Charging adjudication

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Maturin
Posts: 57
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:21 am

Charging adjudication

Post by Maturin »

Hi
An adjudication please.
The situation is this (hopefully displayed? :roll: )
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/511 ... 0ef0_c.jpg
A) French columns from the same brigade echeloned at 5cm charge from 20cm against a British brigade (2) consisting a battalion in line screened by skirmishers at about 10cm out. A similar but different brigade (1) is positioned in line to the British Right also with skirmishers.
The charge takes fire from both skirmish lines and Brigade (2) skirmish line takes DT then evades. French move to 5 cm with supporting column now 15cm out from the line.

B) The second skirmish line is now too close to the advancing/supporting column (a) and must fall back.
Q1) Does the second skirmish line from Brigade 1 also DT test and evade/retreat? or is it driven back towards the line unit in Brigade 1? if the latter then does this stop the Line battalion in Brigade 1 support firing on the charge?

C) The first charge stalls giving heavy losses to lead column (b) which volleys at the 5cm point. The French player moves another column (c) into play on the French left. On the next turn French get initiative and declare charges. This time the French player wants to use his second column (a) as the lead (as (a) has taken less casualties than (b)). Column b however is in the way of column (a) charging at the centre of the British Line but NOT in the way if they charge directly forwards.
Q2) Can the French player do this or is the charge at the centre of the target a priority?

Clear? probably not.....

Cheers
Tim
Slynx
Posts: 121
Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:01 pm

Re: Charging adjudication

Post by Slynx »

As a newcomer to the game, I dont think I'm best placed to answer ...... but how I would interpret it is as follows

Q1)I would say that the supporting brigade is part of the charge (as it moved up to maintain relevant position. If by moving to this position it meant the skirmish screen would have to be moved, then I would say it has to evade. The 2nd British line would then be able to fire as part of the normal charge phase, but it would have to be at the opposing support unit.

Q2)I would say that the first French unit is essentially too close and I dont see anything in the rules that would allow it to be moved out of the way. If the charge would contact both British units I would say that it would have to aim for the British line on the left that it could manuvre to hit the centre of. If it would only contact the unit on the right (assuming a decent percentage of it can be contacted), I would allow it to charge that and defensive fire would be spread across the two French units.

As I said, I'm a new comer and still learning the rules myself. Without clarification thats how I would play it. I'm more comfortable with Q1 and less so with Q2
Archdukek
Posts: 5741
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 11:49 pm
Location: Linlithgow, West Lothian, UK

Re: Charging adjudication

Post by Archdukek »

Hi Tim,
On Q1 as far as I can see the second skirmisher unit has not been charged by the supporting column so is not obliged to take a Discipline Test or evade. Instead it must fallback sufficiently to maintain the minimum distance from a close order enemy unit as required by the rule on page 66. If that means it is still in front of the line unit in Brigade 1 when firing is adjudicated once the lead attacking column reaches the 5cm [3”] point then the line unit’s fire will be blocked.

On Q2, it’s a new Charge Phase and as far as I can see the French player is free to decide which column is to be the lead attacker. Column (a) appears to have line of sight and a clear path to contact the nearest part of the British line, albeit not its centre. That meets the requirement in paragraph 2 on page 40 to charge either “the nearest point or middle of the target unit”.

However, that would appear to take take it closer than 5cm [3”] to column (b) so it would become a Massed Column charge.

Hope that helps.

John
Maturin
Posts: 57
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2017 11:21 am

Re: Charging adjudication

Post by Maturin »

Gentlemen, thank you for you suggestions and insights.
The nuances of the way these rules play are often very difficult to see without specific pinpointing of the rules that govern some of the more unusual situations and these can often be hidden in plain sight in the rule set!!

The power of skirmish fire in GdeA means that taking them out of the game (even for a short while) can have a significant effect on outcomes. As John astutely notes - in this situation the screen would be driven back (not evade), leaving them available to screen against the next charge. In doing so however, they block support fire in this charge, which could be used as a tactic, but I don't really see this as gamey myself just part of the confusion in battle.

As for the second charge from the previously supporting column - this is a really good spot from John that I had missed and I am happy that it defines the charge as 'legal'. As both have pointed out this would mean they are massed, but in this case it could still be a good thing to shift the leading unit to one with the least casualties. My statistical calculator shows that if the firing British unit were to be carrying at least 4 casualties a massed attack even with all the negative modifiers has up to 14% more chance of winning the position than a supported attack where the lead unit is carrying significant casualties, as in this case.

Cheers
Tim
nikjen66
Posts: 434
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 6:20 pm
Location: Cambridge UK

Re: Charging adjudication

Post by nikjen66 »

Ah Tim, don’t you just love stats! 😂😂 I always find a double 1 or double 6 blows any stats out the water every day of the week. 😂😂
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