Slitherine

Another question from last night's game.

A group of Cataphracts charges some LH in front of them who evade far, far way. An enemy grou of cataphracts is behind the LH but not in charge range of the Cataphracts BUT the cataphract charge will potentially carry them into intercept range of the enemy cataphracts (i.e. the LH are 3MU from the Cats and the enemy Cats are say 7 MUs away).

Can the enemy Cats declare an intercept?

I'm not quite sure I understand that situation exactly, but it doesn't sound like they can.

Intercepts are announced and moved before the evade move is made.

terrys wrote:I'm not quite sure I understand that situation exactly, but it doesn't sound like they can.

Intercepts are announced and moved before the evade move is made.

It is something like this

Seleucid Cats charging down the page
Parthian LH evading down the page
Parthian Cataphracts (behind LH that would like to intercept)

Basically the LH is between the two groups of Cataphracts but has plenty of room to the sides to evade into.

What if there is room to intercept even before the evade move is made?

What if there is room to intercept even before the evade move is made?

An intercept move has to be straight forwards. It will be fairly obvious whether of not an intercept is possible.
The intercepting BG has to be able to move straight forwards and end in a position betwean the chargers and their target.

Let me try to make a general phrasing:

Interception is allowed only if the intercepters will contact the chargers (assuming no VMD by the chargers) prior to any troops evading.

So move the intercepters up to 4MUs (if mounted) move the charging troops up to their full movement if they contact an interception is allowed?

My questions was basically if the intercepting troops are screened by friendly skirmishers can they intercept?

How about if the intercepters are Mounted that can pass through a screen of LF? Can you intercept through them?

Interception is allowed only if the intercepters will contact the chargers (assuming no VMD by the chargers) prior to any troops evading.

So move the intercepters up to 4MUs (if mounted) move the charging troops up to their full movement if they contact an interception is allowed?

An interception can't contact chargers - unless from a flank or rear position.
The interception MUST stop short of the chargers in a position thhat cuts the path of at least one base of the charging BG.

The interceptors are positioning themselves betwean the chargers and their target, in order to block the charge.
They count as charging themelves, because they actually move during the impact phase.
The chargers must step-forwards into their original target if they can.

ethan wrote:Let me try to make a general phrasing:

Interception is allowed only if the intercepters will contact the chargers (assuming no VMD by the chargers) prior to any troops evading.

So move the intercepters up to 4MUs (if mounted) move the charging troops up to their full movement if they contact an interception is allowed?

My questions was basically if the intercepting troops are screened by friendly skirmishers can they intercept?

How about if the intercepters are Mounted that can pass through a screen of LF? Can you intercept through them?

Interception charges don't have to contact the chargers infact they can't contact the chargers unless they hit them in the flank. An interception charge must cross the path of the charge. P63, 5th bullet.

I can't think of a case where an intercept can occur after an evade has revealed the charge.

You can never voluntarily charge (or intercept) through your own troops. You may burst through your own troops after failing a CMT for shock troops not to charge but you cannot interpenetrate in a charge.

see the current FAQ for this by the way

Si

ethan wrote:It is something like this

Seleucid Cats charging down the page
Parthian LH evading down the page
Parthian Cataphracts (behind LH that would like to intercept)

Basically the LH is between the two groups of Cataphracts but has plenty of room to the sides to evade into.

What if there is room to intercept even before the evade move is made?

So I think your example is say there is 2.5 MU between each BG.
The critical factor is are the LH offset so the parth Cats can charge straight without passing through the LH if the LH doesn't move. If the Parth Cats have to pass through where the LH starts then they cannot intercept.

* Note i don't recall if you can drop off one base on an intercept charge liek a normal charge.

hazelbark wrote:

ethan wrote:It is something like this

Seleucid Cats charging down the page
Parthian LH evading down the page
Parthian Cataphracts (behind LH that would like to intercept)

Basically the LH is between the two groups of Cataphracts but has plenty of room to the sides to evade into.

What if there is room to intercept even before the evade move is made?

So I think your example is say there is 2.5 MU between each BG.
The critical factor is are the LH offset so the parth Cats can charge straight without passing through the LH if the LH doesn't move. If the Parth Cats have to pass through where the LH starts then they cannot intercept.

* Note i don't recall if you can drop off one base on an intercept charge liek a normal charge.

That sounds correct to me.

You can't drop back bases in an intercept charge.

Correct for the last 2 posts

Si

What if nothing is offset, but ther are 4 MUs between the intercepting Cats and the soon to be evading LH?

Chargers front edge
1MU
LH soon to be evading
4.1MU
Potentially intercepting Cataphracts front edge

So the total distance front edge to front edge of the cataphracts is 5.1MU+30mm. Nothing is offset everything just line up on each other.

You cannot intercept as you cannot put yourself in a position to have the chargers hit you before the evade is done. By then the time for itnercepts has passed (see sequence in the book).

If the chargers roll very long - a VMD as all their targets have evaded - then they will crash into the other cataphracts anyway by charging 6MU. Note that if the lower cataphracts were 2 MU nearer these would become a new target once the evade was done as the are inside 4 MU and no VMD would be made anyway.

Si

Another thing that I am not sure if Ethan was playing right.

If you have:
Where V are the chargers facing down, E are the evaders facing up and I are the potential interceptors the evaders will actially burst through the interceptors as they can only evade back or away from the charge. There is no DBM style wheeling to avoid things in the way in FoG.

shall wrote:You cannot intercept as you cannot put yourself in a position to have the chargers hit you before the evade is done. By then the time for itnercepts has passed (see sequence in the book).

Thanks Simon, I think this is the key bit we missed/didn't understand.

Yes correct Hmamy if as you say they would burst through. I think earlier they said they were only off set a bit in the real game

Si

shall wrote:Yes correct Hmamy if as you say they would burst through. I think earlier they said they were only off set a bit in the real game

Si

They were offset a bit although I am not sure I fully understand the evade options anyway. The example was trying to make clear the intercept situation assuming.

you can evaed directly to rear or away from direction of charge and then can shift 1 base width to get around things...in essence.

Lots of examples at back of the book

Si