A couple of queries

[Matt P]

We’ve been playing Hail Caesar for some time, but in a recent game two new (to us) questions came up. I suspect they’ve been discussed before in the old archive, but I can’t find anything. Hopefully someone will be able to help us.
1. Slings, we’ve never had a unit with slings stand when charged, but had always thought they didn’t get closing fire as they aren’t long ranged weapons like bows. But a re-read of the rules by one player seemed to make it clear that they do get closing and traversing fire as they have a long range, even if its less than bows. Is that correct?

2. Buildings don’t figure much in our games, but a unit of romans moved into a building through the north face. Next turn, under initiative, it charged out of the east face hitting the flank of a Spanish cavalry unit. The cavalry lost the melee by 1, rolled double 1 and broke.
The roman unit then moved back into the building. On its next turn it charged out of the west face into the flank of another unit, which also broke after melee.
Looking at the rules this seems to be correct, but it seems very wrong to us. A unit needs to be able to ‘see’ its target, but in buildings that doesn’t apply as they don’t have a facing as such. And the rules specifically say that the unit moving out can charge in its first move out of the building with no apparent penalties. Is this correct?

Thanks

[Big Al]

2) It is wrong because the unit is not in a formation that would allow an initiative move that would include a charge. As the unit is spread about the building, forming four facings (effectively a square) then, like being in an Open Order formation in a wood, the unit would have to reform. That would require two moves, one for a formation change into battle line and the second to charge.
On top of that, the cavalry get to react, which would most likely be Turn to Face, meaning that it would be charged to its front and not its flank.

1) The only missile weapons that cannot give closing fire is javelins, or anything with a short range (6 inches) only. Slings can fire further than that. Look at the description on page 96 about skirmishers with Long Ranged weapons.

[Matt P]

Al thanks for the quick answer.
We had got slings wrong and had missed the bit on page 96.

Your answer to the charge bit is exactly what we thought. But on page 39 under buildings it says that a unit can leave a building under orders and the first move is always to reform. But that the first move can be a charge, so the argument was that you can charge in the first move without penalty, therefore there doesn’t need to be time to get into battle line that can be done under initiative. Looking at it again the rule implies it can only be done under orders and not initiative, but its not clear.

Just to clarify the cavalry did turn to flank, but what can you do when you roll double 1 on a break test!!

[Big Al]

Double 1 is bad.

The rule for coming out of buildings states that the first move is always reform. That tells you that you can’t charge as well as reform in a single move. First move is reform, second is Charge. Initiative doesn’t work like that., so Order is required. Initiative is an order, by the way.

[Matt P]

Al, Thanks again.
What you’ve said is exactly what we all thought and felt was right. But it was that one line saying the first move can be a charge that caused the issue and problem. Why does it say that I wonder?

[Author]

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