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Still don't really get Flank Charges
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 4:49 pm
by 76mm
I've played lots of MP games now, and I have to say that I'm still a bit mystified by the Flank Charge rules.
Generally of course I get how it works--my unit is engaged in melee, another unit hits it from the flank or rear, and my unit is penalized for a flank charge...easy peasy.
What I don't get is what happens with flank charges on the first turn my unit is engaged--I thought that my unit would only be considered flanked it charged by a unit that started the turn on the flank or rear of my unit, but I've just seen an instance when my unit was charged by one unit, turned toward it as part of the combat resolution, and then was immediately flank charged by a unit that had not started the turn on its flank or rear...
So how exactly do flank charges work on the first turn of melee?
Re: Still don't really get Flank Charges
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:39 pm
by rbodleyscott
76mm wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 4:49 pm
I've played lots of MP games now, and I have to say that I'm still a bit mystified by the Flank Charge rules.
Generally of course I get how it works--my unit is engaged in melee, another unit hits it from the flank or rear, and my unit is penalized for a flank charge...easy peasy.
What I don't get is what happens with flank charges on the first turn my unit is engaged--I thought that my unit would only be considered flanked it charged by a unit that started the turn on the flank or rear of my unit, but I've just seen an instance when my unit was charged by one unit, turned toward it as part of the combat resolution, and then was immediately flank charged by a unit that had not started the turn on its flank or rear...
So how exactly do flank charges work on the first turn of melee?
Pretty much as you thought, except that what matters is that to count as a flank charge the charger has to be in a position to flank charge at the start of
its own whole move, not the start of its side's whole turn. Generally, these two things come to the same thing, but if the enemy turns and presents a flank (which can only happen if they were cavalry flank or rear charged charged by infantry), and the charging unit (which has not yet moved at all) is now behind their flank, then it counts as a flank charge. In all situations other than cavalry rear/flank charged by infantry, the charged unit does not turn to face the chargers until its next turn, so the second charge would not have been a flank charge.
Re: Still don't really get Flank Charges
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 6:02 pm
by 76mm
rbodleyscott wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:39 pm
In all situations other than cavalry rear/flank charged by infantry, the charged unit does not turn to face the chargers until its next turn, so the second charge would not have been a flank charge.
Why the distinction with cavalry charged by infantry? Frankly it is not very intuitive.
Also, I'm pretty sure that I recently saw a unit take two disruption hits in one turn for being charged twice in the flank rear in that turn, which I did not think was possible--I thought that the limit was one disruption hit per turn for flank/rear attacks?
Re: Still don't really get Flank Charges
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 7:28 pm
by rbodleyscott
76mm wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 6:02 pm
rbodleyscott wrote: ↑Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:39 pm
In all situations other than cavalry rear/flank charged by infantry, the charged unit does not turn to face the chargers until its next turn, so the second charge would not have been a flank charge.
Why the distinction with cavalry charged by infantry? Frankly it is not very intuitive.
It is to allow them to immediately break off.
Also, I'mpretty sure that I recently saw a unit take two disruption hits in one turn for being charged twice in the flank rear in that turn, which I did not think was possible--I thought that the limit was one disruption hit per turn for flank/rear attacks?
It is. The second disruption was presumably a combat result.