Drilled, Free Move & Charging

[CWCToby]

AAAAAA BBBBBB
CCCCCC

Unit A & C are in combat frontaly, unit B declares a charge and is in the front arc. As it is Drilled it uses it's free move to reform like so:

AAAAAA BBBB
CCCCCC

It is now in the flank arc of unit C and proceeds to enter combat, negating rank bonuses etc etc, IS THIS CORRECT?

We looked in the rule book and couldn't see a definate answer.

[Justin]

Top of p13 (and yes its one of the highlighted bits in my rules, so it was easy to spot). It does not matter how a unit reforms when charging, the important bit is how it is when the charge is declared.

[CWCToby]

Great! I must've gone blind in the heat of the battle!

So, this means the unit has to charge to the front as thats it's position when the charge is declared, before the reform takes place.

[Tommy]

Great! I must've gone blind in the heat of the battle!

So, this means the unit has to charge to the front as thats it's position when the charge is declared, before the reform takes place.

Yes.

[CWCToby]

Great thanks guys!

[Ceriath]

I disagree.

From the diagram unit B is clearly in the flank of unit C before any reform.

The flank zone from unit C extends out from its corner at 45 degrees, therefore unit B straddles the Front zone and the Flank zone.
The majority of unit B is in the flank zone, therefore they charge into the flank of unit C.

In fact, using the drilled ability to reduce the frontage of unit B would make it less likely not more likely to be a flank charge.

W.

[Justin]

Let us say that such diagrams are not always totally clear - so who cares about the diagram?

The rule involved is that its the position of the unit when it declares a charge that it is important. How it changes its formation, does not change where it can charge the enemy. Stick to that and the game proceeds normally.

Since the number of A's are exactly the same as the number of C's, then the only place a frontal charge can contact is corner to corner next to A. I have seen it done (it is strictly allowed under the rules) but have never been happy with it, as it is a tiny point of contact.

[Ceriath]

I was just clarifying for the poster that (under the current rules) when you have units positioned like that it's a flank charge not a frontal charge. W.

[CWCToby]

Not to be rude, but the diagram in my op sucks, I did say however that the unit was in the front arc at the begining. I included the rough diagram to help with understanding, apparently it didn't

[Guy]

Got to agree with Wayne on this one, that'd be a heck of a redressing ranks (NOT a reform, that's not possible under drilled) to get a unit into a flank charge position; remember the majority of the unit has to be in the flank arc, so I'd say that'd be very difficult.

Possible? Yes. Likely? No, the units would have to be barely an inch apart. Possible under WAB 2? Definitely not!

Guy

[Guy]

Also as Wayne said, you'd have to expand your frontage to be in the flank arc, not reduce it.

Guy

[CWCToby]

Once again thanks for the replies, it's a bit hard to show on a diagram and seeing the manouvere on the table top was a bit different to how I showed it in the example. The general question of whether this can happen or not has been answered though and it also looks like we need to be more carefull when reforming, as the unit shifted to the side slightly (allowing the flank charge) and not stayed central.

Lessons learned though!

Thanks again

[Justin]

Also as Wayne said, you'd have to expand your frontage to be in the flank arc, not reduce it

Or indeed move forward and wheel, that would get unit B into the flank, no problem.

[Guy]

Or indeed move forward and wheel, that would get unit B into the flank, no problem.

In the subsequent turn, yes. Nice and clean.

Guy

[Justin]

But this expansion of frontage would also be in be in subsequent turns, of course. Expansion once the charge has been declared making no difference.