BASIC IMPETUS Part 6: Melee

 Continuing the Impetus series, now we look at how units Fight.

1.    In General

A unit moves into contact but does not have to be perfectly lined up. They halt when they touch. Any move into contact is called a CHARGE. Units with 0 impetus bonus cannot charge - with a few exceptions.

There are three types of charge: Frontal, Side, and Flank/Rear, the latter of which provide advantages the better the position. A unit that loses a cohesion test after being hit in the Flank/Rear is destroyed. Wagenburgs have no Flank/Rear.

2.    Large Units

Large units have a bonus in melee depending on their weapon.

They also have special rules for tests and taking damage; they use the front unit for tests, and damage comes off the rear unit first. They are not considered disordered until the rear unit is destroyed. They are powerful, but unwieldy and reduce your army flexibility.

3.    Impetus Bonus

The Impetus bonus is added to VBU after a charge, or pursuit, providing the unit is still Fresh.

There are a number of special situations where the bonus is cancelled, such as Foot charging Mounted, Mounted charging certain units armed with pike, some terrain types, etc. And some units always get an impetus bonus; Elephants (unless against S) and Scythed Chariots.

4.    Procedure

Similar to the Firing procedure. Each side rolls their modified VBU and determines Damage. If suffering damage, make a cohesion test and apply losses to VBU. Side that suffers most losses loses the melee and must retreat.

Impetuous units must pursue, most others have the choice (they also get to angle their pursuit direction to follow a retreater if necessary). Retreat and pursuit involve a random roll for distance and thus a unit may not reach a retreating foe. If contact is made, a new melee is fought immediately (pursuer gets Impetus Bonus if still fresh). Continue until foe is destroyed.

In a drawn melee, the units will fight again when one is activated.

Check for interpenetration and disordering of units behind a retreating unit. Units behind Routed units are automatically Disordered if within 1H of their destroyed friends.

5.    Multiple Melee

Combats are usually one-on-one, and should be split up as best suits the situation as per the suggestions in the rules.

 When two units fight a single foe, determine the main combatants (the once with most frontal contact/ZoC overlap). The other friendly unit adds half its base VBU (rounded UP) to the main combatant’s own dice for the melee.

If the main unit wins and pursues, the other does not (unless impetuous). If the main unit retreats, the other does (separate roll).

Units in a group that contact at an angle move in a staggered line to contact before any melees take place.

 

Next time, in the final post on BASIC IMPETUS, I’ll mention a few other things that add to the game, and give my thoughts on the system.