marching

[AB]

The section on march moves seems to be particulary badly written. The group I play with believe that it's possible to march into frontal contact against any troop type which can't shoot, assuming you have enough pips. Surely that's a misinterpretation.  Or is it me that's wrong?

[Doug M.]

Ok, don't have the rules with me, just the February electronic version, which says:

"A March move must start further than 400p from all known enemy not light troops or beyond a friendly PF or TF. It ends early without PIP penalty 40p short of visible enemy other than Psiloi or at its closest approach to enemy who will shoot at it that bound."

This is clear, you cannot move into contact with visible enemy using a march move unless they are Psiloi. Hope this helps.

D.

[Aloysius the Gaul]

No it's different from that now:

A march move must start further than 400p from all known enemy not (a) Light Horse or Psiloi, or (b) beyond a friendly PF or TF, or (c) that would be contacted on a flank or rear edge or rear corner by a hypothetical group move 400p straight forward.

So whether they can shoot or not is irrelevant.

You can contact anyone that you can reach.....except of course the only way you can actually march 400p or further is along a road - so effectively you can only march into contact if you do so along a road and can reach, or you can hit enemy in the flank or rear and there are no other enemy within 400p when you start the march move.

[ghandi33]

"except of course the only way you can actually march 400p or further is along a road - so effectively you can only march into contact if you do so along a road and can reach"


(c) that would be contacted on a flank or rear edge or rear corner by a hypothetical group move 400p straight forward.

You don't need to actually need to have a movement rate of 400 paces to continue marching.

David Thompson

[madmike1]

Could someone explain what (C) means in plain English with an example. 

A march move must start further than 400p from all known enemy not (a) Light Horse or Psiloi, or (b) beyond a friendly PF or TF, or (c) that would be contacted on a flank or rear edge or rear corner by a hypothetical group move 400p straight forward.

Thanks

[toby]

It doesn't mean anything, at least not in English

There is a clarification about in on the http://www.dbmm.org.uk website that tries to explain it better but it is still proving to be open to many interpretations.

IMHO the intention is that you can march up to (and contact) smaller groups that are directly in front of your group provided there is no-one else around.

[Aloysius the Gaul]

"except of course the only way you can actually march 400p or further is along a road - so effectively you can only march into contact if you do so along a road and can reach"


(c) that would be contacted on a flank or rear edge or rear corner by a hypothetical group move 400p straight forward.

You don't need to actually need to have a movement rate of 400 paces to continue marching.

my example was not JUST for hitting someone in the flank or rear - you can march along a road and hit them on the front edge too.

[bunwin63]

IMHO the intention is that you can march up to (and contact) smaller groups that are directly in front of your group provided there is no-one else around.

Where the hell are smaller groups mentioned !!!   :-)
Bryan

[AB]

Thanks for the answers but the question covered a much simpler point. I'll try my question again with an example, just to make it clearer:

Let's say a group of cavalry are facing a group of blade 450 paces away. Both groups are facing each other. The cavalry have a move distance of 240 paces so can they march into front contact with the blade at a cost of 3 APs (2 march moves plus 1 to march into contact)?
My friends say yes because the march sequence is initiated beyond 400 paces. I think this is a misinterpretation, it doesn't make any sense that the cavalry can move to contact when 450 paces away but not if the distance was 350 paces. They're taking the phrase "A march move must start further than 400p from..." as meaning a march sequence rather than any individual move within that march sequence. I just want to know if any other people are playing it this way.
 

[DaveMather]

From my perspective

The cavalry can make a march move of 240 paces which leaves them 210 paces from the blades and thats it for them - they cannot make another march move as there are (appropriate) enemy within 400 paces.

If the blades were however LH or Psiloi then the Cav could make another march move - which would be to contact which would have cost a total of 3 Pips  1 for the first move and 2 for the second as to march to contact is an extra PIP (c) last bullet

Its march moves - each of which during a side's bound must comply with the - A March move must start further than 400p ...blah blah

Regards

David Mather

[Aloysius the Gaul]

Dave is correct...with the proviso that you have to check ALL troops that are within 400p at the time you want to start a march move - there may be troops athe than the LH/Ps that prevent you marching.

Where the march "sequence" starts is irrelevant - each march MOVE measures....as noted in the rules "A March move must start further than 400p...."

[madmike1]

I read the recommended link on point C about march moving. 

"A March move must start further than 400p from all known enemy unless all such

(a) are Light Horse or Psiloi, or

(b) are beyond a friendly PF or TF, or

(c) would be contacted on a flank or rear edge or rear corner by a hypothetical group move 400p straight forward"

 

Phil's response to this was:

It isn't an errata, because the rules are correct. You do offer a form of words that could be adopted in a future version, and I have noted it.

I am sorry but I still confused on what 'point C' means.    

Is there anywhere I can get a detailed explanation of what this means or better yet a diagram.

[Aloysius the Gaul]

One last try - string it together with the opening statement, and remove a) and b) and you get:

" March move must start further than 400p from all known enemy unless all such would be contacted on a flank or rear edge or rear corner by a hypothetical group move 400p straight forward"

so you can start a move closer to 400p from enemy, if all such enemy would be contacted by a hypothetical group move 400p straight ahead, and they would be contacted on a flank or rear - essentially they are facing away from you, and you are facing directly towards them.

note that you don't actually have to contact the enemy - this is jsut a condition for being allowed to start the march move - you can use the subsequent move to go in any legal direction you like.

[toby]

As I understand Point C, you can march despite having enemy within 400p if their side or rear edges are facing you and within a rectangle that stretches forward 400 paces from your group.

Which is what I meant by the group being smaller. I think that if part of the group the you want to march up to lies outside this rectangle projecting forwards from the side edges of your group, the elements that are outside stop you marching as they would not be contacted by the hypothetical march straight forward.

I'll try and do some diagrams.

[Doug M.]

I agree.. it is the 'all such' in the line that gets this. I really wish it had been written differently. Something like, 'you can start a march within 400p (note positive voice) if:  (conditions here) All enemy elements or groups within 400p would be contacted in the rear or flank if you moved straight forward. etc...