A Few Questions from an Inexperienced IMPETVS Player

1. Are impetuous cavalry marked as disordered if the target of their charge (a normal move, no extra die for movement or extra move taken) evades?

The situation was this: In Player A’s phase, their light cavalry unit shot at an enemy unit of crossbowmen, didn’t hit anything, and then charged. The melee was one-sided and the crossbow foot were routed. The impetuous cavalry (on the side of the crossbowmen) saw this and thought they would set matters right. In Player B’s phase, they moved forward (not a full 10 U), therefore removing the “on opportunity” marker.
The inactive player, controlling the light cavalry, decided to evade and ran away like little girls.

Do the impetuous cavalry stop at the point where contact WOULD HAVE taken place? Are they marked disordered at that point? Or, does the cavalry continue a full move of 10 U and then receive the disorder marker?

2. In a battle involving, let us say, 5 commands (3 on one side and 2 on the other), does a command have to roll to check on the general if that command is neither moving or firing that turn? In other words, if you do not activate a command, you don’t have to check on the status of the general, right?

3. A unit of Byzantine infantry with supporting archers moves to within 30 U of an enemy formation, at least as measured by the front edge of the line infantry unit. Can the supporting archers fire? Or, should the front edge of the supporting archer unit be within the range window or limit before it can commence indirect fire?

Thanks for your help.

Chris

1. This is called a potential charge and the CP would declare that he is occupying the ground of the CL. The CL would then decide whether to evade or stand. If the CL evades the CP's charge is cancelled and moves normally. Only if the CP used its bonus charge dice would it be marked as disordered for charging the CL.

2. All commands must be activated each turn.

3. Yes, firing is measured from the front stand for large units.

As an aside, imagine the CP starts 3U away from the CL. In this case it might be a good idea to use the bonus charge move with the hope that the CP could contact the CL at the end of the evade/charge. The CL would move back 12U and the CP would need to roll 5-6 on the charge move bonus to contact the CL. Should the CP roll 1-4 on the bonus move the CP would fail to contact and be marked disordered.

Ahhh, the potential charge. Recall seeing that in the advanced rules. Just have to review it again. However, given that these were or are impetuous cavalry, they have to make a normal move toward the closest enemy anyway, right?

Supporting archers from the front unit - got it. Sufficed to say, at ranges greater than 15 U, they don't get a lot of dice!

As to activation, if I am in a good defensive position and don't want to move or fire any units (the enemy are just too far away) why should I roll to activate? I just want to sit and wait until they get closer. Is it simply a matter of seeing if my commanders get better or worse?

Chris

AncientWarrior wrote: Is it simply a matter of  seeing if my commanders get better or worse?

Pretty much. Isn't that enough?