Some interesting issues rose out of the rules, which have been sparsely discussed on the DBMM list, but little seems to have come from it.
1. Teleporting columns. Take 16 heavy foot elements in a single rank (64 cm wide). Turn 90 degrees into column, with the lead element moving 160 paces, and the remaining elements filling in behind. The last element will move a total of 880 paces to close up the gap (44 centimetres if my maths is right). If the line is wider, the last element will move even further. People will note this is more than twice the speed of Light Horse.
1a. Assuming the heavy foot above are Pike, this suggests a deployment system for Later Swiss, especially if you have to deploy first: Deploy your three commands front, centre and rear, with the Pike in single ranks. To concentrate your troops, turn into column, so the extended line becomes a shorter column. Then turn 90 degrees from column back into line, in 2, 3 or 4 ranks. And because you have Regular generals, this maneuver can be carried out for 1 PIP for each command.
2. Inept Irregulars hitting enemy. If Inept Irregulars (everyone except Light Troops, Cv (O) or a general) move other than straight ahead, they always pay +1 PIPs. This makes it impossible to move to contact for 1 PIP if some degree of maneuver is required (say, moving around terrain or friends).
3. Death zones to the rear. When Warband kill an enemy foot element, they also kill the element behind it. But if the Warband hit the rear of a two rank line, the contacted element doesn't turn. Assuming the hit element is destroyed, all elements within a base depth of the destroyed element's rear edge are also destroyed. The space within a base depth to the rear of an element hit in the rear is the space the element itself occupies. This means that Warband can kill two elements at a time if they attack the front of enemy infantry, but only one at a time if they attack the rear of enemy infantry.
I predict there will be circumstances in which a player will deliberately order his infantry to do a 180 degree turn, in order to reduce the rate at which enemy Warband can plough through them. In other words, Rort with a capital Cheese.
4. Cv (S)/Kn (F) Mexican stand-off. When Cv (S) and Kn (F) face each other, whoever contacts has a tremendous advantage. The problem is that, in order to move into contact, you must be within reach of your enemy. If you move into reach, you're giving your opponent the chance to contact you. In other words, moving to contact gives your opponent the advantage. It's safer to sit still and wait for your opponent to make the first move. Yes, impetuousity can affect things, but not all such match-ups will involve impetuous troops. Yes, your opponent might not get the PIPs to move to contact, but you won't know that when you move within charge reach.
4a. The same situation arises with Warband (S/O) facing heavy foot, especially Blade. The warband need to be in such depth that they'll almost certainly be more expensive per element frontage that the Blade.
