Art De La Guerre

[Andy Fyfe]

A lengthy post brought on from a game last night.

The images now work:

https://imgbox.com/UGtLVr4a

Basically:

Unit 1 in combat with Unit A

Unit B is in simple support on one flank

Unit C is perpendicular to Unit B and in corner to corner contact.

Unit C is facing towards Unit 1 and is behind its flank and rear.

Unit C has eliminated an enemy in melee, is impetuous, and is going to pursue 1 UD.

It contact Unit 1 on the rear left corner.

Does it:

1 - Conform to the rear of Unit 1
2 - Conform to the flank of Unit 1 (displacing Unit B until Unit B is in line with Unit A]?

The rules on displacing a unit in support mention that it can be shifted '..if it remains in a support position..'.

Where Unit B ends up will still be a support position but it won't be 'in support' because of the Melee Support from Unit C.

Also, if the position was actually as below would Unit C still be able to conform?

https://imgbox.com/pgpWFtCw

[Neep]

I believe the "necessary" in the preamble on p. 52 requires you conform to the rear.

[SteveR]

A nice tight question.

Based on page 41 in the both cases C may contact (conform) to either the flank or the rear.

It is better for red to do the rear so I would not spend a lot of time worrying about displacing B. That said the rules do specify that displacement is only allowed if the unit remains in a support position, which B still is so I would allow conformation on either edge with B displaced if the side is chosen

If two units are in a support position the owner may choose which one to use (and therefore which one can be the target of shooting) - see the third bullet of "additional points" on page 60 so if the owning player wishes they may ignore the unit is melee support in favor of the one in simple support. Which is almost certainly silly

so just go into the rear

[Neep]

Steve, I think you might have overlooked Andy's second diagram which is a more interesting case.

I always assumed p. 60 referred to two units in simple support position. I think there is a general _expectation_ that any unit with front edge contact will be part of a melee, but that isn't written down anywhere IIUC.

[SteveR]

Hi Neep,

I didn't overlook it - page 41 says that a unit whose front edge is "entirely or partially" behind the line extending the enemy front edge may contact the side or the rear.

So in the second case unit C may also conform to the rear edge of the enemy.

You are right about page 60. It usually happens that it is two units in simple support but as you say does not seem to require it. Who knows?

[vexillia]

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Martin Stephenson

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[Neep]

You got me, Steve, I was thinking you had to be entirely behind...

[Andy Fyfe]