Slitherine

I picked up Age of Belisarius since it is on sale during Easter. I had a quick look at a couple of the scenarios including Dara which has a "deep ditch" that some Byzantine units start behind. It can't be that deep because I was able to move both infantry and cavalry through it without any penalty such as being disordered. I checked the manual and it indicates that stationary foot get a defensive benefit behind an irrigation ditch but lose it if they move. I would be interested in hearing comments who have played this scenario and the impact of the ditch. Thanks.

In FOG2 the Irrigation ditches do not cause disorder if a unit moves across it. They do provide some combat advantages to infantry units defending behind an Irrigation Ditch, the manual explains it in more detail. To be honest, Dara is more of a cavalry battle, so the ditches do not play a big role. They are there because Procopius says the Byzantines dug them to help protect their front.