I think Guy is mistaken - on page 30 under “engaged and disengaged” of my copy of Advanced Melee:
“Riding animals follow the same rules about engagement and disengagement as do foot soldiers, with one exception: If a horse (normally a 2 hex creature) moves more than 8 hexes in a single turn and then engages a single man on foot, treat the horse as though it were a 3-hex creature. That is, the man on foot is engaged, but the horse and rider are not. This applies only to a single footman - two men on the ground WOULD engage a horseman.” (The paragraph continues with ‘flavor’).
Which is how I’ve been playing… so yes, when a charging horseman enters a hex that is in the front hexes of two infantry, he must stop. But until he does, he’s not engaged… so he can push. Under these rules, whether a single rank line of infantry can ‘force-field’ block this sort of break-through depends on the grain of the hexes, unfortunately. Hasn’t come up in Grailquest yet (not enough figures to really make a line like that that can’t just be hit at the ‘end’ of the line where you can still push through) but if it were to I’d probably rule that the charging cavalry gets a free ‘shift’ after entering engagement to get a chance to still push (and therefore push through).
Hi Joseph,
The rule guy was talking about is not in the old TFT, but is
currently in the new.
I actually had a PC argue that he could stop a charging cavalry
charge because he and his friends engaged the horses, so it is not
a theoretical question to me.
Warm regards, Rick.
I was a bit surprised by this turn in the thread… because I remember that rule being in AM in the first place! I’ve been running Grailquest with a friend and we have been using that exact rule (and we are both following along with the rulebook for the most part as it’s been awhile since I’ve played).
I think the rule as written is probably ‘enough’ because when you add in the ability to push (which could have the effect of breaking the line sufficiently to even allow more movement during the movement phase), kick or trample, and the casualties that the first round of fighting will cause, it’s pretty likely that you will have created gaps that the cavalry can move through, at least in the next turn.
Hi all,
This was on the SJ games forums. Guy the new TFT line editor suggests that a horse moving 8 hexes or more is treated as a larger figure for engagement purposes. The problem is a line of guys with daggers one hex apart can stop a calvary charge when the horses hit the force field zone of control and become engaged.
The following is something Guy wrote and my reply. I’m curious about people’s thoughts.
Warm regards, Rick.
Quote:
As a matter of fact, it has been addressed. In the updated Mounted Combat rules, if a horse has moved more than 8 hexes in a single turn and then engages a single man on foot, the horse is treated as if it were a three-hex figure. Thus, the man is engaged, but the horse and rider are not. |