Author Topic: Halting Impetuous Troop Types  (Read 1541 times)

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Concretedust

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Halting Impetuous Troop Types
« on: October 24, 2015, 10:41:18 AM »
Hi all,

Back in October 2012 the following was posted as part of a topic, I have a question regarding it, can anyone help?


"Impetuous groups can be halted:

P27
1 Pip is expended... each halt by...a group including impetuous troops

P30
Elements that are impetuous from making spontaneous advances


The P30 quote is easy to misunderstand.
If you do not hold the group, the impetuous elements will individually advance as elements.
If the rule said "groups that impetuous from..."  people would argue that the groups could make spono makes as groups and that a group that included impetuous and non-impetuous elements need not be held."

Question for P30. If elements advance individually and they all move the same distance and direction governed by the rules, will they still be able to offer overlap support if they are in combat with the enemy?, I have had people tell me this is not true as they should all be placed in a broken up line and not side by side. This does not sound correct to me, can anyone shed any light on this please?


Concretedust.

Duncan Head

  • Guest
Re: Halting Impetuous Troop Types
« Reply #1 on: October 24, 2015, 03:12:05 PM »
Quote
"A spontaneous advance must be the full permitted tactical move distance, except that the element or column:
...
•   Must reduce its move by approximately 5-10p if needed to avoid ending in front corner-to-front corner contact with friends, unless its front edge contacts enemy or will overlap ... enemy."

So if the elements comprising a group make a spontaneous advance, they are strictly forbidden from ending up as a group with their front edges in line with each other; they don't move exactly the same distance, even if they all move straight forwards, but must have a staggered front. If they are contacted while they are still in that staggered formation, then if contact is made with one of the elements that's 5-10p forward, then no, the elements to either side of it won't be able to give overlap support.

Concretedust

  • Guest
Re: Halting Impetuous Troop Types
« Reply #2 on: October 24, 2015, 07:51:18 PM »
Duncan,

That is a shame, many thanks for helping with this. :(

Barritus

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Re: Halting Impetuous Troop Types
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2015, 01:23:13 PM »
Duncan,

That is a shame, many thanks for helping with this. :(

It's not necessarily a shame, depending on whether you can take advantage of it.

For example, I used an army with massed Wb (O) in four ranks, and I was facing an army with massed Irr Kn (F) in one rank plus a few reserves.

I deliberately let the Wb go impetuous to break up their formation when they were close to the Kn. So what happens:

1. If the Kn move to make contact in his bound, his Kn line up against my slightly advanced columns, meaning every second Kn fights against a double-overlapped Wb: very good chance of killing the Wb. What happens then? Those Kn pursue into contact with the second rank of Wb. But, now in my next bound those previously victorious Kn are double-overlapped, and the Wb have a reasonable chance of knocking over one or two Kn, opening up gaps the Wb can exploit. And because adjacent columns of Wb are not aligned with each other, every combat involving the Kn will have some overlaps; this pulls down the combat factors, making it easier on average for the Wb to double the Kn, but no easier for the Kn to outscore the Wb for the Quick Kill. The (theoretical) result is that Wb actually have a pretty good chance of defeating the Kn.

2. If the Kn hold in place and let the Wb make contact, then the combat takes place with a straight line as the Wb conform to his Kn. But, of course, the (F) factor for the Kn makes them a touch more vulnerable if they lose a combat, so there's a chance that my Wb may destroy a Kn or two before his bound.

Now, obviously, this is a very specific example (it came from practice games for a themed competition), but it points to a general rule - you don't need to fear impetuousity in your army if you have plans for your impetuous troops that takes advantage of their impetuousity. It just needs to be carefully managed.

So, for example, if you have irregular impetuous in an army with regular generals, it's probably best to place those troops under the C-in-C as his free PIP can be used with all troops, while the free PIP for regular subs can only be used with regular troops.

Another trick is to place 0.5ME impetuous troops (like Wb (F) or (O)) in a fairly small command and support them with a couple of 1ME elements. If you lead with the Wb you'll find you can lose most of the Wb before the command breaks. For example, I've fielded Anglo-Normans with a small Welsh ally command of Ally-general, 2 Cv, 1 Ps, 9 Wb and 1 baggage for a total of 12ME. The Wb fight in three ranks while everything else stays behind the Wb. The command becomes disheartened when its losses reach 3.5ME, which requires the loss of 7 Wb. If I can launch this command at some enemy infantry and keep their flanks covered, they actually have a pretty good chance of breaking through, even if they take heavy losses in the process. (And if the enemy has little or no infantry, the command is small enough to simply send flank marching without weakening the army too much.)

If you have mounted impetuous troops (that is, Kn) remember that there are situations in which they won't move spontaneously - for example if they're in ambush or in difficult terrain. If you think placing in them in difficult terrain is silly, remember that they can use their good terrain move distance if that would allow them to get entirely into good terrain. For example, you might be able to place a Built-Up Area in a suitable part of the table, then place two ranks of Kn at the edge of the terrain; their good terrain move is 10cm, while two ranks of Kn are only 6cm deep...

This is a game which rewards some lateral thinking.

Good luck!