Opportunity charge and firing

Playing my first game today, I moved a unit of musketeers which provoked an opportunity charge from an enemy galloper unit. Can the musketeer unit fire at the gallopers before contact? it isn't defensive or opportunity fire, as they are not the reacting player
Bryan

They could fire before movement, or after movement but I'm pretty sure they can't react to a reaction.

as Zippee says. Defensive Fire is a reaction and reaction are allowed only by non active players. They can fire before and then move.

It sounds like an opportunity charge interrupts the active unit immediately and prevents it from finishing it's move and fire?

Another question please. Can disordered units locked in melee from a previous turn attempt to rally before the next round of melee is resolved?

thanks guys
Bryan

No rallying whilst in melee just as in Impetus I think

Thanks guys. I've never played Impetus so it's all new to me

No worries,
It shouldn't be necessary to play one to play the other. I put the caveat there because on a quick look I couldn't see it stipulated - and clearly you haven't either.

I know with absolute certainty you can't rally in melee in impetus and I'm very aware that it's very easy for those of us who have been playing for years to simply assume that something that applies in one set applies in the other.

I'd find it odd if you could rally in combat but I've been surprised before

Yes, I've never played any rules where you could do ANYTHING whilst locked in melee (except perhaps break-off)

The only thing I'm still unsure of is the timing of opportunity charges, and whether they happen immediately and prevent the active unit from completing its move/fire actions. I guess in real life if a moving infantry unit sees that an enemy was bearing down on it, it would stop and attempt to fire a volley, but may or may not have time to do so. I'd be interested to see how other players deal with that situation

thanks again
Bryan

Opportunity charges (actually any reaction) happens at the point the player wishes - it literaly interrupts the other player's turn.

So your intent may be to move and give fire but if your opponent declares an opportunity charge whilst your unit is still moving then you won't get to fire.

Reactions and actions are a game of bluff and brinkmanship - the fact a particular action can only be reacted against once and a unit can only attempt to react once means that you need to be careful with when and where you choose to make the attempt.

You should be moving less attractive units that can damage first, or tempting unit moves that could be reacted against whilst those foot are waiting - threatening to move, their presence can be used to make the enemy retain their reaction, allowing you freedom elsewhere. Then of course just fire, don't push too far, etc., etc.

OK, that's cleared it up now
thanks Zippee
cheers
Bryan

its under 2.5.3 Disordered Units, pg. 10 "A unit cannot rally if it is engaged in a melee"

It need to be added to 4.1.2 Rally so this doesn't keep coming up.

Thanks Stecal - didn't have time to search.

Oh for a hyperlink PDF index

Thanks guys. One more question sorry. Can you confirm that when rallying, units don't suffer the -1 modifier for disorder in the discipline test?
cheers
Bryan

the only modifiers for discipline tests( to rally) are +1 for commander attached, -1 for out of command range. see 2.4.1

the other tests are all REACTION tests that use discipline for the roll with their own modifiers.