Brigade orders amd unreliable troops

[arcole]

If you give a brigade order the commanders staff rating is usually based on the unit that gives him the lowest value. There is however 1 except.

If you exacly roll the commanders net staff rating then all units get 1 move, except any “unreliable” units. Thes units cannot move on a equal result (page 105).  Is the rest of the “brigade” therefore forces to ensure that brigade integrity (i.e. maximum 6″ spacing between units),  or can they mover as required,m leaving the unreliable unit to catch up at some later date?

Regards

A.

[Garry Wills]

That is a great question. I think the brigade order rules must apply so that one other unit would have to move half a move to keep the brigade integrity.

Personally I play in 15mm and use a 12cm brigade integrity distance to allow more realistic deployments, so it would be less of an issue, but in the past I have just left  the unreliable units behind. It will be interesting to hear what others say.

Garry

[Big Al]

The brigade order is rolled against the commander’s Staff rating, the result is then modified by any factors that might affect it. For example, if one member of the brigade is beyond the first 12 inches of the commander a -1 modifier is applied and so on.

the rule for brigade orders is that all units included in the order must be within 6 inches of each other and must end the move within 6 inches of each other. This means that a brigade of mixed units will move at the pace of the slowest member. This is why it isn’t a good idea to include a man handled artillery piece with cavalry. It hamstrings the cavalry.

 

There is a way to get around it but it isn’t easy. Set up the faster moving units behind the slower ones and when everything moves at their maximum pace, you should find that the faster moving units end up ahead of the slower units but still within the 6 inches. It is something that I have to do in Hail Caesar with chariot runners. I have to set them ahead of the chariots so that they can keep pace.

[Charge The Guns]

I would say that the brigade integrity is important when the order is given. In the example you give, I think the other unit should all follow the order they are given, ignoring the unreliable units. The special rule is there to make unreliable units more difficult to command, and this sort of foul up, with some units moving and some not, seems to be what the rules are getting at.

[arcole]

Thanks for the replies.  Looking at the description of unreliable on page 105 it says:

if unreliable units are included in a group order with other units this means it is possible for other units to move whilst the unreliable elements remain staunchly immobile.

This doesnt really describe the full impact. However I am tempted to go with allowing the remainder of the brigade to move, whilst leaving the unreliable unit standing.

Regards

A.

[Big Al]

Sounds good to me. The unreliable rule allows the exception.

[Author]

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