Slitherine

Just played an ECW game in which a unit of New Model determined horse charged a unit of Cornish pike and shot, which was in side-to-side contact with a 2-base unit of Royalist medium guns, which in turn were being defended by Commanded Shot.

C/S--C/S
...........]-SHOT-PIKE-SHOT
GUN-GUN]-SHOT-PIKE-SHOT
........... .........D/Hs-D/Hs
.......... ..........D/Hs-D/Hs

In the melee phase, the cavalry expanded, which took it into corner-to-corner contact with the guns, being defended by Commanded Shot (I've included a subsequent expansion on the right, just to make the drawing easier), thus:-

C/S--C/S
...........]-SHOT-PIKE-SHOT
GUN-GUN]-SHOT-PIKE-SHOT
.............D/Hs-D/Hs-D/Hs-D/Hs

Despite a combined playing time of about 20 years, none of the 10 people who looked at this had ever seen it happen before. Three questions:-

1) Are the Commanded Shot allowed to "step forward" and count as overlap in the full melee in the second picture? We thought "yes" (eventually).

2) Should the fact that the Commanded Shot was Poor have had any bearing on the matter (other than re-rolling any 6s)? We thought "no".

3) What would happen to the guns if the Dt Horse won the melee?

It looks like you played it correctly, if the Commanded Shot were supporting the guns then they are entitled to participate in the melee. If the D/H had won the melee then nothing would happen to the guns as the D/H were not in frontal contact with the troops supporting them, they would presumably pursue the foot past the guns.

An option that you have in these circumstances is to make your second expansion into the Commanded Shot instead of to the right of the D/H BG. In those circumstances, if the Commanded Shot are broken the guns would then be captured.

Its been ages since I posted so here goes.

If a BG of 2 determined horse in column are lined up directly on the flank of 2 artillery supported by 2 commanded shot and hit the artillery on the side, do the commanded shot disrupt and fight the impact? Oh and if another BG of 2 determined horse are behind the commanded shot and just in charge reach - can they actually charge them as well?

HH