Re: (TFT) Death Test 1, take 4: SURVIVED!

[Sgt Hulka <hulkasgt@yahoo.com>]

I still don't believe those are the rules as written, but if they work for you they work, and certainly a majority of people will agree they make more sense than the rules as written.

My only concern is once you start playing Advanced Melee there is no way to approach a figure armed with a pole arm. The only possibility is to attack with the hand to hand rules as written. If you don't play Advanced Melee, of course, and just stick to Melee, that problem goes away. To clarify, the problem I'm identifying is Advanced Melee's insistance that pole weapons involved in a charge always act first, regardless of dexterity.

--- On Mon, 10/3/11, Rick Smith <rsmith@lightspeed.ca> wrote:

> From: Rick Smith <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>
> Subject: Re: (TFT) Death Test 1, take 4: SURVIVED!
> To: tft@brainiac.com
> Date: Monday, October 3, 2011, 11:03 PM
> Hi Mark,
>   Your HTH rules make sense.  I've so changed 
> them I don't even pretend that they are close
> to original.
> 
>   Rick
> 
> On Mon, 2011-03-10 at 18:47 -0500, Mark Tapley wrote:
> > At 18:38 -0400 10/3/11, Sgt. Hulka wrote:
> > >Because the hand to hand resolution takes place in
> the movement 
> > >phase, the pole arm users are already on the
> ground and either 
> > >unarmed or armed with daggers by the time the
> combat phase comes 
> > >around, erego no polearm set versus charge
> attack.
> > 
> >     This maybe should be a FAQ. Sgt.
> Hulka's interpretation of 
> > the rules makes some sense and the (IMHO ambiguous)
> rules can 
> > certainly be read to support it, but we typically play
> by a slightly 
> > different one. In our interpretation, there is a
> critical difference 
> > depending on whether the attacker moves into a front
> hex of the 
> > target during his approach or not.
> > 
> >     If the HTH attacker moves into a
> side or rear hex of his 
> > target during movement and has one more MA left before
> he exceeds 
> > half of his MA, he may continue onto the target's hex.
> The target 
> > gets the one-die roll (re-rolling if a 6 comes up and
> the attacker 
> > came through the rear hex).
> >     This relies on a close reading of
> AM pp. 15, "To initiate HTH 
> > combat, a figure moves onto the enemy figure's hex. If
> the attacking 
> > figure is disengaged, this is a regular move."
> > 
> >     If the HTH attacker moves into a
> front hex of his target 
> > during movement, he is engaged at that point and ends
> movement at 
> > that point. In that case, his attempt to engage in HTH
> counts as his 
> > action, and happens in the normal sequence with other
> actions. That 
> > means a pole-weapon user would get his charge-attack
> first action 
> > against the oncoming HTH attacker, and may *also* roll
> a 6 during the 
> > HTH attempt, getting a second (but not doubled) hit on
> the attacker.
> > 
> >     We like this interpretation because
> it "makes sense" to us. 
> > Tackling someone from behind for HTH during movement
> disrupts any 
> > chance they have to make a charge-attack (or other
> attack) during the 
> > action phase. This seems OK. However, if you attack
> them from in 
> > front, the pole weapons' extra reach means they always
> have a chance 
> > to impale you before you ever get close. A normal
> weapon user may or 
> > may not get to strike before you get into HTH and
> grapple - it 
> > depends on your relative adjDX. Still making sense to
> me. It makes 
> > HTH users very powerful if they have numerical
> superiority and/or a 
> > tactical advantage such that they can run around and
> attack from 
> > behind. On the other hand, charging in from a front
> hex offers them 
> > no such advantage; in fact it may prove to be
> impossible if none of 
> > the four conditions at the beginning of the
> "HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT" 
> > section apply. If the target has open space behind
> him, MA equal or 
> > better than the HTH attacker, and is not willing to
> agree, a would-be 
> > HTH assailant in a front hex is reduced to either a
> bare-handed (or 
> > dagger) normal attack, or disengage (and the latter is
> impossible if 
> > he just charge-attacked).
> > 
> >     Note that a HTH attacker that
> started the turn engaged 
> > "...may shift onto a figure engaging him for HTH...",
> so he can still 
> > make it into HTH from in front on the second turn (if
> he still feels 
> > like it). The sequence would then be:
> > 
> > Turn 1) charge attack, move into front hex and stop.
> Action is normal 
> > bare-hand attack (since target refuses HTH). Target
> gets a weapon 
> > attack which is automatically first if a pole weapon,
> or by adjDX 
> > order if not.
> > 
> > Turn 2) shift onto target for HTH during movement
> phase. Target gets 
> > the 1-die roll, possibly repelling attack with a 5 or
> 6, else falling 
> > in HTH. Target does not get his weapon attack that
> turn.
> > 
> >     Hope this is useful! I also hope
> this rules interpretation 
> > isn't ridiculous; we think it's more or less realistic
> and like 
> > playing by it; but opposing opinions welcome.
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