Feigned flight

[twinehtc]

Can anyone explain how feigned flight is supposed to work in HC. I understand the purpose of it as explained in the rule book, but in practice how does it operate?

My question arose in a Macedonian vs later hoplite Greek engagement, where one of the latter's small cavalry units had this capability. I understand that it means a unit can break off combat and make a single move away. That is fine. There does not seem to be anything more than that.

In our small group, we started to develop house rules such as : non-drilled infantry must follow up a full move; drilled infantry have a 50% chance of doing so. Feigned flight against cavalry seems pointless as the follow up will be right on their tails, unless cataphracts.

Before we develop this further, I would value any comments by the forum in case we have missed anything.

Over to you.

[Big Al]

As it is written, a unit with Feigned Flight can leave a combat and make a full move away. The unit it was fighting cannot follow up and pursue, it stays where it is. The unit with Feigned Flight did not lose the combat and pushed back or anything, so the enemy doesn't get the usual options of a victorious unit. If it is your opponent's turn next, then he could initiate, or order a charge into the unit that used Feigned Flight as normal.

[twinehtc]

I understand what the rules say; however I also read that the purpose was to lure the enemy out of line. If the rule is to purely allow a cavalry unit to break off combat, then feigned flight seems the wrong term. There must be more than this.

[twinehtc]

We have now done some historical research and so will test a house rule which requires that

A) the unit with feigned flight capability will break off combat in their round by moving one move back and facing their enemy.

B) the enemy unit must follow up a half move. If the unit is drilled, then the unit has a 50% chance of staying put.

C) the enemy using will take a modified disorder test. We will play test the 50% likelihood, but feel this could be too harsh and so may reduce it to one third chance.

The above only applies for attacking units in close order.

We feel that this will reflect the purpose of feigned flight in that this was almost a drilled manoeuvre to lure the unit attacked into following up. The limit to a half move is to prevent the immediate charge of the enemy unit in the initiative stage of the next move.

We shall see.