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Mar 23 09 12:29 AM

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Hello Forum. Its been awhile since I've played and a few questions came up regarding the charge procedure in a game we had yesterday. Game was in 25mm so I'll use those for the question. A Polish Lancer Unit charges some British Heavy Dragoons from about 18" away. Both are in LINE formation. Lancers move 9" to the halfway point.
Case A:
The Dragons elect to countercharge. Now if they had to maneuver to face the Lancers, they could wheel up to 9/19 X 10", about 4.75"per step 2. DEFENDERS FIRE/REACT on Page 23. Q1. If they do this do they get any subsequent move. Last sentence of this section, " Countercharges may maneuver to place themselves in a position to charge." seems to imply they do.
Case B: Dragoons don't have to maneuver, they are already facing the Lancers. Q2 Do the Dragons move out to the halfway point or do they just sit still for now?

Support Fire is next which if I understand the rules is not allowed if any countercharging takes place. I don't really understand why not as any supporting artillery wouldn't know if their cavalry was countercharging or not. In our game the Dragoons had some artillery in support and was allowed (mistakenly I believe) to fire canister at my Lancers. Q3 If anyone would explain the rationale behind this ruling (No support fire for countercharges) I would appreciate it.

Next the Lancers test morale. Say they pass, Q4 Do they move to contact or stay where they are for now?

Next the Dragoons must pass morale to countercharge. Say they do. Q5 What movement are they allowed for cases A & B above. The section under "DEFENDERS PASS" is unclear to me. One part says they move out to meet charges at halfway point. Another part implies they move only part way out.

Hopefully one of you Old Guard will be able to clear this up for me. The Charge sequence is one of the most confusing parts of these rules. On the plus side a lot of the players like the feel and look of the game so there may be a Resurgence of GdB activity here in the Pacific Northwest.

In our game, my Lancers got a FALTER due to the damaging Canister fire, but the Dragons threw a RETREAT on their Morale throw. Later when both units had reformed, the Dragoons charged me, I countercharged but I wasn't allowed to use support fire, hence my question (Q3 above) to really pin this down. Thanks.

Mitch Berdinka
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#1 [url]

Mar 23 09 10:26 AM

Hi Mitch
Always a little confusing these type of encounters. Here is how I see it: The sequence of events is a) move charge to halfway b) react to the move i.e wheel if necessary and DECLARE a countercharge if they still have the distance!! i.e half of the remaining distance between them c) test morale of initial chargers d) test morale of counterchargers e) if both pass move to half way of the half way (if you know what I mean).
As the charge meachanics are played out before everything else it is a bit tempting to think that you could fire at or during a charge in support. However this is all happening during the whole bound. The key here I think is co-ordination. I cannot see how any commander would be able to prepare to support fire on any such manoever. The decision to counter attack is with the local commander and needs to be rapid and decisive. He is not going to get a runner out to his supports to say ' look chaps , just going to counter charge those ragged fellows coming over the hill, be a good egg and get in a couple of volleys before we rush across your field of fire....' If anything the support commander would not see the charge as a threat to him so it would not require a rapid and 'in the field' decision. If the unit beside him is obviously preparing to counter I would suspect that in the very most of cases he would hold off for fear of friendly fire.
So to answer:

Q1. If they do this do they get any subsequent move.

yes if the distance is still there.

Q2 Do the Dragons move out to the halfway point or do they just sit still for now?

Wait for the incoming morale check. If it fails their countercharge will persue or fall on the faltering chargers!


Q3 No support fire for countercharges
. No definately not



Q4 Do they move to contact or stay where they are for now?
Now test the counterchaargers who might fail


Q5 What movement are they allowed for cases A & B above.
The melee will take place in the half way of half way point. This is only really an issue when this is actually less than the distance required for the counterchargers to get up to speed and so will not get their charge bonus.

Hope this is helps (and just my own opinion here of course!!)

Cheers
Maturin

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#2 [url]

Mar 23 09 6:17 PM

Oh yes one more thing


In our game the Dragoons had some artillery in support and was allowed (mistakenly I believe) to fire canister at my Lancers.


The artillery would have been allowed to support fire IF the defenders did NOT chose to countercharge. A risky thing to rely on your guns to drive them off because....if the charge goes in the defenders are most likely dog meat. Still, some cannister volleys on cavalry (particularly cavalry charges that I am commanding) can be deadly.....!


M

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#3 [url]

Mar 25 09 1:48 AM

Thanks Maturin. Its beginning to make sense now, especially after I re-read the example [ D ] on page 24. I take it the following are inviolate:
1. Chargers move to the half way point.
2. If counterchargers must maneuver before countercharging, the most they can move is the equivalent portion of the chargers move, but at their normal move rate. (They are not countercharging yet)
3. If both pass morale, the contact is at the 3/4 point (unless see below).
4. If distance counterchargers move to the 3/4 point is less than 5cms (15mm scale) then they don't get the "Charging" melee modifier.

Now on this part I am not clear. Under "DEFENDERS PASS" it says that if the counterchargers had to maneuver, they only "move the equivalent of the chargers move to the halfway point." I am assuming this is the new "halfway point" or 3/4 way point, not the original halfway point. Yes or No? If the original charge distance was a full charge move for the chargers, then this would essentially be a 1/4 of a charge move. Right?

I guess a shrewd commander advancing on an opponent who is clearly on HOLD orders, would advance to just within 12" before launching his Charge in order to deny the counterchargers their 'Charge' melee modifiy. One day I'll figure out how to play this game
Mitch

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#4 [url]

Mar 25 09 9:32 PM

Mlokosiewicz wrote:
Now on this part I am not clear. Under "DEFENDERS PASS" it says that if the counterchargers had to maneuver, they only "move the equivalent of the chargers move to the halfway point." I am assuming this is the new "halfway point" or 3/4 way point, not the original halfway point. Yes or No? If the original charge distance was a full charge move for the chargers, then this would essentially be a 1/4 of a charge move. Right?


Nearly, Mitch. It's really about 'proportions'. Say the chargers used 1/3 of a charge move in order to reach the halfway point; a maneuvering countercharger (defender) would then be entitled to maneuver up to 1/3 of his movement allowance--e.g., "turning to face" or wheeling, prior to Testing Morale to see if he launches his countercharge. Assuming the two sides are not yet in contact, and no one has Halted, Faltered (or worse), the two charging sides 'meet in the middle', at the 'new halfway point', as you've called it. (At this point, you may be checking whether the counterchargers have moved sufficiently far enough in a straight line, to be eligible for the +2 Charging Melee Modifier.)

The 'halfway point' is just a game mechanic--a reference point--for stopping to take into account various functions on both sides (morale checks, etc.). The proportion of movement used by each side to reach that reference point, however, will be different.

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