Slitherine

Ok, I know the only way commanders can effect close combat cohesion tests and CMT's is to be with the battle group. The question is what other cohesion tests if any does the commander effect. Like does he just have to be in command radius to effect shooting tests or tests for lost commanders or broken units. Also does he effect a whole battle line for cohesion tests for close combat.
Thanks
Rich

he helps with cohesion tests with shooting in command and manuver rolls. Generals have to be with the unit to rally them(bolster) or modify a test when in melee.. as i understand it.

rich0101 wrote:Ok, I know the only way commanders can effect close combat cohesion tests and CMT's is to be with the battle group. The question is what other cohesion tests if any does the commander effect. Like does he just have to be in command radius to effect shooting tests or tests for lost commanders or broken units. Also does he effect a whole battle line for cohesion tests for close combat.
Thanks
Rich

he can influence any BG within his command radius for their CMT or cohesion tests.

a BG that's currently in combat can only be influenced by a commander if he's with them.

but if a commander is in the rear-ranks of a fighting BG he can still influence the other non-combat cohesion tests and the like of other BG within his range. ( mislead my opponent this past weekend!)

but (again), if he's in the front rank fighting, then he can only effect that one BG.

or, that's my reading of p.28

I notice no-one has replied on the question of whether the Commander can influence a whole battle line if they are in close combat.

I would say that a careful reading of the rules clearly says not.

On page 113, the rules say "A battle group in close combat can only count a commander with it".
See page 28 - "A commander can only be with one battle group at a time".
See also the definition of a Battle Line on page 30 - it says "He must be with one of its battle groups..."

Ergo, from both points, he is not considered with all of them.

That said, I can see how people might miss this subtlety, and might appreciate a more official response, but I am confident the authors will back up this analysis.

A battle line only exists for movement purposes and not for combat so a commander cannot affect more than 1 BG that is in combat.

I'm not arguing with you - my analysis definitely says he only influences one. But, strictly speaking, the rules themselves do not stipulate that a battle line only exists for movement purposes. Mind you, I can't see anywhere that the BG's benefit from being in a BL apart from in movement!

Still, all the rules say is that "The principal advantage of a battle line is that it allow multiple battle groups to perform certain actions as if each had a commander with it."(My emphasis). As such, I can see how some people would have made the mistake of thinking that a Commander can influence the CT's of all BG's in a BL. There is nothing to say the BL ceases to confer any benefits once in Close Combat (unless I've missed it - not impossible by any means! ).

That's why I spelled it out with the detailed reasoning.