Forming Skirmish to Enter Woods

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  • January 11, 2023 at 1:01 pm #188623
    Forrest Harris
    Participant

    Albion Triumphant gives certain units the ability to “form skirmish in terrain they cannot normally enter.” What’s the best way to apply this? Does the formed unit move to the edge of a wood, for instance, expend one move to change formation and another move to enter the wood? Or do they just disperse into skirmish as they enter? Is entering and exiting towns a good analog for this rule; you cannot enter and exit the same turn, you must stop at the edge and change formation, then move up to 6″ to enter with another move?

    January 11, 2023 at 4:51 pm #188627
    Mike
    Participant

    We don’t like the use of the word “skirmish” since that represents a combined formation and tactical doctrine.  We prefer the word open order.  We also display the formations differently.  For us skirmishing is a more linear formation with supports in the rear.  So, we show it that way.  Open order is units maintaining the same formation but with greater space between the files and ranks to allow the unit to navigate the woods.  With this as background, we play the unit continues its movement (but at half speed through the woods), but we separate the bases to show open order.  However, when it exits the woods, it must spend a turn “reforming” its ranks.

    January 11, 2023 at 5:43 pm #188628
    Big Al
    Participant

    <p style=”text-align: right;”>Basically, yes. Changing formation takes a full move, so your unit moves up to the terrain(1st move, then changes formation (2nd move) then enters the terrain (3rd move).</p>
    That is per the rules in the main rulebook.

    January 12, 2023 at 2:04 am #188629
    Forrest Harris
    Participant

    Thanks, those are helpful suggestions. On the arid and scruffy Peninsular battlefields where my games take place, I’m wondering if I can’t get around a lot of the awkwardness of woods by treating them simply as rough ground, but with the ability to make targets unclear? That would still bar cavalry and artillery and only the unclear target aspect would need a house rule.

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