Avoidence of Difficult Evoiutions Penalty to ensure overlaps?

[william]

  My next question involves the pips for a group to move short.

Does it matter which element of a group ends in edge contact with friends ( possibly to provide an overlap ) to remove the extra pip needed for 'Difficult Evolutions' ?

What I am considering in this matter is trying to avoid being shot out of overlap position.

For example a file of pike fights frontally against two files of spear, A and B ( each file of spears contains 2 elements A1-A2, B1-B2 ),  one file of spear providing an overlap, the pikes get pushed back and the spears A1 and A2 follows up. In the spears bound the controlling player moves the spears B up so that B2 finishes in side edge to side edge contact with A1. The controlling player does this as his opponent can shot at B1 in the overlap position and if B1 gets recoiled it will still overlap the pikes, if B1 gets destroyed B2 will overlap the pikes.

My questions are

1. Is the B file making a Difficult evolution because it is moving short and i) it started in a group with the A's so is not making contact with friends not already in contact with or ii) it has moved passed a legal contact position?

2. If files A and B were not in a group to start with and was still moving short but as in part ii above it moved passed the first legal contact position?

3. Would it cost the extra pip just to move B1 into edge to edge contact with A1 because of i above?

I am afraid this probably sounds more complicated than it is but my powers of communication are probably not the best they could be and I tend to make things more confusing than they are.

Thanks for your patience if you happen to read this.

William

[Barritus]

My next question involves the pips for a group to move short.

Does it matter which element of a group ends in edge contact with friends ( possibly to provide an overlap ) to remove the extra pip needed for 'Difficult Evolutions' ?

What I am considering in this matter is trying to avoid being shot out of overlap position.

For example a file of pike fights frontally against two files of spear, A and B ( each file of spears contains 2 elements A1-A2, B1-B2 ),  one file of spear providing an overlap, the pikes get pushed back and the spears A1 and A2 follows up. In the spears bound the controlling player moves the spears B up so that B2 finishes in side edge to side edge contact with A1. The controlling player does this as his opponent can shot at B1 in the overlap position and if B1 gets recoiled it will still overlap the pikes, if B1 gets destroyed B2 will overlap the pikes.

My questions are

1. Is the B file making a Difficult evolution because it is moving short and i) it started in a group with the A's so is not making contact with friends not already in contact with or ii) it has moved passed a legal contact position?

Assuming there were no other friendly elements around, yes, that's going to cost an extra PIP, for the reason you stated - they haven't come into contact with any friends they weren't in contact with at the start of the bound. Note that if the Spear haven't moved into frontal contact with enemy, they can't use point (ii) to avoid the extra cost, as the contact has to involve the front edge of the Spear.

2. If files A and B were not in a group to start with and was still moving short but as in part ii above it moved passed the first legal contact position?

If file B wasn't touching file A at the start of the move, and file B moved short, such that B2 was level with A1, then there'd be no additional cost, as this time file B has ended its move in contact with "...friends not already in edge contact with it."

3. Would it cost the extra pip just to move B1 into edge to edge contact with A1 because of i above?

In this case there'd be no extra cost because it's a single element, and the Difficult Evolutions apply only to groups. However, if the Spear are irregular, they'd be affected by Irregular Ineptness - which affects single elements as well as groups.

I am afraid this probably sounds more complicated than it is but my powers of communication are probably not the best they could be and I tend to make things more confusing than they are.

Thanks for your patience if you happen to read this.

William

[LawrenceG]

My next question involves the pips for a group to move short.

Does it matter which element of a group ends in edge contact with friends ( possibly to provide an overlap ) to remove the extra pip needed for 'Difficult Evolutions' ?

(snip)

1. Is the B file making a Difficult evolution because it is moving short and i) it started in a group with the A's so is not making contact with friends not already in contact with or ii) it has moved passed a legal contact position?

William

The actual rule is :

... (i) ends in any contact with friends not already in edge contact with it..."

As you started in only corner contact with the front element, the move you describe is not difficult evolution.

[william]

  Thanks again for taking time to consider this. I can see your point but I feel it could be worded a little better ( yes it's funny me talking about better ways to communicate ), if the rules stated ' any friendly element ' instead of ' friends ' there would be no argument ( debate might be a better word ) from me. Another way of looking at 'friends' could also mean groups of friendly elements and B is already in side edge contact with friendly group A.

Thanks again