Pursuit Question

[Luddite]

Hi chaps,

We're still learning the nuances of the rules and a situation came up last game that we need some advice on. As follows...



OK, so, the pursuit says 'directly forwards', but unit C wanted to maintain contact with unit 1.
We ruled that since it had only lost contact with the close combat due to casualty removal it could 'pursue diagonally, and change its formation as shown.

Were we correct?

[Vharcaen]

As far as I can see the only way a unit can pursue into a fresh enemy is when all enemy units it was facing are destroyed.
It then becomes an advance as described on p.60.

Since you haven't destroyed all stands the only thing you can do is pursue 1 with A, B& C. (Advancing with A and indirectly with B and supporting A&B with C if C is infantry)
If the other unit can't support or move into contact with the remaining enemy stand it can either stand or fall back. (as per impossible pursuits described on p.59)

If the situation occurs in the first round remember that your guys can still fight the second round and then advance if it manages to wipe out the enemy. (Which is basically a charge of 20 cms regardless of unittype without any combatmodifier bonus)

(nitpicking) Also I would like to point out that if you charge as a column you have to still form a battleline if you can move the stands into it. The only way to retain your column is as per "unable to form a battleline"-rule p.28. (I told you it was nitpicking. <grins>)

So to answer your question. Unit A would pursue dead ahead. C would probably do an indirect pursuit (p.56) into the flank of 1 and then B would probably do a supporting pursuit (if B is infantry as only infantry can support and thus do a supporting pursuit P.57) If 1 is wiped out in the following combat then A,B&C can advance into new targets (possibly carrying along it's supporters as per normal supporting chargerules), stand or fall back.

Hope that helps a tad.

[Luddite]

Yes it helps a lot thanks!

As for the nitpicking point, the unit was infantry and charged from exactly 20cm away....so the bases didn't have the move to come out of column into line...would the bass gain extra move to form a line?

[Vharcaen]

As for the nitpicking point, the unit was infantry and charged from exactly 20cm away....so the bases didn't have the move to come out of column into line...would the bass gain extra move to form a line?

No, that scenario would indeed put them in a column. You can also choose to put them in a staggered back "battleline", possibly getting you a better line of sight (as you can see on page 28 diagram 28.2)
So no handy extra movement.