Slitherine

After the initially rout move in subsequent JAPs it routs towards its own table edge. Does it always have to burst though friendly troops in the way (assuming it isn't light)? Can it move around friends it meets?

If not it seems to be quite danagerous to have any BG anywhere in the rear.

madmike111 wrote:After the initially rout move in subsequent JAPs it routs towards its own table edge. Does it always have to burst though friendly troops in the way (assuming it isn't light)? Can it move around friends it meets?

If not it seems to be quite danagerous to have any BG anywhere in the rear.

They can only deviate as specified in the rules for routs, which are mainly identical to those for evades.

Essentially you can slide the BG up to one base width sideways and you can "contract" by one file but in both cases only if necessary to avoid friends. The contracting file is placed entirely behind the next file, not spread out along the rear in a normal formation. No base can slide more than one base width so you can't slide to the left and contract on the right. You can, IIRC, slide left and contract on the left because the contracting bases will have made no net slide .

Yes, you do have to be very careful about positioning BGs in the rear.

Thanks for the answer, we have been playing like this but I thought we were mistaken as it seems a recipe for disaster to try and give rear support to another BG.

Not sure if I am completely comfort with the way routers move under FOG. From my reading of ancient battles it was not unusually to have a 2 or 3 battle line, for example at Zama. The 3rd Carthage line refused to let the routing 2nd rank pass through.

I was thinking that the Roman checker board formation might be an excellent idea coupled with small BG of 4 - 6 bases. If the front rank BG breaks there is enough space to shift one base and rout around the second rank BGs. Assuming the enemy pursuing BGs are a bit chewed up and disrupted the second rank Roman BG would have some easy wins.

As long as you are reasonably careful with where your rear suport is placed is it quite possible to have a second line with gaps to allow the first to if required rout through it.

Also remember that a burst through BG only drops a cohesion level. They may be able to rectify that quite swiftly with a commander's help, especially being a second or third line, they may well be higher grade troops. If they are sufficiently tough guys, being disrupted might not be a crippling disadvantage to them? All in all, having routers burst through your troops is something to be avoided, obviously, but good inital setup and placement of commanders will help minimise its effects

Martin