Art De La Guerre

[JohnTheBoring]

Sorry if this was previously addressed but I could not find it.

A light chariot is side by side with a bowman which has no opponent. Another bowman partly behind the first has the chariot in its ZOC. It is the chariots turn.

The chariot could charge the other bowman, but if not it has to conform or move away? It cannot turn on the bowman because of the ZOC. What happens?

As it is a light chariot it could evade away?

What if it was not a unit that can evade? How does it conform or move?

[Hazelbark]

So the ZOC overrides the conform requirement.

So the LCH (or any unit) has two options if it moves. 1: charge the unit that ZOC it is in; 2: move way in some legal way.

So the LCH can move away which is adjudicated like an evade. (under p37 exiting a ZOC)

If the Bow was the moving unit and it tuned onto the LCH then the LCH could evade. (p 51, right column 3rd bullet)

Now back to the LCH, let say it is an HCH. it could charge or "exit a Zoc" p 37

So overall in this situation if your unit acts, it must charge or move away.

[Za Otlichiye]

There is a big argument on FB whether the LCh could stay in place.

[JohnTheBoring]

[Hazelbark]

FB people like to argue. There are some people who like to stir the pot.

You seem to have a good handle on the movement options.

I think your question comes down to: are you required to spend a CP to take action..

There will be a formal opinion on this. For now assume you are not required to move via CP. If you do then everything we talked about. There is a related ruling that agrees with what i have said here. We will get it formalized...in the fullness of time.

[Ramses II]

Hazelbark is correct. 
When a unit is in contact with an unengaged enemy unit which it is not actually fighting (ie by a corner, flank or rear), the unit must either conform with that enemy, charge a different enemy or move away. 

These choices are further constrained where the unit is also in an enemy ZoC; basically it must charge the ZoCing enemy or exit that ZoC (moving away from both enemy units) - it may no longer conform. 

[Zoltan]

[Za Otlichiye]

The question revolves around the "Conforming units already in contact" on page 51 and the "Movements allowed in a ZoC" on pages 35-6, and what happens when a unit in contact is also in a ZoC.

There are two conflicting ideas:

1. The ZoC rules "take precedence" (page 51) and therefore the ZoC rules replace the conformance restrictions. In particular, the ZoC rules allow the unit to stay in place, and therefore the player would never be forced to spend CPs moving the unit if they so choose.

2. The ZoC rules "take precedence" and therefore any action must meet the ZoC rules, and then if you "can" also obey the conformance restrictions. Thus, a unit can only stay in place (allowed by the ZoC rules, prohibited by the conformance rules) if it cannot do something else - thereby forcing the player to reserve CPs for a move if possible.

I find the atmosphere on FB different than here on the forum. I thought the argument there was boisterous but constructive.

[Ramses II]

Really good question. 
Conformation costs nothing, so in normal circumstances the player can always fall back on this choice.
However, if this option is removed, the player will usually have to spend CP to move the ZoCed unit, unless it can charge the ZoCing unit ‘for free’ (being impetuous or having the ZoCing unit in its own ZoC). 

Bottom line, is the player compelled to spend CP in this situation (as a commander will always start his movement with at least 1CP plus his own CP) ??

I would say that RAW, he is compelled, though this would need to be confirmed. 

[Zoltan]

[JohnTheBoring]

I await the judgement of those who wrote the rules, and sometimes have to tidy up afterwards!

[Ramses II]

Like I said, the player starts with at least 1CP (+ the commander’s), so RAW it seems he can “move away if at all possible”, and is therefore compelled to use 1CP on the affected unit. 

Note, this is less of an issue if the unit has a “free” charge available, or if the unit has the commander attached. 

However, this is another edge case where a (fairly rare) set of particular circumstances force a player to do something he does not wish to.
Oh dear - move on

[KevinD]

What about the top right diagram on page 51 which allows a unit (A1) in corner to corner contact with one enemy unit (B1) to “stay in place” because it is ZOCed by another enemy unit (B2)?

This is almost exactly the same situation (corner instead of side edge contact), yet it does not have to spend a CP but can choose to “stay in place”.

[Ramses II]

And this is where the rules are currently ambiguous; 

• The 2nd paragraph states that the phasing player should resolve all situations where there are units in contact, “if at all possible”
  
• the diagram states that conformation is not possible, so “A1 may charge B2 or stay in place”. 

Bearing in mind that this aspect of Conformation (resolving such contacts) is new in V4, I suggest the wording in the diagram is incorrect; it is just illustrating a situation where A1 may not conform, though A1 may charge for free (which allows the player to spend his CP elsewhere  )

I will raise this with El Kreator. 

[Zoltan]