Rule 7.7.8 melee in more than one phase

Here’s a query that I’ve been grappling with.

Unit A is activated, charges and melees with Unit B. The result is a draw and both remain locked in combat. Unit C (a friendly unit in the same Command as Unit A) is activated, charges and joins in fighting Unit B.

The question is who fights? Is it both A and C? Previous postings and the diagram on page 47 would suggest that that is so. However the wording in the above clause: “… and that have not yet been activated that turn.” would suggest that only Unit C fights against A. This phrase seems to be immediately contradicted by the next sentence (starting “Units from the Command …”).

Wouldn’t it be clearer if the offending phrase: “… and that have not yet been activated that turn.” were simply deleted or is there some other reason for it being there?

PS thanks for the game in Tonbridge though I couldn't stay long having finished off the central command made it worthwhile!

You are right both A & C fight as C reactivates the combat. Whichever of the 2 has more frontal contact with with B will be the main unit the other support but if C is attacking rear or flank it will be the support unit amd A the main unit if attacking frontally even if its front has less contact.
Glad you enjoyed the game at Tonbridge Cavalier 2020 will put a few photos and report on the forum uner Events fairly soon. Regards Eric

I am not sure. The sentence “… and that have not yet been activated that turn.” has to mean something.

In addition, allowing the already activated unit to engage in melee again seems to conflict with 7.1 which indicates that melee ends the activation of a unit, but that the unit could engage in another phase if pursuit were successful. It says nothing about the ability to engage in melee in any other circumstance.

Would this mean that reactivation of a previous melee cannot involve units that have already activated during that turn, and only applies to a melee in subsequent turn?

edit--Another thing I thought about is that allowing a unit that previously fought a melee to fight again later that same turn would seem to encourage not using groups, but instead, making waves of individual attacks, as each individual attack could allow a unit that fought a previous melee, to fight again that turn.

I looked at 7.7.8 again I don't see any confusion. In the first example C activates the melee with B and both A&C fight together against B.

Imagine however that the melee between A&B survives to the next turn. It is during the next turn C moves into the melee. That activates A as well and A&C melee with B. Whatever happens next (draw, pursuit, retreat) C has finished its activation and so has A. Had C been from a different command and had moved first, A could be activated when its command wins initiative.

Gaius, what causes confusion for me is the sentence "The Unit that "restarts" the melee automatically activates friendly units belonging to the same Command that are involved in the melee and that have not yet been activated. In the above example, A is in the same command and has previously been activated--thus, couldn't one argue that A cannot be activated to participate in the melee? I am not saying that you are wrong, but I can't reconcile the above sentence with other rules.

'Activates' means activated by command initiative not 'activated to fight'. The issue is whether A can be activated and given orders later this turn or not.

All units fight in combat - fighting in combat is not 'activation.'

If restarting a combat involves another unit of the same command, that unit is also 'activated' i.e. is considered to have had its turn.

If restarting a combat involves another unit of a command that has not yet activated, then that unit is not 'activated' i.e. it does not lose its turn when its command is later activated. It does, however, fight in the combat - but that is not 'activation', that's 'fighting'.

+1 to Zippee.

This is an example of how Impetus creates interesting command choices and why I so much like the game. So for instance, imagine A and B in melee. A new turn starts and A's command is activated. Does the player fight the melee again with A and B or does the player bring in C to assist A? Sometimes this is a difficult choice to make. C helps protect A but at the cost of completing its activation (remember, melee always is the last action of an activated unit.) Sometimes you might want to risk A against B with the hope that A defeats B and forces it back allowing C to later advance or in the case of a draw getting another melee against B with the addition of C when it is activated. The permutations and their consequences are really endless and impossible to scope.

Thanks for the help. I have read the entire Impetus 2 rule book, and this was so far the only rule that confused me.