Line Relief Rule

We played two great phalanx v legion games in recent weeks. One was Later Macedonian v Rome, the second was Selucid v Rome. Rome won both by the skin of their teeth! After consideration we had decided to use the Line Relief rule from Impetus 1, we just adjusted the old 10U exchange distance to 3H. The rule worked well in Impetus 2 (too well in my opinion as I was Macedon!). At the end of both games there were numerous legion bases reduced to VBU 1, that had only survived because they had been swapped out of the line. Overall we feel the rule is necessary to encourage the Roman player to deploy a double line. Have other players used Republican Roman armies with this rule?

more tests are welcome. In case I can make a free pdf with this addenda for those who want to game with this option. But before that some more test are welcomes so that maybe the rule can be better adjusted.

Aurelius, when a legion unit routs do you allow it to interpenetrate the legion unit behind it without effect? I think that would be the key to shortening the distance between the two lines.

That is an interesting idea Gaius Cassius. As you say the 'swapping' distance of 3H does seem a little excessive. If I remember the two games correctly we only needed a 2H distance in practice. One of the effects of the new pursuit move table is we seem to get more melee 'disconnects', my phalanx failed to maintain melee contact a number of times, allowing heavily damaged Roman bases a rest. Of course this might be exactly what occurred historically, and so the rule mechanism could be considered good.

In reality it must have been a tricky manoeuver to pull off. So I feel it should be possible to fail badly under pressure. So I would tend to keep the interpenetration rule as it is, causing disorder to those behind. I'm thinking of Cannae and Hannibal's Carthaginians.

It would good to bring something into the rules to allow relacement which would encorage a more historical deploment. Maybe under impetus 1 it was a bit all to easy to perform you could make the unit doing the replacement pass a discpline test and if succesful end its move in disorder. Eric

Picking up on Aurelius's other point that units in combat now more often break contact and if now 1H apart means if either unit charge next turn the other unit cannot countercharge.

Aurelius, if the second line of legion infantry is deployed in columns (the two centuries one behind the other) so that gaps exist between the maniples then it seems likely to me that routing units would channel through these gaps? Isn't the whole point of the Roman system of this period?

Thought best to check to remind myself how it is generally accepted how the manipular system worked. As you probably know al 3 ranks deployed in checker board fashion leaving gaps for maniples to advance or withdraw. Prior to 1st contact front rank would close up. It seems that the plan was that the front rank would withdraw if worsted (ie not wait intil route)

GC, I'm thinking that line relief takes place before we reach rout status. As you say there will be gaps in the second line for the first line to retire through. But it still requires the enemy to pause and give time and space for the front line to get out.

Continues
If os best to have a system which which allows line relief prior to potential rout. If you think about it would give you the opportunity uyp refight Trebia which would allow the 3rd rank triari to go in to buy time for the front 2 ranks to escape. Normally the game would be over before triari have a chance as if all front units routed command nearly gone.

Yes i agree hard to imagine pulling out while your bashing each other whether there was a pause in combat or some how specially trained somehow to do this who knows. The sources seem to indicate that they did this and not necessarily routed. Those wishing to use a line replacement system not sure whatcit says in lists but system used just after samnite wars 3oobc approx. To marians reforms 110bc approx. With line system may give you opportunity to fight with all 3 ranks.