Art De La Guerre

[SteveR]

I'm probably going to regret asking this one.

The other day I had a unit of Bowmen charged frontally by heavy chariots. They were also hit in the flank by non-light troops. It was a bad day.

1. Does the bow benefit from the +1 "bonus" for the first round of receiving a mounted charge frontally?

I would think not.

The basic question is per page 63 a units combat factor is reduced to zero when hit on the flank. Does this setting to zero happen after all other unit bonuses have been applied?

Other cases I can think of are Cavalry vs LMI and Medium Sword, and Spear and Pike vs Mounted.

Seems to me in all these cases they do not benefit from the Bonus.

2. But attached General fighting bonus DOES apply even if the unit is hit on the flank.

and finally 3. Per page 67 a War Wagon cannot be subject to a multiple attack so a battle ready wagon always keeps their +1.

[Mike Bennett]

It is the basic factor that goes to zero. But note that a flank attack also removes special abilities like impact, bows first round +1 v mounted etc. Sorry I do not have the rules here and so cannot quote page references

Ps Otherwise the net combat value might actually increase in some strange situations (e.g. mounted in bad terrain) by being set to zero

[SteveR]

Hi Mike,

It's on page 63. A flank attack does remove special abilities - specifically 2HW, Impact, Javelin, Polearm, Furious Charge, and Missile Support.

But the "bonus" is not a listed special ability - either on page 63 or on pages 17-20 under Special Abilities. So the "bonus" is not lost for that reason.

Good point on the terrain penalty. It is also clearly added after the setting to zero. Same for being uphill. But terrain is not a "combat factor"

I'm still pretty sure the bonus is added then the factor is set to zero but I have been certain and wrong about a lot of the rules over the years.

[Mike Bennett]

[SteveR]

Your memory is just fine in that you got the right answer. Or at a minimum the same answer I got.

Funny you should say that - I am about to go on a trip and packing the rules now. Not so much the rules as the Army Lists - I go over them on the road.

[Hazelbark]

page 22. Combat factors right column. Those get set to zero.
Note p 63 refers to this directly top of column.


P63 Receiving Charge on front
last sentence
...if the enemy is charging the unit on the flank or rear these do not apply.


Attached commander is not a combat factor or special ability etc

correct p 67 says wwg does not get set to zero

[Black Prince]