info, there's a thread where people smarter than me go into more detail.

Second, there's the rear-rank support for having supporting units in your rear-arc.
Doesn't effect combat, but it does give you a -1 on Cohesion Tests.
EXC: Light troops only support other lights.

Oh, and.....
Yeah, you probably are going crazy

Lars

[maximvs]

Thanks, I'm sure it has cleared it up for many more than MesaDon - especially me!