Art De La Guerre

[KevinD]

From a game today (Jurchen vs Serbs):

Q1: A group of 2 HKn are in front of 2 enemy LC, < 1 UD apart and everyone is lined up and facing each other. But there is a piece of rough ground (the corner of a field) that sticks out partially into the gap between the left most LC and right most HKN. It’s the HKn’s move and they want to charge the LC

HKn1 HKn2
r
rr
r
LC#1 LC#2

For obvious reasons the Knights don’t want to charge through the rough fields and lose movement distance and, if the LC fight, take a penalty in combat.

Can the group of 2 knights shift slightly to their left (our right) to avoid the terrain at the start if their charge?

I assume not as they are ZOCed by the LC and moving away from lining up with their most threatening enemy.

(The solution adopted was to have HKn2 charge straight ahead by itself at which point both LC fled, and then HKn1 spent a CP to move up and join HKn. But could the group have just slid slight to their right before they charged or otherwise avoided the terrain when they charged?)

Q2: There is a group of 5 HC thinking about charging a group of HKn 3 UDs in front of them. Again everyone is lined up and the HC will overlap the HKn by one unit on each side. However there is a 4th HKn in line with the first group but a one element gap to their right.

HKN4 1UDgap HKn3 HKn2 HKn1
^
3 UD
v
Empty HC#1 HC#2 HC#3 HC#4 HC#5

As I understand it, if the HC charge straight ahead HC2-5 will fight HKn1-3, but since HC1 will strike the front corner of HK4, it must slide over one UD and conform to (and fight) HKn4 (something it would rather not do for obvious reasons). Is this correct?

But what if at the beginning of their charge the HC slide <1/2 a UD to their right. Then when the group hits HKn1-3 (but not HKn4), it will conform by sliding back in front of HKn1-3 with an overlap (simple support) on each side. But this conforming will now bring HC#1 into corner to corner contact with HKn4. Does HC1 now conform again, breaking off from the HC group and sliding another full UD to its left? Is it allowed to do 2 conforms like this? Is it permitted to have the sum of the distance conformed to its left exceed 1UD?

Q3: There is a unit (which is already fighting to its front and only 1 CP away from routing) that is charged in the flank and drops a CP causing it to rout. The rules say routed units are not removed until the Rout Phase, which follows the combat phase. Does this mean that during the Combat Phase it will still fight the enemy in front of it that it was already fighting? (Obviously it will fight poorly as it is disordered and now attacked in the flank as well, but does it even fight at all if it was routed before the Combat Phase?)

Thanks.[/img]

[Dickstick]

Q1 you have answered correctly yourself re zoc.

Q2 hc1 is already in a position to support a friend (to the right) so does not conform to hkn4. See p51 conforming units already in contact first paragraph.

Q3 it's an auto failed melee (my wording) see page 61 multiple attacks bullet point 6. Rout and pursuit will follow in the turn sequence.
_________________
Player 747 don't call me Jumbo

[Ramses II]

DS has answered Q1 and Q3, and we have already given the answer to Q2 here in case #1;
http://www.artdelaguerre.fr/adlg/v3/forum/viewtopic.php?p=110654#110654 
if a charging unit is forced into contact with an enemy that is not in melee, it then conforms and fights with that enemy.

 So in your case, HC1 must choose to fight either HKN3 or HKN4, it may not end up in melee support between them and yet still be in corner-corner contact with HKN4

[Za Otlichiye]

Re: Q1 - I assume the Kn were impetuous? otherwise they HKn2 could have just cut off its charge at 2UD.

IIUC there would be no prohibition on sliding wide of the rough if the knights started outside of the ZoC? This implies the second bullet on page 36 prohibits charges within ZoC from either wheeling or sliding away from alignment at the start of the charge move.

[KevinD]