Expansion of a single element wide column to other group

[Phippsy]

Starting to have a look at DBMM from DBA background. Played a trial game and had a situation where trying to move an 8 element long column of spears to a group with a front of 4 elements and 2 deep. This is very similar to fig 3a. But with 2 more elements at tail of column.

I could not get this change to occur in 1 group tactical move owing to move distances of Sp elements. 6 yes but not 8. I ended up with two elements joined at the back of 3 x 2 group.

Have I done this correctly. Should i just move them into the new group anyway in the same move, or spend another PIP to complete, or not have columns of spears more than 6 elements long?

Thanks

Peter

[LawrenceG1]

You need to expand in stages, ideally using march moves before the enemy gets too close.

For example, you could  do:

ABCDEFGH

to

BD
AF
CEGH       

Then in the second move expand column CEGH to

BD
AF
CE
GH

Note that if you initially expand to

AD
AFGH
CE

you cannot then expand GH to the other side of CE because CE is not part of the expanding column (AFGH).

Hence if you have a really long column, it is often only practical to expand on one side.


It is more efficient to use the "turn 90 degrees from a straight column into line" option as that gets everyone deployed in line in one move and you don't need to measure move distances. NB it has to be a straight column, and of course you end up facing 90 degrees away from the original front. 


Expanding from a column can be done even if the column has a bend in it, which can sometimes work to your advantage, but sometimes limits your expansion if the bend is the wrong way as it alters the distances elements have to move compared to a straight column.

[Phippsy]

Thank you for the response. Appreciated. I was not sure how active the site was.

Ok I did the

BD
AFGH
CE

Version - so some learning there. Not the point on the turn from column to line.

Out of interest would a

BDGH
AF
CE

Arrangement still be valid like the

BD
AF
CEGH

Format you highlight.

Thanks

Peter

[LawrenceG1]

Any arrangement is valid if the elements can get from their initial position in the column to the final position in the arrangement using a single move of whatever their move distance is (in this case, 80p).

So your

BDGH
AF
CE

is valid

but

ABGH
CD
EF

is not because E and F have moved over 80p.