Rally and units locked in Hand-to-Hand

by **TankTracks** » Sat Aug 28, 2010 11:08 pm

Can a commander rally a unit that was locked in hand-to-hand combat in the previous turn/round? I assume it is a simple yes or no but I can't seem to find it. Or to put it another way I can't see that the rally order prevents it.

Cheers!

by **Big Al** » Sun Aug 29, 2010 2:56 pm

I suppose that he can, but you would be putting him at considerable risk just to regain one stamina point. Whether or not he manages to make the order (your roll) he has now joined the unit and if the unit loses the next round of combat and breaks, they'll carry him off with them! Could be better ordering up other units to support the shaken one in the next round.

Al

by **grecian1959** » Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:19 pm

I'd follow Als advice ,tanktracks.I had a general join a unit once that was already in combat to try n rally off some stamina pips in an important battle over a town area.Lets say he got killed in the next round and that opened a new issue of replacement generals which isnt covered in the rules.Tha air turned blue ;-)))))))) very bad show old boy

Cheers Peter

by **Greystreak** » Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:40 pm

We came across this situation as well, in a club game, and decided against permitting a Rally Order whilst Hand-to-Hand was still in progress. The local consenus was: a) organising a 'Rally' whilst engaged in melee were logically 'contradictory' tasks; and b) units in Hand-to-Hand cannot recover from 'Disorder' while engaged, so we extended the same logic to 'Rally' orders. Just our view.

by **TankTracks** » Mon Aug 30, 2010 10:01 pm

Greystreak, logically that makes the most sense to me though I've played enough rules to know that logic is not a criteria for rule writing. ha! I'm not sure any general could be heard in the midst of hand-to-hand anyway.

However you interpret the rules it seems to be agreed that it is a bad idea. In the game we decided it was "one for the forum" and just passed it by.

by **Big Al** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:34 am

Greystreak said:
We came across this situation as well, in a club game, and decided against permitting a Rally Order whilst Hand-to-Hand was still in progress. The local consenus was: a) organising a 'Rally' whilst engaged in melee were logically 'contradictory' tasks; and b) units in Hand-to-Hand cannot recover from 'Disorder' while engaged, so we extended the same logic to 'Rally' orders. Just our view.

Hi

I don't agree with not permitting the option to rally during a combat, heroism is still possible. The reason that disorder can't be removed during combat is because it requires reorganisation and dressing of the ranks, which can't be done under chaotic circumstances. Rallying is quite different. Rallying is due to seeing or hearing a brave leader boosting the unit morale with rousing words and actions which eggs everyone onto greater things, stopping everyone feeling sorry for themselves and giving their all. So, of course, it makes sense to allow it to happen, I just think it is a risk.

You can always do as I suggested earlier and order up units to support and finish off by rashly trying to rally the unit as the last order. Imagine the cheer if it worked and the faltering unit won the day? In campaign terms, the commander would gain an attribute where his troops will follow him anywhere, perhaps a +1 when giving a Rally or Follow Me order. Turns him into a Richard Sharpe or something!

Al

by **steve jones** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 8:06 am

...although you could argue that the "heroic" element is represented by commanders adding dice to hand-to-hand?

Personally I feel rallying while engaged is inappropriate so wouldn't go down this route in my games.

Steve

by **Big Al** » Tue Aug 31, 2010 8:14 am

Depends on your interpretation of "Rallying". In terms of rallying a unit that has broken or fled, then I agree, you couldn't do so whilst in hand to hand combat. In terms of spurring men on to overcome their fear and renew their endeavours while in battle, then they certainly could and should be allowed.

I suppose that is what it is all about in the end.....Interpretation.

Al

by **TankTracks** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 8:15 am

So you'll never believe this. We set up a new game and before long were locked in H-2-H again. We all had a discussion about the results of this thread, pros and cons, and one of the players decided to try a Rally order while locked in H-2-H. We warned him of the risk to his commander but he is the bold & brash, feared by all, loved by cats type and he pressed on. So he rolls the rally order and ... BLUNDER ... ! Then he rolls the blunder result and ... another 6 ... ! CHARGE!

I happen to think this whole thing is crazy. But for him it fits in with the bold and brash nature of the commander.

As we were discussing this one point emerged -- the point of being locked in H-2-H is that you can not make any orders whatsoever. You must continue the H-2-H. By definition a rally is an order. So logically it seems you should not be able to make any order (rally included) while locked in H-2-H.

The other view was as he was bold and brash, blundered, but the result was charge, he should be rewared the +1 charge bonus for the next round of H-2-H because of the size of his balls.

There are always two sides to any coin!

For those wanting to know the rest of the story we disallowed the rally order, played the next round of H-2-H and the opposing commander was shaken, and failed the break test and left the table. Goes to show you can reach the same result by a simpler path! ha!

by **GameCrazy** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:57 pm

MarkHill256 wrote:simply NO..

"training on the use of my expandable batons and master it"

Haha, well in a way it's possible so how is it a "simply no?" :shock: