Army selection, charge reaction, combat results, and sub-units

[arcole]

Hi All,

A friend and I decided yesterday to try a biblical bash, Hittite vs Egyptian, which resulted in a few questions:

1. When creating the Egyptian army (350 points) we had a problem getting the correct number of infantry units to allow for 3 chariots units. In the end we decided to count the Chariot runners as a seperate unit for the purposes of working out the army. Is this correct, or are sub-units only counted as part of the parent unit?

2. Charge reaction. Two Hittite chariot units charged some Egyptian chariots on a hill. The Egyptians opted to receive the charge at the halt as they had a unit of archers in support. The Egyptian chariots had a sub-unit of chariot runners nearby, but not close enough to add to the combat. We decided that if the parent unit had counter charged the sub-unit could have moved into a supporting position, but as it had not the sub-unit had to stand still. Is this correct?

3. Combat result. The Egyptian chariots we slaughtered, and removed as broken. The supporting archers morale test required them to give ground disordered. You now have units in the following positions:
AAAA
BBBBB CCCCCC

11112222

Unit AAAA is the archers, BBBB and CCCC are other egyptian units. 1111 is the victorious Hittite chariot unit, and 2222 is its supporting unit. The hittites opt to capitalise on their success, and do a sweeping advance. Is it just unit 1111 that does a sweeping advance, allowing it to attack the cowering archers, with 2222 only able to move in support, or are both chariot units able to perform seperate sweeping advances? We decided that only the actual winner of the combat could do a sweeping advance, and the supporting units would be able to move in support of it. With this, 1111 charged the archers. Unit 2222 was therefore not able to charge BBBB as it was not in itself doing a sweeping advance. Was this correct?

Thanks in advance.

A

[Big Al]

1) A sub unit is still a unit. It just doesn’t have quite the autonomy of other units as it is restricted by the distance it must remain to the parent unit. So, you can still issue an order to it, but you would likely have to include the parent unit as a brigade order. Although, you could order it to move ahead, allowing the chariot parent to overtake it in the following move, while still maintaining distance.

2)I wouldn’t argue with that, as such, but then, the charge reaction is a move out of sequence, so really, the sub unit would be left behind. The only way of ensuring that they follow during a countercharge is to have them in a position of support before the charge reaction.
As your Egyptian chariots stood and are now armed, I assume that they gave Closing Fire? Might have helped.

3) The diagram is very good, but I assume that the unit of archers, AAAA, was stood next to BBBB? If it was, then the Hittite unit, 1111, could continue and keep in contact with the archers. Hittite unit 2222, however, would be stopped by incidental contact with Egyptian unit BBBB. This would end up as another combat for the following turn (not the same turn). It would still count as a charge, but the Egyptians would have a chance to react by ordering units into the Hittite flank, for example. So, CCCC, could just stay where they are and support, or they could be ordered to charge the chariots in the flank. They couldn’t do it by initiative, as it would require two moves – one to turn to face the flank and the second to charge.

[arcole]

Thanks for the response.

Closing fire was ineffective (and I was Hittite). Further down the line I had a Lukka warband halted by closing fire, but not this one.

For point 3, the units dont seem to be showing up in the right places. Units 1111 and AAAA were facing and fully lined up. Unit 2222 was supporting 1111, so touching the side of that unit. After AAAA had given ground, it was slighly behind BBBB, and with a half unit gap – too small for a unit to go through. Sounds like we did the right thing, as long as 2222 is allowed to not advance.

Regards

A.

[Author]

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