Leaders and Battle lines

[miffedofreading]

What do you do with leaders?

Looks like the main use for TC’s is fighting in the front lilne, give the troops a combat boost and help with all those cohesion tests and the like.

What about FC’s and IC’s. It kind of looks like you should have them in “Battle Lines” but I am not sure I see the point of a battle line? In games like DBx you make a battle line because you do not have enough pips to move everything otherwise. In this game everything can move charge shoot fight without a commander or a pip.

So reading between the lines, what is the main advantage(s) of FC’s and IC’s that I have missed on my first read of the rules?

Ta

Andy

[marshalney2000]

Leaders in commmand of a battle line allow it to make a second move at least until coming within 6 inches of the enemy. Even a tc can do this if between two units or indeed if other units in a second rank behind.

[miffedofreading]

I had not picked up on that. A very good point. So Battle lines allow you to move much faster in the early stage of the game. A very valuable thing to have.

I also noticed that a commander can "Bolster" a battlegroups morale, but not if the battlegroup dropped a level this turn. Bolstering seems to be intended to keep troops fighting rather than rallying them after they run away (prevention is better than cure) an excellent idea I have not seen in other rules. However does it work? as I believe you are not allowed to bolster if you went down a level this turn....

Andy

[hammy]

when a bg drops to disrupted it is more likely to lose the next combat but it is still possible to pass a cohesion test when you lose and that then allows you to bolster your troops. Sometimes I move a general to a disrupted BG that is in combat to increase their chance of not dropping again then bolster them afterwards. When big lines of infantry clash you often see generals running fron the rear of one BG to another to shore up weakness.

In short it works really well.

[miffedofreading]

When big lines of infantry clash you often see generals running fron the rear of one BG to another to shore up weakness.

So you are saying that for this the key thing is NOT to fight in the front line, as I believe once you are in the front line you are stuck?

So maybe a commander in the front line where it is vital, and another one behind jumping in to help where it is needed?

The first is trying to gurantee success
the second is trying to avoid failure...

In all of these it makes no difference whether it is a FC or TC does it??

Andy

[terrys]

I had not picked up on that. A very good point. So Battle lines allow you to move much faster in the early stage of the game. A very valuable thing to have.

Another use of a battle line is that if it includes a general, the 'difficult forwards move becomes a simple one.
i.e. You don't have to pass a CMT to move short and/or wheel with any of the BGs in the battle line when within 6MUs.

I also noticed that a commander can "Bolster" a battlegroups morale, but not if the battlegroup dropped a level this turn. Bolstering seems to be intended to keep troops fighting rather than rallying them after they run away (prevention is better than cure) an excellent idea I have not seen in other rules. However does it work? as I believe you are not allowed to bolster if you went down a level this turn....

If you keep dropping levels in combat then you'll never bolster them, but you only have to survive one round without a drop in order to have a chance of bolstering them (it's unusual to fail 3 conscutive tests with the same BG - although I seemed to manage it often enough in my last game). It also makes it relatively easy to bolster skirmishers, since you can move out of range for a move to guarantee not dropping another level, and so be able elegible to bolster them.

[neilhammond]

So you are saying that for this the key thing is NOT to fight in the front line, as I believe once you are in the front line you are stuck?

So maybe a commander in the front line where it is vital, and another one behind jumping in to help where it is needed?

The first is trying to gurantee success
the second is trying to avoid failure...

In all of these it makes no difference whether it is a FC or TC does it??

Andy

Correct, once in the front rank, a general is "locked in" to the combat.

Put your TCs rather than FCs or ICs into combat as their ability to influence across distance is limited. Your FCs/ICs are the ones that should be kept roving behind the line because of their greater range when influencing complex move tests and non-combat cohesion tests.

In FOG is that there is no "ideal" forumla for where to position your leaders. If in the front rank they influence combat rerolls AND cohesion test. If not in the front rank then only influence cohesions test, but OTOH they can abandon the unit if things look dodgy.

[marshalney2000]

You will quickly find out what do do with your generals is one of the most challenging and potentially matchwinning or match losing decisions in the game.
John

[miffedofreading]

John,

I suspect you are right......

Which is why I want to learn how to use them

Andy