Commands structure

Ok maybe its just me but it doesnt matter how many times I read page 15 in regard to Commanders and Command structure it doesnt make sense.

It starts off by saying that each of the commands is under the control of a commander (Or General) and that one of these Generals is the C in C

Ok got that bit, in fact it makes sense all the way down to the bit that says..."Commanders are not all the same and their leadership skills vary" Which I guess is saying that a leader of one battle/command could be better or worse than another in the army that is fielded?

It then gives a chart of skill level of the commanders and the points cost, so I originally thought that for each commander (C in C and sub commnaders) you would need to assign a level i.e from Genius to Cowardly for each commander in the army.

BUT then it says "The quantity and quality of subordinate commanders in Impetus is represented by the Command Structure"

This threw me as it now seems to be saying that sub commanders DO NOT choose from the Leadership bonus table and instead are dictated by the command structure of good, average or poor.

Does this also mean then that the command range is only based on how far the General is from a unit and not the sub commanders? and how much then are sub commanders?

Really I have read so much on the internet about how good this game is but getting a little confused on the way the book is written. Based my figures and waiting to play my first game.

There are two distinct parts involved here:
Command Structure - each army has a command structure which can be Good, Average or Poor. Each Army List lets you know which option you can use for your Army. There is a ponts cost shown. You pay this cost once for the whole army.
Skill Level - Each general in your army has his own skill level, as you've noted each of these has a cost that you pay per general.

At different points in the rules you use the approriate statistic.
Eg You have a Good Command Structure and two commands one with a Charismatic General and one with a Fair general. The command radius is measured based on the Good CS. It is measured from the general of the command in question. For initiative purposes the commands roll using their own generals Skill Level

arthurpendragon wrote: It then gives a chart of skill level of the commanders and the points cost, so I originally thought that for each commander (C in C and sub commnaders) you would need to assign a level i.e from Genius to Cowardly for each commander in the army.

Does this also mean then that the command range is only based on how far the General is from a unit and not the sub commanders? and how much then are sub commanders?

Really I have read so much on the internet about how good this game is but getting a little confused on the way the book is written. Based my figures and waiting to play my first game.

Arthur, your mistake in reading the rules is that you assumed something that isn't there. 2.7 never uses the word sub commanders. It talks about commanders and one commander needing to be appointed CinC but not sub commanders. So each command needs to have a commander. The mention of subordinate commanders is respect to officers within a command below the level of the commander. Rather than have a plethora of subcommanders on the table top the rules use instead command structure to represent this.

The one thing I've learned about reading Impetus is that the rules are written very literally. I have more than once been corrected because I have subsumed into the rules something that wasn't there.

Gaius Cassius wrote:
The one thing I've learned about reading Impetus is that the rules are written very literally. I have more than once been corrected because I have subsumed into the rules something that wasn't there.

So true. I remember the first time I read the rules (on a very long plane trip)I got so much of it wrong and mixed up. Wasn't until we had figures on the table that things became clearer.