Art De La Guerre

[Andy Fyfe]

Hi Guys,

Consider the following:



Unit A - charging MS
Unit B - MS
Unit C - LI
Unit 1 - Heavy cavalry

Unit A charges Unit 1 in the flank

Unit 1 wants to evade.

Evade procedure step 1; unit 1 is charged on its flank so makes a quarter turn to face right.

However, there is no room as the base is wider than it is deep (40 x 30mm) due to the LI.

What happens?

The evade is not 'blocked' as per stage 2 as neither of these apply (they are both after the initial reorientation).

Under step 5 'Evade Movement' it states:

If a LI would be contacted in open terrain by an evading enemy heavy troop, the LI must itself try to evade. If LI is contacted by that enemy it is Routed (seep 62) and the enemy stops. If the LI is in rough or difficult terrain it does not evade and is an obstacle for the evading enemy.


However, this is step 5 and we have not even got past step 1.

The 'spirit of the rule' would suggest the LI has to evade (although in what direction it would evade is a question).

To throw in a supplementary question; what happens if the LI is LH instead of LI?

Andy

[KevinD]

I think the LI has to evade, and this evade is directly away from the enemy (i.e., to its flank).

As for if the LI was instead LH:

(My inclination is that you just evade to the side as the initial UD is not blocked and the evading unit is not ZOCed from behind. However…)

I have seen more authoritative sources (Dan Hazelwood I think) state that if you don’t have the room to reorient then you cannot evade. (I really dislike this as I think it is reading something additional into the rules and violates the spirit of the rule on having to get a ZOC “behind” the unit to prevent an evade but I’m pretty sure this is how it is ruled.)

[Zoltan]

Deleted my rubbish.

[SteveR]

[Ramses II]

Andy, I think you have answered your own question, at least in part. 

During the evade process of the blue HC, the red LI will be contacted (it doesn’t matter when this will be) so the LI must evade before the evade move of the HC is considered, thus the HC may reorient and evades. 

However, LC is not required to evade under these circumstances, so if unit C is LC, however disagreeable it may be, the HC is blocked by an obstacle and therefore is trapped, cannot move and is charged on the flank. 

[Andy Fyfe]

[MarkK]

[Ramses II]

As you say, this is a game, not a simulation and as such many of the mechanics are at best an abstraction. 

[madaxeman]

[Andy Fyfe]

[Ramses II]

Andy, I think we all agree that the step by step approach merely ensures that players move the unit(s) correctly. The LI would also have to evade if contacted at the end of the HC evade move rather than the start. Consequently I am not sure an errata is needed. 

The question of cavalry base sizes has been debated ever since the rules were originally formulated. Various thoughts have been presented, but quite frankly I can’t recall any though I suspect it could be a hang-over from other earlier rules. 

Yes it may seem annoying though it is also quite rare, and when all said and done ADLG is still just a game, not an attempt at an accurate simulation. 

[lionelrus]

Solution is in interpenetration rules....
_________________
"Quand on a pas de technique, faut y aller à la zob"
Perceval à Yvain et Gauvain.

[madaxeman]

[madaxeman]

[AlanCutner]

Follow up query from tournament game at weekend.


Friendly unit C is between two enemy units A and B, and advanced about 1/2 UD past their front edges (not shown are current frontal melee opponents of A and B). On its next turn unit C would be able to turn on the flank of either A or B. However enemy LI D is moved to the position shown.

Unit C cannot wheel to charge as insufficient room. If it turn 90 degrees it doesn't have room to conform to either enemy flank edge due to the presence of LI D.

Do the LI move away because contacted by an enemy unit doing a conform?

If not are the only options
1. Charge the LI and have to pursue at least 1UD (2UD if unit C was mounted), or
2. Turn 90 degrees and do a partial conform that doesn't count as a flank charge, or
3. Stay in place