The magic powers of DBMM CinCs

[arnimlueck]

And here comes another stupid question:

yesterday I play a DBx beginner who just manages to get his playing better and better. He brings a Norman army with Breton Subgeneral. As an unfair Stratagem he read the rulebook before playing - Norman style really.

His Bretons deploy on the right flank but he notices that he needs the Cv on the other flank real quickly. Not to leave the Breton Foot behind he forms a mega-group with breton foot, CinC, Norman foot and reminds me that his CinC may move a group of a Sub Generals command if he is attached to it.

Question 1: can you combine Elements of two commands inte ONE combined group? I read the rule that the groups stay seperate and its two groups - the CinC must be in contact with the Bretons, moves them as if they where his own guys and commands the Normans from a distance as a seperate group (they are from his own command).

OK I am a bit surprised seeing this ploy and respond adequately by shooting his Breton Cv Sub general. So now his Cv feel a bit lonely and get punished by an extra PIP due to command difficulty. BUT what about the Bretons commanded by the CinC??

Question 2: does a group formerly commanded by a (now dead ex-) Sub general which is moved by a CinC in contact pay an extra PIP for Command Difficulty? I ruled "no"... but could not prove my point.

Arnim

[MikeCampbell]

1/ No a group cannot include elements from the CinC's command other than the CinC - see the definition of groups page 26 - all must be of the same command, plus the wording for how the CinC does this - he joins "a group of a sub-general's command" - only the CinC joins, and the group is of the sub's command.

2/ you'd think not, but there's no exception for being moved by the CinC that I can see, so yes, they pay hte+1 (unless there's something I'm missing).

[william]

  Mike is of course correct as usual.

I did think about part 2 of your question before, I had thought to put 4 Art(F) in the train command of LIR and use the C IN C to move them into a grand battery position, my thinking was the first move would be free ( with the C in C ) and 2 for any remaining moves. Rationalising that the COMMAND DIFFICULTY would not arrive as there would be a general in chain of command ( maybe a little higher ), could argue that but it would be to cheesey even for me 

I think command difficulty applies even though the C IN C is moving the group as the rules state command difficulty for any element or group whose general is lost etc..

The other interesting thing ( well to me ) is that if the C IN C is moving troops of a sub generals command will it cost extra pips if the the sub general is out of command range ? or visibility for time of day or weather ? This I think could be made an exception to the COMMAND DIFFICULTY section.

William

[MikeCampbell]

I don't actually think it's cheesy - if the CinC's there then I think he should negate the command problems for the Sub-gen being dead or too far away - it's not like he's passing orders through the sub - he's taking dirct command by being on hte spot.

But that's not what the rules say......